Hormone Therapy
Midlife hormone assessment for men and women, with test results and risks discussed before any therapy is considered.
Hormone therapy is considered only after a consultation, a hormone panel booked at the right time, and a discussion of the risks and the alternatives. It cannot be decided from symptoms alone, and it is not right for everyone.
Who this is for
Most people who come in for this are in their mid forties to early fifties, carrying a cluster of symptoms nobody has ever explained to them. Broken sleep. Energy that has dropped. Weight that has moved to the middle. Mood that turns faster than it used to. Drive that has fallen away.
- Broken sleep and energy that has dropped
- Weight that has moved to the middle of the body
- Mood that turns faster, and drive that has fallen away
- For women, a changing cycle and hot flushes
- For men, a slower and quieter pattern, often written off as normal ageing or work stress
How it runs
The consultation takes a full history. For women that covers cycle pattern, the date of the last period, pregnancy history, and any previous hormone use. For men it covers sleep pattern, training history, and current medication.
- 01The consultation takes a full historyFor women, cycle pattern, the date of the last period, pregnancy history and any previous hormone use. For men, sleep pattern, training history and current medication. Family history matters here, particularly breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, blood clots and stroke.
- 02Sample timing is setFor women who still menstruate, the panel has to be booked at a specific point in the cycle or the results are hard to read. For men, a morning sample is standard because levels shift through the day.
- 03The panel is wider than sex hormones aloneThyroid and metabolic markers need to be seen at the same time. Almost every symptom on the list above also shows up in thyroid problems, iron deficiency, sleep apnoea, depression and long term short sleep.
- 04A discussion once results arriveWhat the evidence shows for your symptoms, the known risks against your personal and family history, options that do not involve hormones, and what would need monitoring. That discussion includes the option of not going ahead.
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Limits and who this does not suit
Some conditions make hormone therapy unsuitable, and some make it unsafe outright. These include certain hormone sensitive cancers, a history of blood clots, active liver disease, and unexplained vaginal bleeding.
- Certain hormone sensitive cancers
- A history of blood clots
- Active liver disease
- Unexplained vaginal bleeding
- This list is not complete and eligibility is decided individually. If you are not suitable we will say so and talk through what else can be done
- This page describes how an assessment runs. It does not advertise any particular medicine and it is not a treatment recommendation
Common questions
Can I just do a hormone test without a consultation?
Not advisable. Without a history the wrong panel may get booked, or booked at the wrong point in the cycle, and the results become hard to interpret.
What if my results are normal but the symptoms are still there?
That is a common result and it is meaningful. It moves the investigation elsewhere, usually to sleep, thyroid, iron or metabolic factors.
How long do panel results take?
Most hormone panels take a few working days. The follow up appointment is set after the results arrive, not before.
What is assessed before hormone therapy is considered?
Symptoms, medical history and a hormone profile come first. The full pathway is at hormones and midlife, and menopause and hormones explains what changes. Book a consultation for an assessment. A short overview of menopause is at the WHO.
Every iLIV guide is written and reviewed under our editorial standards, and each one carries the name of the reviewing doctor together with their MMC registration number.
Start with one conversation
An initial consultation to understand your situation before any testing is recommended.
Damansara Perdana · I-City, Shah Alam · +60 14-801 6493