How GLP-1 treatment and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) support each other

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) + GLP-1 treatment key points:

1. Safe and effective hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is available for both men and women, backed by decades of data showing that the benefits can outweigh risks for most patients. Additionally, GLP-1 medications are transforming weight loss by helping to reduce food noise and calorie intake that contribute to weight gain with age.
2. Hormone therapies and GLP-1 treatments work well together for many patients, helping them achieve a healthy weight and body composition while increasing energy, restoring fertility, supporting sleep, enhancing drive, and more.
3. Dr. B offers safe, effective testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for men and hormone therapy (HT) for women online with our HRT program, Optimize It. With our holistic prescription weight loss program, Shed It, qualifying patients can also get GLP-1 medications online via a streamlined monthly consultation!

If you reach a point in mid-adulthood (think your 30s-60s) where you no longer feel quite on track, you’re not alone. Over time and with subtlety, our stress, weight, energy, mood, virility, and vitality can shift so much that one day, we realize we just feel off.

For some of us, altered hormone levels are causing the chaos.

Fortunately, safe and effective hormone and medical weight loss treatments can help restore and revitalize even the most troubling symptoms.

Here’s what to know about the connection between hormone replacement therapies and GLP-1 treatments—and how Dr. B can help qualifying patients access both through our dynamic at-home, holistic programs.

First, what is hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?

Hormone replacement therapy is a general term that covers any treatment intended to increase hormone levels or restore hormone balance.

For some men, testosterone levels naturally decrease with age. Some may not notice any symptoms from the decrease. Others might experience fatigue, lowered libido, lack of motivation, difficulty gaining or maintaining muscle, and more. In such cases, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can help.

For women, significant hormone fluctuations during the years leading up to menopause (perimenopause) can cause disruptive symptoms like hot flashes, sleep problems, mood swings, weight changes, inflammation, and more. During this period, hormone therapy (HT) medications can help manage these symptoms while hormone levels decline and eventually stabilize.

What is hormone therapy (HT) for women?

Hormone therapy (HT) helps treat the symptoms of perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

Not all women experience dramatic symptoms during the change. For those who do, symptoms often occur between the ages of 45 and 65 and last for 2-8 years. (Perimenopause can begin as early as your 30s or as late as your 50s.)

HT medications include:

• Combination birth control pills that contain an estrogen and progesterone, which mimic and smooth out natural monthly hormone fluctuations.
• Estrogen patches, which are applied to the skin and address symptoms like hot flashes and vaginal dryness while helping to preserve bone density.
• Estrogen vaginal tablets, which treat vaginal and urinary symptoms like dryness, pain during sex, and increased urinary urgency.
• Oral Progesterone, which is used in combination with an estrogen medication to treat symptoms like hot flashes and sleep disturbances.
• Fezolinetant, a non-hormonal medication that treats hot flashes by disrupting chemicals in the brain involved in temperature regulation.
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are non-hormonal medications that help stabilize neurotransmitters involved in temperature regulation (to treat hot flashes), mood, and focus.

HT medications can start improving symptoms within weeks (depending on the medication). But there are risks associated with each. Always work with a licensed medical provider who specializes in hormone therapy to review your health history for potential risks.

Side effects of HT medications may include breast tenderness, fluid retention or bloating, headaches, breakthrough bleeding (bleeding or spotting between periods), and mood changes or irritability. Regularly monitor your symptoms and side effects, and discuss any concerns directly with a licensed provider.

Dr. B offers hormone therapy (HT) through our holistic online program, Optimize It, for qualifying women aged 40 and above.

To start, you’ll take a streamlined, AI-powered online consultation, sharing your health history and current symptoms. Next, we’ll have you do some blood work, which may include a comprehensive metabolic panel, various hormone levels, lipid levels, and markers indicating cardiovascular risk.

After receiving your results, a medical provider licensed in your state to treat hormone therapy will review your consult info and results—either independently or with you via a brief video visit (depending on your state's telehealth requirements and a few other medical factors). If you qualify for treatment, they'll send a prescription to your chosen pharmacy for fulfillment.

