Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!

In this video, Dr. Brendan McCarthy breaks down common misconceptions about hormone testing and treatment during perimenopause — including why many influencers and physicians get it wrong. From the misuse of expensive boutique tests like the Dutch test, to the dangers of suppressive hormone therapies without proper lab monitoring, Dr. McCarthy explains the science behind hormone fluctuations, why labs do provide valuable insights, and the importance of individualized care.

Learn why ignoring hormone labs isn’t just lazy — it’s harmful — and how true, affordable care should prioritize your unique hormonal balance, not profits. If you’re navigating perimenopause, this video offers critical clarity on your options and what you truly deserve from your healthcare provider.

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!

Can you start hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or bioidentical hormones without lab testing? Technically—yes. But should you? In this episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy, Chief Medical Officer of Protea Medical Center, shares his medical perspective on why skipping labs could put your health at risk.

Responding to viral videos that suggest lab work is unnecessary, Dr. McCarthy walks you through:

✅ Why objective data matters—especially for hormone care

Whether you're navigating perimenopause, menopause, or curious about functional medicine, this episode aims to inform—not attack—and to elevate the standard of care all patients deserve.

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Citations:

- O'Connell, Mary Beth. "Pharmacokinetic and pharmacologic variation between different estrogen products." The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 35.9S (1995): 18S-24S..

- Qureshi, Rehana, et al. "The major pre-and postmenopausal estrogens play opposing roles in obesity-driven mammary inflammation and breast cancer development." Cell metabolism 31.6 (2020): 1154-1172..

- Bagot CN, Marsh MS, Whitehead M, Sherwood R, Roberts L, Patel RK, Arya R. The effect of estrone on thrombin generation may explain the different thrombotic risk between oral and transdermal hormone replacement therapy. J Thromb Haemost. 2010 Aug;8(8):1736-44. doi: 10.1111/j.1538-7836.2010.03953.x. Epub 2010 Jun 14. PMID:

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!

This episode takes you deep into the real-world practice of prescribing testosterone therapy for women.

This is not a high-level overview—this is a nuts and bolts breakdown:

✅ Who it's for

✅ How it's dosed

✅ What labs to run

✅ What delivery methods are safest

✅ Why it's often done wrong—and how to get it right

With over 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. McCarthy shares the insights no seminar or textbook can offer, including the emotional and psychological challenges women face when beginning testosterone therapy, and the very real fears around side effects and community stigma.

📌 Whether you’re a patient looking for answers, or a clinician wanting to deepen your knowledge, this episode is for you.

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Citations: Popma, Arne, et al. "Cortisol moderates the relationship between testosterone and aggression in delinquent male adolescents." Biological psychiatry 61.3 (2007): 405-411 Likhtik, E., Stujenske, J. M., Topiwala, M. A., Harris, A. Z. & Gordon, J. A. Prefrontal entrainment of amygdala activity signals safety in learned fear and innate anxiety. Nat. Neurosci. 17, 106–113 (2014). Brannon, Skylar M., et al. "Exogenous testosterone increases sensitivity to moral norms in moral dilemma judgements." Nature Human Behaviour 3.8 (2019): 856-866..

Barel, E, Abu‐Shkara, R, Colodner, R, et al. Gonadal hormones modulate the HPA‐axis and the SNS in response to psychosocial stress. J Neuro Res. 2018; 96: 1388– 1397. https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.24259

Ando, Sebastiano, et al. "Breast cancer: from estrogen to androgen receptor." Molecular and cellular endocrinology193.1-2 (2002): 121-128. Somboonporn, Woraluk, and Susan R. Davis. "Testosterone effects on the breast: implications for testosterone therapy for women." Endocrine reviews 25.3 (2004): 374-388. Donovitz, Gary, and Mandy Cotten. "Breast cancer incidence reduction in women treated with subcutaneous testosterone: testosterone therapy and breast cancer incidence study." European journal of breast health 17.2 (2021): 150. Glaser, Rebecca L., Anne E. York, and Constantine Dimitrakakis. "Incidence of invasive breast cancer in women treated with testosterone implants: a prospective 10-year cohort study." BMC cancer 19.1 (2019): 1271.

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!

In this episode we dive deep into one of the most misunderstood and debated topics in hormone health: testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for women. You may have heard horror stories—or glowing reviews. But what’s the truth?

Dr. McCarthy discusses:

