SKIN Kamloops (Dr. Hayley Collinge, ND)

Dr. Hayley has extensive post-medical school training & experience in BHRT for men and women.

NATURAL HORMONE BALANCING

Balance your endocrine system

Want to know if your hormones, thyroid, adrenals, or blood sugar and insulin are out of whack? If you are

feeling "off", tired, having mood swings, brain fog, lack of sex drive or experiencing difficulty losing weight or a loss in muscle mass and strength, Dr. Hayley can help you to figure out what's going on. Having balanced hormones can make a world of difference in how you feel, and your overall health and vitality.

The process starts with Dr. Hayley having you complete a comprehensive hormone panel called the DUTCH test that gives you a complete look at the basic hormones, estrogen, cortisol and androgen metabolites, melatonin and your free cortisol pattern. The test is a urine test done at home that you complete and send back to the lab for testing. A lab order will also be made for Tudor Village Labs, to have other baseline labs, thyroid and blood sugar/insulin tests done. When the test results are in (it generally takes about 2 weeks), you come into the office (or see the Dr. via a telemedicine consult if you prefer) for an initial visit. The initial visit consists of Dr. Hayley taking a complete health history so she knows all of the symptoms you are experiencing, and about any potential underlying health conditions. Following your appointment, Dr. Hayley will have thyroid, adrenal and/or hormone medications compounded at a local compounding pharmacy that you can pick up or have mailed out to you. Any supplements you need will also be drop shipped to your address from Fullscript.

​Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) helps your body's hormones to return to youthful levels, which assists with slowing, or even partially reversing the aging process. Our hormone levels naturally decline as we age, and replenishing these hormones, helps with a vast array of symptoms such as muscle loss, weight gain, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, erectile dysfunction, and loss of sex drive. There are several studies that support the safety of Bioidentical hormones over synthetic hormones. This is likely because they are biologically identical to the hormones produced in our bodies, and since our bodies recognize these hormones, this results in fewer side effects.

​Natural thyroid hormones are made from dried pig thyroid glands. In Canada the main brand is ERFA. In contrast to Levothyroxine, a synthetic T4 hormone drug, the more natural desiccated thyroid medications contain T1, T2 thyroid cofactors, calcitonin, iodine, and T3 (active form of thyroid hormone), and T4. This is closer to what the body produces, and these products contain less fillers and binders meaning less chance of side-effects. If you are already on other thyroid medications and doing well on them, then Dr. Hayley is trained to use these medications as well, and remaining on these won't affect your overall treatment plan negatively. A balanced thyroid is helpful to feel more energetic, mentally clear, to assist with weight loss, to have a normal body temperature, to optimize your mood, and to normalize heart rate, bowel movements, and reduce muscle aches and weakness.

​Severe adrenal problems can be addressed by low dose hydrocortisone (aka Cortef) for a short duration. This serves to effectively reboot the adrenals, so that they can resume normal production of stress hormones. Sometimes supplements such as adaptogens, DHEA, glandulars, and vitamins are also necessary to achieve optimal adrenal function. Optimal adrenal function helps you feel more energetic, mentally focused, calm, and grounded.

​Blood sugar issues and insulin resistance can easily be addressed by using herbs, vitamins, minerals and dietary changes. Optimal blood sugar helps reduce cravings, can help with weight loss and mood, and also helps with mental focus and energy as well.

Dr. Hayley will tailor a treatment plan directly to you that is dependent on what your lab results and symptoms show. Follow-up appointments are necessary at regular intervals to ensure your medications and other treatments are at the ideal dosages to give you optimal results, and to ensure you aren't experiencing any side effects. It will also help keep you on track and progressing towards your treatment goals.