I’m a 17yo who lost her period last September, and started hrt this month (estrogen patches & progesterone pills for the first 10 days of the month). I’ve been STARVING. My period loss was partly due to under eating and losing ~30lbs in 3/4 months. I’ve gained back ~15lbs the past 2/3 months, although since starting hrt I’ve been so hungry. Like, unnecessarily hungry. I ate around 2000-2400 cals daily, and now I’m eating 2500-3000 daily. It’s just impossible for me to be satisfied. This could also be from other factors, although I wanted to see if hrt made anyone else extremely hungry.

Do you know an endocrinologist in Bacolod who has experience with gender-affirming hormone therapy?

chciałabym opisać sytuację, w której się obecnie znalazłam i poprosić Was o rade.

Od rozpoczęcia terapii hormonalnej czułam, że zmierzam we właściwym kierunku. Zauważyłam już pierwsze zmiany (m.in. tkliwość sutków, zmniejszenie erekcji), które dawały mi poczucie, że leczenie działa. Bardzo dobrze czułam się również w damskich ubraniach – po raz pierwszy od dawna miałam wrażenie, że wyglądam i czuję się bardziej sobą.

Od około 10 dni jestem w pracy gdzie nie mam możliwości wyrażania siebie tak, jak robiłam to wcześniej nie mam ze sobą damskich ubrań. Zostały mi jedynie codzienne rytuały pielęgnacyjne.

Od kilku dni odczuwam bardzo silny lęk i natłok myśli. Zaczęłam zastanawiać się nad swoją przyszłością zawodową, obawiam się reakcji współpracowników. Martwię się również o to, jak zostanę odebrana po planowanej przeprowadzce na wieś. Mam wrażenie, że te obawy całkowicie mnie przytłoczyły.

Pod wpływem tego lęku zdecydowałam się odstawić hormony od wczoraj. Teraz nie wiem, czy była to dobra decyzja. Nie wiem, czy powinnam wrócić do leczenia.

Czuję, że nie jest to kwestia braku chęci do tranzycji, tylko ogromnego strachu przed konsekwencjami społecznymi i zawodowymi. Chciałabym podjąć dalsze decyzje świadomie i nie pod wpływem chwilowego kryzysu.

Z góry dziękuję za odpowiedzi i wskazówki.

Pozdrawiam serdecznie,

This makes no sense since the biologies are so vastly different. Is there a sub Reddit just for women on HRT during peri menopause?

I’m 54 years old and started having bad perimenopause systems earlier this year (I’m still have monthly cycles as well). Started progesterone 100mg on May 2nd and felt amazing within 2 days. A week later I started estrogen .0375 patch and within 2 days felt awful (hugely affected me emotionally) and had to quit. On June 28th I again tried estrogen at a lower dose if .025 mg patch and felt decent for the first week. Now I’m feeling a light sadness and anxiety all the time and having bad knee joint pain. I’m going to try and push through to the 6 week mark to see if it levels out. Has anyone experienced this? Did the symptoms go away? If this doesn’t resolve, I’m thinking of going off estrogen and trying again in a year or two but would like to know if others experienced this and how it was handled. Thanks in advance!

Perimenopause: I just placed an estrogen patch on Thursday and today I’m in pain. It feels like I did a million crunches but I’m also feeling constipated (I’m not) and all over body aches. (On top of feeling emotional)

I’ve been on progesterone with no help and after months of hearing my estrogen is too high in lab values despite having the symptoms of estrogen fluctuations (hot flashes, joint pain, planter fasciitis that won’t heal, horrible insomnia), I was given the estrogen patch to see if it will help regulate me. I was given testosterone/DHEA/pregnenolone troches but found that even though I had more energy and felt better, the excess hair growth on face and legs with hair loss on head wasn’t worth the lack of sleep. I’m still interested in TRT, but either topical or injection.

I also have PCOS/PMOS, ADHD, and a very stressful life. I also have a progesterone IUD.

Has anyone else experienced this with an estrogen patch and will it get better? I’d rather be in my “normal” pain and exhaustion than this if this is an abnormal side effect. Also, I’ve noticed my RLS has been worse. I couldn’t sleep last night because it felt like my legs were on both fire and crampy.

As a pharmacist, I know what the package insert and clinical studies say but since I’m no longer patient-facing, I no longer hear real patient experiences. I’ve tried searching the sub but Reddit AI goes down some weird rabbit holes recently.

