What Should You Ask Before Starting Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Before you start hormone therapy anywhere, ask five things: Are the hormones bioidentical? Does the plan look beyond one hormone to thyroid and adrenal health? Is it personalized to your body rather than one standard dose? Is it designed for your sex and stage of life? And who will guide you as your body responds? The answers tell you a lot about the kind of care you will get.
At Colbert Institute in Southlake, Texas and Lake Mary, Florida, Donald Colbert, MD has spent more than 30 years studying hormone health. Here is what each question means and how Dr. Colbert approaches it.
What symptoms make people start asking about hormones?
Hormones act as the body's messengers, regulating metabolism, growth, sexual function, and the reproductive cycle. When levels shift with age, people often notice it before they can name it. Colbert Institute lists common reasons patients come in, including unexplained weight gain, fatigue, memory loss, and swelling. Others notice lower libido, poorer sleep, mood changes, or that it has become harder to build strength or lose fat.
Being told it is "just age" is frustrating. A hormone consultation is a chance to find out whether something specific is contributing.
Question 1: Are the hormones bioidentical?
This is the first question for a reason. Bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure as the hormones your body produces, and the ones Dr. Colbert uses are derived from soy and other plant sources. Colbert Institute is clear on this point: Dr. Colbert does not use synthetic hormone therapy.
Question 2: Does the plan look beyond one hormone?
Hormones work as a system. Thyroid hormone, the adrenal hormone cortisol, and sex hormones like testosterone all play a role in energy and metabolism. Dr. Colbert looks for what he calls hormone disrupters, because finding them is key to leveling out hormones and easing symptoms like fatigue or weight gain.
Depending on the person, a plan may involve:
- Thyroid support to help reboot metabolism
- Adrenal restoration
- Testosterone or progesterone for women
- Testosterone or estrogen balance for men
- Growth hormone optimization
Question 3: Is the plan personalized?
Two people with the same symptom may need very different plans. Ask how your history, symptoms, and goals will shape what is recommended, and what delivery method makes sense for you. For thyroid treatment alone, Colbert Institute lists options including shots, creams and gels, sublingual tablets, pellets, and patches.
Question 4: Is it designed for women and men?
Hormone therapy is often discussed as a menopause topic, but men experience hormone decline too. Colbert Institute treats both. Testosterone, for example, supports muscle mass and endurance in men, while bioidentical progesterone and estrogen play distinct roles for women, from sleep and mood to bone health.
Question 5: Who will guide you as your body responds?
Starting therapy is not the finish line. Ask how symptoms will be reviewed over time and how the plan will be adjusted. A good plan has a clear reason to start, a way to tell whether it is working, and a physician who stays involved.
What else affects how you feel?
Hormones do not work in isolation. Diet, exercise, sleep, and stress all influence how you feel, and Dr. Colbert often pairs hormone care with nutrition guidance such as the Keto Zone Diet. Exercise and diet matter, but for many patients they are not enough on their own.
Frequently asked questions
Is hormone therapy right for everyone?
No. Your medical history, current medications, and goals all factor in, which is exactly why the consultation comes first.
Do men really benefit from hormone therapy?
Men are a big part of Dr. Colbert's hormone practice. Declining testosterone can affect energy, strength, mood, and libido.
Ready to get answers? Learn more about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy at Colbert Institute, read Dr. Colbert's background, or request a hormone consultation. Email appointments@drcolbert.com or call Southlake at (817) 251-0155 or Lake Mary at (407) 331-7007.
This article is educational and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Individual results vary.
Sources: Colbert Institute: Hormone Replacement Therapy.