FAQ

Compounding is the process of creating personalized medications tailored to meet the specific needs of a patient. This can involve changing a medication’s form (e.g., converting a pill to a liquid), removing allergens, adjusting doses, or adding flavors to improve taste. Compounding ensures patients receive medications best suited to their individual requirement

Additional Information:

Creating medication designed specifically for you allows for precise dosing and customization of medication forms. For example, we can create a liquid medication for children who have trouble swallowing pills, or a cream for those who prefer topical applications. Other options include lozenges, suppositories, nasal sprays, and more. Simply let us know your preference, and we’ll prepare the medication to suit your needs.

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Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, and DHEA are the primary human sex hormones. Cortisol, or hydrocortisone, is a stress hormone that is regulated by the adrenal glands.

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HRT is Hormone Replacement therapy in general. BHRT stands for Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, meaning that the hormones used have the same 3-D shapes as those found naturally in your body. HHRT means Human Hormone Restoration Therapy. In practice, it is a more specific description of BHRT.

Additional Information:

Natural hormones  in BHRT are chemically identical to those found in the body and tend to have fewer side effects. Synthetic hormones mimic natural hormones but are not identical, which could lead to unwanted side effects.

Compounded hormone medications typically start at $36.95 per month for a single hormone or $63.95 per month for multiple hormones. Some insurance plans cover compounded medications, but coverage varies. Visit our pharmacy to learn more about your specific plan.

Saliva testing is a simple, noninvasive way to assess hormone levels. It involves collecting a sample by spitting into a tube, which is sent to a lab for analysis. Results help your healthcare provider determine the most precise hormone treatment for you.

Additional Information:

Generally, a five-hormone panel is tested, which includes, Estradiol (E2, a form of Estrogen), Progesterone (Pg), Testosterone (T), DHEA (DS, Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate) and morning cortisol (C1). Each hormone is $30, for a total of $150. It does not require a prescription, but with a prescription, if you have insurance, we can supply you a form to submit to them for reimbursement. Please be aware that insurance reimburses less than 50% of the time.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a collection of physical and emotional symptoms related to a woman’s menstrual cycle, such as bloating or breast tenderness, defined as a consistent pattern of emotional and physical symptoms that are of “sufficient severity to interfere with some aspects of life”, occurring during the ten days prior to menses and vanishes either shortly before or shortly after the start of menstrual flow. A common treatment for PMS is progesterone taken the last two weeks of the cycle, along with a good vitamin supplement.

Menopause is defined as one year with no periods. Onset is generally in the late 40s to early 50’s. At this stage women’s hormones are often unbalanced, and women commonly experience hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, and decreased libido (sex drive). Menopausal symptoms should first be documented by either saliva or blood testing. We prefer saliva testing because it gives us more precise, useful information. In most cases, women with symptoms will show signs of low progesterone and often low estradiol (a form of estrogen) as well. Less commonly, they will show signs of low Testosterone or DHEA.

Perimenopause is the term used to describe the menopause transition years, from around 35 to early 50’s. Some symptoms include hot flashes, mood changes, insomnia, fatigue, and memory problems.

We work with you and your practitioner to restore hormone levels, helping reduce symptoms. Results vary—some see improvement in a day, while others may take 3–4 months. We recommend trying treatment for at least four months, adjusting as needed.

For menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, patients low in all four tested hormones typically use a topical cream ($63.95/month) applied once or twice daily or lozenges/troches. A progesterone capsule ($36.95/month) is also taken at night to aid sleep.

We prefer you use our pharmacy and offer shipping if needed. If visiting Jolley’s isn’t an option, choose a trusted, PCCA-trained compounding pharmacy.

For those who have had frequent miscarriages, and have what is called “Luteal Phase Deficiency” supplementing progesterone from time of ovulation to the 13th week of pregnancy is often prescribed.

Topical Testosterone in low doses applied vaginally (a method made popular years ago by Oprah) has been prescribed to help in this area. We have other treatment options that we can discuss if you are interested.

Additional Information:

If a saliva test shows high cortisol, phosphatidylserine capsules are often recommended to help with stress and mental acuity. Adrenotone capsules three times a day is often recommended to support the adrenal glands with high or low cortisol for people dealing with stress over long periods of time, often resulting in adrenal exhaustion.

Compounding has many applications, only one of which is BHRT. Our hormone balancing pharmacy can also prepare pain medication in various dosage forms if a pill isn’t working, or if you have particular needs. Prescriptions for pets can be prepared in a similar way, with flavors to help such as tuna fish flavor for cats or liver for dogs. We have MANY different flavors, ranging from mint and orange to piña colada.