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Different Treatments and Medications for Hormonal Imbalance

Hormones play a massive role in our bodies’ function. They coordinate growth, metabolism, and fertility, influence our emotions, and alter our immune system. Because hormones have such an enormous impact on our health, even small imbalances can cause us to experience adverse side effects.

Hormonal imbalances are common and affect men and women. If you think you may have one, it is essential to detect the cause with a doctor’s help. They will then assist you so you can find the most appropriate treatment options.

This article will focus on the medications and treatments for hormonal imbalances.

What Causes a Hormonal Imbalance?

Men and women can have imbalances in insulin, growth hormones, adrenaline, testosterone, and steroids. Additionally, women can have imbalanced levels of estrogen and progesterone.

Everyone experiences some hormone fluctuations in their life, especially during puberty or aging. However, hormonal imbalances often appear when conditions cause the endocrine glands to stop functioning correctly. Since it is their job to produce, store, and release hormones into the bloodstream, this can cause many adverse side effects.

Some causes of hormonal imbalance include:

  • Extreme stress
  • Diabetes
  • Hyper/hypoglycemia
  • Underactive or overactive thyroid
  • Poor diet and nutrition
  • Hormonal replacements and birth control pills
  • Abuse of anabolic steroids
  • Being overweight or underweight
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Early menopause
  • Ovarian or prostate cancer
  • Hypogonadism

Of course, there are more causes of hormone imbalance. Your doctor will be able to perform tests that will pinpoint the exact cause of your imbalance.

Hormonal Imbalance Symptoms

Hormonal imbalances in women are more common than in men and can lead to these symptoms:

  • Heavy, irregular, or painful periods
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Hot flashes and night sweats
  • Osteoporosis
  • Breast tenderness
  • Indigestion
  • Constipation and diarrhea
  • Acne before or during menstruation
  • Uterine bleeding not caused by menstruation
  • Infertility
  • Weight gain
  • Thinning hair

Women may also experience hormonal imbalances during pregnancy, childbirth, menstruation, breastfeeding, perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause.

Some common signs of hormonal imbalance in men include:

  • Reduced sex drive
  • Erectile disfunction
  • Low sperm count
  • Decreased body hair growth
  • Overdevelopment of breast tissue
  • Breast tenderness

If you encounter these symptoms and suspect that an imbalance in your hormones may cause them, you should visit an endocrine doctor.

Detecting a Hormonal Imbalance

There is no single hormonal imbalance test. Instead, your doctor will inquire about your symptoms and the medications, vitamins, and supplements you are using. This information will help your doctor decide which diagnostic tests to perform.

Sometimes, doctors will perform a blood test to check your thyroid and estrogen levels, testosterone, and cortisol. Females may need to have a Pap smear, and males may have their scrotum examined for lumps or abnormalities. Furthermore, an ultrasound, biopsy, MRI, thyroid scan, or sperm count test can help doctors detect hormonal imbalances.

Hormonal Imbalance Treatment

Once you have recognized your hormone imbalance’s cause, your doctor will prescribe you an effective treatment. Sometimes, this may include hormone replacement therapy. It may consist of one of the three basic categories of hormones- bioidentical, non-bioidentical, or synthetic.

Bioidentical hormones are identical to human hormones. Many women tolerate these hormones best because they are similar to the natural hormones present in the body. About 1.4 million women are using this form of treatment, according to the North American Menopause Society.

Non-Bioidentical hormones are not chemically identical to a woman’s hormones, but rather to a horse. Pharmacists created them to act like human hormones, but some women may experience side effects since they are not an exact chemical match. One example of a non-bioidentical hormone is Premarin, made from conjugated equine estrogen, or pregnant mares’ urine.

Sometimes doctors also prescribe synthetic hormones, which are not natural to humans or animals. Pharmaceutical companies create them to mimic natural hormones. One example of synthetic hormones is a progestin, often a chemical in birth control pills.

Estrogen Therapy

If you are having uncomfortable symptoms due to menopause, such as hot flashes, your doctor may recommend a low estrogen dose.

Estrogen creams, tablets, or rings can resolve vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse. This direct form of treatment can eliminate some side effects caused by taking estrogen through the bloodstream.

Progesterone

Women with too much estrogen may take progesterone. It may promote better sleep patterns, boost libido, improve insulin-glucose balance, and reduce blood pressure.

Hormonal Birth Control

If you have irregular menstrual cycles or heavy periods, your doctor may prescribe hormonal birth control. Some women take it to treat acne and abnormal growth of facial or body hair.

Anti-Androgen Medications

Androgens are male sex hormones, and they are present in both men and women. Women with high levels of this hormone may want to take a medication that can block some of its effects. These may be hair loss, facial hair growth, and acne.

Testosterone Therapy

This hormone therapy can help women or men who are deficient in testosterone. It helps with libido, increases bone mass, enhances mood, increases muscle mass and strength, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, normalizes blood glucose levels, and lower body fat.

Thyroid Hormone Therapy

Individuals with an underactive thyroid produce little or no thyroid hormones. Levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone, is used to bring hormone levels back into balance.

Metformin

This medication can treat type 2 diabetes. However, it may also help lower androgen levels and encourage ovulation in women with PCOS.

Flibanserin and Bremelanotide

These medications can treat low sex drive in premenopausal women. Flibanserin is a pill, and Bremelanotide is an injection.

Eflornithine

This cream can help reduce excessive facial hair in women. It is applied topically to help slow new growth.

Treating Your Hormonal Imbalance With Prescriptions

After your doctor gives you the proper diagnosis, you will be on your way to treating the root cause of your hormonal imbalance. These treatments often involve prescriptions, which can, unfortunately, be costly.

One solution is ordering your prescriptions online from a Canadian pharmacy. You will receive safe and high-quality medications right to your door.

Contact us at 90-Day Meds to learn more about how you can save on your treatments for hormonal imbalances.

Works Cited

  • How Do Hormones Work?- pbs.org
  • .What to Know About Hormonal Imbalances – medicalnewstoday.com
  • Everything You Should Know About Hormonal Imbalance- healthline.com
  • Bioidentical Hormones- clevelandclinic.org
  • What are Bioidentical Hormones?- health.harvard.edu
  • 12 Signs of Low Testosterone- healthline.com
  • The Dos and Don’ts of Ordering Drugs From Canada- canadianpharmacyonline.com