Dr. Lauren Wostrel

04/16/2026

🧬 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐈𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐁𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can be life-changing when used appropriately. I’ve seen it help both men and women regain energy, improve mood, support metabolic health, and overall feel more like themselves again.

But like any medical treatment, it’s not “set it and forget it.”

One pattern I’ve noticed over time — across different care settings — is that sometimes hormone therapy is started, but ongoing monitoring doesn’t always happen the way it should.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰:
🧪 Labs should be part of your care plan
When starting or adjusting hormones, labs help ensure levels are therapeutic — not too low, and not too high.
👩 For women on HRT:
Once stable on a consistent dose and feeling well, labs are often checked about once a year (sometimes sooner depending on symptoms or changes).
👨 For men on testosterone therapy (TRT):
Monitoring needs to be more frequent.
Typically, labs every 3–4 months is appropriate.

⚠️ 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞?
Testosterone therapy can increase red blood cell production, which in some cases leads to secondary polycythemia; a condition where the blood becomes thicker.
If not monitored, this can increase the risk of complications such as clotting events.

This doesn’t mean TRT is “bad.”
It means it needs to be managed intentionally and monitored appropriately.

💡 Bottom line:
If you are on hormone therapy, it’s reasonable to ask:
“How often should my labs be checked?”
“What specifically are we monitoring?”
“What risks are we watching for over time?”

Good medicine isn’t just starting treatment; it’s walking with patients over time and adjusting safely along the way.

𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.

02/19/2026

As a doctor, I do prescribe weight loss medications when appropriate. But after my last baby, I chose to focus on my own habits: nutrition, movement, sleep, and consistency, without pharmaceuticals.

I’m sharing my weight graph from the past year to normalize something important:

Weight loss is not a straight line down.

There are plateaus.
There are bumps up.

Right now, I’m about 4 pounds up from my pre-Thanksgiving baseline. And that’s okay.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we celebrate around food, family, and community. A 2–4 pound fluctuation during that time, especially in the winter months when activity naturally decreases is normal.

If your weight is up a few pounds right now, you’re not failing. You’re human.

Progress is built over months and years and not ruined by one season.

Consistency over perfection. Keep going!

02/11/2026

When mom is a doctor… 🧸🩺
You don’t panic when a stuffed animal loses an ear.
You grab suture and fix it.

Raising kids alongside medicine is never boring.

01/30/2026

🦠 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐦𝐞

When people say, “It can’t hurt to try an antibiotic,” I gently disagree.

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮:
📈 Antibiotic resistance is rising.
In the U.S. alone, antibiotic-resistant infections affect over 2.8 million people each year and cause 35,000+ deaths annually. Globally, resistance continues to increase year over year.

But there’s another consequence that’s discussed far less:
🦠 Antibiotics don’t just kill ‘bad’ bacteria — they disrupt the gut microbiome.

Your gut bacteria play a critical role in:
- Immune system regulation
- Inflammation control
- Digestion and nutrient absorption
- Metabolic and hormonal balance

Even a single course of antibiotics can alter the gut microbiome for months. Repeated or unnecessary exposure increases the risk of:
- Chronic GI symptoms
- Food sensitivities
- Recurrent infections
- Inflammatory and metabolic issues

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 “𝐧𝐨” 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞. Sometimes the most responsible care is restraint — protecting your future health instead of offering a quick fix today.

𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴: 𝘊𝘋𝘊 – 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘞𝘏𝘖 – 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘕𝘐𝘏 – 𝘎𝘶𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵

01/28/2026

🩺 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: “𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜”

During residency, I was in family medicine outpatient clinic presenting a patient with classic cold symptoms — congestion, runny nose, cough.
This was pre-COVID, and the diagnosis was clear: viral upper respiratory infection.

I explained this to my attending.
The patient, however, insisted they NEEDED an antibiotic.

The attending agreed it was viral… then said:
“To make him happy, just go ahead and give him a Z-Pac.”

That moment stuck with me — because this happens frequently in family medicine clinics, urgent cares, and ERs.

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢:
🦠 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬.
Colds, most bronchitis, most cases of pink eye and many ear infections are viral. Antibiotics don’t shorten illness, prevent spread, or help recovery.

📉 Yet up to 25–30% of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary and even dangerous.

Why does this keep happening?
Because 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 — and the long-term consequences are real.

➡️ In the next post, I’ll explain how unnecessary antibiotics don’t just fuel resistance — they can damage your gut microbiome and immune system in ways most patients are never warned about.

𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳: 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯.
𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴: 𝘊𝘋𝘊 – 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘜𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴
𝘊𝘋𝘊 – 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵

01/27/2026

I saw a headline today that I can’t bring myself to read:
“16-𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳-𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦.”

