Bio-identical Hormones
Men and women need a balanced endocrine system as hormones regulate our bodily functions. Throughout different stages in our lives our bodies change. As we age our hormones (oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone) decline, which impact our behaviour and our functioning.
BHRT is a process of re balancing the naturally occurring hormones which have depleted due to age.
Dr Caitlin Scott at the Menopause Clinic – Levitas Clinic Guildford
As Featured in Frank Magazine, October 2020 Issue
Dr Caitlin Scott is a qualified GP from Cape Town, South Africa. After graduating from The University of Cape Town she gained over four year’s experience in hospital and private general practice. This is where her passion for women’s health developed.
Hormones & Bio-identical
Bio-identical Hormones are plant-derived hormones that are identical in chemical structure to those found in the human body. The hormones are prescribed and produced based on each individual requirement. They are prepared in a compounding pharmacy.
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can provide relief from a wide range of symptoms associated with:
- Menopause
- Andropause (male menopause)
- Other hormone-related conditions
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Endometriosis
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Thyroid dysfunction
Hormones for Women
As a woman moves through each phase of menopause, hormone levels can fluctuate significantly. However, these vital hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone remain important for bones, vaginal and urethral health, skin, brain function and cardiovascular health. It is therefore important to effectively balance and replenish these hormones in order to maintain a woman’s health, energy, mood and brain function.
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can help with:
- Perimenopause
- Menopause
- Pre-menstrual syndrome
- Depression
- Postnatal depression
- Thyroid dysfunction
Hormones for Men
Lost your get up and go? It could be the result of male menopause.
Many people assume menopause is just a woman’s condition. However, it is not the case as men also suffer from menopause and the effects of changing hormones. Many men experience some of the same symptoms that women experience in perimenopause (meaning around menopause) and menopause, including low sex drive, hot flashes, depression, irritability, mood swings, increased body fat and decreased energy.
Male menopause, also known as andropause, is the result of a gradual decrease in testosterone. Testosterone is an androgen. Male menopause is not the same type of menopause that women go through. For this reason, doctors usually refer to “male menopause” as low testosterone, testosterone deficiency or androgen decline in the aging male.
Male menopause, or andropause, differs from female menopause, which occurs when the production of female hormones drops suddenly. Andropause is a gradual decline in hormone levels. The ovaries run out of the substance it needs to make testosterone. This does not happen with the testicles.
Testosterone levels in men gradually decline throughout the course of adulthood. This happens about 1 percent a year after the age of 30 on average. The loss of testosterone is rarely noticeable in men younger than 60. And by the time men reach their 80s, about half have low testosterone.
As testosterone and andropause levels decrease men will feel a difference in the points below:
- Decreased erection frequency and firmness
- Low libido
- Depressed mood
- Difficulty losing weight
- Trouble gaining muscle with exercise
- Decreased exercise performance
- Fatigue
Bio-Identical Hormones Prices
Members receive a 10% discount on the service.
Treatment Schedule
You will have an initial appointment to review any recent diagnostic tests you may have had or ensure they are carried out prior to the procedure to ensure this is the correct treatment for you.
1
Initial Consultation
During the initial consultation the doctor will take a full comprehensive history to understand the present concerns.
The doctor may take bloods or arrange sputum tests. (There will be additional charges for these tests).
2
Follow up Consultation (after return of tests) between 1 week and 1 month
During this consultation the blood / sputum results are discussed and a plan of prescription mediation is devised specifically for you.
3
3 month follow up
This is to discuss how the medication is working and arrange further prescriptions.
4
From then 6 monthly follow ups
Medication reviews, medical check up and examination where needed.
Adrenal Fatigue and Hormonal Imbalance
How do the adrenal glands help us cope with stress?
The adrenal glands sit on top of each kidney. They produce a variety of hormones including the fast acting stress hormones, adrenalin and noradrenalin, and the slower acting cortisol and DHEA. These hormones give us the energy we need to feel motivated, and deal with any stress. When we are put into a stressful position, the body releases the hormones to deal with the ‘’physical danger’’ (‘fight or flight’ response). Once the danger is over, the body should naturally go back to a relaxed state and the adrenal gland returns hormone levels back to normal. However our modern way of living can create continuous levels of stress, for extended periods of time. This in turn causes the adrenal glands to continually pump out those stress hormones. It is not just emotional stress that causes this but also diet deficiencies; pain, chronic inflammation, microbiome imbalance/digestive infections such as h pylori, parasites, SIBO, candida; lack of sleep; over training; auto immune. Eventually, the adrenals will become fatigued if they are continually stimulated. This is the exhaustion stage of stress where eventually the adrenals will produce abnormally low levels of the stress hormones (DHEA; Cortisol); we are then tired, anxious and exhausted.
How are your sex hormones connected to adrenal exhaustion?
One of the biggest hormone problems for women is low progesterone levels which is fairly common. Of course this hormone lowers naturally with menopause or perimenopause. However it can lower a little too much making you feel tired; anxious; low libido; stressed; unable to cope. Even young females maybe experiencing an unnatural fall in progesterone.
Progesterone is synthesized fairly early in the hormonal cascade, and its activity is highly influenced by the level of stress – either physical or emotional that a woman is experiencing. To explain this further, let’s talk about pregnenolone steal or progesterone steal. Pregnenolone is the primary “precursor” hormone. The primary decision the body makes with pregnenolone is whether it wants to makes sex hormones like progesterone or stress hormones like cortisol. If a woman is stressed, her body “steals” the pregnenolone and uses it for stress hormone production instead eg making more cortisol (especially if your levels of cortisol are dropping because the adrenals are becoming exhausted). However other hormones can be affected too in this turmoil, hence your Dr or therapist may find low hormonal levels across the board. But progesterone will be the one that is hardest hit. The body is basically ‘stealing’ this hormone to allow you to produce more cortisol in order to ‘cope’.
Common symptoms of low cortisol (which may start the progesterone steal):
- Symptoms associated with Blood sugar imbalances (hungry all the time, the need to snack, light-headed—jittery without food) or the use of drugs, such as caffeine, sugar and alcohol to ramp up energy and mood
- Digestive problems
- Poor immune system leading to frequent infections, and inflammatory symptoms
- Hormonal problems such as PMS, low libido, fertility problems.
- Mental and physical fatigue
- Depression
- Sleep problems and insomnia
- Headaches
- Low blood pressure
Symptoms of DHEA deficiency include:
- Persisting fatigue
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Hypersensitivity to noise
- Loss of libido
- Dry eyes
- Dry skin and hair
- Loss of head hair
Reversing adrenal burn out and aid your hormonal balance
Saliva testing to determine cortisol levels is the first step to assessing your adrenal health. Healing happens on a cellular level, and flooding the body with nutrients to nourish, support, and rebuild the mitochondria while addressing hormone balance is a comprehensive solution. Reception can give you an adrenal stress test kit and organise our Nutritional Therapy – Functional Medicine practitioner to give you a call regarding the next steps. She will organise to meet with you once she has the results, and develop a programme to help re balance your adrenal health working in conjunction with the programme you are following with the BHRT. The adrenals stress test is a saliva test, which can be carried out in the comfort of your home and returned direct to the laboratory by you.
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Membership
The Levitas Group offers both Clinical and Dental memberships for its patients, allowing access to GP or Dental appointments 7 days a week and also giving a 10% discount on selected services within the practice.
All services are also available to non-members.
