Program 01
Prescription · Requires ConsultationHormone Optimization
Written by the Elevate Clinical Team
Citations independently verified against PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and FDA sources on . Independent clinical review pending.
The system that runs every other system.
Hormones set the ceiling on energy, mood, cognition, strength, sleep and libido. Almost everything else we do works better once this layer is right, which is why hormone optimization is the first thing we build and the last thing we compromise on. Most patients are told they're 'within range' while living well below their own baseline. We treat the person and the panel together — sex hormones, thyroid, adrenal output and the binding proteins that decide how much of it your tissue can actually use — and every prescription is filled through a licensed compounding pharmacy under a physician's care.
Who it's for
- Women in perimenopause or the decade before it, told it's just stress
- Women with hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, low libido or lost strength
- Men with declining energy, drive, strength or morning function
- Patients told their labs are 'normal' while symptoms persist
- Anyone already on therapy who has never been properly titrated
What's included
- 65-biomarker panel: sex hormones, thyroid, adrenal, metabolic and binding proteins
- Physician video visit to review every value line by line
- Bioidentical hormone therapy compounded and dosed to your physiology
- Symptom tracking alongside labs — how you feel is data
- Quarterly recalibration draws at Quest and dose adjustment
What changes
- Hot flashes and night sweats resolved, sleep restored
- Libido, arousal and sexual function back online
- Mental clarity, mood stability and word-finding back to baseline
- Muscle, bone density and metabolic rate protected through the transition
- Stable all-day energy, without stimulants propping it up
The foundation
Get this layer right and everything else follows.
Women don't have to white-knuckle menopause
The one thing that changes the entire experience is estradiol — and whether it is replaced, when it is started, and at what dose. For two decades, a misread 2002 study convinced a generation of physicians and patients that hormone therapy was dangerous. The trial studied older women, years past their final period, using oral conjugated estrogens and a synthetic progestin. Subsequent reanalysis and the professional societies that followed it tell a very different story for symptomatic women in perimenopause and the early postmenopausal window: for most, benefits outweigh risks, and treatment is not something to endure your way around. Perimenopause can begin ten years before the last period, which is exactly when women are most often dismissed.
Hot flashes and night sweats
The most reliably treated symptom of all — usually the first to go.
Sleep
Progesterone and stabilized estradiol restore the sleep that fixes everything else.
Brain fog and mood
Estradiol acts on the brain; clarity, word-finding and mood steadiness typically follow.
Libido and comfort
Addressed at the root — including local therapy that carries its own separate safety profile.
Bone and muscle
Bone loss accelerates sharply at menopause; hormones plus training protect the frame.
Cardiometabolic drift
Visceral fat, lipids and insulin sensitivity all shift in this window and can be tracked.
Men: direct, measured, dialed in
Testosterone is not a shortcut and it is not a lifestyle drug — it is a measured deficiency with a measured correction. We confirm it with morning labs drawn twice, look at free and total testosterone, SHBG, estradiol, thyroid, hematocrit and prostate markers, and only then discuss therapy. Dosing is conservative, protocol-driven and reassessed quarterly. If fertility matters, we plan for it up front rather than fixing it later.
Energy and drive
All-day output that doesn't depend on caffeine and adrenaline.
Libido and function
Treated at the cause: testosterone, estradiol, thyroid, vascular health, sleep.
Strength and recovery
Training adaptation that finally keeps pace with the work you put in.
Focus and mood
Sharper thinking and a steadier emotional baseline.
Body composition
Lean mass preserved while visceral fat comes off.
Fertility preservation
Planned from day one when it matters, not salvaged afterward.
How we actually dose it
Every hormone we prescribe is bioidentical and dispensed by a licensed compounding pharmacy — that is the only channel we use for this program. Compounding lets us match the molecule and the dose to your physiology instead of the nearest commercial strength, and it lets us change one variable at a time. We start low, re-measure, and adjust against both your labs and your symptoms. Pharmacy availability, formulations and applicable requirements change over time, and your protocol changes with them.
Estradiol
Transdermal or as clinically indicated, dosed to symptom control.
Progesterone
Micronized and cycle-aware; supports sleep and protects the uterine lining.
Testosterone
Men and, at far lower physiologic doses, women where clinically appropriate.
Thyroid support
Only when the full panel — not TSH alone — says it belongs.
DHEA and adrenal
Evaluated as part of the whole axis, not treated in isolation.
Re-measurement
Quarterly labs at Quest so every change is proven, not assumed.
Worth your time
What the leading voices in hormone medicine are actually saying.
Independent clinicians and researchers, not our marketing. Watch before your visit — the conversation gets much better when you already know the landscape.
