A few months ago, I was really struggling. I had gained about 10 pounds over the course of a year despite changing nothing about my fitness and nutrition routine. In fact, I was being more intentional than ever about my routine and it seemed as though nothing was changing. I couldn’t lose even a pound for the life of me.
But that’s not all. I was also feeling intense hormonal shifts and changes each month that left me feeling constantly ravenous, anxious, sad, stressed, fatigued, and as if I had no control over my body. To add insult to injury, my libido was essentially non-existent. I was 35 years old, almost 36, I didn’t believe I should be having such intense hormone-related issues at my age.
This past summer, I decided to do something about it. I was fed up with feeling terrible most days of the month, I knew something was off and I needed to treat the root cause. That’s when I discovered Winona HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) for women. I was very skeptical at first and actually assumed that I would not qualify for treatment due to my young age (young for menopause). However, I was desperate for answers and a solution so I dove in head first.
In this article, I’m going to share with you my experience using Winona for HRT. I have been using Winona for my HRT treatment for a little over 3 months now, here’s my account of my experience thus far.
Rating Winona
Winona has been a god send of a brand for me and all of my hormonal fluctuations that I couldn't control. I was really struggling before using their HRT prescriptions after going through a consultation. Thanks to Winona, I finally feel 'normal' again.
Effectiveness
The prescribed Winona treatments have been extremely effective for balancing my hormones and relieving my related symptoms.
Safety & Side Effects
As with any treatment that directly affects your hormones, you can expect certain mild to moderate side effects. Based on my personal experience, the side effects that I experienced occurred at the beginning of the treatment as my body was getting used to it and were very mild in nature.
Customization & Personalization
Winona provides customized treatment plans based on your unique and specific symptoms.
Ease of Use
Winona products are taken either orally, via a patch, or cream. When the doctor prescribes your medications, you have options for the delivery method. I chose the cream as it is very easy to apply and use.
Convenience & Accessibility
Winona is available online making it very convenient. I was able to secure my prescription and speak with a doctor about my specific needs in a timely manner. Winona prescriptions, once approved, ship quickly and arrive right at your doorstep a couple of days later.
Cost & Value
When comparing the cost of Winona to the cost of visiting an in-person doctor, using Winona for HRT is very cost-effective, especially for those whose medical insurance does not cover such treatments. I find the monthly cost of my prescriptions to be very reasonable.
What Is Winona?
Winona is an online HRT (hormone replacement therapy) provider that offers doctor-prescribed treatments for women dealing with menopause symptoms. We featured them in our trending Direct-To-Consumer wellness brands, as well as showcasing how Winona is revolutionizing menopause care.
Winona treatments include bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. All consultations, appointments, and treatments are handled online via Winona’s secure website, and treatments are shipped right to your door.
Winona treats common menopause-related symptoms such as:
- Weight gain
- Brain fog
- Hair changes
- Sleep disruption
- Low libido
- Vaginal dryness
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Skin changes
- Low energy
- Hot flashes
- Fatigue
Treatment for symptoms includes the following:
- Estrogen (body cream, vaginal cream, tablets/capsules, patch)
- Progesterone (body cream, tablets/capsules)
- Estrogen + Progesterone (body cream)
- DHEA (tablets/capsules)
What Makes Winona Unique?
Winona is unique in that they are focused on treating the self-reported symptoms that you are personally feeling and experiencing versus doing a bunch of lab testing and treating based on those findings.
This approach to menopause treatment is both different and refreshing. For so many women who are dealing with menopause symptoms, they are incredibly frustrated and dismayed with the healthcare system as they typically don’t get the assistance and relief they need.
Most traditional medical providers run a series of standard blood and urine tests to test hormone levels, which can be effective, however, hormone levels change drastically throughout the day, week, and month. So often, women are being told they are “fine” and dismissing their life-disrupting symptoms, sending them on their way without any kind of solution.
Winona, on the other hand, treats your symptoms based on what you tell them that you are experiencing. As women, many of us are afraid to even go to the doctor and talk to someone about our symptoms because we’re fearful that they’ll tell us nothing is wrong and that they symptoms we are experiencing are normal and part of the aging process.
We’ve been so let down and discouraged by the healthcare system that we feel nervous to seek help. This is what makes Winona different. Winona doesn’t turn you away or ask for blood test results to back up the way you’re feeling. Instead, they trust your symptoms and provide you with a solution.
How It Works
Getting started with Winona is really straightforward. On Winona’s website, you’ll find a quiz that they will prompt you to take in order to determine if Winona HRT is a good fit. The quiz includes a handful of questions based on your unique and personal symptoms.
Winona uses your answers to tell you if they believe their treatments would be a good fit. Once you finish the quick quiz, and if Winona believes you’re eligible for treatment, they will prompt you to create an account. The account creation process is quick and seamless, requiring only your name and email address.
Inside your account, you’ll be recommended a treatment plan based on your symptoms. Before you commit to the treatment recommended, you’ll be given the opportunity to chat with one of Winona’s board-certified doctors.
If you feel comfortable with the treatment and satisfied with your conversation with the doctor, you will then be able to move forward with ordering your treatment. Winona will set up a subscription for you that has your prescribed medications shipped directly to your door each month.
If at any time you want to cancel your subscription, you can do so by utilizing the live chat link inside the patient portal. A Winona representative will cancel your subscription for you, no questions asked.
My Experience With Winona
Coming into Winona, I was pretty skeptical about whether or not these treatments would be a good fit for me as I am on the younger side and wouldn’t necessarily consider myself in perimenopause. That being said, I was experiencing many of the symptoms that are associated with perimenopause and was willing to do whatever it took to see relief.
Once I completed the Winona quiz, I was met with a message stating that Winona believed they would indeed be able to help me with my symptoms. I created an account and began the process of speaking with a Winona doctor.
My main concern was that Winona appeared to be prescribing medications without first doing any type of testing. I was definitely concerned about this and wanted to ask a lot of questions before I consented to any treatment being sent my way.
I was connected to Winona’s Dr. Michael Green via chat. I asked him why they don’t do any testing and if he would be willing to look over some recent blood and urine tests that I had done. He explained that Winona treats based on self-reported symptoms as traditional hormone testing results can be wildly inaccurate. He was happy to review my recent test results as well.
After sending the results to him, he replied that he didn’t see anything terribly alarming with them and that, based on my symptoms, he still felt that the treatment plan Winona had recommended for me would still be a great place to start.
Winona recommended that I begin taking progesterone and DHEA. I asked a few additional questions regarding the treatments recommended for me, and ultimately, I was satisfied with Dr. Green’s response. Although I was skeptical about treatment that wasn’t based on actual testing results, his explanation was knowledgeable and made sense to me.
Getting Started With My HRT Treatment
After wrapping up with the doctor, my prescriptions were approved and shipped to me quickly. I was excited but also a bit nervous to start the treatments. I really didn’t know what to expect.

