Hormone Imbalances don’t just affect women. Know the signs for Men.
Our practice offers bioidentical hormones for men as well as for women.
It’s more common to associate hormone replacement therapy with women, especially because women’s hormone levels fluctuate and wane so significantly as they enter the menopausal years. However, men have their own version of menopause, but it’s called Andropause.
The word Andropause originates from the Greek words “andras,” meaning human male, and “pause,” meaning “cessation.” This syndrome is associated with a decrease in sexual satisfaction or a decline in a general sense of well-being associated with low testosterone levels in men.
Whereas women’s symptoms can come on more suddenly as they transition out of the childbearing years, men’s symptoms tend to be more gradual. Because of this, most men don’t think of themselves as possibly having hormonal imbalances.
Instead, they may just think the way they feel is a natural part of aging and not realize that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help them feel more youthful again and keep them healthy!
If hormones for men are optimally balanced, you should sleep well, have energy, a strong immune system, a strong sex drive, and a healthy zest for life. If you are not experiencing these feelings of vitality, imbalanced or insufficient hormone production is often the cause.
Symptoms of Hormone Issues in Men
- Loss of muscle mass
- Low mood/depression symptoms
- Increase and redistribution of fat (more around the abdomen)
- Lowered sex drive
- Difficulty getting or maintaining an erection
- Decrease in motivation
- Decreased bone density
- Decrease or loss of self-confidence
- Difficulty remembering things or trouble concentrating
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Difficulty sleeping
- Joint aches
- Poor tolerance for exercise
Causes of Hormone Imbalances
Aging isn’t the only cause of Andropause. Other endocrine imbalances can contribute too. While testosterone is the most important and predominant sex hormone, its production depends on an array of other hormones and their function.
Other common things that can cause or speed up testosterone insufficiencies include:
- Poor health or illness
- Age
- Carrying extra weight
- Alcohol in excess
- Some medications
- Thyroid imbalances
- Sleep apnea
- Insulin resistance
- Estrogen imbalance (men make estrogen too)
- Poor diet
- High inflammation levels
- High lipid levels
- Lack of exercise/sedentary lifestyle
- Stress
Low levels of testosterone can, in turn, increase risk factors for metabolic syndrome, obesity, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.
Testosterone deficiency and imbalanced hormones for men are also associated with an increased risk factor of death within 20 years, independent of other risk factors and preexisting disease.
Bioidentical Hormones for Men and Anti-Aging Services
The proper way to address Andropause is through an integrated, personalized, comprehensive, and regularly monitored program.
Our treatment protocol incorporates laboratory testing, provider consultation, comprehensive health assessment, medically proven supplements, and professionally compounded bioidentical hormones tailored to your individual needs.
We want you to be healthy and maintain the optimal balance of all hormones necessary to ensure that your overall wellness is the best it can possibly be. Our program relies on the expertise of our providers. They will use their medical knowledge and experience to help you make the best decisions regarding diet, exercise, stress management, pharmaceutical-grade supplements, and hormones for men.
We help you work to achieve optimum physical and mental health so that you can lead the active and productive lifestyle that you desire!
Please note that we do not prescribe “off-label” testosterone therapy for men whose testosterone levels are normal but want to only promote increased muscle mass. Dangers and side effects of this type of treatment can lead to decreased natural levels of testosterone production and other side effects.
Benefits of Bioidentical Hormones for Men
- Increased energy
- Restored and/or increased libido
- Improved mood
- Increased muscle mass/less fat
- Improved sleep
- Increased memory and cognitive function
- Improved skin appearance
- Disease prevention
- Improved ability to lose abdominal fat
For More Information call our New Patient Coordinator at 972-960-4800
Or Fill In the Inquiry Form Below and We Will Contact You!
Hormones for Men: Lab Testing
Restoring hormones for men into proper balance has many positive health benefits. Forum Health Las Colinas offers extensive laboratory testing to specifically identify which hormones might need balancing. This testing also looks at other health markers, which provide a whole-body approach so that optimal hormone balance can be achieved and any underlying issues can be addressed.
