- +1(832)-977-1426
- info@vallabellewellness.com
- 17627 Beechnut St, Richmond, TX
Hormone therapy can ease real symptoms, from hot flashes and night sweats around menopause to the effects of confirmed low testosterone in men. It works best when it is built on your actual lab results and adjusted as those results change.
At our clinic at 17627 Beechnut St in Richmond, TX, every hormone therapy plan starts with an evaluation and baseline labs, and continues with scheduled follow-up testing. If your results do not support treatment, we tell you, and we look at what else could explain how you feel. We see patients from across Fort Bend County, including Sugar Land, Missouri City and Rosenberg.
Medically reviewed by Valerie Deumani-Ndokama, FNP, family nurse practitioner at Vallabelle Health & Wellness Clinic. Last reviewed: October 18, 2026.
Book a hormone therapy consultation at our Beechnut St clinic in Richmond, TX.
Hormone therapy replaces hormones your body has stopped producing in sufficient amounts. For women, that is usually estrogen, sometimes with progesterone, around perimenopause and menopause. For men, it is usually testosterone.
The principle behind it is not complicated. The execution is where clinics differ, and it comes down to two things: what gets measured before you start, and how often anyone looks afterwards.
Current guidance from The Menopause Society is to individualize treatment: the type, dose, form and length of therapy depend on your age, symptoms and health history, and the plan is reviewed regularly. Follow-up is commonly every three to six months at first, then yearly once treatment is settled. That cadence is the treatment, not an optional extra.
You might be evaluated for hormone therapy if you have noticed:
None of these are proof of anything on their own. All of them have other explanations, which is exactly why the evaluation starts with testing rather than a prescription.
Around perimenopause and menopause, estrogen and progesterone decline, and the symptoms that follow are real and treatable. Hormone therapy is the most effective option for hot flashes and night sweats, and it helps with sleep and bone loss.
It is not right for everyone. Mayo Clinic notes that systemic estrogen works best for people under 60 and within ten years of menopause onset, that progestin is needed alongside estrogen if you still have your uterus, and that long-term use carries risks worth discussing before you start.
That conversation is part of the first visit here, not an afterthought. If you are earlier in the process, our guide to perimenopause treatment and our piece on what to expect from a hormone specialist cover the ground before you book.
Testosterone declines slowly with age, and slowly is the operative word. Mayo Clinic puts the fall at roughly 1% a year after 40, with only about 10% to 25% of older men landing in the low range, and many of those have no symptoms at all.
Which means two things. Feeling tired at 45 is not by itself evidence of low testosterone. And if your levels genuinely are low and symptomatic, testosterone therapy is a legitimate medical treatment that needs proper monitoring, not a lifestyle product.
We test, we discuss what the numbers mean, and we say no when the labs do not support treatment. That is a feature, not a limitation.
HRT (hormone replacement therapy) is the general term. For women around menopause it usually means estrogen, with a progestogen added if you still have your uterus, to protect the uterine lining. Clinicians also call it menopausal hormone therapy.
BHRT (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy) uses hormones with the same chemical structure as the ones your body makes, such as estradiol, progesterone and testosterone. Many bioidentical hormones are FDA-approved products, sold as patches, gels, sprays, pills and vaginal forms. Others are custom-compounded by a pharmacy, including most hormone pellets used for women. Compounded hormones are not FDA-approved and have not been shown to be safer or more effective than approved products. Bioidentical does not mean risk-free.
TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) treats men who have symptoms of low testosterone and consistently low morning blood levels on repeat testing. Symptoms alone are not enough for a diagnosis.
Possible benefits. For menopause, hormone therapy is the most effective treatment for hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness, and it helps prevent bone loss. For men with confirmed low testosterone, treatment can improve sexual function and some symptoms. Effects on energy and mood vary, and testosterone is not a weight-loss treatment.
Risks. They depend on the hormone, dose, form, your age and your health history. They can include blood clots, stroke, a small rise in breast cancer risk with longer combined use, and uterine cancer if estrogen is taken without a progestogen by a woman with a uterus. Testosterone can raise red blood cell counts, affect the prostate and reduce fertility. The FDA began updating menopausal hormone therapy labels in November 2025 to remove several boxed warnings; the remaining risks still apply, and we discuss them with you.
Timing matters. For most healthy women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause, the benefits generally outweigh the risks. Starting later carries more risk, so the decision becomes more individual.
Alternatives. Non-hormonal medications, vaginal moisturizers, sleep and lifestyle changes, and for men, treating causes of low testosterone such as excess weight, sleep apnea or certain medications. Choosing not to start hormones is always an option.