- Why testosterone matters for women’s health

- How it affects brain chemistry, mood, bone density, and even breast tissue

- Its role after estrogen-suppressing breast cancer treatments

- The difference between safe and unsafe TRT

- What your provider should be doing to monitor and manage it effectively

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Citations: Popma, Arne, et al. "Cortisol moderates the relationship between testosterone and aggression in delinquent male adolescents." Biological psychiatry 61.3 (2007): 405-411 Likhtik, E., Stujenske, J. M., Topiwala, M. A., Harris, A. Z. & Gordon, J. A. Prefrontal entrainment of amygdala activity signals safety in learned fear and innate anxiety. Nat. Neurosci. 17, 106–113 (2014). Brannon, Skylar M., et al. "Exogenous testosterone increases sensitivity to moral norms in moral dilemma judgements." Nature Human Behaviour 3.8 (2019): 856-866.. * M.H.M. Hutschemaekers, R.A. de Kleine, M.L. Davis, M. Kampman, J.A.J. Smits, K. Roelofs,Endogenous testosterone levels are predictive of symptom reduction with exposure therapy in social anxiety disorder,Psychoneuroendocrinology,Volume 115,2020,104612 Barel, E, Abu‐Shkara, R, Colodner, R, et al. Gonadal hormones modulate the HPA‐axis and the SNS in response to psychosocial stress. J Neuro Res. 2018; 96: 1388– 1397. https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.24259 * Buades-Rotger, M., Engelke, C., Beyer, F. et al. Endogenous testosterone is associated with lower amygdala reactivity to angry faces and reduced aggressive behavior in healthy young women. Sci Rep 6, 38538 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38538 Ando, Sebastiano, et al. "Breast cancer: from estrogen to androgen receptor." Molecular and cellular endocrinology193.1-2 (2002): 121-128. Somboonporn, Woraluk, and Susan R. Davis. "Testosterone effects on the breast: implications for testosterone therapy for women." Endocrine reviews 25.3 (2004): 374-388. Donovitz, Gary, and Mandy Cotten. "Breast cancer incidence reduction in women treated with subcutaneous testosterone: testosterone therapy and breast cancer incidence study." European journal of breast health 17.2 (2021): 150. Glaser, Rebecca L., Anne E. York, and Constantine Dimitrakakis. "Incidence of invasive breast cancer in women treated with testosterone implants: a prospective 10-year cohort study." BMC cancer 19.1 (2019): 1271.

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!

Today’s episode is all about testosterone therapy in women—a topic that’s often misunderstood, highly debated, and rarely taught in depth. I’m sharing what I’ve learned over my years of clinical experience, how I approach testosterone use in women safely, and why the conversation around it needs to evolve.

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Hurst BS, Jones AI, Elliot M, Marshburn PB, Matthews ML. Absorption of vaginal estrogen cream during sexual intercourse: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. J Reprod Med. 2008;53(1):29–32. PMID: 18251358

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!

Explore how progesterone travels through the body depending on the method of delivery—oral, transdermal, or injection. Dr. McCarthy explains why certain forms may not be effective for all patients and discusses how the body metabolizes progesterone, influencing its therapeutic impact. This episode is essential for anyone considering or currently on hormone replacement therapy.

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Hurst BS, Jones AI, Elliot M, Marshburn PB, Matthews ML. Absorption of vaginal estrogen cream during sexual intercourse: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. J Reprod Med. 2008;53(1):29–32. PMID: 18251358

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!

Today’s episode is all about answering YOUR submitted questions — real concerns from real women — about hormone therapy, reverse responses to progesterone, MTHFR, estrogen detoxification, and more. This episode is packed with insights to help you better understand your body and your options. 

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Welcome to the podcast! In this deeply personal Q&A episode, Dr. Brendan McCarthy—Chief Medical Officer at Protea Medical Center—responds to your most powerful and vulnerable questions about hormone replacement therapy, including:

- Why some women reverse-respond to progesterone

- What to do when testosterone creams trigger migraines

- How to safely navigate HRT with MTHFR or methylation issues

- The emotional toll of being dismissed by doctors

- Why libido and vitality matter at every age

- How to advocate for yourself in a broken healthcare system

This episode is about more than medicine—it's about being seen, finding hope, and reclaiming the quality of life you deserve.

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy! Welcome to Part 3. In this episode, Dr. McCarthy dives deep into the complex world of reverse responders—women who experience increased anxiety or worsened symptoms from progesterone instead of the calming effects it typically provides.

If you’ve felt forgotten or unsupported in your hormone journey—this episode is for you.

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com

Welcome to the podcast with Dr. Brendan McCarthy!

While progesterone is often prescribed for its calming and hormone-balancing effects, some women experience the exact opposite—increased anxiety, depression, and emotional instability. This phenomenon, known as reverse responding, is more common than many realize.

In this episode we explore:

The neurological effects of progesterone and why it can backfire

The role of allopregnanolone and the GABA receptor

How trauma, PTSD, and adverse childhood experiences impact hormonal response

Safer and more personalized treatment options—including transrectal delivery, low-dose titration, and supportive therapies like EMDR and testosterone modulation

Why addressing hormone imbalances requires more than symptom management—it requires a deeper understanding of the brain-body connection

This science-driven, trauma-informed conversation offers vital insights for any woman who’s felt worse after starting progesterone—and for the healthcare providers who want to help them.

Dr. Brendan McCarthy founded Protea Medical Center in 2002. While he’s been the chief medical officer, Protea has grown and evolved into a dynamic medical center serving the Valley and Central Arizona. A nationally recognized as an expert in hormone replacement therapy, Dr McCarthy s the only instructor in the nation who teaches BioHRT on live patients. Physicians travel to Arizona to take his course and integrate it into their own practices. Besides hormone replacement therapy, Dr. McCarthy has spoken nationally and locally before physicians on topics such as weight loss, infertility, nutritional therapy and more.

Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to hit that SUBSCRIBE button! Let us know in the COMMENTS if you have any questions or what you may want Dr. McCarthy to talk about next!

Check out Dr. Brendan McCarthy's Book! https://www.amazon.com/Jump-Off-Mood-...

-More Links-

Instagram: www.instagram.com/drbrendanmccarthy

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/drbrendanmccarthy

Clinic Website: www.protealife.com