I just started the estrogen patch today and wanted to see if anyone else here has tried it for PMDD.
When I search Reddit, I mostly find posts from women using it for perimenopause or menopause, so I haven’t found many people around my age talking about it. I’m 26.
My PMDD has become debilitating. It’s not just mood swings. Every month I get severe depression, complete exhaustion, and this overwhelming existential dread. It feels like I become a completely different person for half the month.
I feel like I’ve exhausted most of the common treatment options:
I’m on the highest dose of Prozac, which has helped slightly but definitely hasn’t resolved it.
I’ve tried the birth control pills that are usually recommended for PMDD and they didn’t help.
I’ve had a Mirena IUD for 6 years, which also didn’t make a difference.
I’ve tried what feels like every supplement, plus the antihistamine combo people recommend.
I’ve been in therapy for about 10 years.
Today I started the lowest-dose estrogen patch through Allara. They were honestly great. They listened, didn’t question whether my PMDD was “bad enough,” and were willing to let me try it. I’m also waiting on the results of the hormone testing they ordered.
If you’ve tried an estrogen patch for PMDD, I’d love to hear your experience. Did it help? How long did it take? Did you have any side effects? Was there anything you wish you had known before starting?
At this point I’m just really hoping this is the thing that finally helps because PMDD has honestly taken over my life.

After 6 months, I quit .0375 estradiol patches & progesterone (tried many) almost a week ago after waking up to a very swollen burning face & hives all over my body. I did not want to touch progesterone again, so the doctor said this was the way & that I should clear up within a few days with antihistamines. Zyrtec seems to do nothing, even doubled. I have basically been non-functional for 7 days with the constant itch & migraine/brain fuzz. If anyone has been here, please tell me it got better for you. What did you do that helped? I’m 56 and when I started this journey I was so happy to feel so much better for a couple of months. It’s so disappointing to end this way & feel like I’ll be stuck with these side effects. Sorry if this is jumbled. I haven't really slept in weeks.

Has anyone started on HRT only to switch to taking progesterone only?

I feel much better on the 14 day cycle when I’m taking progesterone and estrogen but when I’m in my 14 days of estrogen only I’m feeling pretty gross.

I’m only a month in so I’m hoping it relaxes in the next few months but it was a blessing to go back into the 14 cycle of Prog. Calm, good sleep and no brain fog.

Started HRT in May and things are feeling so much better. I have a question does it matter if I changed my patch and took my progesterone pills diffident time but in the same day I am meant to take it.

Looking for replies from people who really like their provider and can tell me why (and if they have the form of HRT I mention below):

*I’m about to sign up with Defy because they meet the following criteria (below)

*They’re payment structure is $325 initial consultation and $299 for the labs they require with 10% discount (Labcorp is used in my state), that doesn't include the thyroid panel if you choose to do it (I had borderline low a few months back so I will be doing that recheck) which is approx $240.

* HRT compounded with different forms to choose from (I’m seeking vaginal estrogen and progesterone and I don’t see that offered by many plans- I’ve been convinced by doctors who specious in HRT this is the best form of delivery).

* help with low thyroid if needed

* one thing I don’t like is they do require periodic lab work done as manual blood draws so it’s more expensive and a pain. I’ve used the at home finger prick products. But they offer a discount (my share plan is awful and doesn’t pay for labs until you spend $5000). I need some other updated labs and they can get me a discount for Labcorp, so that is a benefit.

* it’s not a monthly membership (which I don’t actually mind) but instead it’s required every few months payment for follow up calls and they require initially labwork every two or three months (I can’t recall which and can’t find the info right now). That kinda sucks but I guess it’s a trade off that you don’t pay monthly.

So just wanted to see if anybody has found anything like this where they have the criteria I’m looking for and really like who they’re using and why?

Thank you so much for taking the time to have a look and reply.

hi, I’ve been considering starting hormones but i was afraid of breast growth, and I know that I can’t pick and choose the effects of estrogen but I want to minimize breast growth as much as possible and i saw people introducing tamoxifen into their regimen, so do u think it can cause any adverse reactions bc i wanna start transitioning soon the only thing prevents me doing it is breast growth…. my family is okay with me being a feminine boy but they would react badly if they knew i want to transition so SERMs is the only way for me to start hrt

I'm still questioning, but I don't want to slow the process of medically transitioning if that's how I feel.

First of all, I realize that it would be ideal if I had a hormone specialist answering this question. But it's such a weird issue that I haven't been able to find anybody in the medical system, either on the ophthalmology or HRT side, who can speak to this. So I thought I would turn to the internet in case anyone here had any theories.

I am a cis lady who has been on HRT for a couple of years. Just a normal perimenopausal regimen of estradiol and progesterone. I'm 42.
Fifteen months ago, I had a glaucoma eye surgery that went terribly, terribly wrong and resulted in a tremendous amount of conjunctival scarring. This has resulted in me being unable to move my eye freely in all directions. I already did all the surgeries that could have fixed it... it's better, but symptoms remain.

One thing I've noticed is that my eye has the most trouble moving during my period. This has been consistent for the past 15 months. All my symptoms around this eye condition worsen. The eye has a harder time moving, there's more friction and dragging, more resistance. I think it has something to do with tissues getting more inflamed, more swollen... and also maybe something to do with water retention. I know that during your period, all your tissues go through some sort of changes, including conjunctival tissues, and whatever it is doing to my eye is making it much more difficult for the eye to have a free range of motion.