We offer most of the HRT treatments currently recommended and approved. The right form depends on your symptoms, your health history and what fits your routine.
Before you come. Bring a list of your medications and supplements, any current hormone prescriptions, and lab results from the last six months. If you are being checked for low testosterone, book a morning appointment: testosterone is measured early in the day, and a low result is confirmed with a second morning test. Please fast before your blood draw.
During the visit. We go over your symptoms, your medical and family history, your menstrual or menopause history where relevant, and anything that could make hormones unsafe for you, such as a history of certain cancers, blood clots, stroke or liver disease. Blood is drawn the same day (how our lab testing works). The first visit takes 30 minutes to an hour.
For women in perimenopause, hormone levels swing from day to day, so one blood test cannot confirm or rule out perimenopause. Your symptoms and history carry more weight, and labs help rule out other causes such as thyroid problems.
Results. Results are usually ready within 2 to 3 days. We review them with you, in person or by telehealth, before any treatment decision.
What you leave with. Either a written plan (which hormone, what dose, what form, when your next labs are due) or a clear explanation of why treatment is not recommended and what we suggest instead.
Your hormone care is managed by Valerie Deumani-Ndokama, FNP-C, a board-certified family nurse practitioner. The same provider who orders your labs reviews the results with you and adjusts your plan at each follow-up. Meet our team.
Your provider performs the exam and the initial testing. If your results call for a specialist’s opinion, such as a gynecologist, endocrinologist or urologist, we refer you.
Your total cost has four parts, and each one is billed differently.
We accept Aetna, Ambetter, Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield and all PPO plans. We also accept direct payment and HSA/FSA. Prices are discussed and agreed with you before any care begins, with no hidden fees.
Call (832) 977-1426 with your insurance information before your visit, and we will tell you how your plan applies to each part. See our clinic hours and location.
The clinics that get hormone therapy wrong tend to fail in one of two directions. Some prescribe too readily, from a questionnaire, with no labs and no follow-up. Others refuse to engage at all and send you away with the word “normal”.
We sit between those. Testing before treatment, honest interpretation of what the results mean, and a real schedule of monitoring afterwards. Blood is drawn in the building, your results are reviewed with you by your provider rather than left on a portal, and your hormone care connects to the rest of your medical file instead of living in a silo.
We are a single clinic at 17627 Beechnut St in Richmond, Texas, in Fort Bend County, a short drive from Sugar Land, Missouri City and West Houston.
We review your symptoms, health history and current medications, check for anything that would make hormones unsafe, and draw fasting baseline labs at our Beechnut St clinic. Results are usually ready within 2 to 3 days, and we then go over them with you and either propose a written plan or explain why treatment is not recommended.
It depends on your symptoms, your labs and your health history. Women with bothersome menopause symptoms who are under 60 or within 10 years of menopause are often good candidates. Men need symptoms plus consistently low morning testosterone. A history of certain cancers, blood clots, stroke or liver disease may rule hormones out.
HRT is the general term for replacing hormones. BHRT uses hormones chemically identical to your own, and many of those are FDA-approved. Some BHRT products, including most pellets, are compounded and not FDA-approved. Neither type is automatically safer: the dose, form and monitoring matter more than the label.
Yes. Treatment without baseline testing is guessing, and it makes later adjustment impossible because there is nothing to compare against.
It varies by person, hormone and dose. Some people notice changes within weeks, others take longer, and some find hormones were not the issue. Your follow-up appointment exists to answer this with your own data.
For the right patient, with the right dose and regular monitoring, the benefits often outweigh the risks. Risks such as blood clots, stroke and certain cancers depend on your age, the hormone, the form and how long you use it. We go through them with your labs and history in front of us before you decide.
Your cost combines the evaluation visit, lab work, the medication and follow-up visits. We accept Aetna, Ambetter, Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield and all PPO plans. Coverage still varies by plan and by product: FDA-approved hormones are more often covered than compounded ones. Call (832) 977-1426 with your insurance information and we will explain what applies to you. Direct payment and HSA/FSA are accepted, and prices are agreed with you before any care begins.
It depends on your treatment and its form. Your provider sets your follow-up and lab schedule when your plan starts, and adjusts it as your results change. Many follow-ups can be done by telehealth, with labs drawn here.
Yes, and it is common. Bring your current prescription and your most recent labs. If they are more than six months old, we will repeat them.
Yes. We offer estrogen and progesterone therapy for perimenopause and menopause symptoms, testosterone therapy for men with confirmed low testosterone, and thyroid evaluation for both.
If fatigue, weight changes or sleep problems have been going on for months and nobody has run a full panel, that is where to start. Book a visit at our Beechnut St clinic in Richmond and we will test first and talk about treatment second.
