Dr AMy Killen Contact +NEW - Dr. Amy B. Killen

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dr.amybkillen

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Sep 14

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Brexanalone is the perfect example of a drug company taking advantage of our lack of appropriate sex hormone education.

Oral progesterone readily gets metabolized into allopregnanolone (ALLO) in the liver. 🥳

Allopregnanolone then acts on GABA receptors to calm you down and help you sleep.

ALLO is useful in postpartum depression but there's no reason to pay $34,000 for a hormone that your body can easily make from plain old micronized progesterone. ✅

Unfortunately, we only have a few small studies that have looked at using progesterone for PPD so, while many doctors have used it with success for years, we're lacking strong clinical trials.

We need to do better. Much better. 🌿

Share this with someone who might benefit! 🙏

P.S. Brexanalone was removed from the U.S market in early 2025 and replaced with Zuranolone, a synthetic version of allopregnanolone that is taken orally and only costs $15,900 for a 14-day supply. 🤔

P.P.S. Thanks to Neil Rouzier for teaching me about progesterone for PPD. @worldlinkmedical

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dr.amybkillen

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Aug 26

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Is menopause life threatening? 🤔

Or should we just ignore it and only treat "real" endocrine problems?

It's not a pissing match, doctors! ❎

We can treat menopause AND other endocrine diseases.

It's 2025 - get with the program and stop delaying women's care to LIFE SAVING and LIFE CHANGING hormone therapy. 💯

@menopausetaylor

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dr.amybkillen

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Nov 16

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Dear Mom... 🌹

I'm sorry your doctor made you feel guilty for taking estradiol and progesterone.

I'm sorry your doctor was not up to date on the literature.

I'm sorry that the FDA's warning label on estrogen made the misinformation around hormone therapy worse.

I appreciate that you listened to me, despite the fear they threw at you.

I'm grateful that at age 79 you have no ongoing medical problems, have a clear mind, clean arteries and a responsive metabolism.

I hope your GP doctor sees what a healthy woman looks like and stops making women feel guilty for choosing to make hormone therapy a part of their longevity programs. 🌷

Love, Amy

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dr.amybkillen

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Sep 20

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It's been a wild ride! 🎢

I left Emergency Medicine in 2013 to practice a type of medicine that very few doctors understood.

My physician friends made fun of me (some still do). My checkbook hated me. It was all a huge gamble. 😩

But, my husband and kids believed in me and stuck by me during all of the moves, the paycheck-less years, and the many identity crises.

Thank you to those who took a chance on me along the way (see below). 🙏

What "unhinged" things have you done on your path to living your dream? ❓

P.S. Thanks for the post inspiration @nataliecrawfordmd

@docere_clinics @harry.adelson @humanauthealth @killen8 @littlebrown
@shinetalentgroup @mindvalley @apex_biologix

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dr.amybkillen

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Dec 9

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‼️ Once you hear this, you can't go back.

😓 You think a night sweats are “just part of being a woman”
Think again.
🧠 Your blood vessels are in the corner doing the Harlem Shake and leaving little micro-strokes as souvenirs.

What's most alarming?
👀 The medical community has known this for years.

🤔 So why are they still letting women suffer?

Want to dive in deeper? Check out yesterday's Substack.
Comment "SUBSTACK" to get it DMed right to you!

✅ SHARE this post with your friends, family and doctor!

P.S. Correction - it's "white matter hyperintensities" not hyperdensities. Apologies for the confusion. ✅
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Source: https://shorturl.at/PXwEi

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dr.amybkillen

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Dec 6

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Should I take progesterone? 🤔

It's not ALWAYS a "yes" (sometimes it's a "Hell Yes").

If you're asking the question, chances are the answer is Yes.

Signed, Amy Killen MD, Unpaid Chief Publicity Officer of the International Progesterone Lobby 🥰

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dr.amybkillen

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Oct 2

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How do the doses of hormone therapy affect endometrial thickness (and endometrial cancer risk)? 🤔

This new study by Glynne and @menopause_doctor had some surprising findings as discussed in the video.

My only wish is that they'd looked at the estradiol to progesterone ratios vs endometrial thickness and not just hormone doses and estradiol serum levels. 🥳

I did a deep dive on this study and reviewed some key info about preventing endometrial cancer in this week's Substack so check it out. ✅

Thoughts? ❓

P.S. Do you want to learn more about how GLP-1 medications (ex: Ozempic) affect cancer risk in women? If so, let me know below! 👇

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dr.amybkillen

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Aug 8

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Menopause symptoms aren't caused by a steak and sunshine deficiency. 🥩

Because menopausal symptoms occur due to a systemic drop in estrogen, women have had menopausal symptoms for thousands of years. ✅

@theprimalbod it's not okay to tell women untruths - even if your goal is to get them to eat healthier. ❎

We need to do better.

