If you have been detected with a lesser amount of gonadal hormones in your body i.e. testosterone and estrogen, you must’ve been advised by your doctor to take hormone therapy.
Of many methods of hormone therapy, one of them is hormone pellet therapy. It is done by implanting pellets of hormones (testosterone or estradiol) in the body.
Pellets
- Pellets need to be inserted inside the body by a small incision.
- Pellets are actually sprills of a few centimeters. They contain crystallized testosterone or estradiol. The crystallized hormone is actually a bioengineered product made from plants.
- The hormone has the exact same molecular formula as that found inside the body. In a one-time procedure, 10 pellets are inserted into the body.
- From there, they release hormones directly inside the bloodstream.
- You’ll need to visit a doctor after months for getting a new pellet implant.
- Moreover, the amount of testosterone in the pellets has to be regulated according to one’s
Hormone pellet therapy does not require a digestive pathway for getting into the body. Hence, the liver does have to get affected by it. Higher levels of testosterone have adverse effects on the liver. The hormone is just absorbed inside the body.
A Brief Introduction To Their Side Effects
The side effects are more prominent at the beginning of hormone pellet therapy. But these problems settle down after some weeks.
Blood Clots
Many blood clots form inside the blood vessels. These blood clots can cause many diseases like High blood pressure and an increased risk of a heart attack.
Blurred Vision
Your body muscles may start to get a little bit weak in the beginning and your vision will start to decline.
Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding
If the hormone is taken in higher quantity can lead to drastic effects on reproductive health and cause many painful symptoms.
High And Low Testosterone
The hormone pellet therapy requires the patient to be continuously examined after time to time intervals. Both low and high levels of hormones are dangerous to health.
Difficulty In Dose Regulation
A surgical procedure and a visit to the doctor need to be done for regulation of the procedure. This makes the procedure more difficult to maintain and increases the chances of patient negligence.
Testosterone Therapy For Women
Mainly women are given estradiol therapy but they also need to be given testosterone in small amounts. The FDA approves the drugs according to 1 requirement i.e. for men usage. However, your doctor can also suggest you the dosage.
The skill and knowledge of the doctor are needed here. This problem is higher in developing countries where appropriate training is not given to doctors.
Dislodging Of Pellets
This is a very rare chance. However, still, it can occur that the pellets can get dislodged and come out of the skin after surgery.
Man-Made And Artificial Hormones
We use bio-identical hormones produced from plant products for making pellets. However, some companies use man-made products in pellets leading to an increased risk of cancer (prostate and breast).
Source: Bubolo Medical