18: The Pitfalls of Hormone Pellets: The Bad, The Worst, and The Ugly

I can't bring myself emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, or physically to use hormone pellets with my patients.

Hormone pellets are tiny pellets containing hormones and medications inserted under your skin and replaced every three to six months.

In my clinic, many unhappy patients come to me with complications from pellets. Outside of my clinical experience, I also tried pellets myself a few years ago, which was the worst experience of my life.

Looking at the science, there are much better methods of getting bioidentical hormones, such as topical creams and sublingual troches, and they don't come with the downsides of hormone pellets.

Today I'm sharing the top ten reasons why I'm a pellet anarchist, misleading ways that pellets are marketed, the things women need to know before using pellets, and what to do if you've had pellets and want to make a change.

Highlights

How hormone pellets work

Pitfall #1: They're expensive

• On average, pellets are around three times more expensive than other delivery options for bioidentical hormones
• Pellets average around $100-125/month versus around $45/month for sublingual troches, tablets, or topicals from a compounding pharmacy

Pitfall #2: Hormone levels are too high

• The sawtooth pattern that occurs with pellets: initially dramatically increased hormone levels followed by a steep decline

Pitfall #3: It's a surgical procedure

• Adverse side effects from the procedure
• Although it's a minor procedure, it's one you'll have to have repeated every couple of months

Pitfall #4: Once they're in, they don't come out

• If you have side effects or complications, you're stuck with the pellets for 3-6 months

Pitfall #5: You're subjected to minor surgery every 3-6 months

• Two irreversible side effects of pellet testosterone therapy if the levels go too high

Pitfall #6: Irregular absorption rates

• Pellets are sold as being the ultimate in stable absorption rates, but research shows that's not true

Pitfall #7: It's a cash cow for providers

• The financial upside incentivizes providers to push pellets as the top hormone replacement option

Pitfall #8: Who's inserting them?

• Lots of times, the providers putting in pellets are hormone dabblers, not experts

Pitfall #9: It's a club

• Hormone pellet companies charge providers a monthly fee to use the company name, logo, and product

Pitfall #10: You're a number

• Hormone treatment plans should be personalized
• Why I don't like protocol-driven hormones

What you can do if you've had pellets and you want to make a change

Bioidentical hormones versus synthetic hormones

Resources

Dr. Shawn Tassone's Practice https://www.drshawntassone.com/

Dr. Shawn Tassone's Book | The Hormone Balance Bible https://tassonemd.com/hormone-balance-bible/

Dr. Shawn Tassone's Integrative Hormonal Mapping System | Hormone Archetype Quiz https://tassonemd.lpages.co/hormonearchetypequiz/

Disclaimer

This podcast and website represent the opinions of Dr. Shawn Tassone and his guests. The content here should not be taken as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Because each person is so unique, please consult your health care professional for any medical questions.