Hormone imbalance treatment in Greenville, SC. Dr. Hendry identifies and corrects hormonal imbalances in women and men naturally. Call (864) 365-6156.
★★★★★
"I drive past his office every day, I'm so glad a trusted friend referred me! Dr. Hendry and I are working on hormone overall balance and possible estrogen dominance. I get acupuncture and love the results."
— Katlyn Garcia · April 2022 · Google Review
What Is Hormone Imbalance?
The hormonal system doesn't announce its imbalances clearly. Instead, you get unexplained weight that won't move regardless of what you eat. Fatigue that follows no logic. A menstrual cycle that has completely shifted. Mood changes you can't attribute to anything happening in your life. Standard labs come back normal. Nothing connects.
Hormones are the body's chemical messaging network — controlling metabolism, sleep, reproductive function, stress response, and immune activity. Small disruptions cascade through every system. Estrogen and progesterone modulate each other and interact with thyroid function and cortisol. Insulin resistance drives androgen excess in women and reduces testosterone in men. Cortisol depletes progesterone precursors. The system is deeply interconnected, and a TSH and estradiol alone will miss most of what's actually going on.
Common Symptoms
Unexplained weight changes despite consistent diet and exercise
Fatigue, particularly morning fatigue or mid-afternoon energy crashes
Mood swings, irritability, anxiety, or depression
Irregular, painful, heavy, or absent menstrual periods
Low libido and sexual dysfunction
Hair thinning or loss, brittle nails
Skin changes — acne, dryness, or premature aging
Sleep problems and temperature regulation difficulty
Root Causes: A Functional Medicine Perspective
The endocrine system is a finely tuned network where imbalance in one hormone triggers cascading effects across the system. Stress chronically elevates cortisol, which suppresses thyroid conversion (T4→T3), depletes progesterone precursors, and disrupts insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance drives androgen excess in women and reduces testosterone in men. Thyroid dysfunction impacts sex hormone binding globulin, altering the availability of estrogen and testosterone.
Environmental endocrine disruptors — found in plastics (BPA, phthalates), pesticides, personal care products, and cookware — mimic or block hormone receptor signaling. Gut dysbiosis impairs estrogen metabolism through reduced beta-glucuronidase activity, leading to estrogen recirculation and relative estrogen dominance. Dr. Hendry's comprehensive hormone testing identifies the specific pattern of imbalance unique to each patient.
How We Treat Hormone Imbalance at IHP
Dr. Hendry's functional medicine approach begins with comprehensive testing: sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone — total and free), thyroid (TSH, free T3, free T4, reverse T3, antibodies), adrenal hormones (cortisol rhythm — four-point testing), metabolic hormones (fasting insulin, HOMA-IR), and DHEA-S. This panel provides a complete hormonal picture that standard annual labs miss entirely.
Treatment is tailored to the specific pattern identified: dietary strategies to support healthy hormone metabolism and elimination, targeted supplementation (DIM, calcium-D-glucarate for estrogen balance; zinc, boron, vitamin D for testosterone support; adaptogens for adrenal function), and acupuncture to regulate the neuroendocrine pathways governing hormone production. Chinese herbal medicine provides time-tested, evidence-backed support for hormone regulation across multiple organ systems simultaneously.
Dr. Hendry's Approach
I approach hormone imbalance as a systems problem, not a single-hormone problem. Adding progesterone without asking why it dropped, or prescribing thyroid hormone without investigating why conversion is impaired, produces partial and temporary improvement at best. My evaluation traces upstream: what's driving the imbalance? Stress and cortisol dysregulation? Gut estrobolome dysfunction? Environmental endocrine disruptors? Nutritional deficiencies impairing hormone synthesis? Identifying the actual drivers is what produces durable hormonal health — not just better lab numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hormone Imbalance
Dr. Hendry's comprehensive hormone panel includes sex hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone — free and total), thyroid (TSH, free T3, free T4, reverse T3, TPO antibodies), adrenal (4-point salivary cortisol), DHEA-S, SHBG, fasting insulin, and metabolic markers. This is far more comprehensive than standard annual lab work.
Yes. Low progesterone, high cortisol, thyroid dysfunction, low testosterone, and estrogen dominance are each independently associated with anxiety and depression. Correcting hormonal imbalances often resolves mood symptoms that haven't responded to antidepressants or anxiolytics.
Hormonal systems recalibrate slowly — typically 3–6 months of consistent treatment before hormones are fully optimized. Many patients notice symptom improvement within 4–8 weeks, with continued improvement over the full treatment course.
Yes, significantly. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics, pesticides, and personal care products mimic estrogen and block androgen receptors. Dr. Hendry provides specific guidance on reducing environmental hormone disruptor exposure as part of the treatment plan.
Absolutely. Low testosterone (hypogonadism) affects millions of men, producing fatigue, low libido, mood changes, muscle loss, and cognitive decline. Elevated estrogen in men — from aromatase activity in adipose tissue — also causes significant symptoms. Dr. Hendry evaluates and treats hormonal imbalance in both men and women.
The most reliable indicators include: irregular, heavy, or absent periods (disrupted estrogen and progesterone signaling); severe premenstrual symptoms like breast tenderness, bloating, and mood changes (often progesterone deficiency or estrogen dominance); persistent fatigue and brain fog (thyroid, cortisol, or estrogen-related); hair thinning from the scalp (thyroid or androgen excess); jaw and chin acne (androgen excess); weight gain around the abdomen with difficulty losing it (cortisol, insulin, or thyroid); and sleep disruption — particularly 2–4am waking (low progesterone) or difficulty falling asleep (high evening cortisol). Many women experience several simultaneously because the hormonal systems are deeply interconnected.
The most common drivers are: chronic stress (elevated cortisol disrupts the entire endocrine system — depleting progesterone precursors, impairing thyroid hormone conversion, and driving insulin resistance); gut dysbiosis (impaired estrogen metabolism through the estrobolome — gut bacteria responsible for estrogen clearance); thyroid dysfunction (governs sex hormone binding globulin levels and the entire hormonal cascade); nutritional deficiencies (magnesium, zinc, vitamin D, and B vitamins are required for hormone synthesis and metabolism); and environmental endocrine disruptors from plastics, personal care products, and pesticides. Addressing root causes rather than simply adding hormones produces more durable balance.
Standard annual labs typically include only TSH and perhaps estradiol — insufficient for most hormonal imbalance patterns. Dr. Hendry's evaluation includes: sex hormones (estradiol, progesterone, free and total testosterone, DHEA-S, SHBG) tested at specific cycle days for premenopausal women; full thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4, reverse T3, TPO and thyroglobulin antibodies); four-point salivary cortisol (the only method that captures the diurnal curve); fasting insulin and HOMA-IR; and metabolic markers. Urine testing (DUTCH panel) provides the most comprehensive picture of hormone metabolism and excretion patterns.