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Is hormone therapy right for you? A two minute look at how SDBody approaches physician-led care.
Overview of Hormone Replacement
Hormone health isn’t one-size-fits-all. At SDBody, our clinicians look at the full picture — how you feel, your health history and your lab results — to understand what may be contributing to your symptoms and whether treatment is appropriate.
In men, testosterone typically declines gradually with age. In women, estrogen and progesterone change more significantly through perimenopause and menopause. These hormonal shifts can affect how you feel and function, contributing to changes in energy, body composition, physical performance and sexual health.
At SDBody, our clinicians take a personalized approach to hormone replacement therapy, considering your symptoms, health history, lab results and individual goals when determining whether treatment is appropriate.
Hormonal changes are a natural part of aging, but changes in how you feel shouldn’t simply be dismissed because of your age.
People throughout San Diego come to SDBody for individualized hormone care that can incorporate hormone replacement therapy, nutrition, fitness and lifestyle guidance.
If you’re considering hormone replacement therapy, our clinicians can evaluate your symptoms, review your labs and discuss your options to help you make an informed decision about your care.
What you'll learn in this overview
Every topic below is covered on this page. Select one to jump straight to it.
- Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance
- Causes of Hormone Decline
- Hormone Decline Risk Factors
- Hormones and Aging
- Hormone Replacement for Men and Women
- Hormone Replacement Diagnosis
- Hormone Replacement Therapy Options
- Testosterone
- Growth Hormone
- DHEA
- Thyroid
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- Hormone Creams
- Hormone Shots
- Hormone Pills
- Hormone Patches
- Make a Plan for Your Best Life
- What are Your Goals
- Lose Weight
- Gain Muscle
- Improved Energy
- Better Sleep
- Improved Sex Life
- Stronger Erections
- Beat Depression
- Control Anxiety
- Ease Mood Swings
- Improve Memory
- What to Expect in Your First HRT Visit
- The Importance of a Holistic Approach to HRT
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance
Hormones are chemicals produced in the glands of your body's endocrine system. A hormonal imbalance occurs when levels in your bloodstream are too high or too low for what your body needs. Hormones regulate many of the processes behind your health, energy, strength, sexual health and mood.
Because hormones are so central to how your body runs, an imbalance can produce a wide range of frustrating symptoms.
- Weight Gain
- Lost Muscle
- Lack of Energy
- Insomnia
- Low Sex Drive
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Mood Swings
- Memory Loss
Causes of Hormone Decline
Your hormone levels do not stay steady throughout your lifetime. Many factors affect how well your endocrine system works and whether it produces normal hormone levels. The clinicians at SDBody can help you identify the most likely causes behind changes to your metabolism, weight, strength and sexual health. These are the causes we see most often in our offices.
Aging
The most common cause of a change in hormonal balance is simply aging. As we grow older, hormone production begins to fluctuate and decline. Many people know the effects of menopause on women, when both estrogen and progesterone fall rapidly. Men feel it too, as testosterone decreases with age. Some men notice the effects of lower testosterone as early as 30.
Strenuous exercise
Exercise is important for staying healthy and looking your best. Sometimes, though, strenuous training pushes the body to divert energy into activity and repair and away from less essential processes, which can reduce hormone production. With the right approach to hormone replacement therapy, you can get back in the gym and make some of your best progress.
Poor diet
The wrong diet puts stress on your body and can reduce hormone production. Eating the wrong foods, restricting calories severely or making other dietary mistakes can lower testosterone and estrogen levels. At SDBody we take a holistic approach to managing your hormone levels, covering hormone therapy alongside diet, exercise and other lifestyle choices.
Medical conditions
Certain medications, conditions and medical procedures also affect hormone levels. If you are experiencing symptoms of hormone decline, make an appointment with SDBody so serious underlying conditions can be ruled out. Call (619) 772-0252 to speak with our team.
Hormone Decline Risk Factors
- Family History (Heredity)
- Age
- Strenuous Exercise
- Stress
- Medical Conditions
- Poor Diet
Hormones and Aging
Hormone levels naturally change throughout adulthood, and those changes can influence how you feel and function over time. While nutrition, exercise, sleep and stress management remain important parts of long-term health, they don’t necessarily prevent age-related hormonal changes.
Changes in energy, sleep, mood, body composition and sexual health can have many causes, including changes in hormone levels. At SDBody, our clinicians take the time to understand your symptoms, health history and lab results, then work with you to determine whether treatment is appropriate and develop a personalized plan grounded in current medical evidence.
