Detailed definition
Hormone pellets are compounded implants typically containing estradiol or testosterone (or both), inserted under the skin in the buttock or hip via a small office procedure every 3–6 months. They are not FDA-approved. Multiple commercial networks (BioTE, EvexiPel, others) market pellet therapy aggressively, often paired with claims about "balancing" hormones. Major menopause societies — NAMS, the Endocrine Society, ACOG — have all issued statements against pellet therapy. Concerns include: typical pellet doses produce serum hormone levels far above the premenopausal physiologic range (often 5–10× normal); the dose cannot be adjusted once implanted, so side effects must be tolerated until the pellet metabolizes out; estradiol pellets without progestogen in women with a uterus risk endometrial hyperplasia; testosterone pellet doses in women routinely produce androgen levels in the male range, with predictable side effects (acne, voice changes, facial hair, clitoral enlargement); long-term safety data at supraphysiologic doses are absent. ClearedRx does not prescribe pellets.
Why it matters in menopause
Pellet therapy is one of the most aggressively marketed forms of menopause "treatment" and is one that the menopause specialist community has spent years pushing back against. Patients who come to ClearedRx after pellet therapy often have supraphysiologic hormone levels that need time to normalize before standard HRT can be safely initiated.
Related terms
Sources
External references: Wikipedia.