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    • Home
    • About Us
    • Services
      • Primary Care
      • Functional Medicine
      • Pediatric Care
      • Acupuncture/Herbal/TCM
      • Weight Loss Program
      • PRP Therapy
      • Peptide Treatments
      • Hormone/Thyroid/Adrenal
      • Pain Management
      • Facial Acupuncture
      • Injection Therapy
      • Lab Options
      • School & Sports Physicals
      • DOT/CMV Physicals
      • Pre-Employment Physicals
      • Florida Scope of Practice
    • Patient Section
      • New Patient Paperwork
      • Patient Forms
      • Patient Portal
      • Telemed Links
      • Insurance Information
      • Fee Schedule
      • FullScript-Discount Link
      • Lab Order (Specialized)
      • FAQ
      • No Surprises Act
    • Contact Us
    • Free Consult
    • Appointment Scheduling
      • New Patients
      • Established Patients
      • DOT Physicals
      • COVID-19 Testing

Call or Text: 407-777-2673

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • Primary Care
    • Functional Medicine
    • Pediatric Care
    • Acupuncture/Herbal/TCM
    • Weight Loss Program
    • PRP Therapy
    • Peptide Treatments
    • Hormone/Thyroid/Adrenal
    • Pain Management
    • Facial Acupuncture
    • Injection Therapy
    • Lab Options
    • School & Sports Physicals
    • DOT/CMV Physicals
    • Pre-Employment Physicals
    • Florida Scope of Practice
  • Patient Section
    • New Patient Paperwork
    • Patient Forms
    • Patient Portal
    • Telemed Links
    • Insurance Information
    • Fee Schedule
    • FullScript-Discount Link
    • Lab Order (Specialized)
    • FAQ
    • No Surprises Act
  • Contact Us
  • Free Consult
  • Appointment Scheduling
    • New Patients
    • Established Patients
    • DOT Physicals
    • COVID-19 Testing

Functional Medicine Approach to Hormone Health & Replacement

Welcome to Hormone Health!

I bet if you are here reading this section, then you most likely are one of the millions of people suffering with a hormonal imbalance. 


Women: From irregular periods or painful cycles to hot flashes, night sweats, and weight gain......we can help! 

Men: From hair loss or muscle mass loss to low libido...we have you covered!

Teens: From mood swings, irregular periods, acne and more...we hear you!


We will partner with you to identify any potential hormone imbalance. We have a variety of testing options that we offer. 


Since we do practice within the Functional Medicine framework, we strive to correct, balance, and resolve any symptoms you may have as naturally as possible, when possible. We also offer traditional HRT or BHRT treatments and medications. We also can combine natural treatments used in conjunction with HRT or BHRT treatments. These options are always discussed with you, as are the risks and benefits. We make a mutually agreed upon decision on what is right and best for you, together.


We treat much more than the lab numbers and the symptoms. We treat YOU. We listen to YOU.


HORMONES ARE A BALANCING ACT

Even small changes in your hormones can cause symptoms like fatigue, weight changes, acne, insomnia, depression/anxiety, hot flashes, night sweats, and much more! We are here to help you find the balance you have been looking for. You are NOT crazy and your symptoms are NOT in your head. 


Hormonal imbalances are often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. 


Let us help you make sense of your symptoms to treat your imbalance. We can:

  • Get the diagnosis you've been looking for. We will analyze your health history and your symptoms to identify what is going on with your hormone health.
  • We will order Advanced Hormone Screenings. Based on your unique needs, we will recommend advanced testing that other doctors don't....then we will help you understand your results.
  • Develop a treatment plan with you. We will create a personalized plan that involves nutrition, supplement recommendation, herbal remedies, referrals to specialists, and prescription medicine, if indicated. 


Types of hormone optimization we offer:

  • Nutraceuticals consisting of Supplements or Herbal Medicine that will naturally support your body, alleviate symptoms, provide relief, and promote your own natural balance of hormone production.
  • Natural Protocols consisting of plant based components or natural ingredients of estradiol, progesterone, or testosterone. 
  • Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy compounded prescription  of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone which is customized to your needs. 
  • Traditional Hormone Therapy prescriptions of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone.  
  • Common methods of application vary from gels, creams, patches, pills, troches, injections, and inserts. 


WE TREAT MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL AGES

Whether you are a teenage young lady, a young adult, adult, or young at heart suffering from any type of hormone symptoms or unexplained symptoms, we can help. 


For teenagers or young adults, the changes that the onset of menstrual cycles bring can be quite overwhelming. Irregular, heavy or painful cycles, skin changes/acne, weight changes, mood swings, headaches, and fatigue are the most common reported symptoms.


For the next stage of life (early adulthood), the most common symptoms (aside from the above), are infertility, frequent miscarriages, hair changes, continued skin changes, brain fog, and more.


Middle adulthood is when we start to see the decline of our essential hormones. Symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, low libido, vaginal irritation, migraines, stomach upset, anxiety/depression, and worsened irregular cycles start to surface. For men,  we start to see the initial decline in testosterone around this time. Typically, this is when we will notice hair loss, fatigue, muscle weakness, and even decreased libido. 


