Dr. Mustafa Ahmed, of Southern Nevada Bariatrics in Las Vegas, is an experienced internist and board-certified bariatric surgeon who is greatly appreciated for his comprehensive approach to weight loss.
Dr. Ahmed sometimes recommends hormone therapy to help counter the effects that hormonal imbalances have on your overall health and ability to lose weight.
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Who can benefit from hormone therapy?
You may be most familiar with the hormone loss that women experience before, during, and after menopause. Notably, however, men also undergo a gradual loss of testosterone as they age (andropause).
For both women and men, the effects of these reduced hormone levels can include:
- Decreased energy
- Lack of libido (sex drive)
- Loss of muscle mass and strength
- Difficulty sleeping
- Depression, anxiety, and other mood issues
- Difficulty losing weight despite following your weight-loss plan
All of these factors can play a role in your inability to achieve your weight-loss goal.
Hormone therapy is not appropriate for everyone and should never be considered a standalone therapy that magically melts away excess pounds. But it can help you lose weight and keep you motivated to stick with your weight-loss plan.
What are the advantages of hormone pellets?
We offer two forms of hormone therapy here at Southern Nevada Bariatrics: injections and pellet implants.
Injections
With this method, hormones are delivered via weekly injections during a brief, in-office visit.
Pellet implants
Pellet implants are placed just under the skin’s surface, usually in your upper buttock or hip region, during a simple in-office procedure that takes about 10 minutes. After injecting a local anesthetic to reduce discomfort, Dr. Ahmed places tiny hormone pellets, each about the size of a grain of rice, in the targeted site via an instrument called a trocar (large bore needle).
The pellets are designed to deliver a stable steady dose of hormones over four months. At that point, the procedure is repeated.
Advantages of hormone pellet therapy include:
- More accurate dosing
- More stable hormone levels because it mimics your body’s own natural delivery system
- No need to follow a cumbersome schedule of daily dosing with oral hormones
- No need for in-office weekly injections
Regardless of which method you prefer, Dr. Ahmed carefully formulates your hormone dose to match your need for replacement.
Why should I see a doctor for hormone replacement therapy?
Hormones are powerful substances that can cause various side effects, sometimes serious ones, when not delivered at the appropriate dose.
Numerous oral supplements that promise to level your hormones are available through internet purchase and even as pellets by nonmedical facilities that operate as weight-loss spas. Unfortunately, these providers don’t offer the level of medical expertise required to evaluate your need for hormones or the appropriate dosing.
Before you begin any of the medically supervised weight-loss programs we offer here at Southern Nevada Bariatrics, Dr. Ahmed performs a careful review of your medical history, a thorough physical exam, and blood tests to evaluate your existing hormone levels.
He then creates a personalized weight-loss treatment strategy that’s designed to fit your needs. If you’re a candidate for hormone therapy and choose to include that in your plan, your dosing is carefully formulated to meet your individual requirements.
For effective medical assistance with weight loss, that may or may not include hormone therapy, schedule an evaluation with Dr. Ahmed today.