Hormone Replacement Therapy Programs in Franklin, TN
Hormones are vital parts of your health, and while they are most commonly associated with youth and puberty, the truth is that hormones fulfill an important role in your body’s functions throughout your entire life. Unfortunately, your hormone levels will not always naturally stay within a healthy range, and when they fall out of balance like this, the results can be considerably unpleasant.
At the Franklin Low T Medical Clinic, we offer hormone replacement therapy as an option to aid better wellness, as your hormones are often directly tied to your muscle growth, metabolism, and energy levels. Even if you do not want to lose weight, hormone replacement therapy can still vastly improve your quality of life by readjusting your hormone levels to a healthier state, which can directly address numerous painful symptoms of poor hormone balance.
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance
General Symptoms
For Women
- Weight Gain
- Loss of Muscle Mass
- Depression
- Frequent Anxiety
- Fatigue or Exhaustion
- Difficulty Sleeping
For Men
- Low sex drive
- Erectile dysfunction
- Enlarged breasts
- Obesity
- Joint pain
- Low energy
- High blood pressure
- Depression or irritability
- Sudden weight gain
- Decrease in muscle mass
Symptoms of…
…Estrogen imbalance
For women
- Hot flashes
- Difficulty sleeping
- Mood swings
- Memory loss
- Reduced sex drive
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Exhaustion
- Headaches
- Allergic reactions
For men
- Fatigue
- Erectile dysfunction
- Loss of muscle mass
…Progesterone imbalance
For women
- Migraines
- Panic attacks
- Trouble sleeping
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Sudden weight gain
For men
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Erectile dysfunction
- Hair loss
- Chest pain
- Frequent urination
- Diminished sex drive
…Testosterone imbalance
For women
- Lack of energy
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Diminished sex drive
- Lack of motivation
- Increased sensitivity to pain
For men
- Erectile dysfunction
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Loss of muscle mass
- Depression
- Weak bones
- Difficulty urinating
- Impotence
- Insomnia
- Aggression
- Heart problems
…DHEA imbalance
For women
- Low energy
- Decreased sex drive
- Fatigue
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Anxiety
For men
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Loss of muscle mass
…HGH imbalance
For women
- Low energy
- Weight gain
- Trouble sleeping
- Shyness
- Depression
- Mild to extreme fatigue
- Feelings of hopelessness
For men
- Mild to extreme fatigue
- Lack of energy
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Weight gain
- Shyness
- Depression
…Cortisol imbalance
For women
- Sudden weight gain or loss
- High or low blood pressure
- Lethargy
- Difficulty getting out of bed
- Aches and pains
For men
- Obesity
- Mood swings
- Bruises or stretch marks
- Weak muscles
- Impaired immune system
- Depression
- Trouble sleeping
- Erectile dysfunction
- Fatigue
…Thyroid issues
For women
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Cramps
- Dry skin
- Dry hair
- Nervousness
- Irregular menstruation
- Elevated heart rate
- Intolerance of heat or cold
For men
- Hair loss
- Irregular bowel movements
- Irregular heart rate
- Intolerance of heat or cold
- Insomnia
- Weak muscles
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Lack of energy
- Dry skin
- Dry hair
- Sudden weight gain
Learn More About Your Hormones
Estrogen
Estrogen is the female sex hormone. Primary and secondary sexual characteristics in women require estrogen to properly develop, but estrogen is also needed to promote healthy bones and bone structures – keeping a healthy level of estrogen is vital in lowering the risk of developing osteoporosis, especially after menopause. Estrogen is also important for influencing womens moods, and low estrogen levels are typically associated with unpredictable mood swings.
In men, estrogen is not nearly as important, but it does still exist in the male body. Estrogen in men is mostly tied to their testosterone levels, where an elevated level of estrogen usually means a low level of testosterone.
In women, estrogen imbalance is most commonly experienced due to menopause, as the ovaries shutting down results in a sharp decline in estrogen production. There are other conditions that may result in estrogen imbalance in younger women, such as surgical removal of the ovaries.
Estriol
There are three forms of estrogen, and estriol is the weakest form that is produced. While weakness is usually considered a bad thing, estriol is one of the most effective forms of estrogen to use during hormone replacement therapy. Its weakness means that it can be applied more liberally while maintaining a lower risk of side effects, and it still provides your body with all of the benefits of more potent forms of estrogen. Our estriol therapy is designed to give you the biggest benefit with the lowest risk.
Progesterone
For women, progesterone acts as a balance for estrogen. It prevents your estrogen levels from rising too high, helping to prevent certain symptoms and dangerous conditions. Progesterone’s main purpose, however, is preparing the body for pregnancy and ensuring that the pregnancy remains stable. Menopause often has an impact on progesterone levels, as the reduction in estrogen may cause progesterone to rise too high.
For men, progesterone also acts as estrogen’s balancing hormone. This function is very important, as the presence of estrogen may actually lower testosterone levels. Because of this interaction, progesterone acts as a guard for your testosterone, one of the most important hormones in the male body. Progesterone is often considered as a secondary male sex hormone because of this.
Testosterone
Testosterone is the male sex hormone and is responsible for developing sexual characteristics in men. Testosterone is also required for muscle development, breaking down fats, protein retention, and it contributes to bone strength and density. Sex drive is also influenced by testosterone levels, and keeping adequate testosterone may reduce the risk of suffering from erectile dysfunction. Keeping your testosterone levels high may also have an anti-aging effect and help you to feel younger even as you grow older.
Men lose around 1% of their total testosterone yearly starting at age 30. This slow decline in testosterone is the most common reason that men suffer from low testosterone.
While not quite as important for women, testosterone is still needed for many of the same reasons as men need it. Namely, muscle growth, bone density, and fat breakdown. Sex drive may also be influenced by testosterone levels.
DHEA
The primary function of DHEA is to produce other hormones. This makes DHEA imbalance particularly hard to detect, as a lack of DHEA could result in low levels of any other hormone. Luckily, the tests we use at the Franklin Low T Medical Clinic are able to accurately gauge DHEA levels along with other hormones.
DHEA deficiency is best treated through hormone replacement therapy, as it is extremely rare to acquire it through your diet.
HGH
As the name implies, Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is needed for parts of your body to properly grow and develop. Your muscles rely on HGH, both to be initially developed and to later be maintained. Protein retention, breaking down stored fats, and the metabolic process also make use of HGH. If you want to lose weight, maintain the weight you have now, or build muscle, then your HGH levels need to remain at high levels.
HGH production relies on testosterone and estrogen, so a deficiency in either of these hormones may also result in low HGH levels.
Cortisol
Cortisol is called the stress hormone because your body produces it as a response to stress. Cortisol is also required for the digestive and immune systems to function properly. Blood pressure and glucose levels are influenced by cortisol. Cortisol imbalance is most often caused by chronic stress, which may lead to elevated levels initially, followed by a sharp decline if you develop adrenal fatigue – a condition where your adrenal gland can no longer produce adequate amounts of hormones.
Thyroid
The thyroid is a gland found in the lower part of your neck and is responsible for producing many of the hormones that are needed for metabolism and energy production. Because of this, the thyroid is directly connected to your ability to lose weight. Your thyroid may be overactive (hyperthyroidism) or underactive (hypothyroidism). Either condition may result in unpleasant symptoms that will require hormone replacement therapy to adequately address