Episode 23

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Published on:

29th Apr 2026

HRT in Menopause: What Doctors Aren’t Telling You About Hormone Therapy

Thinking about HRT but feeling confused, overwhelmed, or honestly a little scared?

You are not alone. Hormone replacement therapy has become one of the most talked about and misunderstood topics in menopause. Depending on who you ask, it is either the answer to everything or something to avoid at all costs.

In this episode of Menopause Love Lounge, we cut through the noise and get real about HRT. No fear tactics. No fluff. Just honest conversation about what is actually happening in your body during menopause and how hormone therapy may or may not play a role.

We talk about estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone and how they impact sleep, anxiety, libido, and brain fog. We also get into why so many women feel dismissed when they bring this up to their doctors.

If you have been struggling with symptoms that do not feel like just aging or you have been told to just deal with it, this episode is for you.

This is not just about hormones. It is about understanding your body, advocating for yourself, and making informed decisions without shame or fear.

In this episode:

• What HRT actually is and how it works

• The real risks and benefits of hormone therapy

• Common myths that keep women confused or afraid

• How hormones impact sleep, mood, libido, and energy

• What to consider before starting HRT

• Why one size fits all advice does not work in menopause

Timestamps:

00:00 Thinking about HRT but feeling confused or scared

01:42 What HRT actually is and how it works

04:18 Why menopause symptoms are more than just aging

07:05 Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone explained simply

10:12 The real benefits of HRT for sleep, mood, and libido

14:36 The risks everyone talks about and what is actually true

18:50 Why so many women feel dismissed by doctors

22:15 Who HRT is for and when it might not be right

25:40 Questions to ask before starting hormone therapy

28:30 Final thoughts on advocating for your health

If this episode resonates, follow Menopause Love Lounge, share it with a friend, and start having these conversations out loud because more women need to hear this.

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If this episode resonates, follow Menopause Love Lounge, share it with a friend, and start having these conversations out loud because more women need to hear this.

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Mentioned in this episode:

From Mrs to Ms Dating & Relationship Podcast

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About the Podcast

Menopause Love Lounge
Redefining Intimacy, Identity & Relationships
Menopause Love Lounge is a menopause podcast for women in midlife who feel misunderstood, dismissed, and quietly blamed—and know that what they’re experiencing deserves more than surface-level answers.
Menopause isn’t just a hormonal transition. It’s happening inside a culture that profits from women feeling broken, depleted, and “behind”—offering quick fixes that keep us disconnected from our bodies, our relationships, and each other.
Six women talk honestly about sex after menopause, intimacy, menopause-related anxiety, emotional burnout, identity shifts, nervous system overload, boundaries, self-trust, changing relationships, and the quiet loneliness that so often defines midlife.
Many women reach this season having pulled back from female friendships—not because they don’t value them, but because years of comparison, fear of judgment, and emotional self-protection made closeness feel risky. We name that honestly, and we talk about what it takes to rebuild connection in ways that feel safe, real, and nourishing again.
Six hosts matter because no single woman gets to be the answer. This isn’t single-voice authority—it’s real women thinking together, questioning out loud, and letting complexity be honest.

This isn’t another podcast telling you what to buy, fix, or optimize.

It’s a place to slow down, tell the truth, and remember that what you’re feeling makes sense.

Welcome to the lounge.

(Hosted by Andrea Knoche, Ozzie Osborne, Dawn Wiggins, Karen Viesta, Junie Moon, and Laurie Gerber.)
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About your hosts

Andrea Knoche

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Podcast host and on-air personality, Andrea is the creator of Menopause Love Lounge and host of From Mrs. to Ms. She’s passionate about honest, unfiltered conversations around reinvention in midlife, and also around menopause and the impact it has on relationships, identity, and intimacy.

Ozzie Osborne

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Ozzie Osborne is a love and relationship coach grounded in attachment science and nervous system regulation. She works with individuals and couples to uncover the patterns shaping their relationships, move out of reactive cycles, and build secure, connected partnerships.

Laurie Gerber

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Laurie is a love and dating coach, the host of the podcast Love at Any Age, and creator of the course Master the Art of Love. She helps women get radically honest about what they want, break unhealthy patterns, and create deeply fulfilling relationships with confidence and clarity.

Junie Moon

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Love coach and shadow work expert, Junie helps women break lifelong patterns, heal emotional blocks, and reconnect with their true selves. She guides women in midlife to create deeper, more aligned relationships rooted in self-worth, authenticity, and emotional freedom.

Karen Viesta

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Midlife influencer and wellness coach, Karen Viesta helps women feel more energized, confident, and turned on by life. She shares what actually works to look better, feel better, and make midlife your most vibrant and powerful chapter yet!

Dawn Wiggins

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Dawn Wiggins is a licensed marriage and family therapist, homeopath, and host of Dear Divorce Diary. She helps women untangle divorce, hormones, heartbreak, and midlife identity shifts with sharp insight, nervous system healing, and deep emotional discernment. She’s known for saying the thing everyone is thinking—but may make us blush.