What to expect after your first testosterone pellet insertion.
Dr. Maupin delivered a lecture at a recent international medical convention. Her focus in the lecture was on using the pellet method to replace Testosterone in women. There are any number of ways that testosterone can be replaced and over the years, Dr. Maupin has used all of them in her practice. But over time, she has gradually reached the conclusion that there is one best method of delivery, and that is to use bioidentical pellets that are inserted under the skin of the hip or buttocks. This method provides an on -demand reservoir that your body absorbs the amount you need in order to replicate your bodies’ own natural process from your younger years.
Part of her lecture was to make the doctors in attendance aware that when a woman receives her initial pellet replacement treatment that there are issues which may arise for some women. Four in particular were discussed by Dr. Maupin and today we want to share that information with you.
These symptoms or concerns are ephemeral, they only occur the first time you receive the treatment. They are known and can be predictable, but they are not problematic enough to cause most women to avoid the treatment. These things can happen because the receptor cites of your cells that are specific to testosterone have dried up and when they are first refilled there is almost an over -reaction by the cells. So, for a short period of time, usually a week or two, the cells will generate a reaction that may startle the person by their intensity. But that will normalize very quickly, and it will not come back as a concern with later insertions.
Our goal here is to give you this information so that you will not be shocked or particularly concerned and that you will understand what is happening to your body and further, that it will go away in a few days and not come back.
The first symptom is hyper-sexuality. You will feel a level of arousal and desire that will surprise you with their intensity and their intrusion into your self- awareness. Some women will call the office and say something like: “Am I going to assault the mail man? I don’t understand why I am feeling this way”. We want to reassure them that this will not be the case, they will not lose the autonomy of choice making and they will not behave in non-responsible ways. It is just that their body is letting them know that they are back to feeling sexuality in ways that they have not felt for years in some cases. Once they get over being concerned or afraid, they are usually quite happy with this phenomenon and often will want to have that experience all over again. Sadly, this only happens once.
The second symptom that sometimes happens is vaginal itching. In the vagina and the pelvic area, there has been a lessening of blood flow for these women as they have gone through menopause. Their tissue is not receiving the blood flow or the stimulation that for years it felt. When they receive the testosterone replacement, the blood flow to the pelvis and the vagina will increase and those tissues will be stimulated, and the woman will experience itching in that area.
You should know that you do not have an infection and you do not need any treatment. You can do something to address that stimulated tissue and sooth it that is non -medical. In our discussion, Dr. Maupin will tell you how to manage this short-lived condition as your body comes alive again.
The third symptom that can happen, is clitoral enlargement. Men often do not notice this when it happens to the woman in their lives, but the woman’s regular physician may become concerned because they doctor has been trained to think in terms of tumors and cancers. This is not what is happening, and you and your doctor need not be alarmed. This is a natural response of these tissues when they are receiving blood flow after month or years of not getting any.
The final initial reaction that causes some women concern is weight gain. Women may complain about an increase in weight but that will also say that their clothing size is changing. Their body is redistributing some of the weight because they are building muscle, particularly in the first four months. So even though they weigh more, they are smaller in size because their muscles are heavier. The mass or volume of muscle is smaller than the same weight amount of fat!
This Healthcast was written and presented by Dr. Kathy Maupin, M.D., Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Expert and Author, with Brett Newcomb, MA., LPC., Family Counselor, Presenter and Author. www.BioBalanceHealth.com.