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dr.amybkillen

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Aug 18

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What do you think? 🤔

Menopause hormone therapy is fine if we're just talking about menopause.

Hormones Replacement Therapy is fine if we're actually replacing hormones to their old levels.

Hormone Therapy? Hormone Optimization Therapy (which is what I tend to prefer because I want to be a HOT Doctor! 😭)

What do you think? ❓

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dr.amybkillen

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Sep 9

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Big news!!! Gulp. 🤩

I signed a book deal with the fabulous Little, Brown Spark (Hachette publishers) and I couldn't be more excited. 🎉

This book is about women's longevity through the lens of reproductive health.

How does ovarian aging, hormone optimization and sexual health affect health span and lifespan in women? 🤔

How are we different from men?

How can we turn our differences into our superpowers, blending the tried-and-true with the cutting edge to slow aging?

More information to come but for now ... Yay! 🥳

@littlebrownspark @shinetalentgroup

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dr.amybkillen

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Aug 13

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How much estrogen do you need for bone health? 🤔

Lower doses of estrogen (oral or transdermal) can help prevent bone loss but you need higher doses to build bone.

And, bone benefits start to fade shortly after cessation of hormone therapy. ⚠️

Are you taking enough estrogen to keep your bones strong? Is anyone monitoring you? ❓

Studies... https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5423263/?utm_source=perplexity

https://www.europeanreview.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/10381-10395.pdf?utm_source=perplexity

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/197177?utm_source=perplexity

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dr.amybkillen

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Oct 27

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💉What if tiny doses could make a big difference? 💉

The GLP-1 microdosing debate is in full effect.

💭 Can small, off-label doses improve inflammation, hormones, or metabolism without major weight loss?

🧪 The science, 🤔 the skepticism, and 📁 the emerging evidence behind this growing trend - and what it could mean for the future of metabolic health -is all unpacked this week!

Comment "'SUBSTACK' to get this week's free article right to your DMs!
#GLP1 #MetabolicHealth #Semaglutide #Microdosing #HormoneHealth #Longevity

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dr.amybkillen

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Aug 13

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Your bones are remarkably sensitive to estrogen so respond even when it's started late. 🦴

They also respond to a low dose of estrogen (although higher doses will be better for building bone).

What other bone questions do you have? ❓

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dr.amybkillen

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Oct 28

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Wait...what?! 💃

You may benefit from testosterone therapy even if you don't have low testosterone on your blood test!

Low libido, low arousal and orgasmic problems tend to respond to testosterone therapy, even in women with "normal" serum T levels. 🤔

So, yes, check those hormone levels. But also ... Make sure to listen to your symptoms!

Have you tried testosterone despite"normal" labs? ❓

Study:
Rakibul M Islam et al. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2019 Oct.

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dr.amybkillen

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Sep 27

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Progesterone is generally "cycled" in women who still have regular periods because giving the same dose every day can cause irregular bleeding. ✅

Common reasons to take progesterone in a premenopausal woman include...

🔺Severe PMS
🔺 Premenstrual migraines
🔺 Cyclical anxiety or insomnia
🔺 PCOS
🔺 Infertility from progesterone insufficiency
🔺 Postpartum depression
🔺 Estrogen-associated disorders such ovarian cysts, fibrocystic breasts, endometriosis, mast cell dysfunction, uterine fibroids.

What's your experience with cycled progesterone been? ❓

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dr.amybkillen

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Nov 9

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True story. 😏

Luckily, the American Urological Association recommends low dose vaginal estrogen for women with overactive bladder in menopause.

Unfortunately, there's still work to do in getting the word out that vaginal estrogen should be Step 1, not Step 5.

Of course, estrogen doesn't fix everything. But, it sure is a safe, easy, remarkably effective place to start! ✅

Estrogen > Surgery if possible! 💃

Thank you to in-the-know urologists like @drrachelrubin @kellycaspersonmd @ashleygwinter and @renamalikmd for helping to get the word out about vaginal estrogen!

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dr.amybkillen

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Aug 28

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Women in the U.S. still have ZERO FDA approved testosterone options. 😩

This is despite 75+ years of safety data on testosterone use in women. ✅

What's a girl gotta do to get equal access to hormonal treatments around here?? ❓❓

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dr.amybkillen

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Aug 10

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$Dear Doctor.... 🩺 The NAMS 2022 guidelines recommend MHT for the prevention of osteoporosis. Since 50% of women will have an osteoporotic fracture, that means that you are at risk if you're a woman. 😩 Estrogen is hands-down the BEST drug we have for building healthy bones. 🦴 @drvondawright and @dr_douglucas talk about this frequently (both are orthopedic surgeons who know a lot about bone health). When you stop taking estrogen, its benefits go away. ⚠️ Have a chat with your doctor and lmk how it goes. ✅$

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dr.amybkillen

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Aug 12

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