Hormone Health - Proactive Choice

Why You Wake at 3am and What It Says About Cortisol

Waking at 3am every night? Here is what cortisol and your circadian rhythm actually have to do with it.

Cortisol Testing and What the Results Mean

Cortisol testing methods explained, saliva, blood, and urine, and how to read the results

Saliva, blood, or urine: how cortisol testing works, what each method measures, and how to read your results.

Adrenal Fatigue: Separating Evidence From Marketing

Adrenal fatigue, separating what the evidence actually shows from wellness marketing claims

Is adrenal fatigue real? Here is what endocrinology societies say, and what to investigate instead.

Will Hair Grow Back After Thyroid Treatment

Thyroid hair loss regrowth is usually possible, but the timeline is longer than most people expect. Here is what to expect month by month and what slows it.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: A Root Cause Approach

A root cause approach to Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Hashimoto’s is an immune condition, not just a thyroid one. Here is what the evidence supports for natural treatment, and what medication still does best.

The Full Thyroid Panel Explained

TSH alone answers one question. A full thyroid panel measures production, conversion and autoimmunity. Here is what each marker means and when to order it.

Hypothyroidism Symptoms Standard Testing Misses

Tired, foggy and told your thyroid is fine? Here are the hypothyroidism symptoms standard TSH testing misses, and what a full thyroid panel measures.

Which Hormone Tests Actually Matter and Why

A “normal” single hormone test can still miss the real picture. Why a full panel across thyroid, reproductive, adrenal, and metabolic markers reveals what one test alone can’t.

Bioidentical Versus Synthetic Hormones: An Evidence-Based Comparison

Quick Definition Bioidentical hormones are lab-made or plant-derived compounds with the exact same molecular structure as the hormones your body naturally produces, such as estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone. Synthetic hormones are chemically modified versions built for patentability and mass production. Both can relieve hormone-related symptoms; they differ in structure, regulatory oversight, and the depth of […]

What Bioidentical Hormone Therapy Actually Involves in Bend, Oregon

What bioidentical hormone therapy involves

Updated September 16, 2026. Written for Proactive Choice, the naturopathic clinic of Dr. Drew Collins, ND, in Bend, Oregon. If your energy, sleep, mood, or weight has shifted in ways that don’t match your habits, you’ve probably already searched some version of “bioidentical hormone therapy Bend.” That instinct is worth trusting. Hormones influence nearly every […]

Excellent rating
Based on 24 reviews

After struggling with molluscum contagiosum for over a year and a half with my toddler, we finally found relief thanks to Dr. Drew Collins. I can’t recommend him enough. My son had these viral bumps for about 18 months, and they just kept spreading. We brought it up multiple times with our pediatrician and were told they would resolve on their own within a few months. Unfortunately, that never happened. Instead, the bumps continued to spread and were slowly working their way up toward his neck. They were itchy, uncomfortable, and clearly bothering him. Like many parents, I spent a lot of time searching online for solutions. The problem is that there really aren’t clear protocols—just countless suggestions from people trying anything and everything. We tried many of those approaches, but nothing helped, and some even seemed to make things worse. When we finally met with Dr. Drew Collins, the experience was completely different. He took the time to listen, understand the situation, and develop a thoughtful treatment plan. The plan was surprisingly simple—just one supplement—but within about a month we started seeing real improvement. Now, about three months later, my son only has a few small scabs left where the bumps used to be, and they’re healing up nicely. After 18 months of watching this spread and worrying about it, seeing such clear progress has been a huge relief. We’re incredibly grateful for Drew’s help and expertise. If you’re dealing with persistent molluscum or similar issues and feel like you’ve run out of options, I would absolutely recommend scheduling a visit with him.

Lindsay Jones

Dr. Collins has a heart for getting you well. Having had cancer fourteen years ago, I have no thyroid gland. Many doctors have had the “well the numbers look good, you must be feeling well” approach. Dr. Collins understands many reasons why things may not be right even though tests show they should be. He is more interested in you feeling well than the numbers. His approach has revealed things about my present condition I think many doctors missed. While he had my thyroid hormone condition under control, another issue sprang up that traditional doctors approached with the usual pain medications. My gut was constantly hurting. MRIs and ultra sounds, showed nothing. No one offered any reason for my pain. Dr. Collins correctly identified pain in fatty tissues and an incorrect balance of gut microbes. More and more information is being found all the time about how important your gut health is to the rest of your body. Dr. Collins takes a great interest in this subject. He is very concerned for the health of the gut in the American diet that has been terribly broken down by pesticides typically sprayed on seed products and the toxic byproducts of seed oils (wheat, corn, rye, barley, rice and so forth). He has discovered the findings from MIT and a heart surgeon Dr. William Davis who published Super Gut, that showed there is a missing gut biome called L. Reuteri. Without this biome, all the fatty pain tissues and issues inside the gut caused my pain. Dr. Collins graciously offered a free starter of L. Reuteri and the instructions to grow a yogurt from these bacteria. I was on my way to health. Dr. Collins makes clear that you must have the desire to “follow” the treatment. For this treatment I needed to get off all seed products and take the yogurt daily. This takes some time, several months and at first it was difficult to tell if I was getting better. By the third month there was no doubt. I lost eighteen pounds of fat over my gut and the pain went away. The pain from my sciatica went away due to a reduction in inflammation. This is a side benefit I did not expect. My back hurt less, again, a reduction in inflammation. My skin started looking better. Soon, my wife started taking it because she had trouble with inflammation in her hands. Indeed, her hands and knuckles started to improve, and also her skin. Dr. Collins wants everyone to know about this, and so do I. I highly recommend this treatment and other natural approaches that Dr. Collins employs.

