What to Consider About Hormone Replacement Therapy (for men too)

Interestingly, hormone replacement therapy seems to be increasingly popular, and recently someone expressed the 'Do I have to?' concern. Which makes sense, as we've come so far in medicine and talking about natural medicine in particular, it raises the questions about options.

Before getting into it, one thought to consider is that whatever symptoms you may be experiencing related to hormone imbalances:
-Hot flushes
-Weight gain around the abdomen
-Sleep issues
-Food cravings
-Skin changes

Can also be due to poor sleep, not getting enough nutrients (or perhaps the right nutrients and not absorbing properly), stress, thyroid issues, low iron, and too much cardio (the shift into menopause really favors weight-bearing exercise).

Another thought is, how much is it affecting your daily life? I've seen the right combination of supplements (various types like nutrients, herbs, homeopathics) can do wonders in a short period of time (some are willing to wait), while maybe the concentration issues, sleep concerns, and hot flashes need a little bit more of a 'kick' and perhaps a pharmaceutical grade blend (hormones can be compounded to different dosages and forms, just ask your doctor if they do this) could be just the answer for a period of time.
**also important to consider, is how long you would want to stay on HRT, is there a plan to come off of them, and if so, what are the next steps?

To tie this together, in Naturopathic medicine we look for what's called the 'root cause.' This means the concern you came in with while does need to be addressed, we're also thinking about every possible organ system and it's associated physiology that could be a contributing factor to your distress. So while you're support through hormone care, you're also empowered to understand all the ways other organ systems could be affecting how hormones are made, transformed (detoxified) and exited through the body. Aka why gut health is important, and thyroid health too, as it's metabolism of the rate in which things move through the body (not just weight loss).

In working with the body this way, we're also practicing prevention, as consider too how some of these symptoms are synonymous to the ones of heart disease (a big risk factor post menopause), e.g. sleep issues, dietary concerns, and stress.

MEN! I have not forgotten about you! Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is quite popular, but like with any therapy, also has to be monitored and this too may not always be long-term. Likewise, same natural approach: we optimize the many organ systems and symptoms while you may or may not be on TRT. In addition to a boost, you also get preventative care!

Testing can look different for everyone, and as mentioned, testing can go beyond just hormones too (in other words, to get to the root cause!).

So to wrap up, figure out what you would like to do first, your goals, philosophy, what prevention for you looks like, and find someone who fits! And/or can at least has some good resources. If you'd like to chat, or at least discover what a plan would look like, I invite you to book a call with me HERE to learn more!