Is a GLP-1 Microdose Right for You?

Sophie, a nurse practitioner at Turner Medical Arts, explains GLP-1 microdosing as using the same medication at a very small dose—about 25% or less of a traditional starting dose. She says microdosing may be appropriate for people who are highly sensitive to medications, those with less weight to lose, and those who experience stronger GLP-1 side effects related to slowed digestion, such as constipation or nausea. It can also help patients who already eat very little by supporting fat breakdown, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity without severely suppressing appetite, since she emphasizes it’s unhealthy to stop eating. Sophie adds that microdosing can slow the pace of weight loss, helping patients reach goals without drastic changes that can lead to a sunken facial appearance seen in the media.

00:00 GLP1 Microdosing: A New Approach in Health?

00:25 What Is Microdosing?

00:54 Who Is It For?

01:45 Metabolism Benefits

02:35 Slower, Healthier Results

Postpartum Leaks and Vaginal Laxity: VTone and Morpheus8 V OptionsSophie Mengele, nurse practitioner and women’s health lead at Turner Medical Arts on The Vagina Doctor Podcast, discusses common postpartum concerns for women in their 30s and 40s, including urinary leaking when laughing or sneezing, pelvic floor looseness, and reduced sexual sensation despite being told by an OBGYN that everything looks fine. She explains two in-office technologies for vaginal rejuvenation and pelvic floor strengthening: VTone, which uses electrical muscle stimulation to perform about 30,000 Kegel-like contractions in 30 minutes, and Morpheus8 V, which uses microneedling and radiofrequency heat to promote collagen, tighten tissue, and help urinary urgency/overactive bladder symptoms. She notes numbing is used, downtime is minimal, and many patients report improved confidence and sex life.

00:00 Is This You

00:27 Post Baby Changes

00:56 Common Symptoms

01:18 New Vaginal Tech

01:55 VTone Pelvic Floor02:40 Morpheus8 V Overview

03:17 How It Works

04:20 Downtime And Results

04:38 Why No One Talks

Statins, ApoB & Heart Disease Risk: Debunking Myths (Vitamin K2, Muscle Pain, Diabetes & Dementia) | Dennis Hughes, MDOn The Vagina Doctor Podcast, Duncan Turner, MD, interviews internist Dennis Hughes about cardiovascular disease risk assessment and misconceptions about statins. Hughes explains why vitamin K7 claims about preventing vascular calcification are misguided, noting calcification can stabilize plaques and a small study showed no event reduction. They discuss coronary artery calcium scoring limits, CT angiography for earlier plaque detection, and why ApoB is a key risk metric that can reveal risk missed by LDL alone, especially with obesity and insulin resistance. Hughes advocates early, individualized prevention, often using low-dose statins (with most effect at low doses) and pairing with ezetimibe to reduce side effects, citing evidence of major heart attack risk reduction and strong placebo influence on muscle symptoms. They address statin-related hyperglycemia as usually slight, and summarize evidence and AHA guidance showing no increased dementia risk even with very low LDL. The conversation closes with hormone therapy as a quality-of-life tool and discussion of increased estrogen prescribing and patch shortages.

00:00 Vagina Doctor: Lipids, Statins, and Heart Health00:27 Introduction

00:46 Cardiovascular Disease Overview

01:28 Vitamin K7 & Plaque Calcification

03:26 Calcium Score Testing

08:40 ApoB vs. LDL Cholesterol13:03 Statin Dosing & Ezetimibe

13:29 Statin Side Effects & Myths

25:54 Statins & Dementia Risk

27:56 Patient Consultations

28:59 HRT & Estrogen

33:02 Wrap-up

The Three Horsemen of Women’s Health: Sermorelin, HRT, and GLP-1s | The Vagina Doctor Podcast/The Women's Health Edit with Sophie Mengele

Nurse practitioner Sophie shares her “three horsemen” of women’s health: Sermorelin, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and GLP-1s, and explains how they fit together. She describes Sermorelin as a synthetic analog of the body’s natural growth hormone that declines with age and may help maintain muscle and prevent wasting associated with sarcopenia; she notes it was previously FDA approved for HIV patients with severe muscle loss. Sophie explains that GLP-1s support weight loss but can also lead to muscle loss, so Sermorelin is sometimes combined with GLP-1s to help counter muscle wasting, or used alone for those focused on preserving muscle without losing weight. She also highlights patient reports of improved deep sleep with Sermorelin. Finally, she emphasizes HRT as the foundation for replacing estrogen, protecting bones, and sometimes adding testosterone to support libido.

