There’s no such thing as a universal menopause experience. Some women notice only a few signs that their body is going through the transition while others can feel like they have every known menopause symptom under the sun. But even so-called mild symptoms can have a big impact on your day-to-day life and make you feel like you’re just “not yourself” anymore. And that’s where prescription menopause hormone therapy (MHT), commonly known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), can help.
Estrogen and progesterone — two of the hormones that make up MHT — can supplement your fluctuating and declining hormone levels and help relieve some of the most common perimenopause and menopause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and sleep problems. Since they come in different forms and dosage options, it’s important that your treatment is personalized to your unique needs. That’s exactly what you get with the new Menopause Hormone Therapy Kits offered through WeightWatchers Clinic: MHT that’s tailored to your symptoms and sent right to your doorstep. Here’s everything you need to know about the kits.
Q: What’s included in the Menopause Hormone Therapy Kits?
The kit includes a monthly supply of a transdermal estradiol (estrogen) patch and an oral progesterone pill, or just the estradiol patch for women who don’t have a uterus. Both medications use FDA-approved bioidentical hormones — forms of estrogen and progesterone that are chemically identical to the main hormones your body makes. These are regulated prescription medications, not compounded hormone creams or pellets. Eligibility and dosing is personalized and determined by your WeightWatchers Clinic Clinician.
Q: Who is eligible for the Menopause Hormone Therapy Kits?
To be eligible, you must be a member of WeightWatchers Clinic for Menopause. There you will meet with a menopause-trained Clinician to review your current symptoms and health history, and to discuss the risks and benefits of MHT. If your Clinician recommends an MHT regimen provided in the Menopause Hormone Therapy Kits, you will be given the option to enroll in the subscription.
Q: How much do the kits cost?
WeightWatchers Clinic for Menopause members can receive the kits for the cash-pay price of either $29.90/month for both medications or $26.50/month for just the estradiol patch.
Q: Do the meds actually work for symptom relief?
By keeping your hormone levels at a more consistent level throughout the menopause transition, estradiol patches can significantly improve certain perimenopause and menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. While estrogen is the main driver of symptom relief for most people, progesterone is an essential add-on for anyone with a uterus as it helps protect the uterine lining and balance estrogen’s effects in the body. It also supports healthy sleep patterns in some women.
Q: Will the medications help with weight loss?
While menopause hormone therapy (MHT) is not a weight-loss treatment, some research suggests it may help limit the increase in belly fat that often happens around menopause and may support overall metabolic health when combined with lifestyle changes. It doesn’t replace healthy eating, activity, or weight-management medications.
A preliminary Mayo Clinic study of postmenopausal women found that taking HRT with semaglutide was approximately 30% more effective for weight loss than taking the GLP-1 alone.*
Q: What are the side effects?
Some people on MHT don’t experience any side effects. Others may notice effects like breast tenderness, mild nausea, bloating, headaches, or light vaginal spotting. These tend to occur more frequently when first getting started or when doses change. While these usually improve over time, it’s important to let your clinician know if any of them do occur.
Like any medication, MHT also carries some rare but serious risks. It is not recommended for people with specific health histories, such as certain cancers, prior blood clots, or unexplained vaginal bleeding. Your clinician will review these risks with you before prescribing MHT.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be regarded as a substitute for guidance from your healthcare provider.