Are Testosterone Pellets For Women Painful?

There are several factors that patients consider when researching different types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Cost, effectiveness, side effects, and ease of application can range significantly from treatment to treatment. Historically, hormone replacement therapy has usually come in the form of creams, pills, and injections, however in recent years pellet implants have become an increasingly popular delivery method due to the myriad of benefits they offer over the older methods. But many people wonder – what does the process of implanting the pellets entail, and more importantly, is it painful?

At Austin Urogynecology, we offer our patients SottoPelle, a bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) that is delivered in pellet form. The procedure for inserting the pellets is extremely simple, pain and discomfort are minimal, and there is very little downtime. For reference, each individual pellet is the size of a grain of rice. The number of pellets implanted will depend on your required dosage, which we determine by doing blood tests to see your hormone levels. Dosage does not have a real impact on the procedure itself, however.

When you arrive for your appointment, we begin by injecting the area where the pellets will be inserted – the fatty tissue in the hip/buttock area – with a local anesthetic. We then make a small incision in the tissue and insert the pellets. A waterproof dressing is applied over the incision and compression is applied for a few minutes, and then patients are sent home with an ice pack. Patients are generally able to resume normal activity the same day of the procedure, with some lingering tenderness in the area where the pellets were implanted.

Generally speaking, aside from the initial pinch of the needle and soreness at the site of the pellet implants after the fact, the entire procedure is virtually painless. The pellets typically dissolve over the course of 3-6 months, at which point patients return to have new pellets inserted. If you are interested in learning more about SottoPelle testosterone therapy for women, contact Austin Urogynecology today to schedule a free consultation.