Learn more about online HT for women.

What is testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for men?

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) boosts testosterone levels in men whose levels have naturally declined with age. Not all men show symptoms of low T. But signs like extreme fatigue, muscle loss, brain fog, lack of motivation, and decreased sex drive could indicate low testosterone—especially if you’re in your 40s or older.

TRT medications include:

• Testosterone Cypionate, which is injected into deep muscle tissues (usually once weekly) to boost testosterone levels.
• Testosterone gel, which is applied to the upper arm once daily (typically in the morning) to increase testosterone levels.
• Enclomiphene, a non-steroidal oral medication taken daily that helps the body produce more natural testosterone by blocking certain receptors in the brain. 

It may take a few months for you to feel relief from TRT medications, but treatment can significantly improve energy, drive, and virility once T levels are restored.

Side effects of Testosterone medications include acne, swelling in the hands and feet, headaches, mood swings, excess body hair growth, and changes in sex drive. And these medications can decrease fertility.

So if you’re planning to have children, consider non-steroidal Enclomiphene. Side effects may include nausea, headaches, and mood changes as you adjust to the medication. But it can boost testosterone levels without affecting fertility. (It’s important to note that Enclomiphine is not an FDA-approved medication. Because there is no long-term safety data, it is only prescribed as a short-term treatment.)

Dr. B offers testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) online with Optimize It for qualifying men aged 18-65.

To get started, you’ll answer questions about your health history and symptoms related to low testosterone through a chat-like, AI-powered consult. Then, you’ll head to Quest Diagnostics for blood work, which may include testing your total and free testosterone levels, complete blood count (CBC), lipids, and other markers that indicate treatment risks and benefits.

Afterward, you'll review your results with a medical provider licensed in your state to treat TRT with prescription Testosterone and Enclomiphene medications via a brief video visit. If you qualify, a TRT prescription will be sent to a trusted pharmacy for fulfillment.

Learn more about online TRT with Optimize It.

GLP-1 treatment—in a nutshell

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone naturally made in the body that helps regulate appetite, digestion, and insulin production.

GLP-1 agonist medications imitate this hormone, increasing and maintaining GLP-1 levels for longer periods. As a result, hunger generally decreases, you feel full faster, and your blood sugar remains at a healthy level. Overall, these effects help reduce calorie intake, leading to weight loss.

Studies show that patients on GLP-1 medications like Wegovy®* (Semaglutide) and Zepbound®* (Tirzepatide—a dual GLP-1 and GIP agonist medication) lost an average of 15% of their initial body weight over 1 year. Some patients may lose less, while others can lose over 20% with regular treatment.

Dr. B offers online GLP-1 treatment to qualifying patients over 18 through our comprehensive weight loss program, Shed It.

To start, you’ll take a convenient online AI-powered consult, sharing your health history and previous weight loss efforts. A doctor licensed in your state will review your information with you via video visit or independently. (Depending on your state telehealth requirements and other factors).

If you qualify for treatment, they'll send your prescription GLP-1 medication to a local or online pharmacy for pickup. Within 1 year, you’ll do some blood work so that your provider can monitor treatment risks and other health indicators. To make sure that your treatment remains safe and effective, you’ll return monthly for a check-in via another consult and to refill your medication.

Learn more about online GLP-1 treatment with Shed It.

The overlap: Where HRT and GLP-1 cross paths

As people age, hormones and weight become more closely connected—and so do the treatments that help balance and restore them to optimal levels.

For men, low testosterone levels and high BMI (obesity) are often related—and losing weight can often boost natural testosterone production. On the flip side, not eating enough can cause testosterone to drop, so it’s vital to make sure that your body is properly fueled throughout all life stages.

Then, TRT treatments can boost energy, drive, and performance. These improvements often motivate men to exercise more, which helps reduce weight and build lean muscle mass.

For women, hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause typically lead to weight gain and fat redistribution, especially around the waist—so it’s not surprising that the risk of obesity increases in these years.