The Truth About Estrogen: What the Women's Health Initiative Got Wrong
Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD
Why a single misread study shaped twenty years of hormone advice — and what changed.
Watch →Huberman LabHow to Navigate Menopause & Perimenopause for Maximum Health & Vitality
Dr. Mary Claire Haver with Dr. Andrew Huberman
A long-form primer on the transition, symptoms and the treatment window that matters most.
Watch →The DriveWomen's sexual health, menopause and hormone replacement therapy
Dr. Rachel Rubin with Dr. Peter Attia
Libido, genitourinary symptoms and the local therapies most women are never offered.
Watch →YouTubeTestosterone for Women: Myths, Truths and Real Benefits
Dr. Kelly Casperson, MD
Where testosterone fits for women, at physiologic dosing, and where it doesn't.
Watch →Linked for education only. These clinicians are not affiliated with Elevate Chicago and none of this is medical advice or a substitute for a physician evaluation.
Educational reference
Compounds that work in unison.
Hormones come first. These are the compounds sometimes discussed alongside hormone therapy once that foundation is set — they support the axis, they don't replace it.
Important sourcing & research notice
Hormone therapy is prescription care. Every hormone we prescribe is dispensed through an appropriately licensed compounding pharmacy, and we use FDA-approved medications for their approved indications when applicable. FDA-registered 503B outsourcing facilities may be used when applicable. Pharmacy status, formulations and availability can change as federal and state requirements change.
When a suitable prescription formulation is not legally available through a compounding pharmacy, certain compounds may be offered separately by Elevate Chicago strictly for lawful laboratory or research use. These products are not FDA-approved medications, are not prescribed or dispensed as medical care, and are not intended for human or animal consumption or for the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of disease. Buyers are responsible for using them only for lawful research and for complying with all applicable requirements. Nothing on this page is medical advice or a substitute for a physician evaluation.
Gonadorelin
Discussed to preserve natural testicular signaling on testosterone therapy
Read the one-pagerhCG
Fertility and endogenous production support when preserving both matters
Kisspeptin-10
Investigational upstream HPG-axis signaling research
Read the one-pagerIpamorelin / Sermorelin
Growth-hormone-axis education alongside sex-hormone therapy
PT-141 (Bremelanotide)
Central arousal pathway; FDA-approved bremelanotide has a specific indication
Read the one-pagerCOMPOUNDED — NOT FDA-APPROVEDOxytocin
Signaling involved in arousal, connection and response
Read the one-pagerFrequently asked questions.
- What is the Hormone Optimization program?
- Hormones set the ceiling on energy, mood, cognition, strength, sleep and libido. Almost everything else we do works better once this layer is right, which is why hormone optimization is the first thing we build and the last thing we compromise on. Most patients are told they're 'within range' while living well below their own baseline. We treat the person and the panel together — sex hormones, thyroid, adrenal output and the binding proteins that decide how much of it your tissue can actually use — and every prescription is filled through a licensed compounding pharmacy under a physician's care.
- Who is Hormone Optimization for?
- It is built for women in perimenopause or the decade before it, told it's just stress; women with hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, low libido or lost strength; men with declining energy, drive, strength or morning function; patients told their labs are 'normal' while symptoms persist; anyone already on therapy who has never been properly titrated.
- What is included?
- 65-biomarker panel: sex hormones, thyroid, adrenal, metabolic and binding proteins; Physician video visit to review every value line by line; Bioidentical hormone therapy compounded and dosed to your physiology; Symptom tracking alongside labs — how you feel is data; Quarterly recalibration draws at Quest and dose adjustment. Everything is delivered virtually — the only in-person step is your blood draw at a Quest patient service center.
- What changes if the protocol is working?
- Hot flashes and night sweats resolved, sleep restored; Libido, arousal and sexual function back online; Mental clarity, mood stability and word-finding back to baseline; Muscle, bone density and metabolic rate protected through the transition; Stable all-day energy, without stimulants propping it up. Progress is measured against your own baseline labs at follow-up, not against an average.
- How do I start, and what does it cost up front?
- A $100 application fee reserves your intake and is credited in full toward your baseline labs. From there it is a Quest draw, a video visit with your clinician, a written protocol, and ongoing monitoring with follow-up panels.
Sources
- 1.Testosterone therapy in men with hypogonadism — clinical practice guideline— Endocrine Society
- 2.Compounding and the FDA: questions and answers— U.S. Food & Drug Administration
- 3.Test directory and patient service center locator— Quest Diagnostics
- 4.Telehealth policy and licensure requirements— U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
About this page
Written by the Elevate Clinical Team
Citations independently verified against PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and FDA sources on . Independent clinical review pending. Educational content only — not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell any prescription product.
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