Note: I have made a special pellets page with lots more information. Please refer to that page as it will answer most questions.
Back in January of 2012, I wrote a blog entitled, “I Get Asked This Question A Lot!” that has to date generated 59 responses, and counting. The following correspondence between Carly and myself offers insight that can be helpful to others. Let me share:
“Dear Lyn,
I am 51, I had a hysterectomy in 2010, I still have one ovary. I get hot flashes, sometimes pretty bad, and then they will fade to maybe once or twice a week. They are irregular. My biggest concern is my weight. Last year, in June 2013, I lost my insurance and wasn’t able to purchase
the rx I was on. I was taking Topomax for muscle and joint pain, and some anxiety, too. I was also on Wellbutrin and Lipitor. Since going off all of this, I have gained probably 30 pounds. I have noticed my middle is getting a thick band of fat, that seems very hard around the abdomen. This really worries me as there is diabetes and heart disease in my family. I also have high cholesterol, and absolutely no energy. The muscle and joint pain give me no motivation to work out. I don’t eat crazy, although I do have bread cravings. I am really nervous about the sudden weight gain. I know I have some hormone issues, but what they are, I have no clue. I went to a free seminar on bioidentical hormones and I was excited. The doctor was pro-testosterone pellets. He said he checks blood labs to see if low testosterone is the culprit. I would really like a straight-up option on my weight gain, hormones and a proven method that doesn’t take years to accomplish. I mean when you use hormone creams, how soon do you lose weight? I’m just at a loss. And now the pellets scare me. I was considering scheduling an appointment with him. Any ideas?
Hi Carly,
I will be frank with you. Rarely is testosterone therapy at the heart of health issues. Pellet therapy is great at giving supra-physiological doses of testosterone to mask underlying issues.
Weight gain is best managed with balanced hormone therapy, proper supplementation, exercise and a Ketogenic diet. The 3 major hormones: insulin, cortisol and thyroid need to be proactively managed prior to managing sex hormones of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. If you schedule an appointment with this doctor, your first question should be the strategy for managing insulin, cortisol and thyroid. Only after this discussion, should testosterone be discussed. Finally, you need to determine how testosterone is to be balanced with estrogen and progesterone.
Be sure you have read the other comments from this blog post to see potential pitfalls of testosterone pellets in women. I’m fairly certain this doctor won’t share these drawbacks with you. I am not a fan of supra-physiological dosing of any hormone. We are all about using physiological (exactly what each body needs) dosing of all sex hormones, as needed, for optimal hormone balance. I hope this info helps you.
Thank you, Lyn.
It does help honestly. I read all the comments long before I made my own comment and went through your site many times. I have actually visited your page a few times over the years and have wanted to make an appointment. I have been looking hard for something that can help me. I feel out of control. I have changed my diet, drink only water, and some coffee in the morning. I eat very little red meat maybe once a month, increased my fish and veggies. I also limited my breads, and I am still not losing weight as I expected. It has been 3 weeks and I have only lost 4 pounds. I would like to make an appointment at your facility but it would have to be after 4:00 p.m. I live in Springfield. Is there any hope to get this weight off and get my sex life back on track in a realistic time period? I want my life back. Is summer too soon? Can you email or call me?
Hi Carly,
We can help! We are women helping women for wellness and are all about educating you. Having been an educator for over 30 years, I know that it is this learning that promotes a change in beliefs and a change in behavior. We will connect with you early this week to set up an appointment, or you can call us at 513-444-6343. Our Vandalia office is probably the closest office to you and it is open on Thursdays until 7:00 p.m. Otherwise our Kettering office offers Saturday appointments for our working women who can’t make it in during the week.
I look forward to working with you holistically for your best health naturally. Our approach gets at the heart of your issues and offers as balanced strategy that encompasses all areas of concern (adrenal glands, thyroid, sex hormones, weight, heart health) to correct the problems…not just mask the symptoms (as your prescription drugs did). I am excited for you!”
Read more about our view on pellets here
