Hello again from the Compound Lab!
I’ll be continuing the discussion on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), so if you missed the previous weeks’ posts, I’d encourage you to read those first.
Unfortunately, although there is plenty more to talk about with HRT, this will be my last post (I’m looking to keep HRT as simple as I can!). We’ve covered why someone may need HRT, differences between compounded & commercial HRT, and types of compounded HRT we can do. But what happens once you’ve started HRT?
One of the biggest challenges from a patient perspective can be navigating the different thought processes providers may have about HRT. Some providers will start with a small dose and increase the dose over time. Others prefer to keep the same dose indefinitely and only adjust if necessary. Some providers prefer to limit treatment to the shortest possible time, while others don’t mind patients being treated for as long as they continue to benefit.
Lab monitoring can differ between providers too. We’ve seen providers who prefer saliva testing, providers who prefer blood testing, and providers who prefer both, neither, or prefer different tests entirely. Some providers may even not do lab monitoring at all and rely just on symptom reports.
From our perspective in the lab, our recommendation is to use whatever provider/method works best for you. On the one hand, it can be frustrating to hear differing opinions about HRT. But on the other hand, this means you always have plenty of options!
And this gets to one of the best reasons to use compounding for HRT—because all of our medicines are custom-made, it’s no trouble at all for us to make any adjustment necessary to your HRT…even if you get a new dose every month.
As always, we're available in the lab Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. Or you can email me anytime at brandon.ladage@belewdrugs.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Until next time,
Brandon
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