Hormonal Pellet Therapy-For Women and Men!
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Hormone Pellet Therapy (HPT), used in the United States since 1939, has been offered at NEWS for women for over twenty years and for men for the last three years. Dr. Schultz realized back in the early 1980's that pharmaceuticals did not have all the answers and many times caused more hormonal concerns for women. Her answer was "Compounded Bio-Identical-HRT" or Natural-Hormone Replacement Therapy (NHRT) and an off-shoot of NHRT was Hormonal Pellet Therapy (HPT). Dr. Schultz, a Board Certified OB-GYN, can honestly say that she has not written more than three prescriptions for Premarin during her entire career and that was only because of patient's insistence. Men
came into the picture after Dr. Melville joined the practice and when
data started appearing that hormone therapy in men could help normalize
cholesterols, often was associated with osteoporosis in men
and recently, help stabilize Type II diabetes. Men in our practice are
cared for by Dr. Melville and pellet therapy dispensed by Dr. Schultz. HPT is not
some proprietary-money-making-marketing scheme, it is real medicine.
Out of her current practice she has 10—20% of her HRT patients using
pellets. Most of these women are unique users since 80—90% of the rest of her
clients use Bio-Identical-HRT or NHRT. She
has seen HPT help women with almost psychotic behavior normalize, women with
chronic microscopic colitis decrease their symptoms and go into remission when
properly replaced. The most
significant result was seen in her own receptionist who at 40 had osteoporosis
resulting from a complete hysterectomy 10 years earlier.
With HPT her osteoporosis completely reversed to normal over two years. The implant procedure is simple and no more painful than the injection used
to
numb the skin so a small incision can be made.
Through this incision a small medical instrument is inserted so
the pellets may be slipped under the skin. Pellets, the size of a grain
of rice, usually consist
of estradiol,
a hard crystal of 17 beta estradiol-- the natural estrogen produced by
the human ovary, or
micronized testosterone in a dosage combination that is unique to each
individual patient. Then the
instrument is withdrawn and the skin closed with a small stitch that is
easily removed in three days by the patient.
Dr. Schultz does not use Steri-strips because her patient
population is healthy and
active and the suture allows them to maintain their daily activity without
the fear of the incision site popping open.
The area is then covered with a Band-Aid. She has never, during her 30
years of placing pellets, had any major problems in terms of side effects from
this procedure. A bikini insertion can be used in those women not wanting an
small incision scar on a possibly exposed area of their body. Expertise is
required in terms of placing the pellets so that underlying structures are not
traumatized. Some tenderness and occasionally bruising can be expected at the
incision site for a few days after the procedure. The replacement timing is
dependent on many factors but is usually between 3—4 months. Stress seems to
be the biggest influence on timing. Intervals with more stress seem to
necessitate earlier placement of pellets, less stress, later placement.
Some women can go as long as 6 months. The cost of the procedure is determined by the dosage of the pellets,
insertion fee, equipment
used, administrative and ordering costs. The average cost is between
$275 - $350 and higher for men since they need a higher testosterone
level. If other
independent medical concerns arise, then an office visit fee is added.
Most insurance companies do not recognize and will not pay for HPT. With
cost effectiveness studies showing women who use HPT have fewer doctor
visits when their hormones are individually adjusted, the insurance
companies might eventually reconsider their position.
Some physicians will place HPT in all and any women who qualify for HRT, I
do not. To be considered for HPT a woman must have a normal
gynecological exam, a normal mammogram and Thermogram, have had a
Partial or Complete Hysterectomy, no previous history of breast or
uterine cancer, and no personal history for clotting disorders.
After she has been on HPT and stabilized for at least three
months, a lab test evaluating her ability to metabolism estrogens, is
done. If this testing cannot
be normalized through diet and supplementation, my patients are removed
from HPT. HPT is the wave of the future for men and women. A handful of physicians
have been out riding on this wave by themselves for a long time and Dr.
Schultz has been one of them. Our wave is building, our time has come. One aspect of HPT that many physicians do not mention is its property of
anti-aging. If the body stays healthier through proper hormone
replacement, then life will be better and chronic disease will be pushed
into our final few weeks of life rather than carrying on for decades. If you wish to consult with Dr.
Schultz for an evaluation for HPT
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