u/StrawberryForeign684

Recently fractured my foot. I am a first year first period apprentice who is the only apprentice on site. I do all the running around. I am doing a lot of underground and gear work as an electrical apprentice.

I am a single income household. Did not injure my foot at work. Recently started GHKCU, and thinking of adding this to help my foot heal.

I walk over 30,000 steps and climb up to 10-20 flights of stairs anywhere from 25-50 times a day. I will need to take time off and the doctors say it’s not surgical but it can become surgical if I do too much too fast.

I can’t afford to take more than a month off. I am afraid because I have no savings. I changed careers and lived off savings for a year. I also have POI which is a decrease in estrogen which affects the healing process.

Thinking of taking BPC157. Thoughts? Been doing lots of research on it this morning. Also been on HRT for the past 6 months. Never had a fracture before. Have had back surgery when younger but I am so bummed.

A month into my apprenticeship.

I have been on a topical min 7% with 0.1 finasteride. I also use dutastride as a woman for DHT blocker. I did not tolerate oral minoxidil nor spironolactone so I am using dutastride off label which has no side effects for me. The other meds dropped my blood pressure and I work as a commercial electrician so can’t be falling off ladders after waking up at 4am or possibly electrocuting myself.

Anyways been doing some peptide research. I don’t feel comfortable injecting anything. There’s whole subs dedicated to this, but has anyone used any topical or sublingual peptides for hair growth? I am genuinely curious. I think we should be allowed to discuss more creative options.

Peptides are become more and more researched, and accepted. I don’t feel comfortable injecting anything for now but am very interested on anyone’s else’s journey with peptides.

I was diagnosed with POI at 35 after years of symptoms that, looking back, were consistent with POI for at least 4–5 years, but no one took them seriously. My labs at diagnosis were FSH 107 mIU/mL and LH 84 mIU/mL.

I initially tried the estradiol patch but had severe adverse reactions, so I’m very grateful the gel has worked for me. I started at 0.25 mg/day and have gradually increased to 1.0 mg/day. I’ve been on estradiol for about five months now, and I honestly feel my best around 1.25 mg/day. My provider and I are monitoring my symptoms, but I’m curious about others’ experiences.

I’ve also noticed that I seem to feel different depending on the manufacturer of the gel, even though I’ve been told they should be equivalent.

Has anyone else with POI found that they needed a higher estradiol dose than they initially started on, or noticed differences between gel manufacturers? I’d love to hear what has worked for others.

For those who had side effects from oral minoxidil how long did it take your body to adjust?

I was prescribed a standard 2.5 and then found a compound pharmacy who was able to provide a 0.5 milligram tablet.

I feel less drowsy but still not fully alert or high energy like I usually am. I am a commercial/industrial electrical apprentice so being alert matters.

I don’t sit at a desk all day. I walk around 6-8 miles everyday on site and that doesn’t include the amount of lifting and other strenuous things I do.

I’m on day 6. I was told anything like is a vasodilator takes about 2 weeks for your body to adjust.

Has that been your experience? I’m also really cold all the time. I’m pretty lean but I usually run hot until taking oral minoxidil.

Hello

My provider told me today that there is no lower dose than 2.5 minoxidil which is not true. I see some online forums that offer 0.25 minoxidil. I work in construction and can’t afford to be this tired.

Thanks

Hello

I need help asap. I tried oral spiro and min about four months ago and it caused severe insomnia. I wake up at 4am to work in the electrical field.

I am a first year apprentice and am graded on a lot. How I look, speak, present how fast I move etc.

The only thing feminine about me is my hair. I have been through severe trauma and have this week only to figure out what mediation to take.

I have a topical compound fin and min compound but with how much I’ll be wearing a hard hat I don’t think it will work. I was using it for two months.

If I lose my hair as a hispanic and Native American woman I don’t think I can find the will to keep going.

I have survived abuse, losing my assets, taking a more than 50% pay cut to pursue a new career, sepsis, seizures, severe insomnia, ketamine therapy adverse reactions , and numerous surgeries and medical complications in the last five years.

I got into one of the most coveted apprenticeships and I only have this week to get it together. I can deal with a lot but losing my hair I cannot do.

Please help. I tried oral monoxide again now that my hormones are stabilized but agin it caused severe insomnia to the point I had to call out of work. My FSH, LH, progesterone and estradiol were low and been on hormone therapy for four months.

I went to get a haircut and ran out afterwards because I was so embarrassed. Please tell me what oral meds help if I can’t tolerate min or spiro.

Thanks

I am looking for advice from anyone with POI/POF and hair loss.

I am 35 years old and was recently diagnosed with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). Before treatment, my FSH was 107 and my LH was 80. After starting estradiol gel and increasing from 0.025 mg to 0.1 mg, my most recent labs showed FSH 37.6 and LH 36.

