The good news is that if you’re feeling well and your symptoms are improving on HRT, there is no need for us to further monitor your bloods.
If you feel like you might need testosterone supplements, then it is important for us to check total testosterone and SHBG baseline levels prior to starting and as part of ongoing monitoring. These are British Menopause Society guidelines, which we have to follow.
There are no guidelines regarding oestrogen replacement, but we repeatedly see women on relatively high doses of transdermal oestrogen who remain symptomatic. Monitoring oestradiol levels can help us to establish whether people are absorbing the oestrogen adequately and whether they may benefit from dose alterations or an alternative preparation.
If symptoms persist and this is not what you would expect, blood tests may be recommended so we can look for other underlying causes.
