Menopause is often associated with many unpleasant symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, reduced libido, and more. These symptoms often result from the decline in estrogen and progesterone levels. Therefore, if you want to enjoy relief from these symptoms, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a great treatment to explore. However, mount pleasant bioidentical hormones come in different forms, including gels, patches, tablets, and more. So, the next step is selecting the right form of hormone replacement therapy for you. Continue reading to learn about the common hormone replacement therapy types to explore.
1. Tablets
Tablets are one of the most prevalent forms of hormone replacement therapy. You should generally take a tablet every day. Both estrogen-only and combined HRT are accessible as tablets. In fact, for some women, this might be the easiest way of receiving treatment. Nonetheless, it is vital to be aware that some risks associated with HRT, like blood clots, are greater with tablets than with other types of HRT.
2. Skin Patches
Skin patches are another popular way of receiving HRT, where patients stick patches on their skin and replace them after several days. Skin patches are a greater alternative to tablets if you experience inconveniences taking a pill daily. Utilizing patches could also help you avoid some of the side effects of HRT, like indigestion, and unlike pills, they do not heighten your danger of blood clots.
3. Estrogen Gel
Estrogen gel is another type of HRT therapy that has grown in popularity in recent years. With these gels, you rub them onto your skin once daily.
As with skin patches, gels are a convenient way of receiving HRT and do not raise your danger of blood clotting. However, if you still have your womb, you may have to take some form of progesterone separately as well, to reduce your danger of womb cancer.
4. Implants
HRT also comes in tiny pellet-like implants that your practitioner inserts underneath your skin, often in the tummy area. Your doctor often numbs the area with a local anesthetic to minimize discomfort. The implant gradually releases estrogen and lasts several months, before requiring replacement.
Implants are a convenient alternative if you do not want to worry about taking your treatment daily or after a few days. Nonetheless, as with estrogen gels, you must also take progesterone separately.
If you are under a different type of estrogen and have to take progesterone alongside it, another implant alternative is the intrauterine system (IUS). An IUS releases progesterone into the womb, lasting 3-5 years, and acting as a contraceptive. However, HRT implants are not as common.
5. Vaginal Estrogen
Estrogen is also available as a cream, ring, or pessary your doctor places inside the vagina. This alternative can relieve vaginal dryness, but will not be effective with other concerns like hot flashes.
Vaginal estrogen does not bear the typical risks of HRT, like blood clots, and does not raise your risk of breast cancer. Therefore, you may use it without taking progesterone, even if you still got a womb.
Hormone replacement therapy is a standard approach for treating the unpleasant symptoms associated with menopause. However, this treatment is not suitable for everybody. Discuss HRT’s risks and potential benefits with your practitioner to help you make an informed decision. Some key factors your doctor will consider when evaluating your eligibility for HRT include your health history, age, and severity of your menopausal symptoms. If you are a good candidate for hormone replacement, your doctor will work with you to determine the suitable type of HRT, based on your individual preferences and care goals.