A dose is a decision made from details. Which symptoms came first, how strong they are, what else you take, and how you have responded so far. Nothing here sets a dose for anyone. What follows are the details worth having ready when a provider talks about one.
Bring the early signs
What you noticed first
Providers can only work from what they are told. Describe the first symptom you noticed, not just the worst one. The order in which symptoms built up is useful information.
What you tried before
List any earlier treatment, supplement or lifestyle change, and what happened. A short note on what helped and what did not saves time.
Questions to ask about the dose
What is the dose meant to do?
Ask which symptom the dose is aimed at, and how you will know whether it is working. A clear target makes later changes easier to judge.
How and when will it be checked?
Ask when the dose will be reviewed, what will be reviewed, and what changes you should report between visits. Public pages on hormone replacement therapy for menopause explain the general subject and can help you form questions.
What would change it?
Ask what would make the provider raise, lower or stop the dose. Then you know which of your notes matter most.
Compare more than one source
Read a medical society's view next to a clinic's. A hormone therapy page from a menopause society and a clinic overview of bioidentical hormones are two places to start. Note any term you do not recognize and ask about it.
Going into the dosing conversation prepared
Go to a dosing conversation with your early signs, your history and a list of questions. Do not adjust a dose on your own. The questions here are general, and they are not based on your own history.