Is Hormone or Peptide Therapy Right for You? My Honest Answer

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There is a lot of discussion right now about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and peptide therapy. I get questions almost daily. Should I be using these? Is this something I need? Will it actually benefit me?

Today, I want to walk you through my personal journey with hormone replacement therapy and have a real conversation about peptides, testosterone, progesterone, and what you should consider before starting treatment.

I currently use Wittmer Rejuvenation Clinic for my HRT, and I sat down with Elliott Rule, who works directly with patients, particularly on the peptide side, to discuss what individuals, especially tactical athletes and high performers, need to understand before starting therapy.

Why Peptides and HRT Are Becoming More Popular

More people are paying attention to long-term wellness. Tactical athletes, first responders, military members, and high-performing professionals are realizing that burnout, poor recovery, brain fog, and hormonal dysfunction are not just part of getting older.

In high-stress populations, we commonly see HPA axis dysfunction. This can present as chronically elevated cortisol, poor sleep or reversed sleep cycles, accumulation of visceral fat, low libido, brain fog, and declining performance.

Peptide therapy and hormone optimization can be tools to support recovery, cognitive function, and overall metabolic health, but they are not silver bullets.

Growth Hormone Peptides and How They Work

One of the most commonly discussed peptide combinations is CJC-1295 with Ipamorelin. This pairing works by stimulating natural growth hormone release through a growth hormone releasing hormone and a growth hormone releasing peptide. Together, they enhance growth hormone pulses from the pituitary gland.

Growth hormone influences sleep quality, fat distribution, tissue repair, bone regeneration, and circadian rhythm. As we age, natural growth hormone declines. That decline can contribute to increased visceral fat, slower recovery, decreased lean mass, and disrupted sleep.

However, if nutrition, sleep, and training are not dialed in, injecting a peptide will not fix the underlying problem.

Peptides for Rehabilitation: BPC-157 and TB-500

In the rehab space, BPC-157, now often compounded as PDA due to FDA classification changes, and TB-500 are frequently discussed. BPC-157 supports collagen synthesis and connective tissue repair. TB-500 supports soft tissue healing and angiogenesis, or new blood vessel formation.

These may be useful in injury recovery, but they are not necessary for general gym recovery or everyday soreness. The foundation must come first: adequate protein intake, resistance training, sleep, and overall recovery capacity.

What the Intake Process Looks Like at Wittmer 

When someone enters a clinic system, the first step should always be blood work. You cannot treat what you have not measured. If labs are within range but symptoms persist, peptides may be considered. If hormones are out of range, HRT may be appropriate.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is trying to fix everything at once. Testosterone replacement therapy, multiple peptides, lifestyle overhaul, supplements. That approach makes it difficult to identify what is working and what is not. The smarter approach is phased implementation. Start one intervention, monitor, then adjust.

Lifestyle First, Always

I regularly see individuals with poor sleep, high visceral fat, inconsistent training, and chronic under-recovery who want testosterone replacement therapy to fix everything. Hormone therapy can help, but if sleep is unmanaged, stress is uncontrolled, and body composition is not optimized, you are taking one step forward and two steps back.

Especially in the tactical community, sleep deprivation is one of the biggest testosterone suppressors. Lifestyle and therapy together will always outperform therapy alone.

Female Hormone Replacement Therapy: The Conversation We Need to Have

There is still stigma around HRT for women. For men, testosterone decline in the 40s and 50s is widely discussed and TRT stigma has significantly decreased. For women, perimenopause and menopause are often dismissed as something to simply deal with.

Before starting HRT, I experienced complete loss of libido, severe insomnia, intense mood swings, amplified anxiety, uncharacteristic weight gain, rage and irritability, and a lack of drive and motivation. These symptoms mirrored what men describe when testosterone drops.

After starting progesterone, my sleep improved dramatically. Libido improved. Quality of life improved. After adding low-dose testosterone, I noticed improvements in mood stability, mental clarity, and motivation.

Low-dose testosterone for women does not cause masculinization when prescribed appropriately. The dosing is roughly one-tenth of what men use therapeutically. Testosterone is not just a male hormone. It is a signaling hormone that women require in smaller amounts.

Common Myths About HRT

One of the most common myths is that HRT causes cancer. Many of the studies cited involved synthetic hormones, not bioidentical hormones. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy uses compounds chemically identical to those your body produces.

Another myth is that testosterone will masculinize women. Therapeutic dosing for women supports mood, cognitive function, strength, and body composition without producing male-level androgen effects.

A third myth is that HRT is a quick fix. It is not. It is a multi-month process requiring monitoring, lab work, and adjustments.

Is HRT a Lifetime Commitment

For both men and women, it often is. We currently do not have reliable methods to permanently reset long-term hormone production in aging individuals. If you stop therapy, your levels return to baseline production. That does not mean you are trapped, but it does mean therapy should be approached as a long-term health strategy.

Why Working With a Provider Matters

There is a significant difference between therapeutic testosterone replacement and high-dose anabolic steroid cycles. Therapeutic TRT typically ranges between 100 and 250 mg per week. Anabolic cycles can exceed 1,000 mg per week and often involve multiple compounds.

Those are not the same thing.

Working with a licensed provider ensures pharmaceutical-grade sourcing, lab monitoring, dose adjustments, and risk mitigation. Gray-market sourcing introduces unnecessary risk.

Final Thoughts

Hormone replacement therapy and peptide therapy are tools. They are not shortcuts. They work best when combined with structured resistance training, sufficient protein intake, sleep optimization, stress management, and mental health support.

For me, HRT improved sleep, libido, mood stability, and overall quality of life. But I also maintain structured training, disciplined nutrition, and therapy.

If you are considering peptides or hormone therapy, start with lab work. Evaluate your lifestyle. Then decide whether you are a good candidate. Optimization should be comprehensive, not reactive.

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