Robert Mehl

Dr. Drew is amazing! He’s kind, good at explaining everything and has wonderful bedside manner. He really knows how to make you feel comfortable. On top of all of that he is very skilled at what he does. I came to Dr. Drew for my knee which has been giving me issues for years. I had a terrible fall on the ice here in Bend, OR a few days before. Not only did he address my knee but he addressed my fractured tailbone and all the pain I was having for my fall. No joke, I had a noticeable relief by the time I was leaving his office. I experienced some pain and soreness that night from all of the injections but within two days I was sitting on my tailbone again and walking around without excruciating pain. I’m now committed to going through the process to address pain in my shoulders hip and knees. Can’t wait to keep the healing going! Thank you Dr. Drew!!

Alice Fairbairn

Dr Drew Collins is an Amazing naturopath. He saved me from having a knee replacement! I had 6 PRP shots and was fine! That was 14 years ago! I've also done prolotherapy for my shoulders and hands with him. He is wonderful!

Dona Davis

I have been working with Dr.Collins for close to ten years now. I first came to him because I am a Doctor of Chiropractic and needed help with staying in business. Over the years using my arms, hands , wrists, elbows and spine to treat patients with chiropractic I developed a lot of tendinitis and nerve pain that was so severe I couldn't practice. With expert clinical care and diagnosis Dr.Collins was able to use regenerative medicine to heal these injuries. I am so happy to say that I now practice pain free. Furthermore as I am in my 50's now I needed help with my diminishing hormone levels. Dr.Collins analyzed my blood work and using bioidentical hormones brought my levels up to normal and completed the healing process for me. Now my energy, mood, motivation and love for being a chiropractor are back . I come from a medical family and have worked with other doctors for 30 years, Dr.Collins is the most talented doctor I have met. He is a level above in clinical expertise and has the greatest amount of knowledge and available treatment that I have experienced.

Patrick Rardin

Dr. Collins is awesome and helped me when no other doctor could. I went to see Dr. Collins due to multiple medical problems due to a car accident. Dr. Collins treated my neck, shoulders, lower back and knees with tremendous success. I had seen many pain management specialists in the past who could only provide temporary pain relief with treatments and medications but Dr. Collins provided me with concrete permanent results. In addition his treatments were pain free! I had very bad knee pain due to degenerative arthritis and all pain is gone now. I had excruciating pain in my lower back and that is gone now because of Dr. Collins treatments. I had frozen muscles and tendons in my shoulders and neck and he was the only doctor that successfully gave me permanent relief. In closing, if you are really motivated to get relief from persistent pain go see Dr. Collins and you won't regret it. He specializes in ozone therapy, hormone replacement, hypothyroidism, prolotherapy, stem cell therapy, anti-aging, nutrition and offers concierge medicine. I am more than grateful that he is conveniently located in Bend so I can see him for all my medical needs in the future.

Desiree Kerkhoff Bryant

Dr. Collins has been my physician since 2010. He has kept me healthy with his exceptional skill set & that includes Bio-identical hormone therapy & thyroid treatment. I feel fortunate to be his patient.

Dana Schultz

Thank you so much Dr. Collins for balancing my hormones and thyroid for many years. I feel great under your care. Anytime I have a question or concern you always get right back to me. I appreciate the care you take with my health.

Sharon Reeve

I have been a patient of Dr. Collins for almost 20 years and he has helped me so much with my overall health and well-being. Not only is he a brilliant doctor, he is a kind and compassionate person who truly cares for his patients. Dr. Collins helped me overcome a terrible hip injury that wasn't responding to conventional treatments. In addition, he balanced my Thyroid Hormones and has helped me with numerous other ailments. I highly recommend Dr. Collins and can't say enough good things about him. I love you Dr. Collins and will be a patient for life!

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Category: Hormone Health