MORE BLOG POSTS — Hormones
A Commonly Overlooked Reason BHRT Sometimes Doesnβt Work
Posted by Lena Edwards MD on
Last week, I received a call from a compounding pharmacy with a very apologetic pharmacist on Β the other end. After taking a closer look, he realized they had been filling one of my patientβs Β hormone prescriptions incorrectlyβfor six months. That explained a lot. This patient had been doing everything right. She applied her hormones consistently and Β 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 Β adjusted her doses, it felt like we were chasing our tails. As it turned...
Our Sentence is Finally Over
Posted by Lena Edwards MD on
Freedom from Menopause Prison After 25 years Menopausal women rejoice! Weβve finally been unshackled. All that unnecessary suffering-- navigating hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog, and that stubborn fatigue that makes you feel like gum on the bottom of a shoeβwas completely unnecessary. For more than two decades, women have been denied release from βmenopause prisonββtold it was safer to stay locked in even while the key dangled inches from our fingers.Β But now, twenty-five long years later, the cell doors have finally swung open. On November 10, 2025, the FDA announced it will remove the black-box warningβthe mostΒ severe caution...
When Menopause Stirkes the Liver: A common but Overlooked Cause of Fatigue and Flab in Women Over 40
Posted by Lena Edwards MD on
Letβs be honest. By the time we hit our forties and beyone, we begin to realize with a few unpleasant truths: Gravity is rude, caffeine is non-negotiable, and our metabolismβs permanentlyΒ cut back to part-time. But hereβs one plot twist that doesnβt get nearly enough airtime β yourΒ liver may be the quiet saboteur behind your fatigue, bloating, and stubborn scale. Yes, that underappreciated organ you probably only think about when youβre debating whetherΒ that second glass of wine is βworth itβ β or reaching for the Ibuprofen to soothe all those newΒ midlife aches and pains. Spoiler: Your liverβs doing a whole lot...
It's Time To Think Pink: October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Posted by Lena Edwards MD on
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while most of what you see and hear is aboutΒ raising awareness, itβs even more important to take action to protect your healthβespecially ifΒ youβre a woman over 40 or at higher risk. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with over 300,000 new casesΒ diagnosed each year. About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime,Β with the median age of diagnosis being around 62. Thanks to advances in modern medicine, theΒ 5-year survival rate is quite highβsitting right around 90%. But why even go there if you canΒ proactively take...
Perimenopause: How to Navigate Mother Natureβs Crash Course
Posted by Lena Edwards MD on
Youβre cruising through your 40s, finally in your grooveβand then one morning you wake up inΒ a body thatβs gone rogue. Welcome to perimenopause: Where hormones rule the roost andΒ predictability packs its bags. Your periods start playing hide-and-seek, midnight ceiling stare-Β downs become the norm, youβre convinced youβre getting early-onset Alzheimerβs, and yourΒ waistline seems to be the only thing sticking around for comfort. The kicker? Most women donβt even realize whatβs happening. They wonder: Am I stressed? Depressed? Just getting old? Nope, nope, and nope. The truth is, once your baby-making daysΒ are behind you, Mother Nature decides your ovaries are ready for...