Candidates for Hormone Replacement Therapy

A good number of people in the Houston area are ideal candidates for bio-identical hormone replacement. Board certified general surgeon Dr. Matthew St. Laurent screens each patient carefully to ensure each person can obtain the maximum benefits.

A sudden drop of hormones can predispose men and women to such conditions as colorectal cancer, osteoporosis, heart-disease and other age-related diseases. To address hormone deficiency, patients are often advised to undergo hormone replacement.

Who Is the Ideal Female Candidate For Hormone Replacement?

The ideal female candidate will be experiencing menopause or perimenopause. Perimenopause is the period leading up to menopause and may begin in the late 30s or early 40s. Women who have experienced premature menopause due to a hysterectomy may also benefit from hormone replacement, regardless of their age.

This treatment most often benefits women who are suffering from the following:

• Night sweats
• Hot flashes
• Irritability and mood swings
• Mental fogginess
• Vaginal dryness
• Extreme fatigue
• Bloating and weight gain

Who Is the Ideal Male Candidate For Hormone Replacement?

Hormone replacement therapy used to be thought of as something that was only for menopausal women; however, more and more men also realize the benefits as well. Even so, different criteria are used to determine whether men might be good candidates for this treatment. The ideal male candidate will be in generally good health yet will be experiencing symptoms such as the following:

• Feeling sluggish and lacking energy
• Weight gain
• Loss of muscle mass
• Depression
• Mental fogginess
• Lack of libido

Men begin losing testosterone at around the age of 30 and continue to lose around one to three percent of it per year. As such, male hormone replacement could be needed much earlier than it would for women, depending on the severity of symptoms.

Houston patients who are experiencing adverse symptoms due to menopause or andropause don’t need to continue suffering. Many are good candidates for hormone replacement, which can be performed by Dr. Matthew St. Laurent at his Houston office. To find out more, contact us at 281-301-1404.