r/femaleHRT

So, background: 32, still cycling (however they are highly irregular/gone now that I’m on HRT). I am taking 25mg DHEA and 3mg Test Propionate EOD as well as 0.05 estrogen patch. I am absolutely raging most days. A month or so ago I felt the happiest/calmest I’ve been in years. Like wow this is working! My T levels are at 98, my E was tanked at 29 so we started the patch this month. I was fine at first but the last two weeks I have been awful. My period never came (PMDD sufferer - now idk wtf to do since I usually felt better when it did). My P is low but I don’t tolerate P at all (going to discuss an alternate route though next appt). I seriously want to divorce my husband and leave him and my kids and run away. I am so angry all the time and feel super depressed. Wondering if anyone had similar issues and what helped/what should I ask my doc about? Should I be testing labs more often? I just feel like I’m on the world’s worst rollercoaster.

Hi all, I'm 46, late stage perimenopause, my periods were coming every eight months before I started HRT last year. I'm on 100mg micronised progesterone I take continuously orally before bed, 2.5 pumps estrogel which I split by taking two pumps in the morning and 1/2 pumps before bed, and I use 3mg androfem testosterone cream in the morning. Since starting testosterone four months ago I haven't had any improvement in libido but I do have more energy and sleep has improved on testosterone. I was listening to a video by Felice Gersh and she was saying that we should all be cycling our progesterone, no matter if in peri or menopause because our body wasn't designed to take it continuously. She said progesterone works to suppress estrogens growth factors e.g. our uterus lining but also suppresses estrogens growth factors all around our body e.g. brain and bones. So we shouldn't take it continuously because we won't get the full benefits of estrogen around our body. She also says we should be taking it vaginally or rectally because when it's taken orally and goes to the liver it's processed into metabolites and only a tiny little bit gets through as progesterone. She also said the metabolite it breaks down into uses the same receptor site in our brain as benzodiazepines do to produce GABBA. So in effect we are sedating ourselves with something that may not be good for our brains in the long term without getting much progesterone from it. She said taking it vaginally or rectally we bypass the liver so it mostly goes into our body as natural progesterone. One last thing she said is that taking progesterone continuously blocks our testosterone receptors as well. Im wondering if my testosterone is not working on my libido because I'm taking progesterone continuously. I am also wondering if anyone has tried switching back to cycling and how you went and particularly someone who switched to cycling vaginally or rectally and how you went?

Any change to libido, any changes to sleep, any less brain fog?

I do like the sedating effects progesterone taken orally has on my sleep so it might be hard to switch over.

As a post menopausal woman, Google of course knows to show me everything associated with my age. I'm on vaginal estradiol to prevent UTIs and had sometimes thought about the effects of putting it on my face. A while back I started getting inundated with ads for Musely, Winona, etc. So I decided to mix a tiny bit of estradiol a few times a week in with my facial moisturiser.

Guys. It really has made a difference. My skin is a lot smoother in texture, and my age spots have lightened. I think my jowls have even tightened up a little, and the lines around my lips are lessened for sure.

So I think I might spring for the expensive moisturiser after I figure out which one is best.

Anyone else do this? Have you switched over to one of these products?

Hi, I am in (early I think) perimenopause as I am getting regular periods, and started HRT a few weeks ago to try and help with intense PMS symptoms (bloating, low mood, irritability) and energy crashes/ anxiety after my period. I started with 0.5 estramon patch and 100 mg. utrogestan for 10 days starting day 15 of my cycle. The first 10 days on the patch I felt super Zen, happy, energetic and thought I had the solution... but then after my first period when I stopped the utrogestan I started feeling super anxious, wired and low energy again.... when I started the utrogestan for a 2nd time I felt a little bit better (at least I was sleeping better) but morning anxiety still persisted... Overall I now feeI worse than I did before the HRT apart from the bloating which has resolved as my gut/ digestion seems to be a lot faster with the patch, but I can't seem to get back to those first few days on the patch when I felt great. I spoke to my gyno and he didn't have a lot of feedback other than try to ride it out and we can reevaluate in a few weeks... My question is, does this sound like too high a dose of estrogen? or too low? Does it just take time to adjust, or do I not need HRT.... its all very confusing...