Our providers will prescribe bioidentical hormones for men that are produced to exacting standards in qualified compounding pharmacies. These products are designed to mirror the hormones produced by the body. Your lab panel will test levels of the following:
- PSA – Prostate-specific antigen test
- CBC – Complete blood panel
- CMP – Comprehensive metabolic panel
- CRP, Cardiac
- DHEA-Sulfate
- Estradiol
- Ferritin
- Sex hormone-binding globulin, serum
- Testosterone Free, Serum with Total Testosterone
- TSH – Thyroid
- Free T3 – Thyroid
- Reverse T3 – Thyroid
- Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) – Thyroid
- Thyroglobulin antibodies – Thyroid
- FSH
- Hemoglobin A1C
- Homocysteine
- Insulin
- Luteinizing hormone
- Lipid panel
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B12 and Folate
- Vitamin D3
Results
Based on your health concerns, other tests may be added. We understand that hormone balance is part of the whole-body balance, and in order to achieve optimal health, all systems need to be operating correctly.
Hormones are chemical messengers that affect just about every physiological process in the body. They also work synergistically with each other, so if one hormone is out of balance, it is likely that others may be too.
Our providers also offer nutritional counseling and discussions regarding sleep and stress management. We understand that an integrative approach to balancing hormones for men coupled with improved overall health is the key to the success of this program and the health of our patients.
Wellness For Men and Supplements
We all age — but the effects of aging can be counterbalanced with the right tools and lifestyle changes. With the assistance of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and proper nutrition, we work with you to sustain a lifestyle of wellness catered to your individual needs.
The following supplements may be recommended to help you achieve optimal health and wellness. Supplements are an optional part of our program:
Multivitamins
The average diet can lack complete nutrition because of eating processed foods, nutrient-poor foods, and nutrient-depleting preparation methods. Combining these with the toll of lifestyle stress and oxidizing chemicals found in foods and the environment, it becomes essential to ensure a comprehensive foundation of nutrition for your body.
Vitamin D3
The role of Vitamin D in good health continues to expand as the knowledge of this vitamin’s effects on different body systems grows. Research shows that optimal serum levels of Vitamin D support immune function, cardiovascular health, mood, bone, and dental health, as well as neurologic and cognitive health.
Vitamin B Complex
Supports adrenal and neurological functions. This product features activated forms of vitamins B2, B6, and B12.
CoQ10
This plays a major role in energy production and antioxidant protection in the body. It supports the health and functioning of the cardiovascular system as well as that of the neuromuscular and central nervous systems.
Niacin
This is one of the most studied and documented nutrients for support of lipid levels, especially high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Sustained-release Niacin, as found in NiaVasc, has a lesser flushing effect compared with instant-release Niacin.
Omega Fish Oils
This supplement has been proven to support cardiovascular health, joint tissue, as well as brain and nervous system function. Additionally, it aids in keeping inflammation levels down.
Magnesium
This is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and plays a role in over 300 metabolic processes. It aids in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth, the metabolism of carbs, blood glucose, fats, and proteins, along with the formation of cells and tissues, and the maintenance of muscle function, including the cardiac muscle. Magnesium provides great symptom relief for leg cramps, constipation, and anxiety.
We use pharmaceutical-grade supplements to ensure quality and optimal absorption. You can purchase your supplements from any source however you are not always guaranteed the same level of quality when your purchase from the general marketplace. We are not suggesting that such products have no value; however, given the lack of stringent testing requirements for dietary supplements, product quality varies widely.
The Gut Health Connection to Hormones for Men
More and more studies are showing how important gut health is to overall health. It is estimated that 70-80% of the immune system’s strength is linked to the health of the gut microbiome.
When you have a strong immune system, it doesn’t just protect you against acute conditions such as the flu. It also protects you from autoimmune conditions, chronic diseases, and even cancer and cardiovascular risk. Studies have also shown that gut health has a direct effect on how the endocrine system functions.
If the microbiome is out of balance, your hormones will not completely return to a state of homeostasis, even with bioidentical hormone balancing.
Balancing the beneficial microbial flora in the gut is key to digestion, nutrient usage, and ridding the body of waste and pathogens. Keeping the beneficial and harmful bacteria balanced in your GI tract can rid you of conditions such as
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Gluten sensitivity
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Joint pain
- Weight issues
- Chronic fatigue
- Crohn’s Disease
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Headaches/Migraines
- Acid reflux/Heartburn
- Auto-immune disease
- Anxiety/depression
- Insulin resistance
- Diabetes
- Imbalanced hormones
- And more
Testing for Gut Health
Our providers are experts in nutrition and gut health. We offer the following scientific tests to help our patients improve their gut health and overall health and reduce the risk for chronic disease:
- NutrEval™ – This test identifies issues with nutrient absorption and can be helpful in determining which types of nutrients you are deficient in. Our providers can also provide guidance to improve areas of depletion regarding diet and/or supplementation.
- ALCAT™ – The ALCAT is a food sensitivity test and provides you with a list of the foods that you are sensitive or allergic to.
