Menopause is a natural stage of life that every woman experiences. Yet, according to a recent study conducted by Mayo Clinic, more than 80% of the 5,000 women surveyed didn’t seek treatment for their symptoms.
At Galt Dermatology and Concierge Medicine, we want you to know that, while menopause is inevitable, it doesn’t have to be disruptive or miserable.
We understand the challenges it presents, and offer a range of solutions designed to alleviate discomfort and restore vitality. From hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause in Fort Lauderdale to sustainable lifestyle adjustments, our experienced team provides personalized care that empowers you to navigate this transition with confidence and grace.
What Is Menopause?
Almost everyone is familiar with menopause, or at least its symptoms. This transitional life period is commonly known as the end of your menstrual cycle, and the beginning of hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings—among many others.
These symptoms are not simply caused by growing older or reaching your 40s or 50s. They stem from a hormonal imbalance driven by a rapid decline in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels, these 3 key hormones that are responsible for bodily processes beyond reproduction.
Estrogen regulates:
- Cholesterol
- Blood sugar and insulin sensitivity
- Bone density
- Cognitive function
- Vascular health and circulation
- Body temperature regulation
- Sleep continuity (via thermoregulation and neurotransmitter support)
Progesterone regulates/supports:
- Menstrual cycle regulation
- Mood and anxiety
- Sleep initiation and depth
- Nervous system calming (GABA activity)
- Thyroid hormone responsiveness (indirect)
Testosterone
- Libido and sexual satisfaction
- Energy and motivation
- Muscle preservation
- Sense of vitality
Despite popular belief, menopause doesn’t just start suddenly; it happens in stages.
The Stages of Menopause
While menopause gets a lot of attention, we want to remind you that there are stages that you may not be aware of—but can be relieved with HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale.
Perimenopause (The Menopausal Transition)
Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading up to menopause, and for many women it begins 8–10 years before their final period, sometimes as early as the late 30s. During this time, estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate unpredictably, which can trigger a wide range of symptoms long before periods fully stop.
Common signs of perimenopause include the following.
Hot flashes and night sweats
Sudden waves of heat, sweating, or flushing can occur during the day or wake you at night, disrupting sleep, concentration, and daily productivity.
Vaginal dryness and discomfort
Estrogen helps maintain vaginal tissue health and lubrication. As levels decline, dryness, irritation, or pain with intimacy can develop, often gradually and unexpectedly.
Mood changes and emotional shifts
Hormonal fluctuations influence brain chemistry, including serotonin. This can lead to irritability, anxiety, low mood, or feeling emotionally “off,” especially when symptoms feel unpredictable or out of your control.
For many women, these changes are subtle at first and easy to dismiss. But when symptoms begin to interfere with sleep, relationships, work, or overall quality of life, they deserve attention.
If you’re experiencing perimenopausal symptoms that feel disruptive or concerning, our team can help you explore whether HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale or other supportive options may be appropriate as part of a personalized care plan.
If these symptoms, or others, are causing you distress or interfering with your daily tasks, you can talk to our team about trying hormone replacement therapy for perimenopause.
Menopause
Menopause is reached when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, signaling the end of ovarian estrogen production. While this milestone is clearly defined, the physical and emotional changes that accompany it can be anything but straightforward. For many women, symptoms intensify during this phase and begin to affect daily life in meaningful ways.
Common menopausal symptoms include the following.
Sleep disturbances
Night sweats and temperature fluctuations can interrupt sleep multiple times a night, leaving you exhausted, unfocused, and less resilient during the day.
Urinary changes and leakage
Estrogen plays an important role in maintaining the health and elasticity of vaginal and urinary tissues. As levels decline, these tissues can weaken, leading to urgency, frequent urination, or leakage—especially with coughing, sneezing, or exercise.
Brain fog and cognitive changes
Many women notice difficulties with concentration, memory, and mental clarity during menopause. Estrogen supports brain function, and lower levels combined with disrupted sleep and stress can contribute to feeling mentally “foggy” or less sharp than usual.
Despite common misconceptions, menopause itself is not a lifelong stage. It is a defined transition that leads into postmenopause, when hormone levels stabilize at a new baseline. With the right support and treatments like HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale, many women find that this next phase can feel calmer, clearer, and more manageable than the transition itself.
If menopausal symptoms are interfering with your sleep, work, relationships, or overall quality of life, our team can help you explore whether hormone replacement therapy or other individualized treatment options may be appropriate for you.
Postmenopause
Postmenopause is the stage that follows menopause and lasts for the remainder of a woman’s life. Most women enter postmenopause around the early 50s, once hormone levels settle into a consistently low pattern. While hot flashes and cycle-related symptoms may ease for some, others find that certain health changes become more noticeable over time.
Common concerns during postmenopause include the following.
Bone loss and osteoporosis
Estrogen plays a critical role in maintaining bone density. After menopause, bone loss accelerates, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, often without obvious symptoms until an injury occurs.
Cardiovascular health changes
Estrogen supports vascular function and influences cholesterol and glucose metabolism. As levels decline, cardiovascular risk gradually increases, making heart health an important focus during this stage of life.
Low libido and sexual discomfort
Changes in estrogen can affect vaginal tissue health, lubrication, and blood flow, which may contribute to discomfort with intimacy and a reduced interest in sex. These changes are common and treatable but often go unaddressed.
Although menopause marks the end of reproductive years, postmenopause can be a long and fulfilling phase of life when health is proactively supported.
