I have been very open about the fact that I tried HRT last year for perimenopause symptoms. Even though I had just turned 35, I was already starting to show signs of perimenopause. Of course, it doesn’t help that I’ve had hormone-related problems my whole adult life, thanks to PCOS.

After spending a lot of time and money with a naturopathic doctor and doing a full panel of testing, it was determined that I might benefit from HRT. My doctor didn’t prescribe it directly, so I was left to my own devices to find a provider. 

Two of the platforms that I found and researched were Winona and Alloy. I ended up using both (for different medications), which has allowed me the unique opportunity to share my experience with using both telehealth platforms with you. 

In this article, I’ll share my experience of using both Winona and Alloy with you so if you’re in the market for a reliable HRT provider online, you can decide which of these options makes the most sense for you. 

Why Winona and Alloy?

After deciding that I’d like to explore HRT options for treatment, I went ahead and started searching for an online provider that I could go through. I don’t carry traditional health insurance; therefore, finding an online provider that offered out-of-pocket pricing was the best way for me to go. Plus, I love the convenience of being able to get the whole thing done from the comfort of my home and having the prescriptions delivered to my doorstep.

After my very first search, it became immediately clear that Winona and Alloy were two of the top providers alongside Midi Health (which I already compared Midi to Winona here). I can say that I was most definitely drawn to Winona because it was very focused on HRT specifically. I also happened to find Winona’s online community of women, which was bursting with testimonials, support, and community encouragement.

Alloy also offered very similar HRT treatments but also had additional treatments for hair, skin, and gut health, making them a bit more of a comprehensive aging women’s health resource. I was intrigued by Alloy’s hair and skin treatments. I had used Tretnonion in the past and liked the way my skin looked as a result of the treatment, but I didn’t keep up with it. Now that I was getting into my mid-late thirties, I wanted to start taking better care of my skin again to protect against aging.

Ultimately, I knew I wanted to explore HRT with Winona because something about the brand really pulled me in, especially when I saw all of the community and medical professional support. I also had been wanting to get a prescription for Tretinoin, which Winona didn’t offer, so I decided to go through Alloy for that instead of trying to make an appointment with a local dermatologist.

Taking the First Steps With Winona

I started by taking Winona’s quiz, I was given a result that indicated that HRT was probably a good fit for my symptoms (keep in mind that I was still very skeptical! I was only 35). I knew that I wanted to speak directly with a doctor at Winona before I consented to any treatment, so I was happy when the next step was to create an account and get inside the dashboard, where I’d have the opportunity to do so.

Winona doesn’t have you speak face to face with a doctor, you get to chat with them securely on the portal.  I had the option to chat with the doctor before confirming the medications that they were recommending to me. I was connecting with Dr. Michael Green (you might recognize him as the face of both Winona and Willow). I asked him to please review my labs for me before we went ahead with treatment.

As a side note, Winona is not the type of company that has you go through a battery of tests before prescribing, they take a “prescribe and then adjust” approach. I think there are pros and cons to this, but I felt good knowing that I already had the testing done. Dr. Green was happy to review my test results but did mention that the hormone levels in these tests are “very inaccurate” and therefore not particularly helpful and that HRT is best adjusted based on symptoms. 

He reviewed my tests and let me know that while I appeared to be in excellent health and that nothing stood out to him as grossly abnormal, he did think that I would benefit from a small amount of estrogen and progesterone cream along with DHEA. I felt satisfied with his assessment and recommendation, so I went ahead and asked him to send my prescription over. I was excited and a tad nervous to start this new treatment plan as I was eager to feel more “balanced” when it came to my hormones.

Winona Results

My Winona treatments came to my doorstep shortly after ordering them. I began treatment immediately, using both medications as prescribed. I was given a one-month supply with 2 months of refills (so 3 months total). 

I didn’t really notice anything until about 25-30 days into treatment when I started to feel calmer, less irritable, and more in control of my body in general. I also noticed that my hunger hormones were more regulated, not feeling an intense hunger so often, which helped me to control my diet better and ultimately allowed me to lose the 10 lbs I was struggling with. 

I also took note that my sleep was improving. Prior to treatment, I found myself waking up at night frequently, and sometimes, racing thoughts wouldn’t allow me to go back to sleep. With Winona, I fell asleep more easily at night and did not wake up too many times during the night. I was actually feeling rested, which was probably a big factor in my improved mood and decrease in overall irritability.

I ended up taking Winona for the 3 months of my initial prescription, but I didn’t renew it. While I saw great improvement in my hormones, I wanted to test out what my body would do if I stopped the treatments. To be honest, I am still so young that taking a daily menopause medication didn’t sit completely right with me. I wanted to see if I could maintain my results. 

It’s been about 6 months since my last Winona treatment, and I am happy to say that I am still feeling really good. I’m not a doctor (obviously), so I am not recommending that you stop treatment as I’m sure that’s not what they would have advised; however, it seemed to have worked for me. I feel as though it was almost a reset for my body, and I’m really happy with the results.

Taking the First Steps With Alloy 

Even though I had already gone ahead with Winona for HRT, I figured I’d check out Alloy’s process as well to see if they recommended the same treatment. I went through Alloy’s quiz process, and it was quite a bit more in-depth than Winona’s, which I kind of liked. At the end of the quiz, my next step was to set up a doctor consultation for a one-time $49 fee (which I didn’t like, haha). 

I didn’t go through with the HRT from Alloy as it wasn’t as “easy” as it was with Winona (also, I had already committed to Winona). I ended up re-doing the quiz and asking for skincare medications only. I think those who would like the security and peace of mind of speaking face-to-face with a doctor will probably like Alloy’s approach. It’s a bummer that they make you pay $49 for the appointment, though, because what if you end up not being a good match for HRT?

With my new quiz results for skincare only, the process was really simple. No need for a doctor consultation, so I moved right through to creating an account and getting prescribed Tretinoin Face Cream and M4 Estriol Face Cream. I was prescribed 3 months' worth of cream at once, which was nice. The checkout process was easy, and I never had to consult with a doctor on anything for just the skin creams.

Wrapping Up/Key Things to Know

If you came here looking for advice on whether you should choose Winona or Alloy for HRT, the things that I want you to take away are these:

• Winona makes getting HRT very simple and straightforward.
• Alloy charges a one-time fee of $49 to consult with a doctor face-to-face before being prescribed medication.
• Alloy offers more than just HRT. 
• Winona has an incredible online community that you can jump right into for community and support.
• Winona has a sister company, Willow, which offers GLP-1 medications that many Winona patients use alongside their HRT for enhanced weight loss (you can get 50% off your Willow treatment if you mention Winona!!)
• Both Winona and Alloy will help you with HRT and make sure your symptoms are managed and controlled, but one is easier to access than the other (which could be a positive or a negative, depending on how you look at it). 
• Pricing through both companies is similar (minus the $49 consult fee from Alloy).
• Neither company takes insurance.
• You’ll feel supported by both companies.

I hope this helps on your journey to feeling better! If you’ve tried either of these companies or are planning to, feel free to drop a comment - let’s connect!