Tampa Bay Total Wellness is Florida’s first and leading Age-Management and Longevity center. Our hormone production in our body decreases with age starting as early as our twenties. Hormonal imbalance can have a profound effect on your life. A natural progression in the aging process is related to a decrease in hormone levels.
While we may initially think of estrogen and testosterone (the sex hormones) when we think of hormones, there’s a lot more to hormones than just those two. Hormones are responsible for just about every aspect of daily life, from sleep to digestion and metabolism, stress management and energy levels. As we age, some hormone levels naturally shift, which is why things like menopause and andropause happen in the first place.
When it comes to anti-aging techniques and longevity, the maintenance of adequate hormone levels throughout the body plays a great role in our ability to maintain optimal hormone levels, as well as produce the vital nutrients and functions that are required for long term physical and mental well-being.
To put it very basically, hormones control the speed at which we age. Decreases in hormones produced by various glands in the body causes bone loss, depression, anxiety, confusion, joint pain, restless sleep, loss of muscle mass, low sex drive and other symptoms we identify with as “getting old”.
Why do we do Hormone Replacement Therapies – “Tami’s story”
It was my own hormone replacement journey that is the catalyst for Tampa Bay Total Wellness. I understood that the depletion of hormones had a direct correlation with aging so in 2012 I began my search for hormone replacement therapy. I made an appointment with a local clinic and was super excited. My appointment was less than thrilling. After waiting 45 minutes in the waiting room the provider spent a mere 10 minutes with me. She asked me two questions and charged me $550 and said “you will receive a box in the mail and you will feel like a million bucks” I left bewildered. Two day later I received testosterone cream and a vial that said inject daily for anti-aging. I was confused! I assumed I need estrogen and there was no explanation why I needed the testosterone. But I did as prescribed and I broke out in hives from the injection then did what no one should do I asked “Dr Google”! Unhappy I scheduled another appointment the next month and met with another provider with unfortunately the same results. So, I did what I thought was best and went on prescription Premarin and Provera even though they had tremendous risks.
Then one day I went into another facility to help them with their aesthetic program. They checked my blood work and even though I was on the synthetic hormones my labs were a mess. That day I received Bio-Identical pellet therapy. Just 4 days later my whole world changed! It was like someone had turned on the light switch within me. Everything was better, even things I didn’t associate with hormones. So, this inspired me! Bio-Identical Hormones WORK! So, if they work, how do we do them and do them well.
This was the birth of Tampa Bay Total Wellness. I created a place where the client is the focus and education and knowledge are shared. A place of excellence with the best quality products available. A practice committed to staying on the cutting-edge of technology and science, offer the safest protocols and products available. A place I hope you feel at home.
I am so eternally grateful to each and everyone of you that I have met on this journey. You have all become like family. You are what makes what we do, so very rewarding.
Menopause
Menopause marks the end of your menstrual cycle and is diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. The average age a women reaches menopause in the United States is 51; however, the natural biological process can happen in your 40s or 50s. Surgical menopause can occur at any age if the ovaries are removed.
Women in menopause (or peri-menopause) may experience:
- Changes in mood including depression, anxiety or irritability
- Changes in sex drive or libido or pain with intercourse
- Hot flashes or changes in body temperature throughout the day
- Inability to tolerate hot temperatures
- Increased fluid retention or swelling
- Insomnia or waking up feeling flushed or hot
- Not feeling like “yourself”
- Weight gain (usually 10-15 pounds)
Hypoandrogenism
Hypoandrogenism is diminished gonad (ovaries/testicles) function and can happen in both males and females. In females, the low testosterone results in diminished sex hormone biosynthesis and can happen at any age.
Women may experience:
- Anxiety and depression
- Decreased energy
- Hair loss
- Low sex drive
- Weight gain
Andropause (Low-T)
Andropause (Low-T), or male menopause, is a gradual depletion of testosterone. As men get older, the level of testosterone in the body and production of sperm gradually decrease, and they experience physical and psychological symptoms as a result of these low levels. This is part of the natural aging process, and it is estimated that testosterone decreases about 10% every decade after a man reaches the age of 30. Stress, illness and other environmental factors may cause symptoms and depletion to be seen in males by the age of 20.
