Stella FAQs
Our most frequently asked questions about Stella.
What is Stella?
Stella is an online clinic that has everything you need to help perimenopause and menopause symptoms. We offer online appointments with menopause-trained pharmacists experienced in women’s health, tailored lifestyle change plans through our menopause app, and medication, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), if right for you.
You only pay if you decide to buy medication or talk to a clinician.
Get started with our online assessment which asks questions about your health. Our safe and thorough process checks for 65 risks and alternate conditions. It is designed for those aged 35 to 70 years.
Every assessment is carefully reviewed by our menopause-trained pharmacists before prescribing within two business days. Medication is delivered within five business days direct to your door. It’s a hassle-free, convenient way to get medication safely. Once you have paid, you get access to our menopause app. It offers tailored lifestyle change support with access to coaching and a library of expert articles, video workouts, audio meditations, recipes and more. You can join our community for regular virtual Q&As with experts.
We provide care for those living in England, Scotland and Wales. We are unable to support those living in Northern Ireland at this time.
How much does it cost?
Medications prescribed privately do not have standardised costs like the NHS. Prices vary depending on what is prescribed. You will be unable to use NHS prescription certificates or exemptions.
Our online appointments are priced as follows:
- Initial appointment: £90 not including medication
- Follow-up appointment: £65 not including medication
Medication costs
You may be prescribed just one HRT medication, or a combination depending on your symptoms. Here are example prices for 90-days of HRT to help you understand the costs:
- Vaginal oestrogen: £11
- Systemic HRT + progesterone + vaginal oestrogen: £45
In total, medication costs range from £11 – £70 if you do not need an appointment and includes access to our menopause app. You can review the costs before paying. We also offer testosterone in the UK, medication prices vary.
Other costs
Your safety is important to us. Many people can get a prescription without an appointment as our assessment is rigorous in screening for risk factors.
You may need to book an appointment if we need further information before prescribing HRT. You may want to book an online appointment to talk about your symptoms or if you are unsure about your options.
Our customer care team is here to answer any questions you have at 020 8016 2064 or email hello@onstella.com.
What is menopause?
Menopause is a natural part of ageing and typically happens between ages 45 and 55, although some experience it earlier. Menopause can also follow cancer treatment or surgery to remove your ovaries or uterus.
Menopause stages
- Perimenopause is when your body’s hormone levels change, such as oestrogen. You may notice irregular periods and other symptoms, such as mood changes, sleep issues, hot flushes, weight gain, joint pain and more. This stage lasts 4-8 years on average
- Menopause is when you have not had a period for 12 months. This is typically in your early 50s. This can be hard to work out if you are using hormonal contraception
- Postmenopause is the time after menopause and symptoms can continue. There are more than 30 symptoms, such as sleep issues, hot flushes, mood changes, joint pain, weight gain and bladder problems. What you experience can be affected by your health history, lifestyle and age
Remember, you do not have to wait until symptoms severely affect your life before seeking treatment – you deserve support to feel better.
What is hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an effective treatment for many symptoms, but it is not suitable for everyone. Looking after your lifestyle, such as your diet, exercise, sleep and stress levels, can help many symptoms too.
Read more about HRT:
Why don't I need a blood test?
We rarely need to test your hormones to identify your menopause stage. We will perform a blood test if your assessment indicates it would be helpful, but most women do not need any tests before starting treatment.
If you have not had a period for 12 months, you can be very confident that you are in menopause and confirmation by testing your hormone levels is rarely required. Likewise, there isn’t a reliable hormone test to find out if you are in perimenopause, but bleeding patterns and symptoms are accurate in people over age 44. You can read more in this article.
You may have seen that some clinics and providers recommend one or more hormone tests, but this may be more about generating revenue than understanding your health. It is difficult to get a reliable understanding of your reproductive hormone levels from single tests as they are constantly fluctuating in perimenopause. Your FSH, estradiol, and progesterone levels could be radically different even by the next day. The danger is that you and your healthcare provider will make the wrong decisions based on a false-positive or false-negative test.
A large study concluded that the most accurate way to decide whether you are in perimenopause or menopause is by careful evaluation of your bleeding history and symptoms. Currently available hormone tests do not increase the accuracy of diagnosis. Symptoms include:
- Hot flushes
- Fatigue
- Mood changes, including low mood, anxiety, and irritability among others
- Sleep issues
- Problems with memory and concentration, including brain fog
- Weight gain
- Vaginal symptoms, including burning, tightness, dryness, painful sex, itching
- Urinary symptoms, including recurrent infections, needing to pee more often and pain when peeing
Our assessment evaluates all of these symptoms. Read more about testing for menopause.
How do I renew my medication or renew my prescription?
Changing medication
You may notice side effects shortly after starting HRT, which usually wear off after 1-3 months. If side effects do not settle or your symptoms haven’t improved, your medication may need to be adjusted or changed. Please contact us immediately if you want to review your medication. Always read the information leaflet that comes with your medication.
Repeat prescriptions
Your first prescription is usually for 90 days, but may vary depending on clinician advice. We will email you before your prescription runs out, inviting you to complete a repeat assessment to check any changes to your symptoms, health and history. We will renew your prescription if your treatment is working. You may need to book an appointment if we need further information before prescribing HRT.
Our customer care team is here to answer any questions at hello@onstella.com or 020 8016 2064.
How do I talk to a clinician?
You can talk to our menopause-trained clinicians about your symptoms or if you are unsure about your options by booking an online appointment. Our clinician appointments are online and use a secure video platform where you can see the clinician during the consultation. You can use a laptop or mobile phone. When you book your appointment, we send you a secure video link that takes one click to join.
What types of HRT do you prescribe?
We prescribe HRT medications that are proven to be safe and effective treatments for menopause symptoms, including hot flushes, mood changes, sleep problems, painful sex and bladder symptoms.
We prescribe body identical forms of oestrogen and progesterone first, including gels and patches. We recommend body identical progesterone capsules.
When body identical HRT is produced by regulated pharmaceutical companies, there are strict quality control processes in place to guarantee the strength, purity, and safety of the product supplied. These medications are manufactured to exacting standards that are constantly monitored.
Does your service replace my GP?
No, we do not replace your GP and the service they provide for your general health queries and support. Stella offers a fast, hassle-free way to get prescriptions for medications that can help ease symptoms during menopause, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Our assessment has been designed by doctors and asks in-depth questions about your health history, symptoms and lifestyle. It checks against 65 risk factors and alternate conditions to determine if HRT is right for you.
It provides all the information your GP would about the risks and benefits of HRT and is tailored to your specific health history.
Every assessment and prescription request is reviewed by a pharmacist with menopause training before being your medication is prescribed and delivered to you. We will send you a clinical letter to share with your GP. It is important they update your healthcare records about any new prescriptions as it may affect other medications or medical conditions.
