What are the signs your hormones are shifting?
Perimenopause can start years before your last period, and the changes often creep in slowly enough that they get blamed on stress or age. Common signs include:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Poor sleep, waking at 3 a.m., or feeling unrested
- Mood swings, irritability, or anxiety that feels new
- Brain fog and trouble concentrating
- Low libido, vaginal dryness, or painful sex
- Weight gain around the middle that doesn't respond to the usual effort
- Fatigue that coffee won't fix
Many women are told their labs are normal. You're not a symptom list, and your story matters just as much as your labs do.
Why is testosterone part of women’s care?
Testosterone isn't only a male hormone. In women it supports libido, energy, mood, mental clarity, and lean muscle, and it declines with age and menopause. Estrogen and progesterone alone don't always address fatigue, brain fog, and low drive, so we look at all three hormones together and include testosterone when your labs and symptoms support it. Learn more about testosterone for women.
How does treatment start?
Labs first, always. After a free discovery call, we order comprehensive bloodwork to a lab near you. Deejay then reviews your results, symptoms, and health history with you by video before any treatment is recommended. When hormone therapy is appropriate, your prescription is sent to your pharmacy and follow-up visits and repeat labs are scheduled to adjust your plan over time.
Patches, creams, or pellets: which form is right?
Hormones can be delivered several ways, including patches, creams and gels, oral capsules, vaginal preparations, and pellets placed under the skin. Transdermal options such as patches and creams are where we usually start, because they absorb through the skin and can be adjusted at follow-up visits as your labs and symptoms change.
Pellets are not our first line. Once a pellet is placed, the dose can't be turned down or stopped until it wears off, which takes away the ability to fine-tune your care. They may still be discussed for some patients, but only after a conversation about the tradeoffs.
Further reading
Frequently asked questions
Is bioidentical hormone therapy different from traditional HRT?
Can I start HRT during perimenopause, before my periods stop?
Why do women need testosterone?
Is HRT safe for me?
Can I get hormone replacement therapy through telehealth?
Do I need labs before starting?
Ready to Feel Like Yourself Again?
Telehealth across Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In-person visits in Boca Raton, Florida, serving Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Book a free 15-minute discovery call