Hormone Therapy in Chicago

The process is straightforward and simple. Schedule a consultation by <calling or texting us> or by <requesting an appointment>. After your consultation, you will get lab work, receive prescriptions, and start therapy at home. Follow-up appointments will be scheduled with you for later dates.

Hormones are the chemical messengers that travel throughout your body and coordinate complex processes like growth, metabolism, sexual function, mood, and more. With imbalanced hormones, your body doesn’t receive the information it needs to control these vital processes, causing unpleasant symptoms and body changes that interfere with your daily life.

Bioidentical hormones are chemically identical to the hormones within your own body, unlike synthetic hormones. We only work with bioidentical hormones that are made to the highest standards in specialty compounding pharmacies.

We do not bill insurance for BHOT (bioidentical hormone optimization therapy). Most treatments will be considered unnecessary and/or off-label use by insurance companies, and they will not cover the costs.

Many clients continue elective hormone therapy indefinitely to feel and function at their desired level. We conduct regular lab tests to track changes in your hormone levels while you undergo hormone therapy in Chicago. You may choose to continue or discontinue hormone therapy at any point, depending on how it aligns with your wellness goals.

With proper management and dosing of bioidentical hormones, you should not experience significant side effects. In the unlikely incident that you do experience side effects, it should be resolved quickly with adjustments to your hormone regimen.

The timeframe of results varies by the individual and by what hormones you need. Some results like energy, better sleep, and libido can present pretty quickly, while other results such as fast reduction, muscle gain, cholesterol reduction, and improved hair and skin require some time for your body to adjust. This can take place over the course of months. Optimal exercise, nutrition, and other lifestyle variables also are a strong influence on how you respond to receiving hormone therapy in Chicago.

Hormones are naturally occurring substances in your body, so with proper management it is unlikely that they will react with medications. One potential benefit for many is that they may no longer need their medications. Research shows that many people no longer need sleep aids, cholesterol medications, and anti-depressants after achieving healthier hormone levels.

No studies over decades of research have shown bioidentical hormones to cause cancer. Synthetic hormones, however, have been clearly shown to increase some risk for breast and uterine cancer.

There is no need to menstruate if you choose not to. If you are a postmenopausal woman, you do not need to menstruate to have Bioidentical Hormone Optimization. With the right estrogen and progesterone balance, you should not experience menstrual bleeding or PMS symptoms. There is also no known need to “cycle” or regularly stop hormone therapy to have your period. There is no research showing the benefits of cycling, but some women may want to do it because it feels more normal to them.

Generally, your hormone supplementation will not affect your birth control. However, birth control pills can interfere with the effectiveness of some therapies, as the synthetic hormones in birth control will block the natural hormones. IUDs will not interfere.

Specialty compounding pharmacies can do much more than the traditional pharmacies that you may be used to. Specialty compounding pharmacies are modern versions of the old-fashioned pharmacies that custom-created medications that a physician prescribes to a patient. Your provider can specify fast-acting, long-acting, time-release, and method of delivery (oral, sublingual, topical, etc.) to give you exactly what you need. Individuals who know about and have access to these pharmacies have access to pure, pharmaceutical-grade hormones custom-created for them in precise doses, exactly as ordered by their physicians. These custom-made, high-quality prescriptions are not available in your everyday pharmacy.

The quality and dosing of over-the-counter supplements are very inconsistent. First, the dosing is typically not high enough to produce desired effects. Second, the supplement industry is not well-regulated, so many products are not pure and are not held to any standards of production. Many over-the-counter products are not absorbed well due to how they are produced. Your best choice is to stay with a recommended specialty compounding pharmacy to be sure to get what you are paying for.