How can I tell if my HRT dose is right for me?
After starting hormone therapy, you may wonder whether the dose is right. The record you keep is what helps your prescriber answer.
Judging a hormone dose takes time
One day of feeling good or bad does not settle it. A dose is judged by the prescriber who tracks your symptoms, your history and any testing they order over time. Your part is keeping a clear record they can use.
Dose changes that wait and ones that do not
Sort changes into two groups. Slow, mild changes in how you feel go in the log and come up at your next scheduled check. A sudden or severe change after starting or changing a dose should not wait for that check. Call your prescriber, and call emergency services for anything that feels like an emergency.
Know which hormone you are taking, because the follow-up questions differ. If your treatment is for menopause, read the ACOG expanded recommendations for managing menopause symptoms. If it is testosterone, read An Individualized Approach to Managing Testosterone Therapy in the Primary Care Setting, which shows how clinicians discuss follow-up. Neither suggests a dose for you.
A dose log your prescriber can use
- Keep a dated log of symptoms, the dose, and when you took it.
- Ask your prescriber which signs they use to call a dose right and which would make them change it.
- Ask when testing, if any, is planned and what they will do with the result.
Who adjusts the dose
Dose changes are made by the prescriber, not by the patient.