Symptoms of Andropause may include:
- Decreased mental clarity and sharpness
- Depression
- Difficulty getting erections or erections that are not as strong as usual
- Increased body fat
- Irritability and mood swings
- Lack of energy
- Loss of strength or muscle mass
- Low sex drive
- Poor sleep or difficulty falling asleep
Menopause
Menopause marks the end of your menstrual cycle and is diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. The average age a women reaches menopause in the United States is 51; however, the natural biological process can happen in your 40s or 50s. Surgical menopause can occur at any age if the ovaries are removed.
Women in menopause (or peri-menopause) may experience:
- Changes in mood including depression, anxiety or irritability
- Changes in sex drive or libido or pain with intercourse
- Hot flashes or changes in body temperature throughout the day
- Inability to tolerate hot temperatures
- Increased fluid retention or swelling
- Insomnia or waking up feeling flushed or hot
- Not feeling like “yourself”
- Weight gain (usually 10-15 pounds)
Andropause (Low-T)
Andropause (Low-T), or male menopause, is a gradual depletion of testosterone. As men get older, the level of testosterone in the body and production of sperm gradually decrease, and they experience physical and psychological symptoms as a result of these low levels. This is part of the natural aging process, and it is estimated that testosterone decreases about 10% every decade after a man reaches the age of 30. Stress, illness and other environmental factors may cause symptoms and depletion to be seen in males by the age of 20.
Symptoms of Andropause may include:
- Decreased mental clarity and sharpness
- Depression
- Difficulty getting erections or erections that are not as strong as usual
- Increased body fat
- Irritability and mood swings
- Lack of energy
- Loss of strength or muscle mass
- Low sex drive
- Poor sleep or difficulty falling asleep
Hypoandrogenism
Hypoandrogenism is diminished gonad (ovaries/testicles) function and can happen in both males and females. In females, the low testosterone results in diminished sex hormone biosynthesis and can happen at any age.
Women may experience:
- Anxiety and depression
- Decreased energy
- Hair loss
- Low sex drive
- Weight gain
The Missing Hormones
There are many hormones in your body – all important for various reasons. These four hormones are often problematic.
Estrogen
Estrogen or oestrogen, is a category of sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three major endogenous estrogens that have estrogenic hormonal activity: estrone, estradiol, and estriol.
Restoring estrogen helps:
- Relieve menopause symptoms
- Prevent aging diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stroke
- Prevent premature aging of the skin
- Restore sexual vitality
Progesterone
Progesterone (P4) is an endogenous steroid and progestogen sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species. It belongs to a group of steroid hormones called the progestogens and is the major progestogen in the body. Progesterone has a variety of important functions in the body. Also, it is a crucial metabolic intermediate in the production of other endogenous steroids, including the sex hormones and the corticosteroids, and plays an important role in brain function as a neurosteroid.
Restoring progesterone helps:
- Deep restorative sleep
- Protect the uterine lining and breast tissue
- Prevent excessive androgen hair growth
Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
Like many hormones, HGH levels decrease as a person gets older. every function of our body is initiated by the release of hormones from the related gland. Because GH oversees all of those, research shows maintaining healthy Growth Hormone levels is the first step to ensuring better biological and system functions.
Growth Hormone is the master hormone. It regulates other glandular secretions better when its levels are optimal. Safeguarding optimum levels is the best way to maintain a healthy and well-functioning body.
Restoring HGH helps:
- Build Stronger, healthier muscles
- Maximize weight loss ability
- Increase libido/sex drive
- Accelerate wound healing
- Rejuvenate aging skin/tissue
- Improve immune system function
- Increase cardiac output
- Increase energy
- Lower lipid panels
- Improve organ function
DHEA
DHEA levels naturally start to decline after the age of 30, which is precisely when many adults start to experience weight gain, sluggishness, lowered libido and other symptoms caused by higher levels of inflammation.