00:00 Three Horsemen Intro

00:30 Sermorelin Basics

00:55 Muscle Loss and Aging

01:38 Pairing With GLP-1s

02:51 Sermorelin Sleep Benefits

03:27 HRT Foundation

03:34 Wrap Up and Benefits

https://www.youtube.com/@the vaginadoctor

The Mystery of the Missing Estrogen Patches: FDA Label Changes, Demand, and HRT Alternatives

Duncan Turner, MD and Karen Spaulding discuss the recent shortage of estrogen patches, explaining that it stems from an FDA change in the wording of warnings on prescription estrogen products, which corrected messaging influenced by misinterpretations of the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study. Although the safety of estrogen hasn’t changed, updated FDA verbiage prompted renewed demand that manufacturers cannot meet. They note many new inquiries are from women in their 70s who were previously told to stop HRT, and they emphasize older patients may need more complete cardiovascular evaluation before restarting. They review potential benefits of HRT for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and possibly dementia, and suggest compounded transdermal estrogen creams as an effective, adjustable alternative when patches are unavailable, though often not covered by insurance.

00:00 Welcome and Setup

00:08 Why Patches Disappeared

00:22 FDA Label Change Fallout

01:33 Older Patients Returning

01:54 Who Should Restart HRT

03:02 Supply Outlook and Options

03:24 Compounded Cream Benefits

04:06 Dosing Flexibility vs Patches

04:37 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Is Vaginal Estrogen Safe? What It Treats, How It Works, and Why It Doesn’t Raise Cancer Risk

Nurse practitioner Sophie explains why vaginal estrogen is commonly used in pre- and postmenopausal patients to treat vaginal atrophy caused by low estrogen, which leads to dryness, irritation, discomfort, burning, and increased risk of UTIs and vaginal infections. She addresses a common fear that vaginal estrogen raises blood estrogen levels, stating it is applied locally and does not affect blood levels, so it can be used alongside other estrogen forms like patches, creams, or pills. Sophie says vaginal estrogen does not increase cancer risk and is safe. She describes typical dosing as nightly at first, then reducing to two to three nights per week, with an option for nightly use for about two weeks in patients with very sensitive, thin skin before tapering. She encourages viewers to discuss it with their healthcare provider due to its symptom relief benefits.

00:00 Is Vaginal Estrogen Safe

00:21 What Vaginal Atrophy Is

01:08 Symptoms and UTI Risk

01:24 Does It Raise Blood Levels

02:06 Safety and Cancer Myths

02:11 How to Use and Dose

02:44 Who Should Consider It

02:54 Talk to Your Provider

https://www.turnermedicalarts.com

https://www.youtube.com/@thevaginadoctor

Vaginal Rejuvenation After Baby: Non-Surgical Options for Pelvic Floor Support

Sophie, Women's Health Lead at Turner Medical Arts, introduces her women’s health channel and explains vaginal rejuvenation, focusing on younger women after their first baby whose anatomy changes can lead to urinary urgency, pressure sensations, and leaking when sneezing. She reviews traditional prolapse approaches like pessaries and surgical mesh, then highlights newer non-surgical devices designed to contract pelvic floor muscles and lift pelvic organs. Sophie describes Vitone as a 30-minute weekly session for six to eight weeks that can deliver up to 30,000 “Kegels” in one treatment. She also discusses tissue changes after childbirth that may cause discomfort and painful intercourse, recommending Form V heat therapy and radio frequency with microneedling to tighten tissue and promote elasticity and collagen.

