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A patient friendly UK guide to gels, injections, oral testosterone and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Clinical review, September 2026. Choosing the right testosterone preparation for hypogonadism A UK guide to the available options, their advantages, their drawbacks—and why the “best” testosterone is usually the one that best fits the person using it. You have been told that your testosterone is genuinely low. The symptoms fit. The blood tests agree. Then comes the

Same hormone. Different clocks. How two modified-release hydrocortisone medicines try to return cortisol to the right hour—and why timing may matter as much as dose. Two medicines, one molecule—and two very different approaches to the 24-hour cortisol rhythm. THE SHORT ANSWER Both medicines contain hydrocortisone. Plenadren is taken on waking and recreates cortisol mainly during the day. Efmody is taken at bedtime and again in the morning, allowing cortisol to begin rising b

The body does not simply make cortisol; it keeps time with it. CORTISOL, CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS & CHRONOTHERAPY Why replacing cortisol is not only about giving the right hormone, but helping it arrive at the right moment. Most medicines are judged by a familiar question: how much should we give? Hormones make the question more interesting. With hormones, timing can matter almost as much as dose. Cortisol is not meant to sit at one steady level all day. It follows a carefully chore

From insulin resistance to Mounjaro (tirzepatide) An evidence-based, patient-friendly guide to weight, insulin resistance, metformin and modern weight-management medicines. Evidence reviewed: 31 August 2026 PCOS is not simply an ovary problem The ovaries may have made it into the name, but PCOS is rather fond of involving the whole body. For some women, the most troublesome part of PCOS is excess facial hair or acne. For others, it is irregular periods or difficulty becoming

PCOS Beyond the Usual Checklist: Mood, Sleep and Quality of Life Because feeling well is part of treatment - not the optional extra PCOS is often discussed as a checklist: periods, hair growth, acne, weight, blood sugar and fertility. Those items matter, but they do not describe what it feels like to live inside the condition. PCOS can affect confidence, sleep, relationships, concentration, energy and the amount of mental space occupied by food, appearance or pregnancy worrie

PCOS, Irregular Periods and Endometrial Protection: What Actually Keeps the Womb Lining Safe? A patient-friendly, evidence-based guide Long gaps between periods are common in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). They can seem like a minor inconvenience - or even a welcome saving on period products. Unfortunately, the womb lining does not always interpret a quiet calendar as a holiday. In 2026, the NHS began using the new name polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). This

Evidence reviewed: September 2026 PCOS and Fertility: Excellent Treatments, Realistic Hope and a Clear Route to Pregnancy Difficulty becoming pregnant is often the most frightening part of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A diagnosis can make it sound as though the ovaries are permanently closed for business. In reality, PCOS commonly causes a problem with timing and egg release, not an absence of eggs. That distinction matters because difficulty ovulating is one of the most

A friendly, evidence-based guide to unwanted hair, acne and scalp-hair thinning The short version: Treat the feature that is troubling you, combine symptom-directed care with hormone-directed care when appropriate, and give hair treatments enough time to work. Hair follicles are many things, but punctual is not one of them. “Hyperandrogenism” is a large word for three rather different problems Androgens are hormones made by everyone. In PCOS, androgen levels may be higher tha

PCOS treatment: start with the question that matters most Because PCOS is not one problem - and it does not come with one universal treatment plan PCOS Treatment Unpacked: Which of the Five Routes Is Yours? The question to ask yourself: What is PCOS making most difficult for me right now? PCOS has arrived with a group chat PCOS rarely sends just one tidy symptom and waits patiently for an appointment. It is more likely to arrive with a group chat: unpredictable periods, unwan

Levothyroxine Not Working? Here's What Science Says About Adding T3 A patient-friendly guide to combination therapy, desiccated thyroid extract and pregnancy Evidence reviewed: September 2026 Most people with hypothyroidism are treated with levothyroxine, a synthetic form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4). The body normally converts T4 into the more active hormone triiodothyronine (T3). For most people, that arrangement works well. Some, however, continue to experience ti