In this Q&A Karen answers listeners' questions on all things hormones and weight loss.  maymoon_design When you refer to HRT are these natural or synthetic hormones? I am having a very hard time with hot flushes. janelleminto Can HRT cause/ contribute to a thickening in the lining of the uterus? I recently had surgery to remove this and wondered if the hormones could be a cause. lcavazza66 If I struggle with progesterone replacement, is it ok to just use estrogen and testosterone? I can’t sleep, gain weight and struggle with progesterone. I had severe PMDD when I was younger prior to partial hysterectomy. Labs show estrogen dominance but adding progesterone makes me feel worse. Kimdixonwiley How do you know how much HRT to prescribe when Canadian blood work only gives Estrogen and Progesterone not actual numbers? Carol What serology test should I get if I have been in menopause for 2 years. Estrogen will be low but what are the levels we are hoping to achieve for both estrogen and progesterone? If supplementing how often should we check this - serology and with the Dutch? Md say levels will fluctuate so they don’t want to do testing - how can we make our case to them to get it done? How do I know a progesterone is bioidentical? Jennifer Hi Karen, I love your podcast as you are so informative! I'm 46 and have been on my current hrt for 6 months. I experienced a lot of side effects at the beginning of my hrt. I had migraines and felt depressed and extremely emotional. This went on for months and was debilitating. So my provider put me on the following treatment to assist with the symptoms stating I was really estrogen dominant and needed more progesterone. I have noticed I feel better when I'm not taking any progesterone during my period. Is it possible to have too much progesterone and then have adverse effects? I don't feel like I'm reaping any of the benefits so many others have with progesterone.  Pam Hi Karen! I’m 59 and was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in my early 20s after my 1st child. I’m just wondering if something is off b/c it seems like my hair is really thinning. I’m taking Armour Thyroid 90 mg daily. My doctor says everything is normal. I’m also struggling with weight loss resistance. I know this is a lot but would really appreciate any insight you may have. I love listening to your podcasts, I learn so much! Thanks for all you do and know that you’re making a difference in the lives of many!   KK Hi Karen! After listening to your podcast a couple of years ago, I got my hormones checked and found a Functional Practitioner to go over my health - she confirmed I was in Menopause and that my Progesterone was flat-lining, my Testosterone and Estrogen were low.  My question is, Should I be getting better results? I still struggle with quality sleep and maintaining lubrication and holding onto menopausal weight, I have still been having DHEA (50mg per day). My practitioner believes that the DHEA is better to boost than Progesterone or Testosterone. Should I expect better results or am I being ridiculous?   Luhu Hi Karen, Your number one fan here :) Studying with FDN to become a practitioner, very well-versed in gut health, hormones, etc but cannot figure out my own body since menopause! When my estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all went very low—6 for E and T, I gained weight all over and can't lose it. Also developed chronic gut issues in menopause despite no gluten, no dairy, no sugar, (no fun!). SO Q: I started on the estrogen patch applying one half of the .025 dose, next day I added the next half, felt so much more energy and felt like I started losing lbs but quickly developed heartburn/reflux and felt a little overstimulated (maybe an adhesive ingredient in the patch? I'm very sensitive), I also felt some discomfort in my liver/gallbladder area even though I support both. I waited 3 weeks before adding progesterone due to past issues (ok'd by DR), then applied Quicksilver Scientific's topical progesterone