Hormone Replacement for Men and Women
Hormone Replacement for Men
We see more and more men in San Diego struggling with declining testosterone and other hormone imbalances, including problems in the gym and the bedroom, increased belly fat, mood changes and loss of energy.
Many men do not realise these problems are connected to falling DHEA and testosterone levels and to lifestyle choices, so they never tackle them head on. You do not have to settle simply because you are getting older.
SDBody provides personalized hormone care designed around how you feel, your health and your goals. Our clinicians evaluate your symptoms, history and lab results, then develop a monitored hormone and lifestyle plan when treatment is appropriate. See hormone care for men.
Hormone Replacement for Women
Dealing with menopause is never easy. As estrogen levels fall you can experience uncomfortable symptoms including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, mood swings and anxiety.
Hormone replacement therapy can be very effective at easing menopausal symptoms and restoring energy and vitality. The clinicians at SDBody will review your options, including estrogen, progesterone and in some cases testosterone, and weigh the benefits and risks of each with you.
After a thorough evaluation we will help you decide on the right combination of hormone replacement and lifestyle changes for your symptoms and medical history. See hormone care for women.
Hormone Replacement Diagnosis
The first step in determining whether hormone replacement therapy is right for you is an appointment with the clinicians at SDBody. Your appointment is simple, routine and entirely confidential. To rule out medical causes, your SDBody clinician conducts a routine physical exam and asks about your medical and family history. Depending on what that suggests, laboratory testing may follow, and your clinician will explain which tests are being ordered and why.
Our physicians take a holistic, custom and preventative approach to hormone replacement, so your plan supports your fitness, nutrition and life goals with confidence.
If you decide to explore hormone replacement therapy, it is important to consult an experienced physician about your symptoms, their possible causes and your options, so you can be confident you are entering the right treatment for you.
What Are My Hormone Replacement Therapy Options?
The most important step in exploring your options is finding a clinician who understands your symptoms, health history and goals. At SDBody, we take a comprehensive, personalized approach to hormone care.
Hormone-related symptoms can overlap with other medical conditions, so your evaluation looks beyond hormone levels and considers other potential causes of your symptoms.
Hormone replacement therapy should not be one-size-fits-all. Our clinicians use your symptoms, history and lab results to determine whether treatment is appropriate and build a plan around your individual needs.
When appropriate, hormone therapy can be combined with guidance around nutrition, exercise, sleep and other lifestyle factors.
At SDBody, you receive individualized care, ongoing monitoring and a clinical team focused on helping you make informed decisions about your health.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Options
- Testosterone
- Growth Hormone
- DHEA
- Thyroid
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Hormone Creams
- Hormone Shots
- Hormone Pills
- Hormone Patches
Hormone Replacement Therapy Options
Which of these is relevant to you depends on your labs, your symptoms and your history. Your clinician will talk you through the ones that apply.
Testosterone
Testosterone is the male sex hormone responsible for reproductive development, and it is essential to how the male body functions. After 30 it is common for men to experience a gradual decline. Although some decrease is normal, for some men it happens unusually fast. When testosterone dips the body does not function at its best, and the result can be reduced sex drive, fatigue, muscle loss and other symptoms.
Women benefit from testosterone too. In both men and women it contributes to the energy and motivation you felt in early adulthood, supports sex drive, helps build muscle and keeps energy levels up.
Growth Hormone Support
This approach acts on your pituitary gland to prompt the release of your own human growth hormone, rather than injecting HGH directly. Because your body increases its own production, the effect is gradual and follows your natural processes.
The approach has grown in popularity in San Diego as a more cost effective alternative to direct HGH injection. It is prescribed selectively and is not FDA approved for anti-aging use, so your clinician will explain what is and is not established before it is considered.
DHEA
DHEA is an abundant hormone produced naturally in the adrenal glands. Without it the body cannot create other necessary hormones such as testosterone and estrogen, and it also helps keep your hormones functioning in balance.
Natural DHEA levels peak in adulthood and decline slowly with age. A synthetic version is available for patients with irregular levels, though a low reading on its own does not mean supplementation is needed. Any decision is made in the context of your symptoms and full results.
Thyroid
Two thyroid hormones are produced by the thyroid gland, and they influence many of the metabolic processes in your body. Thyroid problems can leave you feeling far from your best.
If you are experiencing weight gain, sweating, loss of energy, mood swings or swelling in your neck, you could be needlessly living with a very treatable thyroid problem. Thyroid function is checked rather than assumed, because these symptoms closely mimic hormone decline.
Estrogen
Estrogen is the hormone uniquely responsible for sexual and reproductive development in women. Along with progesterone it is one of the most important hormones in the female body, affecting the reproductive system, the skeletal structure and even the liver and heart.