Then, estrogen helps pancreatic cells control inflammation. Since most organs have estrogen receptors, declining estrogen levels make women more vulnerable to immune stress and low-grade inflammation during this period. It’s so common that health experts describe perimenopause as “a pro-inflammatory state.”

Because HT stabilizes dramatic hormone fluctuations, inflammation often diminishes with treatment. While resistance exercises are particularly recommended to protect against the loss of bone density often associated with lower estrogen levels, HT also makes exercising easier, which helps maintain a healthy weight. Finally, a recent study found that post-menopausal women who took HT and Zepbound (Tirzepatide) lost more weight than those on GLP-1 treatment alone!

Safety and monitoring with Optimize It + Shed It

With Dr. B, patients in Optimize It and Shed It benefit from having a single dedicated platform for all aspects of dual treatment.

On your comprehensive patient dashboard, you’ll find clinical data like consultation summaries and blood work results, important documents like medication information and program materials, and your billing and payment history.

You might have different doctors in each program, since some providers specialize in medical weight loss, others in hormone therapy, and some in both (depending on their state certifications)!

No matter who makes up your care team, your consultation history and blood work results carry over with you—so their clinical advice is supported by targeted, personalized information.

Lifestyle support during HT and GLP-1 treatment

Hormones affect everything from sleep to weight to energy to cognitive performance. And a healthy weight supports energy, flexibility, balance, and mobility.

Throughout both Optimize It and Shed It, Dr. B provides science-backed support to help you navigate the nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management techniques that encourage optimal hormone health and weight. That way, you can feel confident that your workouts, meal plans, meditations and more are helping you move toward greater health—and a more vibrant life!

Treatment costs to consider before starting

Optimize It and Shed It consultations cost $145 each, and you only pay when you take a consult—no automatic or recurring fees, ever! Medication costs vary by program, treatment, medication form, and type.

If you have health insurance, your plan may cover Dr. B consultations and prescription medication. During your consultation, we’ll ask if you’d like us to explore your coverage options. Or we can determine your coverage with our free online benefits checker.

• Check your coverage for medical weight loss with Shed It
• Check your coverage for TRT with Optimize It for men
• Check your coverage for HT with Optimize It for women

If you have coverage and choose a brand-name prescription medication, your combined consultation and medication fees could be as low as your plan's copay agreement!

How to get started with HRT and GLP-1 treatments

If you think your hormone levels might be causing symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, low energy, reduced sex drive, and more, you may be ready to discuss treatment options with a licensed medical provider. And if you’ve gained or maintained a heavy weight despite efforts to increase exercise and improve your nutrition, GLP-1 treatment under a provider’s guidance could be right for you.

To take your first step—anytime and anywhere—start an online consultation for Shed It or Optimize It for men and for women.

Be ready to share details like your health history, current weight, and symptoms. If you’d like us to check your insurance coverage, have your insurance card nearby.

With Optimize It, we’ll ask you to complete some blood work before your provider reviews your consult. That way, they can analyze your specific biomarkers and determine if hormone therapy will be effective and safe for you. (We’ll send your blood work forms to Quest Diagnostics and email you details so you can do your blood work for the most accurate results.)

When everything’s ready, they'll review your information either independently or with you via video (depending on the program, your location, and other factors). If approved for treatment, they’ll finalize your consultation and send your prescriptions to the designated pharmacy!

*Wegovy® and Zepbound® are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Our use of these names is for informational purposes only and does not imply any affiliation, endorsement or approval by the trademark holders

Sources:

Budini B, et al. (2026). Trajectory of weight regain after cessation of GLP-1 receptor agonists: a systematic review and nonlinear meta-regression. eClinicalMedicine.

Lapid, Nancy. (2026). Many patients may keep off lost pounds after stopping a GLP-1, US data suggests. Reuters.

Manson JE, et al. (2024). The Women’s Health Initiative randomized trials and clinical practice: a review. JAMA.

US Food and Drug Administration. (2025). HHS advances women’s health, removes misleading FDA warnings on hormone replacement therapy.

Women’s Health Initiative. Changing the future of women’s health: a landmark study since 1992.