Pellet Treatment

 

Pellets have been around for over 80 years, so although they are making a resurgence, they are not new. The two possible pellets are estrogen and testosterone, both in the forms produced in your body. They are about the size of a grain of rice and implanted under the skin in the buttock region. They slowly dissolve and release the hormones in a more steady-state fashion. You can have only one or both estrogen and testosterone inserted at once.

The Benefits

One of the greatest benefits is that they are placed about every three months, and once in place, you do not have to remember anything. Also, the dosing is transdermal which avoids the hormones first going through the liver and possibly increasing your clotting risk. Some other transdermal routes, mainly patches and vaginal rings can sometimes cause localized irritation. For these reasons, many women turn to pellets for hormone replacement.

Before you try a pellet

Before you try a pellet, you may wish to try the hormones in a cream or other transdermal form that can be applied daily to make sure you like the effects. In this regard, if you do not like the effects, you can simply stop the applications. If you are happy with the effects but would like the ease of a three-month therapy, then you can change to pellets.

Why testosterone?

Although off-label, testosterone is generally well-tolerated and even embraced by women. Many women have hypoactive (decreased) sexual desire, and testosterone can help with this, but testosterone offers many other benefits including improved bone health, muscle mass, mood, energy, focus, and well-being. Please ask us about testosterone therapy. Many women are amazed at how good they feel after starting testosterone, just read Dr. Hutton’s bio!

What if you want testosterone, but do not want a pellet or are afraid of pellet insertion?

There’s a mini vaginal insert that might be right for you. It’s about the size of a pencil eraser, less messy than a cream, and with less chance of transference (someone else absorbing or using it).