Q. I went through a long, arduous menopause, more than 10 years of pure hell. The killers weren’t the chills, night sweats or insomnia, though inadequate sleep does make you a little wonky. It was the major depression that almost did me in.

I finally consulted a physician who was a specialist in bioidentical hormone replacement. She did very thorough testing and balanced my female hormone levels. She also added a tiny dose of testosterone.

The results were nothing short of miraculous. I came out of the fog of depression almost overnight. That was after a decade of suffering. I had energy to exercise and dance again. And I could sleep.

Balancing out my hormones plus adding a dash of testosterone may have saved my sanity, if not my life.

A. Thank you for sharing such a compelling story. The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it would be removing the black box safety warnings on hormone therapy. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary agrees with you. He has pointed out that many women experience debilitating symptoms during menopause, including severe depression.

The current discussion of hormone replacement therapy rarely mentions testosterone, although women also make this “male” hormone.

A study in the British Journal of Psychiatry (June 16, 2025) found that hormone therapy, including testosterone, helped ease depression in menopausal women. A comprehensive review of the medical literature in the journal Cureus (Aug. 28, 2024) also concluded that testosterone can be helpful, especially for easing vaginal dryness and improving sexual desire and satisfaction.

Q. I am on rosuvastatin to lower my cholesterol. Of the several side effects I am experiencing, constipation is the showstopper. I take magnesium and a stool softener plus laxatives just to poop every two to three days. Do you have any suggestions to help control constipation?

A. Constipation can be a side effect of many medications, including statins like rosuvastatin (Crestor).

A different cholesterol-lowering drug might be less likely to cause this complication.

You might also want to consider taking the soluble fiber psyllium (Metamucil). Not only does it help with regularity, but it can also lower cholesterol modestly.

You can learn more about medications that cause constipation and many ways to relieve this problem in our “eGuide to Overcoming Digestive Disorders.” This online resource can be found under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

Q. You wrote about the use of niacin against basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers. I would like to try this, but I’m having trouble with the flushing. To avoid this, I have to take the pill after a full meal. Even then, I can manage only 125 milligrams. How can I build up a tolerance?

A. Niacin (vitamin B3) comes in different forms, and only niacinamide has been shown to reduce the risk of non-melanoma skin cancers (JAMA Dermatology, Sept. 17, 2025). Niacin, which may also be called nicotinic acid, can lower cholesterol, but it causes flushing that can be quite uncomfortable. Niacinamide, also known as nicotinamide, does not cause flushing.

You may want to consider trading in your bottle of niacin for nicotinamide instead. If you have skin cancer, you will want your dermatologist to monitor your progress.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”