00:00 Welcome to the Channel

00:25 What Is Vaginal Rejuvenation

00:44 Postpartum Changes and Symptoms

01:14 Traditional Prolapse Treatments

01:42 New Pelvic Floor Devices

02:00 Vitone Kegel Boost

02:24 Tissue Changes and Pain

02:36 Form V and RF Microneedling

03:09 Why This Matters

03:23 Closing and Next Steps

https://www.turnermedicalarts.com

https://www.youtube.com/@the vaginadoctor

Evidence-Based Hair Loss Treatment Plans: Hormones, Labs, Microneedling, PRF & Growth Factors

Dr. Duncan Turner and Sophie Mengele discuss how their practice developed an evidence-based, individualized approach to hair loss after frequent patient requests, focusing on identifying root causes through extensive lab testing and health assessments. They emphasize hormone optimization (especially estrogen in women and awareness that testosterone can accelerate loss), family history, and checking vitamin D, B12, iron/ferritin, insulin resistance, and scalp inflammation, sometimes using antifungals to improve the scalp environment. Non-prescription options include lifestyle and nutrition support, ketoconazole or caffeine shampoos, pumpkin seed oil, saw palmetto, and topicals, with treatment often targeting androgen/DHT effects; minoxidil (topical or oral) is also discussed. In-office options include microneedling with a customized Toscani serum (about $550 per session, typically 6–10 sessions), microneedling plus PDGF growth factors, and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) from a blood draw for scalp injections, potentially combined with topical finasteride/dutasteride and sermorelin to support growth and overall wellness.

00:00 Root Causes of Hair Loss

01:56 Hormones & Lab Testing

03:23 Supplements & Topical Treatments

05:29 In-Office Scalp Treatments

10:48 Exosomes & Advanced Add-Ons

https://www.turnermedicalarts.com

https://www.youtube.com/@thevaginadoctor

Peptides in Practice: Safety, Regulation, and Easier Delivery with Pens

Dr. Duncan Turner and nurse practitioner Sophie Melli discuss how their practice’s use of peptides has evolved, from early interest in longevity and growth-hormone-related benefits before COVID to increased restrictions during the Biden administration that made many peptides impossible to obtain legally, then a return through weight management with GLP-1 peptides treating metabolic disease and supporting weight loss and reduced addictions. They emphasize that peptides generally require injection because oral use is ineffective, and explain how auto-injector/dial pens and compounded pens can reduce dosing confusion and errors seen with multidose vials and syringes. They stress caution due to limited long-term studies, risks related to growth hormone stimulation (especially with active cancer), and the importance of regulated compounding, certificates of analysis, sterility, and ongoing medical oversight with regular visits and labs in individualized, cyclical protocols.

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

00:24 Peptides Then and Now

01:11 FDA Shifts and Access

01:40 Weight Loss Peptide Boom

02:58 How Peptides Are Taken

04:36 Pens and Dosing Safety

06:00 Risks and Medical Oversight

08:01 Compounding and Quality Control

08:46 What We Offer Now

09:14 Your Peptide Program

10:39 Costs and What Peptides Are

12:04 Safe Wrap Up

https://www.turnermedicalarts.com

https://www.youtube.com/@thevaginadoctor

Sarcopenia Wake-Up Call: DEXA Results, Protein Goals, and Lifting Heavy for Longevity

Duncan Turner and Karen Spaulding reunite on The Vagina Doctor Podcast to discuss Karen’s recent full-body DEXA and body composition scan at HealthSpan, which revealed sarcopenia despite her lifelong activity with running, walking, Pilates, bands, and calisthenics. Reviewing the color-coded report with a physician, she learned she has strong bones, no visceral fat, but low muscle mass, and was advised to treat it seriously by increasing protein intake to at least 100 grams daily, front-loading protein earlier in the day, and shifting from bands and Pilates to lifting heavy weights. They discuss age-related muscle wasting, the need for adequate protein, vitamin D, creatine, and appropriate hormones (including testosterone), and Karen plans to retest in three months to measure improvement.

00:00 Morning Catch Up

00:07 Why The Change

00:41 Booking The DEXA

01:34 What The Scan Shows

02:53 Sarcopenia Shock

03:29 Protein Wake Up Call

03:59 Healthspan Breakdown

06:33 Why Muscle Matters

07:26 Good News On Results

09:22 New Plan Supplements

09:50 Lift Heavy Strategy

11:18 Bone Score Explained

11:46 Retest And Wrap Up

https://www.turnermedicalarts.com