Hormone pellet therapy

Hormone pellet therapy in Creve Coeur, MO

Hormone pellets are small cylinders of bioidentical testosterone or estradiol, each about the size of a grain of rice, placed just under the skin of the upper hip. They dissolve slowly and release hormone at a steady rate for three to six months. There is nothing to remember, no daily cream and no weekly injection, and no peak-and-crash between doses.

Alina is a Biote-certified provider and has run pellet therapy at 4Ever Young since 2012. Pellets are one option inside our hormone optimization program; this page covers the pellet procedure itself, who it suits and what it costs.

Who pellets suit

• Women in perimenopause or menopause with hot flashes, low energy, poor sleep, mood changes or low libido.
• Men with lab-confirmed low testosterone and the fatigue, low drive, weight gain or muscle loss that come with it.
• Anyone who has struggled to stay consistent with creams, patches or injections.

The visit

1. Labs first. A pre-pellet hormone panel ($170) sets your dose. Pellet therapy is never started on symptoms alone.
2. Placement. After numbing a spot on the upper hip, Alina makes a 3 to 4 mm incision, places the pellets with a small trocar, and closes it with a steri-strip. Five to ten minutes.
3. Aftercare. No baths, pools or heavy lower-body exercise for about five days. Full instructions are in our pellet aftercare guide.
4. Follow-up labs. A post-pellet check ($65, or $75 with thyroid) four to six weeks later confirms the dose, and re-pelleting is scheduled around month three to five.

Cost

Pellet insertion is priced by the dose and hormone, which depend on your labs, so we quote it at your consultation. Lab pricing is fixed and listed on our price list.

Risks and limits

Pellets cannot be removed once placed, so the dose has to be right, which is why labs come first. Side effects can include acne, hair changes or fluid retention at higher doses, and a small risk of the pellet working its way out or the site becoming infected. Estrogen therapy carries the usual contraindications, including a history of estrogen-sensitive cancer or blood clots. Alina reviews all of this before anything is placed.