FAQs

The amount of information about BHRT can be overwhelming. Today’s educated patients spend a great deal of time researching BHRT before they step foot in our office. We are glad they have done their homework.

Based on our experience, we feel we can reach and sustain optimal hormone levels consistently with pellets, creams and pills. We have found that pellets provide the best symptom relief.

Your office visit will be billed to your insurance, and you will be responsible for your deductible or copay. Most often, blood work is ordered to evaluate your hormone levels, and that will also be billed to your insurance. At a minimum, you will be seen for two office visits so you can get started on an individualized hormone regimen. You will get your hormones from a local compounding pharmacy or from RWC (pellet therapy only). For creams and oral preparations, you will be subject to the pricing of the individual pharmacy. Please call our office for a full pricing sheet for pellet therapy.

There is no charge other than your deductible or copay for the office visits. Your visit will be billed to your insurance company. If you do not have insurance, the office visit fee is what a typical insurance company reimburses for a new or established patient visit. At your visit, our practitioners will discuss the best options for your treatment. This helps us determine the type of testing we will need to do.

Female hormones are tested with blood work. Blood work lets us best monitor patients using troches, oral progesterone, pellets and creams. Insurance carriers view saliva testing as experimental and do not cover it. Blood work for those choosing pellets is billed to your insurance company, and the usual copays, deductibles and co-insurance apply. We also routinely look at other aspects of your health beyond estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Call our office for a complete pricing sheet.

Call the office at 843-375-2210 for your initial consultation, or request an appointment online. Your appointment will be scheduled with one of our qualified practitioners.

Our practitioners will review your medical history and perform a physical exam when indicated. They will then discuss which tests are needed based on your age, symptoms, history and exam. Many common symptoms can be caused by the sex steroids (estrogens, progesterone, testosterone), the thyroid, or a vitamin or nutritional deficiency. The only way to know which one is causing your symptoms is to test.

Thyroid studies (free T3, free T4, TSH, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, thyroid peroxidase antibodies), iron levels, vitamin D, vitamin B12, insulin, a lipid panel and hemoglobin A1C are all checked with blood tests. We will discuss how we will test the sex steroids at the first appointment. Results can take 1 to 3 weeks, depending on which testing is best for your needs. Our practitioners will explain your results at the follow-up visit.

The second appointment is scheduled 1 to 3 weeks later, depending on the testing method used, to discuss your individualized treatment plan. This visit lasts about 20 to 30 minutes with your provider.

A compounding pharmacy is the oldest type of pharmacy in the world: an apothecary with a pharmacist trained to formulate prescriptions on a physician’s order. This allows for a customized dosage strength made just for you. We work with several compounding pharmacies in the area and have established highly competitive pricing.

You may be done with menopause, but you are never done with hormones. If you have symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, decreased libido, fatigue, insomnia, inability to lose weight, or mood changes, you may benefit from BHRT. Achieving optimal hormone balance not only relieves symptoms but may also protect against many common age-related diseases. By increasing bone density, decreasing visceral fat, increasing lean muscle mass and providing cerebral protection, BHRT can potentially lower the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia.

Yes. We provide consultation, testing and treatment for men who are deficient in testosterone or thyroid hormone, including pellet therapy.

As long as you want to experience the benefits of hormone balance. If you stop therapy, your original symptoms will return.

Yes. BHRT is only one piece of the puzzle for optimal health. We recommend foundational supplements (a multivitamin, omega-3s and probiotics) for everyone. Additional supplements such as iron, B vitamins, vitamin D and adrenal support are used only based on individual testing and needs. Many supplements can be purchased through our office.

The way we measure and monitor hormone levels is a unique and more effective model of care, and your treatment plan is more customized.