Peachtree Gynecology - Patient Education

HORMONE PELLETS:

Hormone pellets are another option for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in patients that have not had a good response with other types of HRT. Each pellet is about the size of a grain of rice and is pure, natural, biologically equivalent hormones derived from natural plant sources. There are 2 types of pellets: estradiol and testosterone.

The Benefits of Estradiol:

• Relief from hot flashes and night sweats
• Improved sleep, mood and memory
• Improved sex drive
• Relief from vaginal dryness
• Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment
• Colon Cancer Prevention
• Decrease in urinary tract infections after menopause

The Benefits of Testosterone:

• Emotional Well-being
• Mental Clarity
• Libido
• Muscle tone

The Advantages of Hormone Pellets:

• Consistently deliver a low level of hormones into the body
• Bioidentical hormones
• Lasts 3-4 months in most women
• Have been used > 70 years

Side Effects from Hormone Pellets:

• Breast tenderness for the first 7-10 days after insertion
• Acne
• Hair loss
• Local bruising and discomfort at insertion site

Hormone pellets usually result in higher levels of hormones than traditional HRT, and the effects of this on breast cancer and heart disease are not known. All of the data linking hormones to breast cancer are in patients using synthetic hormones, but it is not clear how this applies to bioidentical hormones. The pellets are inserted through a small incision in the buttock in the office under local anesthesia. Women should avoid vigorous exercise for 3 days after the pellet insertion. There is a small risk of pellet extrusion through the skin. Women with a uterus must use progesterone therapy to regulate uterine bleeding and prevent uterine cancer. Hormone levels are followed with blood work every 3-4 months to determine the dose and timing of pellet insertion.