Hormone Health In Waunakee, WI
Hormone Health
Hormone Health Treatment
Ladies suffering from peri or postmenopausal symptoms such as poor sleep quality, brain fog, fatigue, decreased libido – hormone optimization is the answer. Men with andropausal symptoms like midsection weight gain, low libido, exercise intolerance, decreased muscle mass, hair loss, and looking to boost your vitality to what once were – hormone optimization is the solution. Low energy, trouble losing weight, difficulty falling or maintaining sleep, dry skin, constipation – these are very common symptoms and can be associated with a slow thyroid. Thyroid hormone optimization can help boost your energy and metabolism making you feel like a whole new person.
Nikki is a board-certified PA with over 10 years of experience optimizing hormones. Nikki has been a Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner for 10 years. Hormone levels begin to decline in our 30s and we begin feeling symptoms in our 40s. To make matters worse, our target organ receptors don’t respond as sharply to hormones as they once did, increasing the need for higher levels of hormones to turn the receptors on. Bioidentical hormones are hormones that are molecularly identical to the estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone produced by our ovaries and testes. Bioidentical hormones are often better tolerated than the synthetic created versions produced by large pharmaceutical companies. Estradiol and testosterone have many benefits including increasing your energy level, boosting your libido, improving bone strength, and helping to combat midsection weight gain. Progesterone is a calming hormone and is helpful for anxiety, improving sleep quality, and is also essential in uterine protection when also being treated with estradiol. Even after a hysterectomy, women can still benefit from the effects of progesterone.
You will first complete a Hormone Health intake form online and at your consultation visit, Nikki will listen to your symptoms, perform a physical, take your health history, and can draw your blood to determine your hormone levels. Once your lab results are in, Nikki will develop a plan to treat you with bioidentical hormones or natural thyroid hormone or both. Hormone treatment will be through placement of hormone pellets or with oral formulations depending upon your individual needs. You will then have regular follow up visits to ensure your symptoms improve and your hormone levels are where they should be.
Testosterone
Testosterone is like Clark Kent: smart, stable, and solid by day, a Superman by night. It is made in our ovaries, testes, and adrenal glands and women have more testosterone than any of our other hormones! Testosterone levels begin to decline in our 30s and boy do we feel it! Testosterone is not just for the LOURE lads, it’s for the LOURE ladies too.
Testosterone is an energizing hormone giving you that zip and sharpness you used to have. Confidence in your decisions, recovery from the brain fog, and that ability to work with ‘oomph” again. One of my most common complaints of my patients is no libido. A good healthy sex life has so many benefits for our physical and mental health. Real connection with our partner through cuddling, touching, being “present,” and yes, SEX boosts our cognition, self esteem, and brain reserve. There are numerous cardiovascular benefits to a healthy sex life too. But, when our hormones begin to decline, so can our overall “vibe.” As women’s ovaries slow and stop functioning, we lose not only our estrogen and progesterone, but also our testosterone.
With age, our cardiovascular and metabolic risks go up and this is partly due to the decline in testosterone. Insulin resistance leads to midsection weight gain or the “spare tire,” visceral fat, and possibly prediabetes and diabetes. Testosterone is the ultimate insulin sensitizer. Other reasons low testosterone is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease is because testosterone improves our endothelial function (inside lining of our blood vessels) and reduces inflammation.
Estrogen
Estrogen is a complex, energizing, and proliferative hormone mostly produced by our ovaries. She is like your ever loving optimistic artsy friend that can get a little over dramatic when not balanced properly. Estrogen can have a favorable impact on our cholesterol levels, skin, and mood.
To be clear, we’re not just talking any synthetic estrogen or estrogen metabolite like estriol or estrone, but the real deal bioidentical 17β-estradiol. With specific estrogen receptors located all over the body like the uterus, ovaries, breasts, also bones, brain, heart, colon, liver, skin, and salivary glands, it’s no wonder females feel so awful when estrogen levels drop in perimenopause and menopause and why we feel so amazing when our estrogen is supported or replaced. Yes, leaky gut too can be improved with estrogen!
Studies show supporting our declining estrogen levels includes protection against high cholesterol, stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer, Alzheimer’s, vaginal atrophy, urinary incontinence, and UTIs – just to mention a few.
Progesterone
Progesterone is like yoga for our cells. It is calming and stabilizing. Progesterone is like that friend your parents always liked because she was a good influence. You would never get in trouble with her because she kept you under control. Progesterone is that positive influence friend that keeps estrogen in check.
Progesterone begins to decline in our 30-40s and is important for both men and women as estrogen and testosterone are both made from progesterone! In females not only will progesterone improve anxiety and sleep quality, it is important for preventing uterine cancer. Progesterone also has a synergistic effect with estrogen for bone health.
I have had patients come to me asking for progesterone as recommended by their mental health therapist to lessen their anxiety. Bioidentical progesterone is a natural antidepressant, anxiolytic, natural painkiller, and mild tranquilizer. It is excellent for PMS symptoms. The key is to use the correct amount. One of my favorite uses for progesterone is to promote sleep in women whether or not she has a uterus.
Either way, let us not be without our progesterone.
Thyroid
Rev your engines! Your thyroid is like the engine for your entire body. Thyroid hormone is a metabolic hormone secreted by the butterfly shaped thyroid gland located in the front of our neck. Thyroid hormone regulates EVERYTHING – our body temperature, metabolism, energy level, and cognitive function down to the cellular level. Your thyroid also makes calcitonin which helps us metabolize calcium to strengthen our bones. When it comes to the heart, a well functioning thyroid is critical. A well functioning thyroid or if needed, thyroid hormone, keeps blood pressure and cholesterol low and prevents excessive weight gain. Also regulating metabolism and a health energy level are needed for a healthy heart.
We may not need abnormal levels to be experiencing thyroid insufficiency. Subclinical hypothyroidism or thyroid insufficiency is the stage where you are beginning to experience signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, but your labs are not as supportive of your symptoms. Fatigue, constipation, dry skin, and hair loss are usually the first symptoms of your thyroid slowing down. But also slower speech, forgetfulness, weight gain, depression, and the tendency to feel cold can also be subtle signs. Many of these symptoms overlap with sex hormone deficiencies so it can be rather complex to determine what exactly is the cause or causes. No surprise – women are more likely than men to experience thyroid insufficiency.
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