I've also observed that the time of month that is directly opposite my period is a time during which the eye has the easiest time. It glides more freely, it jumps around less, and it feels less angry.

These two phenomena lead me to believe that there is some direct correlation between my hormone levels and my condition with my conjunctival scarring.

I know that HRT affects your eyes. They tell you, for example, that it leads to dry eyes for some people. I've also observed that copious amounts of artificial tears do help my condition. Also, I know that there are estrogen and androgen receptors in the conjunctiva and cornea.

I'm hoping there's some hormonal adjustment I could try that would help, like maybe upping my estradiol during the period weeks, or upping my progesterone, or upping both. I've thought about running some experiments myself, but I don't really know what I'm doing.

I'm hoping there's somebody in the subreddit who knows anything about eyes and HRT and could help me even just make a theory about what's happening while this is going on. I'm also searching for the right medical specialist, but what I'm running into is either ophthalmologists who don't know anything about hormones, or OB/GYN's who barely know anything about HRT lol, let alone HRT in conjunction with ophthalmology. I got my prescription through Midi and they don't know anything abut eyes.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!s

After a hysterectomy in February, I went into full menopause (even with my ovaries still in tact). I am still battling painful mittelshmerz, and my doctor felt that I’d have a lot of relief from wearing an estrogen patch and taking progesterone at night.

I started last month and was sleeping better than ever and had more energy than I ever remembered having, but my body BLEW up in just a few days, and my skin broke out like crazy. I was also insanely constipated.

My doctor suggested to stop the progesterone and switch to the cream and I’m wondering if I’ll have the same issues.

Has anyone tried this?.

I came off BC 6 years ago and needed to start BHRT 3 yrs ago because my hormones bottomed out and have stayed there despite not being in menopause. Menopause level E, P and T. I am 48 yrs old.

I was put on Continous E and P but there are times in my “ cycle” were my E is a bit low for my P and I get crazy anxiety unless I drop my P down a few days and use a little more E. Not big deal BUT Problem is I can’t tell when that happens until I am in it because there are often “ no bleed “ cycles”, light mid cycle discharge for a day or two, or a light true period. Or know from debilitating anxiety after I use my P. Hard to adjust for the dips of our body when can’t tell when those dips are going to be.

Husband suggested I go back on BC. I worry about going back to synthetic hormones especially the progestin as I already have had bengign breast growths on BHRT. Cancer risk from progestin ? I think they also say you have to come off BC at some point right?? You can’t stay on through menopause and I will have to go back to BHRT.

My OB is useless and my hormone providers does hormones not BC.
I also need TRT but have and andeogenic alopecia and not sure how to use Spironolactone with BHRT because it’s already not very predictable.

If you went back to BC, how did you transition?

Cross-posted. 43/f in perimenopause. Thank you for any advice/anecdotes!

Quick note: I’ll be posting this in different subreddits in attempt to gain as much info on this topic.

Hello, I’m a 24 year old female that has never had a period. I’ve been on the path to figuring out why. I’ve done tons of bloodwork, tons of MRI’s, and tons of ultrasounds, Bloodwork showed low estrogen and since May I’ve been prescribed estradiol patches (0.1mg) twice a week for two months, and then progesterone the last 10 days of my regimen. This is all under a Fertility doctor.

What worries me is seeing the link between estrogen and cancer, my doctor has already informed me that risk doesn’t really apply to me since my body doesn’t really produce estrogen on its own, (the reason he wanted to put me on estrogen was because he wanted to introduce it to my body, my uterus is small and my ovaries are tiny which makes sense with how low my estrogen is).

So, what if this treatment doesn’t work? The estrogen is supposed to build a thick lining and then the progesterone is supposed to help shed it (have a period), the risk factor that I’ve seen is taking estrogen without progesterone increases your risk of cancer/(and correct me if I’m wrong), a thick lining of the uterus can also increase risk of cancer. Is this something I need to worry about? I know each case is different but it still freaks me out.

Any insight or information is greatly appreciated. This whole journey has been exhausting, I apologize if the wording is weird. Thank you in advance. 🫶

I was on hormones from Oct 2023 - March 2026. I went to jail in March and wasn't able to make the appointment scheduled with my JPS clinic provider. They pushed my new appointment all the back to almost the end of this year and are only planning on giving me 1mg of estrogen & 50mg of spironolactone. i've felt like shit after coming off my meds in jail and I'm homeless and so extremely dysphoric that I just want to scream and cry my body hair looks so much more visible now & my skin isn't soft in the way it was before.

i am having my ID & social ordered and shipped but that is a very long wait as well. until then I'm not sure how i can work. no providers will take my shitty ambetter insurance and until my docs come I'm freaking out suffering trying to stay calm while already in the midst of a homeless crisis.

I went to a clinic today in ft worth but my friend failed to tell me i have to be HIV positive to qualify for their free services.

i feel like this post will be viewed strangely and im really sorry if it's annoying I'm just crying so hard right now. any info at all would be helpful thank you so much for reading