Show Notes
Night sweats, mood swings, 2AM wake-ups, and “where did my focus go?”
In this live podcast recording, Dr. Rose, Functional Medicine Practitioner, of 20+ years, breaks down how HRT (hormone replacement therapy) can help during perimenopause—what it actually does, who it may benefit, how to start safely, and what to ask your clinician. No hype. Just clear steps that fit real life.
What you’ll learn
🔥 Hot flashes & night sweats: why they happen and how HRT can help
🧠 Brain fog & mood: estrogen/progesterone balance, stress, and sleep
🩺 Safety basics: risks, benefits, and why personal history matters
🧪 Labs that matter (and what to skip): timing, ranges, tracking progress
🧩 Whole-body plan: nutrition, muscle, sleep, and stress to boost results
Who this is for
🌙 Night sweats, hot flashes, or 2AM wake-ups
😵💫 Brain fog, irritability, anxious “edge,” or low drive
⚖️ Weight creeping up despite “doing everything right”
🧬 Curious about bioidentical HRT but want facts first
The best plan is personalized: dose, delivery, timing, and monitoring matter. We help women who are tired of “normal labs” but real symptoms. Our care combines advanced testing with a personalized plan to restore energy, focus, sleep, and long-term answers.
Important! This video is educational and not medical advice. Always consult your clinician before starting or changing any therapy.
Ready to start looking into a solution to your symptoms? Visit our website at www.medmatrixusa.com to book a discovery call and see if HRT is the answer for you!
Credit
Host: Cole Siefer
FAQ
1. At what age should women start thinking about hormone replacement therapy?
Women may begin experiencing perimenopausal hormone changes as early as their mid-30s. The podcast explains that symptoms can start 10–15 years before menopause, even when blood work still appears “normal,” making symptom-based evaluation critical.
2. Why do many women have menopause symptoms even when labs look normal?
Hormonal symptoms often appear years before significant lab changes occur. Fatigue, poor sleep, weight gain, brain fog, anxiety, and hot flashes frequently precede clear menopausal patterns on blood testing.
3. Is blood hormone testing useful for evaluating menopause and perimenopause?
Yes. Blood hormone testing provides an important baseline, helps identify red flags, and allows clinicians to correlate symptoms with lab values rather than relying on symptoms alone.
4. When is advanced hormone testing like the DUTCH test necessary?
DUTCH testing is most useful after starting hormone therapy or when deeper insight is needed. It measures hormone metabolites and tissue-level activity, helping providers fine-tune dosing and assess how hormones are functioning at the receptor level.
5. Why is testosterone important for women’s health after 40?
Testosterone supports libido, motivation, mental clarity, muscle strength, and lean body mass. The episode highlights that low testosterone is extremely common in post-menopausal women and often overlooked.
6. Will testosterone cause unwanted hair growth or masculinizing effects in women?
When dosed appropriately and balanced with estrogen, testosterone does not typically cause facial hair or masculinization. Problems usually occur only with excessive dosing or poor estrogen balance.
7. What is the difference between “normal” and “optimal” hormone levels?
Lab reference ranges define what is statistically normal, not what is clinically optimal. Functional medicine considers symptoms, quality of life, and individualized targets rather than lab numbers alone.
8. How is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy different from synthetic hormones?
Bioidentical hormones are chemically identical to the body’s own hormones and have a better safety profile than synthetic hormones, which are similar but not identical in structure.
9. Why is oral birth control not an ideal solution for menopause symptoms?
Oral birth control uses synthetic hormones, increases clotting risk, and cannot be dose-adjusted. It also does not allow individualized balancing of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
10. Why is transdermal estrogen preferred over oral estrogen?
Transdermal estrogen bypasses the liver and significantly reduces blood clot risk, making it a safer option for hormone replacement therapy.
11. How are menopause and weight gain connected?
The drop in estrogen during menopause alters fat metabolism, often leading to midsection weight gain. Many women report weight gain despite unchanged diet and exercise habits.
12. Can hormone replacement therapy help with menopause-related weight gain?
Balancing estrogen and, when appropriate, testosterone can improve body composition, lean muscle mass, and fat metabolism, though lifestyle changes remain essential.
13. How are thyroid, adrenal, and sex hormones connected during menopause?
These systems function as a triangle, not in isolation. Hormonal changes, chronic stress, and trauma can affect all three simultaneously, contributing to fatigue, weight gain, and mood changes.
14. Why are mail-order or online HRT programs not ideal?
Online hormone services often use cookie-cutter dosing, lack comprehensive testing, and do not account for a woman’s full medical history, metabolism, or hormonal interactions.
15. How often does hormone therapy need to be adjusted?
Hormone therapy requires ongoing monitoring, typically every 10–12 weeks initially, with adjustments based on labs and symptoms. Long-term care is usually managed on a quarterly basis.