HRT for perimenopause and HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale can be continued into postmenopause based on individual symptoms, health history, and ongoing evaluation. Treatment duration is personalized and guided by regular follow-up to ensure therapy remains appropriate, effective, and aligned with your long-term health goals.
Additional Symptoms of Menopause
Because we can’t list out all of the symptoms related to menopause, it’s important to know that a drop in estrogen can impact everything from your hair, skin, cognition, and mood. Some other effects of this life stage include:
- Frequent urinary tract infections
- Dry skin
- Hair loss
- Heart palpitations
- Headaches
- Weight gain
Because these symptoms mimic so many other health concerns, women often visit multiple specialists once symptoms start, searching for answers that are often not found. The lack of guidance can leave women feeling frustrated and lost. Navigating this uncharted territory, many women find themselves desperately seeking information and support. Without adequate resources, the journey through menopause can feel isolating and overwhelming, a stark contrast to the open conversations that should be taking place.
At Galt, we provide the guidance and support that women need. Our physicians have a thorough understanding of hormones and the unique challenges they can present. We offer personalized care plans, considering each woman’s individual needs and goals, to navigate every stage of life with confidence and well-being.
Restoring Balance With HRT
Whether you’re interested in HRT for perimenopause or HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale this treatment targets the root cause of your symptoms by replenishing your estrogen and progesterone levels so they reach a state of equilibrium. HRT improves your health from the inside out, not just easing the discomfort surrounding menopause, but also improving overall health and longevity.
At Galt, we offer weekly injections of HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale, which are administered either in-office or at home. We customize your dosage to your specific needs, and can adjust the amount of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone that you receive based on your progress and symptoms.
The Hormone Replacement Therapy Process
It all starts with a conversation with our concierge doctor, Stella Villacorta. Dr. Villacorta centers her practice around whole-body wellness, providing individualized treatments to every patient.
Discovery Call
Starting with a free discovery call, we take the time to get to know you and your health concerns. We also explain our concierge primary care services and membership-based primary care model to make sure it’s something that you are interested in joining. Once we have a better understanding of your health and wellness goals, we schedule an initial consultation.
Lab and Blood Work
During your consultation, we discuss the onset and severity of your symptoms. We also perform a range of labs and blood work to test for more than a hormonal imbalance and identify other hidden health risks, helping you stay ahead of disease.
Our labs and blood work include testing your estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone levels to identify any imbalances. We also test your thyroid and adrenal function, as they influence your hormone levels.
We may also order additional labs and blood work, including:
- Insulin resistance & glucose control
- Advanced lipid markers
- Micronutrients and inflammation
These tests help us take a proactive approach to your care. The sooner we can spot potential risks of disease or illness, the better chance we have of preventing it. This differs from other medical practices, which focus on reactive care—waiting for you to get sick to address the symptoms.
Once we have the results from your tests, we discuss them with you, line by line, to give you insight into your overall health and wellness. In addition to hormone replacement therapy, we can provide lifestyle guidance to support long-term vitality.
In-Office Injections
For the first 4 weeks of hormone replacement therapy, you come into the office for weekly injections administered by one of our physicians. This helps us track your progress and see how well your body responds to the HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale.
At-Home Injections
After the initial 4 weeks, we teach you how to self-inject at home. You then visit us once a month to receive your prescribed dosage and talk to our physicians about how you’re feeling.
Once we determine that you are experiencing consistent results, we switch your office visits to every 3 months for health check-ups.
Ongoing Care
As your health evolves, so does our treatment plan and guidance. With more energy, better focus, and improved sleep, you may find that you’re ready to set new goals for yourself. Dr. Villacorta is here to help you reach them. From nutritional guidance and exercise recommendations to stress management techniques and lifestyle adjustments, we refine your plan, ensuring your continued progress and well-being. Regular check-ins and adjustments keep you on track, empowering you to sustain positive momentum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hormone replacement therapy can offer meaningful benefits, but it’s normal to have questions. Below are answers to some of the most common concerns we hear from patients considering HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale.
Is hormone replacement therapy safe?
Hormone replacement therapy has been extensively studied and is considered safe and effective for many women when it is appropriately prescribed, personalized, and medically monitored.
The hormones used in modern HRT are bioidentical, meaning they are chemically identical to the hormones your body naturally produces. While these hormones are synthesized in a laboratory, their structure matches human estrogen and progesterone, which allows the body to recognize and use them effectively.
As with any medical therapy, HRT is not one-size-fits-all. Safety depends on factors such as your age, health history, timing of therapy, and ongoing follow-up. That’s why treatment decisions are always individualized and guided by careful medical oversight.
When can I expect to see results?
Every patient responds differently. Some women begin to notice improvements in symptoms such as sleep, hot flashes, or mood within the first few weeks of starting HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale, while other benefits may develop more gradually.
For many patients, it can take 6–8 weeks to experience the full effects of therapy, as the body adjusts and dosing is optimized. Ongoing follow-up allows us to fine-tune treatment to ensure you’re getting the most benefit.
Can HRT help me lose weight?
Hormone replacement therapy can support weight management by improving metabolic function, energy levels, sleep quality, and overall well-being. For some patients, this makes it easier to stay active and follow healthy habits.
However, HRT is not a weight-loss treatment on its own. Sustainable weight loss still requires a comprehensive approach that may include nutrition, movement, lifestyle changes, and, when appropriate, medical weight-loss therapies. Hormone therapy works best as part of a broader, individualized plan.
Find Relief From Menopausal Symptoms at Galt
HRT for menopause in Fort Lauderdale targets the root cause of hormonal imbalances, improving your health from the inside out. To learn more, schedule a call with Dr. Villacorta.