As someone who trained in a trauma hospital, I don’t really read headline like this.
I feel them.
I feel the room going quiet.
I feel the moment when medical teams realize there is nothing more that can be done.
And I remember the conversations with parents and family members in situations that were sudden, devastating, and entirely preventable.

These moments in medicine stay with you forever.

Please hear this not as judgment, but as a plea from someone who has seen the aftermath:
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.

All it would have taken was one person to step up and say:
“𝙃𝙚𝙮 𝙜𝙪𝙮𝙨… 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖. 𝙒𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨.”

Fun should never come at the cost of safety.
Thrills are not worth lifelong grief.

Please be careful. Please protect each other.
And please don’t put yourself—or others—into situations that can never be undone.

01/26/2026

Please remember to only get out if you absolutely have to.
Dr. Lyman and I both trained in a Level II trauma center in California, and we saw firsthand what happens when icy conditions meet high-speed roadways — especially when Interstate 5 iced over through the Grapevine. The injuries were severe, sudden, and often life-altering. Many of them were completely preventable. (This snow and ice is worse than what would happen through the Grapevine.)

⚠️ No errand, appointment, or obligation is worth risking your life or someone else’s.

If you can stay home, please do. If you must travel, slow down, allow extra distance, and assume every bridge and shaded area is icy.

Your safety matters — to your family, your community, and to us.

Stay safe.

Missouri Department of Transportation and local road districts have worked tirelessly around the clock since this storm started to clear the roadways. Even with their efforts, roads are still very slick. Remember to only get out if you absolutely have to!

01/19/2026

True story 🤣

01/01/2026

The New Year often arrives carrying a quiet pressure:
Fix yourself. Do better. Try harder.

For many people, that pressure shows up as food rules, aggressive workout plans, or unrealistic expectations that fade by February. But true health — the kind that lasts — is rarely built through extremes.

This year, we encourage a different kind of reset. . . .

Read more 👇

Rethink New Year’s health goals with a whole-person approach that supports mental, physical, and nervous system health—without extremes or burnout.

12/23/2025

🎁 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 🎄

This week, let’s remember one simple truth: the best gift you can give this season is 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆. 😉

The holidays aren’t about the perfect dinner, the perfect gifts, or the perfectly timed photos. They’re about being present with the people who matter most — friends, family, and especially little ones who grow up faster than we realize.

Moms, take a deep breath: wrapping paper on the floor? That’s okay. Missed a picture of someone opening a gift? That’s okay too — they still got to enjoy the moment.

The real magic happens when we slow down, soak in the laughter, the hugs, the little moments that can’t be wrapped up or scheduled. Treasure the presence, not just the presents. 💛

This week, give yourself permission to enjoy the season as it comes — messy, imperfect, and beautiful.

12/23/2025

🎄 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🎄

As we head into Christmas week, I want to encourage anyone who’s working on healthier habits; especially if food feels stressful this time of year.

You do not have to give up cinnamon rolls to make progress.
You just don’t need to eat four of them for breakfast 😉

This plate (pictured here from Thanksgiving morning) is a great example of what balance can look like—and it’s perfect for something like Christmas morning after gifts are opened:
• One small cinnamon roll (less than 140 calories, go light on the icing)
• ½ cup blueberries + ~⅓ of a banana
• One Chobani yogurt

Here’s the key lesson: 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮—𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.

The carb (the cinnamon roll) was already going to happen. Instead of skipping it and feeling deprived, I added:
✔️ Protein (yogurt)
✔️ Fiber, volume, and micronutrients (fruit)

This combination helps with:
⚖️ Blood sugar stability
😌 Satiety (you actually feel full)
🚫🍪 Fewer cravings later in the day

𝑬𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆:
Calories: ~350–380 calories
Protein: ~15 grams

👉 If you don’t love yogurt, you can absolutely swap it for two eggs, which is roughly equivalent in calories and protein.

Healthy eating during the holidays isn’t about perfection. It’s about 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞—learning how to enjoy festive foods without turning the whole day into a sugar crash.

Progress doesn’t stop in December.
Sometimes it just has a cinnamon swirl in it ❤️

12/19/2025

😳 charged for the removal of 2 appendixes!

💸 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠.

This infographic was created by Goodbill, a company that reviews hospital bills to find errors, overcharges, and pricing that simply doesn’t make sense — like:
• Being billed for two appendectomies (you only have one)
• A $309 pregnancy test charged to a male patient
• A $20,000 chest CT when typical pricing can be a fraction of that ($200-600)

Goodbill helps patients by reviewing itemized hospital bills and negotiating directly with hospitals when mistakes or inflated charges are found.

👉 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
Goodbill’s hospital bill review and negotiation service is available to our patients at 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩.

👉 For everyone else:
Goodbill is still available to the public — there is simply a fee associated with the service.

Medical billing is confusing, opaque, and often incorrect. Tools like this exist because patients deserve transparency and fair pricing — not surprise bills that don’t add up.