Not Loving Your Hormone Therapy? 5 Things to Change So It Actually Works

Jul 29, 2025

Feeling off with your hormone therapy? Discover why it might not be working as expected. Explore five key reasons, from starting with the wrong hormone to dosing mistakes. Learn about the impact of delivery methods like patches and gels, and how application sites can affect absorption. Dive into the debate of bioidentical versus synthetic hormones. It's the troubleshooting guide every woman needs to ensure hormone therapy delivers real results.

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INSIGHT

Estrogen Absorption Varies Widely

Estrogen absorption varies widely among women even on the same dose of patches or gels.
Blood test levels can be sub-therapeutic despite high-dose treatment or sufficient at low-dose due to individual differences.

ADVICE

Test Levels & Change Application Site

Test estradiol blood levels to ensure doses prevent bone loss (target 60-150 pg/mL).
Experiment with application site since skin location and blood flow affect estrogen absorption.

ADVICE

Avoid Washing Off Gel Early

Avoid washing off estrogen gel within an hour after application to prevent up to 22% serum level reduction.
Be consistent in hormone use before blood testing for accurate hormone levels.

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You thought hormone therapy would fix everything. Instead, you're feeling moody, foggy, sleepless, or just kind of... off. Your bestie says it changed her life. Social media says it's the holy grail. So why isn’t it working for you?

In this episode, I’m walking you through five reasons your hormone therapy might be falling flat, and what to do about it. Whether you’re on progesterone, estradiol, testosterone, DHEA, or some wild cocktail of all four, this is the troubleshooting guide I wish every woman got before starting.

We’re talking starting order, dosing mistakes, delivery routes (patches, pills, gels, oh my), why skin location actually matters, and how to know if bioidentical or synthetic is right for your body. Because you deserve more than a “meh” experience. You deserve hormone therapy that actually works. Let’s fix it.

I Also Discuss:

Why starting with the wrong hormone (or too many at once) can cause side effects
How to spot if your dose is too low or too high for your sensitivity
What to know about different delivery routes—patches, gels, creams, and more
The surprising impact of where you apply topical hormones on your body
Bioidentical vs synthetic hormone therapy: what’s the difference and why it matters

✍️ FREE GUIDES:

Hormones 101 Cheat Sheet: https://drcarriejones.kit.com/hormones101
The Perimenopause & Menopause Labs Test Checklist: https://drcarriejones.kit.com/labtestchecklist
The Symptoms of The Perimenopausal Transition (WTF…) Ebook: https://drcarriejones.kit.com/perimenopausesymptom
Which Stage of Perimenopause Am I In? Ebook: https://drcarriejones.kit.com/stagesofperimenopause

LETS CONNECT:

Dr. Carrie Jones:

Website: www.drcarriejones.com

Newsletter:https://drcarriejones.kit.com/newsletter IG: dr.carriejones

TikTok: @drcarriejones Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drcarriejones

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