Considered to be one of the most rapidly-decreasing hormones in the human body, it pays to hold onto all the DHEA that you can.
DHEA works like a natural anabolic steroid, since it boosts production of natural growth hormones that help build lean muscle mass and fight fat accumulation. That’s why the supplement form is popular among athletes and bodybuilders.
Restoring DHEA helps:
- Lowers Inflammation
- Improve Bone Density and Muscle Mass
- Protects Against Depression, Cognitive Decline and Mood Swings
- Aids in Weight Loss and Building Muscle Mass
- Improves Heart Health and Lowers Diabetes Risk
- Improved sex drive and libido
Testosterone
Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in males. In male humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass, and the growth of body hair. In addition, testosterone in both sexes is involved in health and well-being, including moods, behaviors, and in the prevention of osteoporosis.
Restoring testosterone helps:
- Elevate/Improve anxiety, depression and PTSD
- Improve mental function and clarity
- Relieve Low-T symptoms
- Protect against Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Parkinson’s disease
- Restore normal sleep patterns
- Strengthen the bones, alleviate osteoporosis
Thyroid hormones
Thyroid hormones are two hormones produced and released by the thyroid gland, namely triiodothyronine and thyroxine (T3 andT4).
Restoring thyroid hormones helps:
- Alleviate fatigue
- Induce a restful sleep
- Regulate body temperature
- Reduce brain fog
- Reduce joint pain
- Relieve anxiety and depression
- Restore hair thinning and hair loss
- Stabilize weight
Melatonin
Melatonin is not just for sleep. Studies show that low dose melatonin (0.3mg) have many anti-aging benefits. Melatonin was shown to extend the lifespan of fruits flies by 33%. 1 Melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness. It helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms (24-hour internal clock) and with sleep.
Restoring Melatonin helps:
- Reverse aging of the skin
- Improved sleep
- Improved cognitive function
- Healthy blood sugar levels.
- Improved cardiovascular health.
- Healthy hormonal and metabolic function
- Reduces stress
- Improved mood and ease occasional anxiety
- Healthy organ function.
- Protects against exposure to everyday toxic substances.
- Supports healthy cellular replication.
- Healthy function of the skin–internally (gut and lungs) and externally (complexion).
- It stimulates the production of natural killer cells and supports innate and humoral immunity, an integral part of aging.
- Protects bone density and supports bones in menopausal women.
- Supports a healthy and natural inflammation response.
Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy Options
Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is LIFE saving! Different than synthetic hormones, bio-identical hormones are identical to the same hormones your body makes. The plant-based hormones are a safe and natural solution to the hormonal depletion that naturally occurs over time.
BHRT Pellet Therapy
Hormone pellets are a specific form of delivery for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) that uses tiny pellets inserted just under the skin. The pellets slowly release natural forms of estrogen and/or testosterone into the body to balance hormones. Pellets are inserted once every 3-4 months. The team at Tampa Bay Total Wellness encourages this treatment modality for BHRT. The slow gradual release of the hormone from pellet therapy mimics our body’s own release of hormones and restores the body’s homeostasis.
Not all pellets are made the same; however you can be confident in Tampa Bay Total Wellness. We take pride in using Belmar pellets, which we believe are the best available and manufactured using the highest of standards. Some pellet manufacturers add binders to their pellets, like stearic acid, which can cause local and systemic reactions, pain at the site of insertion, bruising and pellet excursion. Belmar pellets have no synthetic binders.
BHRT Topical Creams
Hormone topical creams allow the right dose of hormones to be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. Creams are applied daily.
BHRT Sublingual RDTs and Troches
Specially compounded RDT’s (rapid dissolving tablets) and troches release hormones by saliva into the blood stream. Taken daily at bedtime.
BHRT Testosterone Injections
Injectable testosterone therapy is a great option for men and women who are not able to come into the office for the pellet therapy.
