MORE BLOG POSTS — Hormone Replacement Therapy

Most women expect some bone loss as they age. After all, declining estrogen levels during menopause accelerate the breakdown of bone, making osteoporosis one of the most common health concerns facing women over 50. Because of this, many women—and even some healthcare providers—automatically assume that osteoporosis is simply part of getting older. But that isn’t always the case. The most important questions to ask when osteoporosis is diagnosed is whether it appears to be occurring as expected or whether something else may be contributing to the problem. In other words, is this simply age-related bone loss, or is osteoporosis acting...

Hot flashes. Anxiety. Insomnia. Heart palpitations. Headaches. Brain fog. Random itching. A nose that suddenly behaves like it’s allergy season year-round. A glass of wine that used to feel relaxing but now leaves you flushed, wide awake at 2 a.m., and questioning every life decision you've ever made. Sound familiar? I thought so…. Most women assume these symptoms are simply part of stress or aging. And to be fair, many of them are. But there’s another player that often flies under the radar—one that can quietly stir up a surprising amount of chaos—especially during perimenopause and menopause. Meet histamine, an...

 If you’re considering bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), finding the right practitioner matters just as much as the therapy itself. BHRT isn’t just about writing a prescription. It’s about understanding physiology, timing, metabolism, delivery methods, and how your body uniquely processes hormones. The wrong provider can leave you under-dosed, over-dosed, or simply confused. Here’s how to find someone who actually knows what they’re doing.   1. Look for the Right Training (Not Just the Right Letters) A general OB/GYN or primary care doctor can prescribe hormones, but that doesn’t mean they’re deeply trained in nuanced BHRT management. Look for practitioners with additional education...

One of the most common questions I’m asked is how to properly get baseline levels of estrogen,  progesterone, and testosterone—and even more importantly, how to monitor those levels once  bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) has been started.If you’re confused, you’re not alone. This topic stumps many health care practitioners as well.  Hormones don’t behave in neat little boxes. They fluctuate. They bind. They convert. They exit  stage left when you least expect it. But here’s the truth: BHRT can be both safe and effective when it’s properly dosed and thoughtfully monitored. The key is using the right test at the right...

Last week, I received a call from a compounding pharmacy with a very apologetic pharmacist on  the other end. After taking a closer look, he realized they had been filling one of my patient’s  hormone prescriptions incorrectly—for six months. That explained a lot. This patient had been doing everything right. She applied her hormones consistently and  correctly. She completed appropriate testing at regular intervals. Yet her symptoms never fully resolved, and her lab results never quite matched what they should have been showing. Even as I  adjusted her doses, it felt like we were chasing our tails. As it turned...