I have always had very thick hair. I am Hispanic and Native American, and hair has always been a huge part of my identity. I am adopted, so I have very limited information about my biological family history. My dermatologist does not believe my hair loss is hereditary.

Over the last few years, I have been through a lot physically and emotionally. I had three surgeries, developed sepsis in 2023, struggled with severe insomnia, and experienced significant trauma and mental health challenges. Because of all of these stressors, my dermatologist believes my hair loss is primarily stress-related.

I currently use a compounded topical minoxidil and finasteride prescription. Unfortunately, I do not tolerate oral medications well. Oral minoxidil worsened my insomnia, and spironolactone caused similar problems. Sleep is critical for me because I am in a four-year commercial electrical apprenticeship and wake up at 4 AM to work around high-voltage electrical equipment. I cannot safely function if I am not sleeping.

My biggest concern is how young I am. I feel like most women facing this are much older than me. Being told I may not be able to have biological children and then watching my hair thin at the same time has been incredibly difficult emotionally.

I finally feel like I have my life and career moving in the right direction, and now I feel like I am losing a part of myself that I always loved. My hair was one of the few things I never worried about, and seeing it change has been devastating.

Has anyone here with POI/POF experienced hair thinning or widening of the part? Did hormone replacement therapy help? Did topical minoxidil help over time? Has anyone had improvement once their hormones stabilized?

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through something similar. Right now I feel very alone and scared.

Hello

As this post says I cannot tolerate the oral hair DHT blockers.

I’ve had a lot of stress. Three surgeries a sepsis in 2023

I have been using topical minoxidil and finasteride which is a compound prescription.

I am Hispanic and Native American and have always had thick hair.

Recently I was diagnosed with early onset ovarian insufficiency. My FSH was 107 and LH was 80 and those have gone down.

I am doing a 4 year commercial electrical apprenticeship and will be wearing a hard hat.

I never wear makeup and my hair is the only feminine thing about me.

I have had a very traumatic life and took my own life multiple times in 2024.

Also did ketamine therapy in 2025 which triggered terrible insomnia.

Now my sleep is stable but trying oral monoxide made my insomnia terrible same with spironolactane. I can’t afford to not sleep because I wake up at 4am and work with electricity over 240v.

I need help. I have sen the dermatologist who thinks this is clearly stress related.

I am so embarrassed and have to sit in a room full of men during boot camp.

If I loss my hair I don’t think I can cope. I was just told I can’t have kids and I am adopted.

I was looking into red light therapy but can’t afford it.

Please tell me what to do. The dermatologist does not think this is hereditary.

I was supposed to see a geneticist but I can’t get in for years.

I finally have my life and career together and now I am losing the part of me I loved the most.

I’m 35 and was recently diagnosed with ovarian insufficiency. At the same time, I was accepted into one of the top apprenticeship programs in the country, which should feel exciting, but honestly I’m terrified. I used to be so physically fit, running marathons, mma and Olympic weightlifting. I still can hike 20 miles a day in the backcountry but everything started feeling harder.

The last five years have been brutal. I dealt with legal problems, had to move back in with my parents during COVID, lost teeth from medication complications, had a severe reaction to the COVID vaccine, then went through three surgeries within a few months (appendectomy, hernia repair from complications, and dental surgery). I also developed sepsis during that period.

I was in an abusive relationship and became severely depressed. I attempted suicide and ended up in critical care for a long time afterward. I also relapsed on IV cocaine and fentanyl during that period and later developed blood clots/DVTs from IV drug use.

About a year later, I started losing a lot of hair and found out my FSH/LH levels were in postmenopausal ranges. I’m adopted, so I don’t really know my family medical history. I’ve now been on estradiol for about 3 months, and it has helped significantly physically and mentally. My labs have improved, but I’m still struggling with hair loss and fear that my body won’t hold up long-term. My doctors told me ovation insufficiency requires more Estradial than menapoause.

I’m about to start a demanding apprenticeship that will mean waking up at 5 AM, working physically all day, then going to class at night for years. I chose the trades partly because my record made rebuilding my life difficult in other industries. I’ve survived abuse, addiction, medical trauma, and a lot of self-destruction. Now I’m scared I permanently damaged my body beyond repair.

Has anyone come back from something like this physically or hormonally? Is there hope for rebuilding strength and stability after years of trauma and addiction? Right now I feel like I’m losing my health, my hair, and part of my identity all at once.

I didn’t even want to do HRT. My doctors all told me I had no option that I was that depleted. They said with my active lifestyle and to protect my organs and vital functions I may need to be on HRT for the rest of my life.

I can only take the gel, and was told I may max that out. I don’t tolerate the patch, and my obgyn said my history of clots prevents me from being able to take the pill. Even though the clots were caused by drug use. Please don’t judge me, if I could go back in time and do everything different I would.

I’m scared and just want to be normal for once. Went through a lot of abuse in foster care and didn’t know how to process everything. I just want my body, mind and soul to be at peace.