I was prescribed the 50/50 Estrogen + Progesterone Cream alone with DHEA. The Estrogen + Progesterone Body Cream contains two forms of estrogen, estradiol, and estriol. These hormones are the same as the ones your body creates naturally, which is why they are called “bio-identical.”


The instructions for the body cream were to apply two pumps to my skin (they recommended the forearm area) each day, rubbing in fully to ensure it’s absorbed. This product is really easy to use and not intimidating at all. I started applying it to my forearms each morning.



In addition to the 50/50 body cream, I started taking DHEA every day. The DHEA prescription is a small daily capsule. I take my daily DHEA with my breakfast each morning.



Initially, I didn’t notice any changes in my body, nor did I expect to as I know it takes some time for the hormones to kick in. I continued to stay consistent with using both prescriptions and by the end of week two, I was starting to feel better.
My Results Using Winona
Now that I’ve been using Winona for about 3 months and am experiencing positive results, I feel confident and comfortable sharing my experience with you.
Once I got to weeks 3 and beyond with my treatment, I really started to notice that things were changing for me. I felt less irritable, calmer, and more in control of my body and reactions. I wasn’t finding myself with an insatiable appetite as often, therefore, I was better able to control my diet and therefore my weight.
One positive benefit that I wasn’t expecting was that I started to sleep better. I fell asleep more easily at night and woke up feeling more rested in the morning. Plus, I wasn’t waking up in the middle of the night anymore (unless I had to pee haha).
My Winona treatments were helping me to feel more in control of my body and mind again, which ultimately helped me to get back on track with my goals. Since starting Winona 3 months ago, I’ve lost 10 lbs and am feeling better than I have in a really long time.
Side Effects
Of course, I want to be upfront with you, my journey with Winona hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies, there have been a few side effects. The first side effect that I noticed was that I had some breast changes. My breasts are tender and sensitive at certain times of the month, which was new to me.
I also experienced a slight amount of nausea from time to time as well as a few headaches. These side effects weren’t bad enough that would warrant me stopping the medication, but they were definitely noticeable and I believe can be attributed to the HRT.
Overall, the positive side effects of Winona far outweighed the few negative ones that I have experienced.
Am I Still Taking Winona?
Yes, as I am writing this review, I am still staying consistent with my Winona medications. My one hesitation and fear is that I will become reliant on HRT and I am not sure how that will affect my health as I age. Being so young to start HRT, I am curious if there will be any negative repercussions down the road.
For now, I plan to continue taking Winona HRT because it has helped me feel like my hormones are regulated and my body can chill out a bit. I also find Winona to be very convenient and affordable.
FAQs On Winona
Winona uses bio-identical hormones derived from yams.
The monthly cost of Winona HRT depends on what the doctor prescribes you. The popular 50/50 Estrogen + Progesterone Cream costs $89/month, Estrogen Tablets cost $54/month, Progesterone capsules cost $39/month, and DHEA costs $27/3 months.
Some medical plans may cover the cost of your prescription Winona treatments, however, it varies greatly between plans and circumstances. If you’d like to see if your medical insurance plan will cover your Winona HRT, contact them to find out.
In general, Winona recommends that you use your HRT consistently for at least 3 months to begin experiencing positive results. However, most women (myself included) find that results begin to appear even sooner.
Final Thoughts and Encouragement
If you’re a woman who is struggling with very common hormone-related issues and who feels like you’ve tried everything to no avail, giving Winona a try will probably be well worth your time.
I can’t tell you how many women (mostly my fitness and nutrition clients) have shared with me how dismayed they are with the healthcare system that seems to dismiss their concerns. As women, we know our bodies. We know when something feels off or not quite right. And to be told by a doctor that we’re fine or that the way we feel is just a part of aging is incredibly frustrating and disheartening.
Winona is the first and only medical provider that provided me with a solution to my problems with no questions asked. I told them how I felt, and what symptoms I was dealing with and they provided me with a real solution instantly. They didn’t ask me to run a battery of tests or give it more time, they believed me and prescribed me a solution.
This is so refreshing in a world where menopause is downplayed and written off as a rite of passage to becoming a mature adult woman. No woman should have to spend her years struggling with unwanted symptoms and be made to feel like she’s crazy.
I’m very grateful for Winona and the service they are providing for women.