Need some guidance. I am 45, in perimenopause and on HRT for about 8 months. My doctor adjusted the doses a few times but we finally landed on .05 patch and 200 mg progesterone. I thought I was feeling pretty good. Until a few weeks ago.

I have not had a period in 72 days. I’m not pregnant, my husband was snipped but I have checked anyway for my own peace of mind. It’s not like I miss the cramps or bleeding but I don’t feel good this way either. My worst symptoms were poor sleep, mood swings and heart palpitations and they’re all back with a vengeance.

Is there anything I can do? My doctor is in between clinics so can’t get an appointment right now.

I’m 40 and started HRT in mid-March.
At the time I weighed 70 kg (154 lbs). Today, exactly two months later, I stepped on the scale for the first time and honestly… I’m shocked.
I now weigh 74 kg (163 lbs).
That’s a 4 kg gain (almost 9 lbs) in just two months.
The confusing part is that I haven’t really changed anything:
same eating habits,
same activity level,
same workouts,
same lifestyle overall.
I know people say HRT doesn’t directly cause weight gain, but this feels too dramatic to ignore.
Has anyone else experienced noticeable weight gain after starting HRT?
Was it temporary water retention or did the weight stay?
I’m honestly feeling really upset and confused about it.

I’ve become very restless, jittery, can’t stop moving, twitchy even, lots of anxiety (daily) which makes me want to climb out of my skin. It’s I’ve been on Testosterone cream for almost 1.5 years now but in the last six months these symptoms have shown up. Has anyone else had this? Can you relate? Did it end up being testosterone related or was it something different?

I’m 46, 5’6”, around 160 lbs, and honestly feeling really lost with perimenopause, HRT, weight gain, sleep, and now considering GLP-1s. I’m hoping to hear from women who’ve gone through something similar.

I’ve been on HRT for about 2 years:
\- Estradiol patch 0.1 twice weekly
\- Progesterone 100 mg nightly

The HRT HAS helped some things, especially the rage/mood swings before my period, brain fog, and that “completely losing it” feeling the week before my cycle. But lately I still feel emotionally sensitive, sad, exhausted, and honestly just not like myself anymore.

Over the last 2 years I’ve gained about 15 lbs, mostly in my belly and breasts. My breasts constantly feel swollen/full/heavy, I feel puffy and inflamed all the time, my hair is thinning, and nothing fits the same anymore. It’s affecting my confidence because I don’t even feel like getting dressed or going anywhere half the time.

I work out 4-5x a week (mostly strength training), try to walk/get steps in, and I’m mindful about protein and food overall. I also try to take fiber because I’ve always had digestion/bathroom issues. But despite all of that, I still feel exhausted, hungry all the time, and like my body just keeps fighting me.

Sleep is also terrible. I wake up constantly and probably average around 5 broken hours a night.

I also have adenomyosis/heavy clotting, so I’m wondering if estrogen is making some of that worse too.

Last year I tried compounded semaglutide at a VERY small dose for about a month (even lower than the starter dose) and I was still so nauseous the entire time. It honestly felt like morning sickness and made it harder to even work out because I constantly felt sick. I’m wondering if tirzepatide is any better for people who were really sensitive to semaglutide nausea?

I guess my questions are:
\- Has anyone gained weight or felt constantly puffy/full on HRT?
\- Did lowering your estrogen dose help?
\- Did stopping HRT help or make things worse?
\- Has progesterone made anyone feel constantly hungry?
\- Did anyone eventually tolerate GLP-1s after bad nausea in the beginning?
\- Has tirzepatide worked better for anyone than semaglutide?

There’s SO much information online right now and every ad is another powder, gummy, hormone supplement, fiber drink, peptide, etc. I honestly don’t know what’s normal anymore or what direction to go in.

Would really appreciate hearing from women who’ve actually experienced this.

37F here and in surgical menopause; I had my hyserectomy and oophorectomy in January of 2026. For the first month after surgery, I was on oral estroidol (2mg daily) and 4mg T-cream. Around the one month mark, I moved to 0.1 patch instead of oral and changed to 5mg/daily T-gel.

I have experienced PROFOUND water retention on the patch, and have medical certainty via DEXA and RMR testing that no, it's not fat that I put on. I'm muscular and very active in the gym and this insane weight gain has been unacceptable. I regularly get told online that I should 1) wait... but waiting longer hasn't helped at all and it's been four months; 2) watch what I eat... but I would guess I am more locked in to my health, fitness, and calorie goals than most people I meet; 3) that there is no meaningful difference in water retention amongst methods. However, there ARE!

