Hormone Therapy for Men & Women for Mountain Lakes, NJ

Separating what you have heard from how it works

Hormone therapy gathers more half-truths than most treatments. Some come from old headlines, some from advertising, and some from a friend whose experience may look nothing like yours. Here are five common ones, set against how hormone replacement therapy actually works at Montville MedSpa & Pain Center, where it is offered to men and to women alike.

Five myths, and the facts

Myth: HRT is a menopause treatment for women. Women are treated here with estrogen and progesterone through perimenopause, menopause and the years afterwards, but that is only half of the program. Men whose lab work confirms low testosterone are treated with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), under exactly the same rules.

Myth: if you have the symptoms, you need hormones. Tiredness, poor sleep, a fading libido and weight that will not budge can each have more than one cause. Your hormone levels are measured before anything is prescribed, and if hormones turn out not to be the problem, you will be told so plainly.

Myth: the higher the level, the better you feel. The aim is a normal, functional range in which your body works well, never the top number a lab report can show. The dose is set from your labs and your symptoms together, then moved as repeat testing comes back.

Myth: hormone therapy makes you put on weight. HRT does not directly cause weight gain. Any early puffiness is usually water and tends to pass as the dose settles, and many patients find that steady hormone levels make their weight easier, not harder, to manage.

Myth: once you start, you can never stop. Some people choose to stay on therapy for the long term. Others use it to get through one stage of life, such as menopause, and later taper off. Either way, the plan is reviewed regularly and the decision stays with you.

What actually happens

Every plan is overseen by Dr. Donna D’Alessio, MD, who owns the practice and is board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Nurse practitioner Tanya Santoro, NP-C, whose particular focus is testosterone therapy, sees hormone patients too. After a consultation in the office and lab work, you choose between an injection, which allows precise and adjustable dosing, and a cream or gel applied to the skin each day. Energy, mood and sleep often begin to improve within two to four weeks, while libido, body composition and mental clarity tend to follow over two to three months.

Getting here from Mountain Lakes

Boonton is the way through. From the Boulevard, cross into Boonton, join I-287 north and exit at 47 onto Route 202, which runs into Towaco as Main Road. Our office at number 624 is about six miles from the middle of the borough, around 12 minutes without traffic.

Mountain Lakes patients ask

Who should not have hormone therapy? Anyone whose own or family history includes a hormone-sensitive cancer, blood clots or certain heart and circulation problems may not be suitable, and that is checked before any prescription is written.

Is any of this done by video? No. Every consultation and review happens face to face at our office in Towaco.

Can I check whether my symptoms fit first? The 30-second hormone quiz is an easy place to begin.

Are there evening appointments? On Tuesdays, until 7 pm, which suits anyone getting off the train at Mountain Lakes station after work.

Read how our in-office hormone program works, the full HRT page, or our Mountain Lakes page.

Book NowCall (973) 794-3958Text (973) 834-7074