Perimenopause and menopause symptoms often arrive with little to no warning. One minute, you’re feeling healthy and like yourself. The next day, you’re experiencing extreme hot flashes that leave you wondering if you’re having a heart attack. Upon doing some of my own research, I determined that there are so many different symptoms that women can experience during menopause. Some are more common than others, but they can all come and go during the years of transitioning to menopause.
I wanted to take a proactive approach to my perimenopause and menopause symptoms. After all, it can be many years that I will be experiencing different symptoms based on my hormonal changes. I was recommended Winona HRT by a friend, and I was intrigued by what I discovered. Let’s dive into the details of this company and the types of hormone replacement therapy Winona provides.
Key Takeaways
- Winona puts you in touch with board-certified medical professionals that will review your case before deciding which hormone replacement therapy option is right for you.
- You can conveniently receive your Winona products right at your doorstep.
- All the ingredients in Winona’s products have been sourced from FDA-registered facilities.
- These are bioidentical hormone therapy treatments that mimic the way that your body’s natural hormones affect you.
- Winona uses a very secure platform for all your correspondence.
- The doctor that you speak with will be from the state that you live in.
Choose Winona if…
- You would like a variety of HRT options to choose from, including topical and oral.
- You want to make sure that the Winona HRT products you use are well absorbed and utilized by the body.
- It’s important to you that your personal and medical information be reviewed by a qualified professional who can help you.
Don’t go with Winona if…
- You are already taking HRT from your doctor and are under their care.
- You are at a higher risk of heart attack, high blood pressure or stroke.
How I Found Winona HRT for Menopause
A friend of mine recommended Winona HRT to me after I was complaining to her about my hot flashes and night sweats. She had tried a couple of Winona’s HRT products with impressive success. Since the process includes meeting with a medical professional who reviews your information, I figured it couldn’t hurt to get started with the process of signing up.
How I Got Started
The process for getting started with Winona is very simple. You simply answer a short questionnaire, detailing your personal information, any health issues you may be dealing with and your symptoms. This information is then used during your telehealth call with one of the board-certified medical professionals that are part of the Winona team. They will determine if you’re eligible for HRT. If so, you’ll be prescribed a product.
My HRT Prescription Medication
I was prescribed Winona’s Progesterone Cream. This product can take a little bit of time to work, especially since you’re applying it topically. However, I liked the topical option because it has been known to cause fewer side effects. I would say that I started to see a reduction in my menopause symptoms after a couple of weeks of using Winona Progesterone Cream. My nighttime issues didn’t really improve until the end of week three.
Results and Relief From My Menopause Symptoms
The thing I found most interesting about my Winona HRT is that I started to notice a change in how I felt and didn’t realize that some of my issues were likely attributed to my hormones. I guess I didn’t really realize how profound my mood swings and anxiety were until they started to go away. Again, these are things that took a few weeks to really see a difference.
How Much Does Winona Cost?
Winona varies in cost. Their products are priced anywhere from $24 per month to $79 per month. What you pay for this service will depend on what is prescribed to you. If the doctor that you speak with thinks that you would benefit from both estrogen and progesterone, you may be able to use a combination product that saves you both time and money.
Similar Solutions: What Other Menopause HRT Brands Are Out There?
Are you interested in some of the other menopause HRT brands that are out there? Here are some of the other companies that I tried or considered using:
Alloy
It’s so common to feel overwhelmed when you’re dealing with these new menopause symptoms. Based on an evidence-based approach, Alloy uses a simple, three-minute assessment to provide recommendations for HRT products that can help alleviate your symptoms. Your information is reviewed through a call with an Alloy medical professional. Once you have been given a prescription, you have the option of having your items sent to your door or you can go to your local pharmacy. If you choose the discreet shipping method, you’ll usually receive your package within three to five days.
Alloy offers progesterone and estrogen-based products that can balance your fluctuating hormones, reduce symptoms associated with menopause and help regulate your menstrual cycle for the time being. Something I like about Alloy is that they use a natural form of estrogen (estradiol from yams) to accomplish the same things that the estrogen in your body is doing. The goal is to address any deficiencies or imbalances in the body.
Evernow
Evernow has created a very simple telehealth platform that makes it easy to get your hands on various menopause treatments from the comfort of your home. With a team of scientists, medical professionals and technologists behind them, Evernow focuses on both short-term and long-term female health. Various HRT options address anxiety, mood swings, insomnia, vaginal issues and temperature regulation problems.
Evernow gives you different HRT options, like Winona does. You can choose something topical, like their Estradiol Patch or Estrogen-Based Vaginal Cream. There are also oral options, such as their Estradiol Pill. Some women find that they like to try a topical HRT to start with. From there, they can work their way up to oral HRT if their symptoms worsen and it becomes necessary. You can always get back in touch with the Evernow team at any point if you have questions or new concerns. If you need to use your prescription for more than one year, you’ll need to complete another telehealth call after 12 months to renew that script. If nothing has changed and you can go ahead with your current prescription, the renewal process is very straightforward and simple.
Interlude
There are different HRT products available from Interlude, such as their Estradiol Cream and Estradiol Vaginal Suppositories. When I first tried Interlude, I decided to start with something topical. I get a little nervous trying products for the first time, and I wanted to be a bit more conservative with hormone replacement therapy. I was prescribed the Estradiol Cream (.1 mg of estradiol in each gram of cream), which I promptly received in the mail once my telehealth call was over and my script went through. I was intrigued by Interlude because they use a bioidentical form of estrogen. Estradiol will mimic the estrogen that we normally have in our body, filling in the gaps that are missing because of fluctuations during menopause. It doesn’t take much of an imbalance of hormones to experience things like hot flashes, sweating the bed at night, vaginal dryness and moodiness.
I was instructed to use Interlude’s Estradiol Cream once per night over a span of two to four weeks. This isn’t a product that you necessarily need to use long-term, so you’re allowed to stop when you see a consistent change in your vaginal lubrication. One dose every three days is a maintenance dose that can keep your symptoms at bay. If you would prefer, you can choose Estradiol Suppositories, which are inserted directly into the vagina. There’s a little bit less of a mess to deal with when you opt for a suppository.
Can I Recommend Winona Menopause HRT to My Friends?
I have recommended Winona Menopause HRT to my friends and will continue to do so. I have found that perimenopause and menopause symptoms are something that not many women discuss with one another. I’m always an open book, so I have no problem mentioning to my girlfriends that I’ve been dealing with hormone issues. That’s not a comfort level that everyone is at, though. After I’ve opened up about my own experience, I’ve had a number of friends express that they’ve gone through the same thing. I will immediately tell them about Winona and the other brands that I’ve mentioned in this article. It’s so important for women to know that there are different options out there that can help them feel their best, regardless of their age and what they’re going through hormonally.