Sugar, I can’t recommend Elevate MD enough. Have been working with them for about four months now after three years with various other HRT prescribers. Normalizing your hormones is critical for every organ, system, structure, and connective tissue in your body. Prior to optimizing serum levels of estradiol and getting there with testosterone, the pain cascade from any injury was just terrible. So I can understand why it feels like you can’t tell the difference. they are closely intertwined. The hot flashes and night sweats alone are a reason to run, not walk, to get your hormones optimized. They are not a nuisance symptom, but rather a fire alarm in your brain. We know so much more about them now. In my experience starting low and going slow was a life saver. And I couldn’t tell you the last time I had a hot flash. 🤪

Microdosing Tirzepatide was a game changer for me. It helped with inflammation, and I felt like I got my brain back. It also helped me lose 15 pounds of stubborn body fat. Still micro dosing by choice because it feels like a vitamin. When I do wean off, it will be a slow taper. I’ll likely cycle this for the rest of my life. That was a scary concept before I started, but like I said… It feels like a vitamin and I don’t worry about getting off those. 🤪

My doc prescribed Zepbound at the 2.5mg dose (so 10mg per month) which lasted me 10 weeks at the 500 MCG twice weekly microdose. I had zero side effects at this dose and just a delightful quieting of food noise. I could still eat through it if I wanted to, but I’ve always had self discipline so it is a great aid. It helped with my motivation by modulating dopamine. It greatly helped with inflammation. It also helped me with reactive hypoglycemia.After the first three months, I bumped it up to 1mg twice weekly and did fine on that as well. It doesn’t replaced making healthy food choices. But it helps with the out of control cravings food noise.

@Christa Bowdler some experts recommend twice weekly or every other day dosing to maintain steady state testosterone in your system. I am personally doing a low dose of T every other day and I don’t feel those peaks or troughs. You should talk to your prescriber about options if that sounds like something you’d be willing to try. A hack for me with restless legs is 15 bodyweight squats when it’s happening. Also stretching. Both help with dopamine signaling which is often a root cause with RLS. Typically aggravated by lowering estrogen. If you’re not already on estrogen replacement therapy because you’re in perimenopause, you should mention this symptom to your provider. Some experts are now prescribing low-dose estrogen, even during perimenopause to help level out the peaks and troughs and symptoms like this.

Tirzepatide and Retatrutide have been life changing for me! Microdose of both. Stack because for me I get a better dopamine boost and appetite control with just a little bit of Tirzep in the mix. It’s so expensive tho, so Reta comes in for the win. Has helped with inflammation and mood as well. Can’t recommend enough! Quiets the food noise, helped me with hypoglycemia, and also the bonus of easy slow weight loss. 14 lbs in 4 months without losing muscle since I strength train and keep my dose low enough I can still eat to train.

@Amber Myers Reta is indeed still in trial! But hopefully widely available soon!.