What to expect?

Natural Hormone Balancing  Men experience a significant reduction, or in many cases complete elimination of unpleasant symptoms after being properly treated with bio-identical, or natural Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT).

  • INITIAL CONSULT   During your first appointment with our Nurse Practitioner, Kathryn will review your medical history and discuss personal health concerns and goals. An individualized treatment plan will be formulated and may include the following:
      1. New Patient Packet of educational materials & helpful handouts
      2. Lab order for blood work. A General Health Screen will be individualized depending on a patient’s needs, and may include the following blood labs: CBC, CMP, TSH, Lipid Panel, HgbA1c, PSA, homocysteine and hsCRP.  PSA levels will be checked  prior to beginning Testosterone Replacement Therapy, after 1 month of treatment, again after 6 months of treatment, and once a year thereafter.
      3. Saliva Test Kit for determining your baseline hormone levels. You will collect a saliva sample in the comfort of your own home at a specific time during the day.
      4. If you haven’t done so already, please take a few minutes to register on-line at Relay Health to facilitate convenient communications with the clinic regarding questions that may come up during your course of treatment.
  • SECOND CONSULT    This appointment is typically scheduled 3 weeks after your initial consult to allow time for obtaining lab results.  Blood and saliva laboratory results will be discussed, and Bio-Identical Hormone Restoration Therapy (BHRT) may be initiated if hormonal imbalances exist.  If your lab results indicate additional medical conditions, options for appropriate treatment will be discussed.  Your treatment plan may include the following:
      1. Instructions for using a prescription for testosterone (applied topically), and possibly other hormones.  Your prescription(s) will be faxed to a compounding pharmacy following your appointment.
      2. Lab slip for monitoring PSA (prostate specific antibody) – blood draw one month after initiating Testosterone Restoration Therapy (TRT).

It is important not to expect an immediate response from using low, physiologic doses of testosterone. Our goal is to restore your body’s testosterone to normal levels.  Most doctors today prescribe testosterone far too aggressively. This high dosing in men not only shuts down their body’s production of endogenous testosterone (resulting in shrinking of the testicles), but may cause increased levels of estrogen, weight gain and breast enlargement. Therefore, it is important to use only the amount prescribed by our Nurse Practitioner.  It may take a couple of months before you notice significant improvement in your symptoms.  It’s very important to dose every day, regardless of how you’re feeling!

  • THIRD APPOINTMENT   is usually scheduled 1-2 months after your second visit. Kathryn will monitor your symptoms closely during initiation of hormone restoration therapy.  Depending on how you are feeling and based on the results of your hormone lab results, the dosing of your hormone prescription(s) may be adjusted.
    • Your treatment plan may include a second saliva collection kit, as well as additional blood lab orders as needed.
  • FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS   Depending on your response to treatment, saliva test results, and the need for additional monitoring of abnormal blood lab results, consult appointments will be scheduled at 1, 2, 4, or 6 month intervals.

[Note: If part of your treatment includes a prescription for testosterone, please be aware that testosterone is a controlled substance and requires scheduling an appointment at least every 6 months with our Nurse Practitioner so she can order a new prescription for you.]