Winona Menopause Care
I started working with Dr. Marono of WINONA in January. She and I began our communication within 24-hours after I created an account and had completed my in-take form.
My goals in switching to Winona from my current provider were:
Cream formulation of estrogen and progesterone rather than a pill (troche)
On-line, telehealth provider rather than seeing my current doc in person
RX's that were cost effective
I was prescribed an estrogen/progesterone cream and DHEA pills. In doing my research I was familiar with the cream, but the DHEA pills were new to me, and I wanted more information.
Here is my full review of my HRT experience with Winona:
DHEA Pills by Winona
So, what the heck is DHEA anyway?
DHEA helps produce other hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. Natural DHEA levels peak in early adulthood and then slowly fall as you age. A synthetic version of DHEA is available as a tablet, capsule, powder, topical cream and gel. People use DHEA as an anti-aging therapy and to improve physical performance.
The long name for DHEA is Dehydroepiandrosterone. In addition to the description above, I also learned that DHEA is used to treat depression and symptoms of menopause.
Continued research is ongoing to look at specific conditions like:
Aging
Depression
Osteoporosis
Vaginal Atrophy
I also found that research shows that DHEA works along the same cycle as cortisone and that it should be taken in the morning and not at night.
DHEA Pills
What I didn't know or do in the first week is to take the DHEA pill in the morning, I had been taking it at night, so not sure if it impacted my sleep or not as I'm not a great sleeper anyway. But after doing a bit of research, I changed up my schedule and started taking the DHEA pills in the morning.
Are DHEA pills worth it?
The DHEA pills for a 3-month supply were $27.00, so not much of an added expense to the Estrogen/Progesterone cream they had also prescribed.
Due to the fact that Winona's creators have made the decision to not prescribe Testosterone as an"off label," drug, it's a great idea to take the DHEA to support
your body in its ability to manufacture its own testosterone.
My opinion on DHEA Pills
In my opinion if you are 45+ and starting to feel the symptoms that come with menopause, then go directly to what is what is tried and true, estrogen and progesterone and if you want to add the DHEA, why not? It's not a mystery or a surprise that most women will feel some impact from menopause. You may experience:
Irregular menstrual cycles
Heavy bleeding might occur for a day or two
Excessive sweating during night
Hot flashes
Vaginal dryness, itching and pain during sexual intercourse
Frequent urinary tract infections
Mood swings
Fatigue
Weight gains due to uneven fat distribution
If you have more than one of these symptoms than you're likely in perimenopause which is the stage (4-10 years) leading up to the day when you can say you've gone one-year+ with no period. Once you have hit a year, you are officially in menopause.
What I wouldn't do is take the DHEA and not also include the Estrogen and Progesterone piece of the therapy. Our bodies and our hormones are a symphony that need all the players in the band, one member on their own doesn't sound nearly as beautify as all of them together.
Winona Hormone Replacement Therapy
Winona has simplified their HRT and made it super convenient by using telemedicine. You'll communicate with your doctor or HRT specialist via their HIPAA approved patient portal. No time off work and no time wasted sitting in a doctor's office. They don't require up-front bloodwork so that saves you time and money.
You go online, complete the patient in-take form and create an account. You can literally have the meds sent directly to your home and be on HRT within 7-10 days of when you begin the process.
Winona doesn't take insurance, so be prepared to pay out of pocket or better yet, if you have an HSA card, use that. They charge $89/month for the estrogen/progesterone cream. If you no longer have a uterus, you'll only need estrogen. The DHEA pills are regularly, $27, but use the links below to create your account and get 15% your first purchase.
Winona Coupon Code 15% Off
Winona makes starting HRT easy. Click link below to learn more.
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