Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) supports women and men whose hormone levels have shifted with age or life stage. HRT supplements the hormones your body no longer produces at the levels it once did, with the goal of bringing you back into balance and easing the symptoms affecting daily life. Care is personalized, monitored and guided by your labs, your symptoms and your health history.
For women, this often means estrogen and sometimes progesterone to manage menopause and perimenopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and disrupted sleep. For men, care centers on testosterone replacement for fatigue, low libido, loss of muscle and mood changes. Plans are adjusted over time as your body responds.
What treatments are offered?
We offer hormone replacement therapy for both women and men. Care for women typically involves estrogen and, when the uterus is intact, progesterone. Care for men centers on testosterone replacement for age related decline or hypogonadism.
Every plan begins with a private consultation and lab work, then is tailored to your levels, your symptoms and your medical history.
How does hormone therapy work?
Lab testing shows where your hormone levels are before anything is prescribed, so treatment is based on your numbers rather than guesswork. From there, the hormone your body needs is replaced at a dose built for you.
Hormones can be delivered in several forms, including pills, patches, creams, injections or implants. Results vary by person, and levels are rechecked so the plan can be adjusted as needed.
Benefits:
-
Relief from hot flashes, night sweats and sleep disruption
-
Support for energy, mood, focus and libido
-
Support for bone health as hormone levels decline
What to expect:
Consultation: Symptom review, health history and lab orders during a comfortable, private visit.
​
Getting started: Dr. Grace reviews your results with you and treatment begins with a plan built for your levels.
​
Weeks to months: Relief develops gradually. Levels are rechecked and doses adjusted as needed.
Frequently asked questions
Hormone replacement therapy for women
Menopause and perimenopause management: The most common reason women start HRT is to manage the symptoms of menopause. As the ovaries gradually produce fewer hormones, many women notice hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, disrupted sleep and changes in focus or energy. These shifts often begin years before periods stop, during perimenopause, which is why symptoms can show up earlier than expected.
HRT for women typically involves estrogen. If you still have your uterus, progesterone is usually part of the plan as well. Along with easing symptoms, estrogen therapy can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, which becomes a greater concern after menopause.
​
Hormone balance at every stage: A woman’s hormone levels shift throughout her life, from puberty through pregnancy, perimenopause and beyond. HRT can support balance during those transitions and ease the symptoms that come with them. If you are not sure whether what you are feeling is hormonal, that is a good reason to book a consultation rather than a reason to wait it out.
Hormone replacement therapy for men
Testosterone replacement: Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, and levels decline naturally with age. That decline is sometimes called andropause or low testosterone. When levels drop far enough, men often notice fatigue, reduced libido, loss of muscle and mood changes. Testosterone replacement therapy is designed to restore hormonal balance and address those symptoms at the source instead of working around them.
Low testosterone and bone health: Testosterone also plays a role in bone density, and low levels can contribute to osteoporosis in men. Bone loss is often thought of as a women’s concern, so it goes unrecognized in men for years. Hormone testing gives us a clearer picture of what is happening.
Hypogonadism: Some men have a medical condition called hypogonadism, in which the body does not produce enough testosterone on its own. This is different from the gradual decline that comes with age. Hormone therapy is used to treat hypogonadism and the symptoms that come with it.
Symptoms women bring to us most often:
-
Hot flashes and night sweats
-
Mood swings, irritability or anxiety that feels new
-
Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
-
Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
-
Vaginal dryness or discomfort during sex
-
Fatigue that rest does not fix
-
Changes in hair and skin
Symptoms men bring to us most often:
-
Ongoing fatigue and low motivation
-
Reduced libido or changes in sexual function
-
Loss of muscle mass or strength
-
Mood swings, irritability or low mood
-
Trouble concentrating
-
Poor sleep
How hormone therapy differs for women and men
Grace Grymes Chapman, DNP, has spent more than 20 years in women's health, and she treats hormone care for men with the same attention. Expect an unhurried conversation about symptoms most people are used to brushing past, including libido, mood and sleep. Those details shape the plan as much as the lab results do. What you share stays between you and your provider.
Hormones involved
Women typically receive estrogen and sometimes progesterone. Men receive testosterone. The starting point is different, so the plan is different.
Goals of therapy
At its core the aim is the same for everyone. Bring hormones back into balance and correct deficiencies. What that looks like in practice depends on your labs, your symptoms and your health history.
How therapy is given
HRT can be delivered as pills, patches, creams, injections or implants. The right method depends on which hormone is being replaced, your health history and what fits your routine. We talk through the options together so you understand why one is recommended over another.
Is hormone replacement therapy right for you?
HRT is not right for everyone. Some health histories, including certain cancers, blood clotting disorders and cardiovascular conditions, may affect whether hormone therapy is safe for you. Reviewing that history is a core part of the consultation. If hormone therapy is not a good fit, Grace will tell you directly and talk through what else may help.
Results vary. Symptom relief takes time and the timeline is different for every person. Some people notice a difference within a few weeks. For others it takes longer, and doses or delivery methods are adjusted along the way. Hormone therapy works best when it is monitored, not set and forgotten.
start with a consultation
Hormone care begins with a conversation. Book a consultation with Grace and we will review your symptoms, order the right labs and build a plan from there.
Book online or call 206.495.2256.
Individual results vary. Hormone replacement therapy requires a consultation and appropriate lab work, and not everyone is a candidate.