Daily creams, weekly injections, and patches that need changing can work well, but they also ask you to remember something, every day or every week, for as long as you’re in treatment. If that routine has started to feel like one more thing on your list, BioTE® pellets offer a different rhythm.
Each pellet is placed just under the skin during a short office visit and releases hormones gradually over the following months. Once it’s in, there’s nothing to apply, track, or refill until your next appointment. At Precision Health & Wellness, pellet therapy is one of several options within our hormone replacement therapy program, chosen when it fits your body, your lab results, and the way you live.
A BioTE pellet is about the size of a grain of rice. Depending on your needs, it contains bioidentical estradiol (a form of estrogen) or testosterone, made from plant-based ingredients and shaped into a small, solid pellet.
Think of it as a slow-release reservoir rather than a daily refill. Instead of a new dose each morning, the pellet dissolves gradually, giving your body a steady supply of hormones between visits. Your dose is calculated from your lab results, your symptoms, and factors such as your body weight, so no two patients receive exactly the same pellet.
Hormone changes don’t look the same for everyone, and neither does pellet therapy. At Precision Health & Wellness, BioTE is available to both women and men, with a dose designed around each person’s hormone levels.
Many women consider pellets during perimenopause and menopause, when estrogen and testosterone levels shift. Hot flashes, night sweats, restless sleep, low libido, and mood changes are common reasons to explore treatment. If you’d like to compare pellets with other approaches, learn more about menopause hormone therapy.
For men, pellets can deliver testosterone steadily when levels have dropped. Low energy, reduced strength, a lower sex drive, and changes in mood or focus are often what bring men in. You can explore other delivery options on our testosterone replacement therapy page.
Pellets are a great match for some people and a less natural fit for others. Knowing the difference before you start helps you choose with confidence.
Pellets often suit you well if you:
Another option may suit you better if you:
Once a pellet is placed, its dose can’t be changed until the next insertion, which is why careful planning matters. For an honest look at the tradeoffs, read our article on the downside of hormone pellets.
Pellet therapy starts with understanding your hormone levels, so the first steps happen before any pellet is placed. Here’s what the process looks like.
Pellets work on a longer timeline than most treatments, so it helps to know what the months ahead may look like.
Hormone levels rise gradually as the pellet begins to dissolve. Some people notice changes in sleep, energy, or mood within the first few weeks, while others take longer.
Because every body absorbs pellets a little differently, it can take up to two insertions to feel the full benefit. Follow-up conversations and lab work help your provider fine-tune your next dose.
Most patients receive new pellets every three to six months. The timing depends on how quickly your body uses the pellet, your lab results, and when symptoms begin to return.
When hormone levels are brought back into range, patients often describe:
Some patients also find weight easier to manage once their hormones are balanced. Pellets aren’t a weight loss treatment on their own, but you can learn more in our article, Will I Lose Weight on BioTE® Pellets?
Results vary from person to person, and your provider will talk with you about realistic expectations for your situation.
Pellet therapy depends on getting the dose right, and that takes specialized training. Dr. Christine Salem, DNP, CNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, MSCP, IFMCP, is a BioTE Certified Provider, which means she has completed BioTE’s training in bioidentical hormone pellet therapy. She is also one of the few female providers in the Columbus area who is both a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) and an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP). Her menopause certification brings deep expertise in midlife hormone changes, and her functional medicine training means your dose is guided by a whole-body view of the factors that shape how you feel, like sleep, stress, and metabolism.
That combination shapes how pellet therapy works here. Your dose is based on your own labs, your progress is reviewed over time, and your plan can shift to another option if pellets stop being the best fit.
If keeping up with daily hormone treatment has felt like a chore, or you’re just beginning to explore your options, a consultation is the place to start. You’ll learn where your hormone levels stand and whether pellets make sense for you.
Precision Health & Wellness welcomes patients from Worthington, Westerville, Clintonville, Grandview Heights, and New Albany. The office is located at 1000 N High St B in Worthington, Ohio, and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Most patients describe the insertion as quick and very manageable. It takes just a few minutes, and your provider will explain how the area is kept comfortable during the procedure.
Most patients need new pellets every three to six months. The exact timing depends on your body, your activity level, and how quickly you absorb the hormones.
Some patients notice changes within a few weeks. Because everyone absorbs pellets differently, it can take up to two insertions to feel the full benefit.
A pellet’s dose can’t be changed once it’s placed. Instead, your provider uses your lab results and how you’ve felt to adjust the dose at your next insertion.
Pellets aren’t designed for weight loss, but some patients find weight easier to manage once their hormones are balanced. Your provider can talk through what to expect and whether a program like medical weight loss might also help.