- Genova GI Effects™ – This stool test gives you data regarding your current state of digestive function, gut inflammation, and the health of your microbiome so that you will know what steps to take in order to be healthier and reduce your risk of disease.
For more information on the Gut–Hormone connection, click HERE.
About Our Providers
Dr. Kyler Elwell is a board-certified physician who is passionate about medicine and deeply committed to patient care. After years of practicing conventional medicine in a successful career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Elwell reached a point where she felt the need to explore a different approach and decided to transition to functional medicine. The increasing number of inquiries about functional medicine and the desire to provide comprehensive care beyond the limitations of 15-minute appointments prompted her to do some soul-searching and make a change.
With her expertise in functional medicine, dedication to continued learning, and genuine passion for patient care, Dr. Kyler Elwell-Silver is a valuable addition to our functional medicine practice, providing comprehensive and personalized care that addresses the root causes of illness and promotes optimal health and well-being.
Nurse Practitioner Debbie Bluestein works with both women and men using Bioidentical Hormones.
Debbie is passionate about helping people feel their best and achieve optimal health. She also specializes in preventing illness and disease.
Debbie believes in using a very individualized approach to achieve optimal hormone balance for each patient. She also always listens closely to her patients and involves them in decision-making regarding the plan for their bodies and health. Debbie also collaborates with the practice in planning out a comprehensive program for clients.
She has been a Nurse Practitioner since 1998 and has had opportunities for extensive study and training in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy and optimization. She uses a functional medicine approach to anti-aging, using hormones, diet, exercise, nutraceuticals, and supplements.
Debbie worked in Family Practice during the early part of her career. She has been working with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy since 2011.
Physician Assistant Kam Neal has loved medicine her entire life.
Growing up in Colorado, she remembers being fascinated with investigating how things worked. Kam attended Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, where she received a bachelor of science in biology. She also completed the physician associate program and earned a master’s degree in health services from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
She is a certified Physician Assistant and licensed by the Texas Medical Board.
Previously, in the traditional medical model, Kam felt frustrated working in a high-volume practice with barely enough time to refill medications and then not seeing her patients feel any better. In addition, her own experience with hormone imbalances after having children and being told “everything is normal” fueled those feelings. This led her to functional medicine and an optimal wellness model.
Kam’s desire to treat the whole patient and not just the symptoms, along with her passion for teaching, is evident: She loves working with each patient to find the root cause of their illness while teaching them about their health, so they feel informed and empowered.
Physician Assistant Jennifer Mata
Jennifer Mata is a highly dedicated and compassionate Physician Assistant at Forum Health. She specializes in holistic and preventative care and has extensive skills and experience in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, Sleep Care Management, Weight Loss Management, and Primary Care.
With a philosophy centered on natural approaches and patient education, Jennifer creates an open dialogue with her patients to ensure they are active participants in their health journey.
Her professional journey includes significant roles at various healthcare institutions and Medical Centers.
Jennifer’s commitment to her patients is deeply personal. She was a patient here for over a year, looking for answers to some of her health issues. “I started realizing quickly that what I was promoting with my weight management patients and hormone patients was what she was advocating,” Jennifer says. “I was doing something similar. That prompted me to want to learn more.” This journey led her to pursue a career in functional medicine here at Forum Health.
Jennifer’s approach begins with really listening to her patients to gain an understanding of what they have been experiencing and forming a partnership with every patient. She believes in setting realistic goals and expectations, understanding that each patient’s needs are unique. As she says, “I’m your advocate, your cheerleader, and we’ll work together to make you feel better overall.”
Jennifer is a lifelong learner, constantly updating her knowledge to better serve her patients. She values the importance of education and strives to instill a sense of empowerment in her patients, helping them to achieve optimal health through informed and proactive care. With her extensive experience, holistic approach, and genuine passion for patient care, Jennifer Mata, PA-C, is a trusted partner in your healthcare journey.
Insurance Coverage
For more information about how insurance works with our practice, click here.
Free Phone Consultation with Our New Patient Coordinator
Contact our New Patient Coordinator for a Free Phone Consultation. We can explain our protocols and fees in more detail, answer any questions or concerns you have, and explain how our approach can help with hormonal balance, anti-aging, and disease prevention so that you can enjoy a vibrant and healthy life!
Please contact our New Patient Coordinator at 972-960-4800
Or complete the form below, and we will contact you. There is no obligation to this consultation. If you feel we are a good fit for you, our New Patient Coordinator can also get you booked for your first appointment.
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