Hormone Therapy

Barrick Family Practice

Steven Barrick, DO

Family Practice & Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine located in Colorado Springs, CO

Hormone therapy can make a massive difference to your happiness and general well-being if you have a hormone deficiency. Steven Barrick, DO, of Barrick Family Practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado, uses BioTE® hormone replacement pellets and other advanced therapies to treat conditions like low testosterone and menopausal symptoms. Find out more about the benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy by calling Barrick Family Practice today or schedule an appointment using the online form.

Hormone Therapy Q & A

What is hormone therapy?

Hormone therapy replaces specific hormones in your body when natural production falls.

Hormones are chemicals your body’s glands make. Hormones act as messengers, carrying instructions from your brain to other organs. They regulate many vital bodily functions, including:

  • Reproduction
  • Metabolism
  • Growth regulation
  • Sexual function
  • Mood


In order to work properly, your body needs exactly the right amount of each hormone. If hormone levels drop too low, it can lead to chronic, disabling health problems like thyroid disease and diabetes. 

Low hormone levels can affect you physically and mentally, but these symptoms are reversible using hormone therapy.

What symptoms do low hormone levels cause?

The symptoms low hormone levels cause vary depending on which hormone you’re low on. 

In women, low estrogen levels can cause symptoms such as:

  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Low libido
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Weight gain
  • Hot flashes
  • Night sweats


Estrogen is the female sex hormone the ovaries make. As you reach middle age and enter perimenopause, estrogen drops to very low levels.

In men, a fall in levels of the male sex hormone testosterone can cause symptoms such as:

  • Loss of muscle mass
  • Fatigue
  • Lack of stamina
  • Low libido
  • Lack of drive


This can happen in middle age, a condition known as andropause or male menopause. You can also suffer from low testosterone levels due to a condition called hypogonadism.

Dr. Barrick can treat low testosterone and estrogen symptoms using hormone therapy. He can also treat other hormone problems like hypothyroidism and adrenal gland disorders.

How does hormone therapy work?

Hormone therapy contains replacement hormones that top up your natural hormones to restore them to a healthy level. Conventional types of hormone replacement therapy mainly use synthetic hormones, which have their uses but may not be fully biocompatible with your body.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is an alternative that uses hormones sourced from plants. The plant hormones go through processing in a lab that makes them an identical match for human hormones. Dr. Barrick uses BioTE hormone replacement therapy to supplement low hormone levels.

As they’re identical to your hormones, plant-based hormones are easier to absorb and use. They’re also less likely to cause any side effects. Dr. Barrick orders the exact formulation of hormone therapy that you need, and it’s made to your requirements.

BioTE hormone therapy uses very small pellets that Dr. Barrick injects under the skin. The pellets slowly release hormones into your body over the following months. You have a new pellet inserted a few times a year to maintain your hormone level.

If you have symptoms of a hormone imbalance or would like to know how hormone therapy could help you, call Barrick Family Practice today or book an appointment online.

What is Hormonal Imbalance? from BioTE Medical on Vimeo.