Late adulthood is when we see all these symptoms and more....including bone loss, cardiovascular changes, joint pain, chronic pain and hair loss/graying, 


No matter your age, we are able to help you!





COMMON SYMPTOMS

Keeping in mind that our hormones play a huge role in physiological responses of our bodies and that the systems of our bodies respond, it makes sense that symptoms manifest in certain ways. The most common symptoms are:


  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety/Depression
  • Acne
  • PMS
  • PMDD
  • Temperature intolerance 
  • Insomnia
  • Hair loss
  • Brain fog or memory loss
  • Weight changes
  • Low libido
  • Irregular cycles
  • Painful or heavy cycles (clotting)
  • Extreme thirst or hunger & cravings
  • Joint pain
  • Chronic pain
  • Bloating
  • Facial hair
  • Fibroids
  • Mood swings
  • Headaches and migraines
  • Vaginal dryness or pain
  • Frequent infections
  • IBS or GI changes
  • Fluctuating blood pressure
  • Dizziness & vertigo symptoms
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Vision changes
  • Palpitations
  • Decreased bone loss or muscle strength
  • Erectile dysfunction



EXAMPLES OF CONDITIONS WE SPECIALIZE IN

  • PCOS
  • Estrogen Dominance
  • Thyroid dysfunction
  • Hashimoto's thyroiditis
  • Adrenal dysfunction
  • Insulin resistance
  • Infertility
  • Pre-menopause
  • Peri-menopause
  • Post-menopause
  • Andropause
  • PMS/PMDD
  • Low Libido
  • Erectile Dysfunction



TYPES OF HORMONES & LOOKING BEYOND ESTROGEN

Most people are familiar with and understand the importance of the main hormones: estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Did you know that there are several precursor hormones that are also responsible for hormone symptoms; whether deficient or excess. In fact, precursor hormones are important support mechanisms for the main hormones. Our bodies rely heavily on the endocrine glands (pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal, hypothalamus, and pancreas) to make hormones; such as sex hormones, cortisol, FSH, LH, oxytocin, ADH, estrogens, testosterone, progesterone, pregnenolone, and DHEA (to name a few). 


When there is a hormone imbalance (at any age), many unpleasant symptoms can arise and even cause other health conditions. Since our body works together as an integrated whole, when there is a deficiency in one hormone, there could be a domino effect in other hormone deficiencies OR even excess!!


When determining an appropriate hormone treatment plan, we will analyze all your hormones; essentially taking a snap shot picture of your body at one time. We will correlate your symptoms to your hormone testing and will create a treatment plan for therapy which will include supplements, herbal remedies, lifestyle changes, and medications, as appropriate. 

Thyroid Health

Thyroid health can be tricky. Most medical providers have been taught that the only thyroid test that matters is the TSH. It's true that the TSH is crucial to understanding thyroid health, but there are other hormones associated with thyroid dysfunction.  Quite often when the TSH level is normal on blood work, doctors will rule out any type of thyroid disorder.  The problem is, a very small percentage of patients are appropriately diagnosed with a TSH level only; leaving many more to be misdiagnosed. Our office likes to have a clear picture of the downward hormonal cascade, which involves ALL thyroid hormones; giving us valuable insight to our patient's symptoms. When we order thyroid testing, we order a complete thyroid panel; not only looking at TSH, but all the T3 and T4 hormones, as well as antibodies. We then analyze the results using a Functional Medicine approach; whereas we look for optimal ranges and correlate with patient symptoms. This means, that we are able to determine when a person has a thyroid dysfunction that lab work has previously or traditionally missed. 


Hypothyroidism is known as an underactive thyroid and hyperthyroidism is known as an overactive thyroid. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune hypothyroidism that occurs when a dysregulated immune response impairs the production of the thyroid hormones. Graves' disease is an autoimmune hyperthyroidism that occurs when autoantibodies activate the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor, inducing excessive thyroid hormone secretion. It is important to note that many people with autoimmune thyroid disease may actually have normal basic thyroid labs, which is why it's so important you receive a thorough functional medicine work up. 


Common symptoms associated with Thyroid Disorders:


Increased sensitivity to heat and cold

Depression or irritability

Anxiety

Joint or muscle pain

High blood pressure

Palpitations

Muscle weakness

Digestive issues

Weight gain or weight loss

Dry skin

Thinning hair or brittle nails

Fatigue

Insomnia

Irregular menses

Nodules or enlarged thyroid gland


Let's back up! What exactly is a thyroid? The thyroid gland is an essential gland that supports the body's metabolism. This gland produces two different hormones: T3 and T4;  both are important in energy production for your body. If the thyroid starts producing too much or too few of these hormones, it can cause serious issues that can significantly affect your quality of life. 