Patches distribute a steady-state estrogen signal. Flat line, all the time. Pills and gel and mist are all more pulsed -- a peak then a fall. The fall allows your kidneys to reduce the sodium-retention signal that makes you hold onto water. For people who are very, very sensitive to HRT (me, for example) the steady-state of the patch is preventing that signal from braking. Some people do just fine on patch, but those of us who don't are not insane for having issues. Below, I will explain my experience so far as well as what I'm trying next.

Tracking Changes Over Time

I keep a spreadsheet of my health metrics for training purposes, and I color-code it with conditional formatting. As soon as I switched to the patch, my weight began a steady upward line. The color of that column just gets darker and darker. And I am now 17 lbs heavier than I was at the time of surgery!

First, 0.1 Patch:

I wore the 0.1 patch for almost 2 solid months. As time went on, my water retention got worse and I became increasingly brain-foggy. I was furious about both things, so I asked to be moved back to 0.05.

The 0.05 Patch:

For me, this dose cleared the brain fog but did not touch the water retention. I went ahead and had a DEXA and RMR test done. I'm very muscular, and I watch what I eat carefully because I'm so active. I needed to know that I had not somehow gained fat on my own.

The RMR and DEXA validated me completely: I can eat, per the metabolic test itself, 2200 calories a day to maintain. I have been eating UNDER that all this time since surgery.

So I knew it wasn't fat.

I did try, on this patch dose, two controlled experiments where I took the patch off for 24 hours. Both times, I had zero negative effect and within 24 hours after putting the patch back ON, I would flush 3 lbs of water right away. And then, with the patch back on, it would slowly creep. back up. While it seems strange that the flush starts when the patch is put back on, it would seem that falling levels can also trigger slight stress increase and the replacement of the patch eases the stress and releases the water. And for whatever it's worth, there is NO other other time I see water flushing when I'm on the damn pach.

The 0.0375 Patch:

I wanted to move to a method that would let me have more pulsed estrogen rather than a continuous signal like the patch. I asked about gel or returning to oral. Doctor said we should try the 0.0375 patch. She said if that did nothing, we'd try oral or gel again. However, 2 weeks in, the patch has changed nothing. I feel no different; the water has continued to be retained.

So I am now transitioning back into oral. I'm going to start with 0.5mg twice daily with the goal of moving to 1mg twice daily.

What next?

My shift back to the pill is recent so I don't have data yet on if it works. However, I'm hopeful. Because the one month I was on oral in the immediate aftermath of surgery, my weight stayed very steady. It was upon patch application that things got crazy. So I'm giving the pill a whirl again with a goal of switching to 1mg once daily before bed after I transition via the 0.5 + 0.5. That would create a longer trough.

If anyone else has had similar experiences, I'd love to talk. I'm so tired of being gaslit about the patch. It truly is not working for me.

T relevance; changed to E injections to optimize T

General question, not specific advice/guidance.

I blew my estrogen level out of the water. Valerate dosing was way too high (I’ll leave dosing & lab levels out of post as not looking for medical advice on that-I know the error was being too aggressive which is ironic as I’ve tiptoe’d with the T)

I stopped the Valerate as of 5/6. Planning another lab draw tomorrow to see where I’m at one week later, before resuming at lower dose.

What do you know re;half life? Any \*general, not advice\* thoughts on how much the E level would bump down in one week?

Thanks! Appreciate any thoughts.

I’ve been doing a slow titration of test Cyp for 6+ months with repeat blood work every 4-6 weeks. And still no return of libido. Labs were done a week after last injection
I’m up to 7.5mg 1x a week injection
200mg prog
0.05 est patch
150mg Wellbutrin
My shbg is still high at 130
Total t is 64
Free is .63

I’m at a loss. I don’t know what else to do. I’ve tired boron and a few other supplements.
My brain fog is clear and I have some motivation but I feel like I’m never going to get back to the way I use to feel.

Any suggestions?

Past couple of days I’ve been feeling achy all over. I did have to change brands for my E patches due to the shortage. It’s been 2.5 weeks and just now I’m getting the achy feeling. Could it be the new patches? And does it mean I’m absorbing too much or not absorbing well enough?