All women are susceptible to low estrogen. As women approach menopause, estrogen levels decrease sharply, producing a wide range of bothersome symptoms.
Progesterone
Progesterone is a sex hormone involved in many processes throughout the body, and one of its main roles is moderating the effects of estrogen by balancing its actions and supporting healthy cell growth.
In hormone therapy its most important job is protecting the uterine lining. Women who have a uterus and take estrogen are generally prescribed progesterone alongside it to reduce the risk of endometrial overgrowth. A decline in progesterone usually results from aging and can affect a woman's health in several ways.
Benefits and risks differ by hormone, by dose and by patient. Nothing here is a recommendation for treatment.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Balance matters in any approach to hormone replacement therapy. HRT uses hormones like the ones above to treat the symptoms associated with hormone imbalance. At SDBody we take a holistic view of your whole life, combining lifestyle design, diet, exercise and other approaches with a custom designed hormone replacement plan.
Hormone replacement therapy is not only for menopausal women or people of advanced age. Many of our clients in San Diego want to live full lives with energy and strength, and look to HRT to support weight loss, strength gains and overall quality of life.
In your specific plan, hormones may be prescribed in several different forms for both men and women, including pills, patches, creams and injections.
How hormones are delivered
Hormone Creams
Creams and gels deliver hormones into your bloodstream through skin absorption. Many people prefer applying a cream to taking pills or injections. Absorption is more gradual, and it varies between people and between formulations, so your clinician will advise whether a cream suits your particular hormone and dose.
Hormone Shots
Injections are one of the most common forms of hormone treatment. Some hormones are broken down by digestion or absorb poorly through skin, and for those an injection is the more dependable route. Injections can be given by your clinician at SDBody or self-administered. As with all hormone therapy, regular appointments matter so your health and progress can be monitored and doses adjusted.
Hormone Pills
Pills allow your SDBody clinician to deliver a precise prescribed dose, and to vary it easily if needed. They are convenient and make it simple to stay consistent with your plan. Oral and transdermal routes carry different risk profiles for some hormones, which is part of why the choice is made case by case.
Hormone Patches
Patches are applied to the skin and release hormones steadily into the bloodstream over time. Many people value the convenience and consistent dosing, with no daily pill to remember and no injection, and the patch replaced on a set schedule. Your clinician will help determine whether a patch suits your plan and dose.
Make a Plan For Your Best Life
Hormones influence many aspects of how you feel and function, including energy, mood, body composition and sexual health. As hormone levels change with age, understanding those changes can be an important part of your overall health and well-being.
At SDBody, we look beyond hormone levels alone. We work with you to build a personalized plan based on your symptoms, health history, lab results and individual goals.
What to Expect from Your Doctor in Your First HRT Visit
Meeting with the clinicians at SDBody can give you the confidence and control you deserve in tackling your hormone issues.
It helps to prepare for your first appointment in the following ways:
- Make a list of the symptoms you have, when you experience them and how severe they are.
- Bring a list of any medications or supplements you take, and how often you take them.
- Be prepared to discuss lifestyle factors such as your diet and exercise routine.
- Bring a notepad and any other questions you have about hormone replacement therapy.
Your doctor will then conduct a physical examination and order testing to assess your current hormone levels and rule out underlying medical conditions.
After your examination your doctor will discuss the findings and go through the treatment options with you. SDBody is your partner in building your best life, and you and your doctor will work together to find the most effective plan.
The Importance of a Holistic Approach to Hormone Therapy
At SDBody we take a holistic approach to hormone therapy. Our doctors see themselves as real partners in your health. Unlike other clinics in San Diego or online, we do not simply dispense hormone shots. We work with you across every area, including hormone replacement therapy, lifestyle changes, diet, exercise and stress reduction, so your body is working in harmony to help you regain the energy, strength and well-being you had before hormone decline.
We will work with you to create a carefully timed series of treatments, both inside and outside our offices, to support your progress.
What patients say
A 4.8 average across 240+ Google reviews at our two San Diego clinics
“It was so clear from coming into this clinic that these guys know exactly what they’re doing.”
“Took the time to actually understand what I was trying to achieve instead of just pushing a standard protocol.”
“Evidence-based, science-backed longevity and wellness clinic.”
“I honestly feel like a brand new person.”
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ExploreTwo clinics, in person, in San Diego
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Mission Hills
1747 Hancock St Ste C, San Diego, CA 92101
Mon to Thu 8am to 4pm, Fri 8am to 3pm
La Jolla
7710 Fay Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037
Mon to Thu 9am to 5pm, Fri 9am to 3pm (wellness open Sat & Sun)