Once diagnosed, typically medication is used to regulate your thyroid and manage your symptoms. Keep in mind that just like any other hormone in your body, the thyroid can also fluctuate; making your current medication dosing ineffective. Many patients come to us on too high or too low of a dose of their thyroid medication; which causes even more symptoms. Maybe they are not on the right medication-perhaps they are only on Synthroid (levothyroxine), which is a T4 medication, when they should actually also be on a T3 medication, like Cytomel (liothyrionine)...or maybe a combination, like Nature Throid or a compounded formula specifically for them. Thyroid management can be tough; so you want to make sure you have a knowledgeable practitioner on your side that listens to you and looks at optimal lab levels. 


Also, consider that sometimes an adrenal dysfunction can actually look like a thyroid condition and a thyroid condition can also look like an adrenal dysfunction; they might even go together. That is why it's important you have a functional medicine evaluation. 


It is also important to understand that many symptoms and inability to regulate your thyroid may actually develop due to specific triggers. If those triggers or underlying causes are not identified and addressed, you will continue to not feel well and not be managed correctly. We typically look at different factors; the main ones being: lifestyle, inflammation, GI issues, food sensitivities or allergies, blood sugar instability/insulin resistance, and nutritional deficiencies. 


Dawson Integrative Medical Center, LLC treats thyroid disorders in a variety of ways. Whether you need medication management, regulating or adjusting current medication dosing, or developing a new protocol for you, we can help. We offer a variety of treatment options, or a combination thereof; including: traditional thyroid medication, natural or alternative thyroid treatments, and treatments for any underlying root causes or triggers mentioned above. 

Adrenal Health

Adrenal Fatigue/Insufficiency: Our bodies are connected! When looking into causes of undesirable symptoms, we HAVE to look at the body as an integrated whole. The most common and basic hormones are usually the go-to for most doctors in analyzing hormone health. However, as we've already discussed, we need to look beyond estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and even thyroid hormones. We also should be looking at the adrenal glands for cortisol levels. The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys and produce three major hormones: cortisol (regulates energy, blood pressure, blood sugar, regulates stress responses and helps us recover from a sudden illness), aldosterone (governs the amount of salt and water in our body) and androgen hormones. 


Common symptoms associated with Adrenal Fatigue are:


Fatigue in the morning and evening

Insomnia

Inability to cope with stress

GI or digestive changes

Stress or anxiety

Sugar or salt cravings

Low blood sugar

Low blood pressure

Muscle aches/joint pains

Chemical sensitivity

Weak immune system

Chronic infections

Hives

Reactions to bug bites

Allergies

Asthma

Eczema

Brain fog or impaired memory

...and so much more



Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: is an inherited disorder of the adrenal glands that can affect both males and females. People with CAH cannot properly make cortisol and in some cases, cannot produce aldosterone. They also produce too much of certain hormones, like testosterone and progesterone. These hormone imbalances can lead to serious illness, atypical genitalia, early puberty, growth concerns and other problems. This is a very rare condition; less than 50,000 people in the US has been diagnosed. 


Symptom -Imbalance Self Quiz

Having symptoms that fluctuate? Feeling off? Take this quiz to help identify what hormones might be to blame:


Cortisol (Adrenal Fatigue-Early Stage)

Wired/tired sensation

Anxiety/nervousness

Sugar cravings

Increased abdominal circumference

High blood pressure

High blood sugar

Indigestion or heartburn

Difficulty recovering from exercise/injury

Irregular menstrual cycles 

Decreased fertility

Weight gain with exercise


Cortisol (Adrenal Fatigue-Late Stage/Burnout)

Fatigue or loss of stamina

Brain fog

Decreased stress tolerance

Insomnia or difficulty staying asleep

Excessive sleepiness

Dizzy

Salt cravings


Low Progesterone

PMS

Irregular cycles

Cyclical headaches

Bloating before periods

Heavy or painful periods

Ovarian cysts

Disrupted sleep

Infertility or miscarriage


Excess Estrogen

Heavy bleeding

Bloating or water retention

Weight gain (hips and thighs)

Fibroids

Breast tenderness

Endometriosis

Anxiety

Migraines or other headaches

Gallbladder issues

History of abnormal PAP


Low Estrogen

Night sweats 

Hot flashes

Leaky or overactive bladder

Loss of interest in exercise

Bone loss

Painful intercourse

Low libido


High Androgens  (Testosterone for Women)

Excess hair on face, arms, or chest

Acne

Greasy skin and skin tags

Reactivity or irritability

Long menstrual cycles

Infertility

PCOS or ovarian cysts


Low Testosterone (Men)

Low libido or erectile dysfunction

Decreased sense of well-being

Concentration issues

Depression or anxiety

Irritability or moody

Loss of muscular strength or bone mass

Increased body fat

Hair loss

Fatigue


Low Testosterone (Women)

Fatigue

Muscle weakness

Low libido or decreased sexual satisfaction

Weight gain

Slow metabolism

Brittle hair, nails and bones

Anxiety and depression


Hypothyroid

Hair loss, eyebrow thinning

Dry skin and hair

Brittle nails

Cold intolerance

Weight gain

Irregular menses

Muscle aches and inflammation

Fatigue

Anxiety and depression

Puffy face



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Dawson Integrative Medical Center, LLC.

10244 E Colonial Drive, Suite204, Orlando, Florida 32817

Call or Text: 407-777-2673

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