Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
BHRT for Natural Hormone Health
At Endurance Hormone Replacement Therapy Clinic in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we offer a wide range of integrative medical and aesthetic services. Our goal is to help you look and feel your best through personalized treatments – from hormone optimization and sexual health solutions to weight loss coaching, regenerative therapies, and cutting-edge aesthetic procedures. We combine medical expertise with a concierge-level, compassionate approach so you can renew your vitality and achieve optimal well-being at any stage of life. Below is an overview of our primary treatment categories and what makes each of them uniquely effective.
Why Bioidentical Hormones Are the Safer, Smarter Choice
Bioidentical vs. Synthetic Hormones: Earlier synthetic hormone treatments proved effective for symptoms like hot flashes, but they came with significant risks (for example, certain synthetic estrogens were linked to increased endometrial cancer risk). To mitigate those risks, synthetic progestin drugs were added – but these compounds still weren’t identical to human progesterone, leading to other side effects. BHRT emerged as a better solution in the late 1980s when micronized bioidentical progesterone became available, providing a more natural hormone alternative. Today’s bioidentical hormones (such as estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, etc.) are designed to mimic the body’s own hormones at a molecular level. There are five major classes of steroid hormones in our bodies – estrogens (estradiol [E2], estrone [E1], estriol [E3]), progestogens (progesterone), androgens (testosterone, DHEA, androstenedione), mineralocorticoids (aldosterone), and glucocorticoids (cortisol) – and bioidentical versions exist for many of these. By using hormones that are identical to your natural ones, BHRT truly functions as “replacement” therapy, aiming to bring your levels back into balance rather than introducing foreign substances.
Customized Treatment, Multiple Options
Customized Therapy and Delivery Methods: One of the key advantages of BHRT is that it’s highly individualized. We customize each patient’s hormone regimen based on comprehensive lab testing, symptoms, and health goals. Bioidentical hormones can be compounded into various forms to suit your lifestyle and ensure optimal absorption. Options include transdermal patches, topical creams or gels, sublingual, oral capsules, injections, and even pellets implanted under the skin . This flexibility means we can find the delivery method that maintains steady hormone levels and symptom relief for you. Because bioidentical hormones are the same as your endogenous hormones, your body can metabolize and utilize them normally, which often translates to better tolerance and fewer unwanted effects.
Why Choose BHRT over Conventional Hormones?
Integrated medicine and hormone optimization have become increasingly popular – many people (for example, the baby boomer generation) don’t want to “age gracefully” if it means feeling tired or unwell. They want to feel younger, longer and stay as active and vibrant as possible. Optimizing hormones is a key part of healthy aging, since deficiencies in both men and women can contribute to chronic issues like fatigue, sleep disturbances, mood swings, memory loss, osteoporosis, and sexual dysfunction. BHRT offers distinct advantages over synthetic and animal-derived hormones, including:
- Personalized & Well-Tolerated: Bioidentical hormone formulations are tailored to the individual patient, which makes them typically well-tolerated with minimal side effects. We adjust the dosing to exactly what your body needs for optimal function.
- Steady, Physiological Levels: BHRT can be delivered via methods (creams, patches, pellets, etc.) that allow controlled absorption and a more consistent blood hormone level, avoiding the rollercoaster peaks and troughs that often occur with oral pills or synthetic shots.
- Natural Receptor Activity: Non-bioidentical hormones (often sourced from animals or formulated differently) might bind improperly to hormone receptors, causing unintended effects. In contrast, bioidentical hormones bind to receptors just like your natural hormones, so they follow the body’s normal metabolic pathways and feedback loops.
- Fewer Side Effects, Better Compliance: Because of the closer fit with human physiology, patients on BHRT generally experience fewer side effects and better symptom relief. Synthetic hormones have been associated with more side effects (and subsequently poor compliance – many patients discontinue them), whereas BHRT patients often feel noticeably better, leading to higher satisfaction and adherence.
- No Animal-Derived Ingredients: Bioidentical hormones are derived from plant precursors and do not contain animal hormones or horse urine extracts, eliminating certain ethical concerns and variability found in those animal-derived products.
- FDA-Approved Options: Many bioidentical hormones are FDA-approved in specific formulations – for example, bioidentical estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone are available in FDA-approved products. (Note that estriol, a weaker estrogen, is commonly used in compounded BHRT creams but is not individually FDA-approved .) When appropriate, we use tested and approved bioidentical products, and in other cases we partner with high-quality compounding pharmacies to create the precise hormone mix you need.
Rediscover Energy, Clarity, and Balance
Overall, BHRT allows us to restore your hormones to youthful levels in a way that’s in tune with your body’s natural chemistry. Our hormone specialists will conduct thorough evaluations – including blood tests, symptom analysis, and medical history – to determine if you have hormonal imbalances that could be causing your symptoms. If so, we craft a customized BHRT plan to correct those deficiencies, monitor you closely, and adjust as needed. The result for many patients is a remarkable improvement in energy, mood, cognitive sharpness, metabolic health, and general quality of life. You don’t have to settle for feeling “fine” when hormone optimization can help you feel fantastic.
Say Goodbye to Health Woes & Hello to Optimal Wellness
BHRT Category
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for Men
One of our core BHRT offerings is Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for men with low testosterone (a condition also known as male hypogonadism or “Low T”).
Hormone Therapy for Women (Perimenopause And Menopause)
For women going through the hormonal transitions of perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) and menopause (cessation of menstrual periods), our clinic provides compassionate expertise in bioidentical hormone therapy.
Pellet Hormone Therapy (for Men and Women)
One innovative BHRT delivery method we offer is pellet hormone therapy. This method involves a cylinder or “pellet” (about the size of a grain of rice) that contains a compressed dose of bioidentical hormone – either estrogen, testosterone, or a tailored mix.