Hormones play an important role in energy, sleep, mood, metabolism, sexual health, reproductive health, and many other functions throughout the body. As hormone levels change with age, both women and men may begin experiencing symptoms that affect how they feel and function every day.
At The Kaga Institute, Dr. Mira Kaga and our team provide personalized bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for patients experiencing symptoms related to menopause, perimenopause, low testosterone, and other hormone changes. Treatment begins with a medical evaluation to determine whether your symptoms may be hormone-related and whether hormone therapy is appropriate for you.
What is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy?
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) uses hormones that are chemically identical to hormones naturally produced by the human body. Depending on the patient’s needs, treatment may involve hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone.
BHRT may be considered for appropriate patients experiencing symptoms related to hormone imbalance, including changes associated with perimenopause, menopause, or clinically identified testosterone deficiency.
Rather than treating based on symptoms alone, Dr. Kaga considers your medical history, symptoms, laboratory findings, medications, and individual risk factors when determining whether hormone replacement therapy is appropriate.
What symptoms can hormone therapy help address?
Hormonal changes can affect people differently. Depending on the underlying cause and hormones involved, symptoms may include:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Changes in sleep
- Fatigue or decreased energy
- Mood changes or irritability
- Changes in libido and sexual function
- Vaginal dryness or discomfort
- Difficulty concentrating or brain fog
- Changes in body composition
- Loss of muscle mass or strength
- Other symptoms associated with menopause or low testosterone
Because many of these symptoms can also be caused by other health conditions, a proper medical evaluation is important before beginning hormone therapy.
Why choose bioidentical hormone replacement therapy?
For appropriately selected patients, hormone replacement therapy can help address symptoms associated with declining or deficient hormone levels and improve quality of life.
The goal isn’t simply to increase hormone levels. At Dr. Kaga’s concierge practice, treatment is individualized according to your symptoms, health history, laboratory findings, and response to therapy. This allows us to determine which hormones may be appropriate, how they should be administered, and how treatment should be monitored over time.
How does hormone pellet therapy work?
Hormones can be administered in several ways, including oral medications, patches, gels, creams, injections, and pellets. At Dr. Kaga’s practice, we offer hormone pellet therapy for appropriate patients.
Pellets are small and placed beneath the skin, where they gradually release a prescribed hormone over time. This eliminates the need for daily application or dosing and can provide a convenient option for patients who are appropriate candidates.
Pellet therapy isn’t necessarily right for everyone. Dr. Kaga will review your options and determine whether pellets or another approach makes the most sense for your individual needs.
What can I expect before starting hormone therapy?
Before recommending treatment, Dr. Kaga evaluates your symptoms, medical history, medications, health risks, and relevant laboratory findings.
This is important because symptoms such as fatigue, sleep problems, weight changes, low libido, and mood changes aren’t always caused by hormones. Identifying potential contributing factors helps ensure that treatment addresses the actual problem rather than simply treating a laboratory number.
If hormone therapy is appropriate, we will develop an individualized treatment plan and monitor your response over time.
How long until I notice results?
Every patient responds differently. Some people begin noticing changes within several weeks, while other improvements may develop more gradually over the following months.
The timeline depends on the symptoms being treated, the hormones involved, your baseline levels, the treatment method, and your individual response. Follow-up appointments allow our team to evaluate your progress and make adjustments when medically appropriate.
Will I need hormone therapy forever?
Not necessarily, but there isn’t a universal timeline for hormone replacement therapy. How long treatment continues depends on why you’re receiving therapy, your symptoms, health history, treatment response, preferences, and changing risk-benefit profile over time.
Rather than automatically stopping treatment once hormone levels improve, Dr. Kaga periodically reassesses whether continuing, modifying, or discontinuing therapy is appropriate for you.
Schedule bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in Marlboro or East Brunswick
If you’re experiencing symptoms that may be related to menopause, perimenopause, low testosterone, or other hormonal changes, Dr. Kaga and our team can help determine whether hormone replacement therapy may be appropriate for you. Call 848-8-DRKAGA (848-837-5242) or fill out our online appointment request form today.
