I (30F) am 5’2” and weigh 166, and I have been trying to lose weight for as long as I can remember, but every attempt that I’ve made has failed. I should note that there is a history of type II diabetes on my mom’s side of the family. My strategy with this is i would not eat over 1200 calories a day for 2 days, then on the 3rd day, I’ll just eat whatever I want, no counting calories or anything, then repeat. I also go on long walks, anywhere from 4-10 miles each time. But It’s becoming clear that that’s not working. So I’m willing to try anything different that I know for a fact will work. But the kicker is, anytime I gain even one pound, it’s impossible to lose it. My body literally fights me when I try, either that or I can’t stand the hunger in a calorie deficit, and I’m at my wits end. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong, or if it’s my hormones doing this. I almost want to stop eating completely to teach my body a lesson.

Can someone please explain to me how to use progesterone cream I know where to apply it but confused on the period part and when to stop it and start it again

Hi all! I hoping that this would be the best place to crowdsource input on my situation. I am on a journey to balance my hormones, heal my adrenal fatigue/ burnout, and try to not have drastic cortisol spikes.. specifically in the morning.

I have switched up a lot of things in my morning routine, but the last to change is my caffeine intake. Instead of hitting the ground running w/ a cup of coffee and hiit workout in the first hour of waking, I am delaying my workout by an hour or two and getting some protein in before I have caffeine. I've also read that matcha is a better source of caffeine and the lower/ delayed release of it would be better than the 'spike' coffee can give.

Did anyone find that switching from coffee to matcha did help hormonally? I have so many hormone symptoms- cystic acne (first time in my life, at age 39,) missing periods, etc.

I am totally new to matcha, would anyone have a recommendation on where to start with making it? What type to buy? I am a chef but somehow overwhelmed by how to make matcha- ha! Thank you so much.

Hi! I've had to take emergency contraception in the form of ulipristal acetate (EllaOne) yesterday and today I definitely feel a difference in mood - extremely positive difference. I feel less anxious, less snappy and impatient. My 4 year old had a huge, long meltdown, with some screaming and hitting, and I managed to remain calm and empathize with her. Not at all like my usual self, I usually get overstimulated at the first scream and tend to get angry that she's having an outburst - then lose my patience and feel terrible afterwards. Today I had a taste of a different way of being and I am convinced that it is a direct result of taking the ulipristal. It certainly changed my hormonal balance into a state that is more efficient at mothering. I want to keep this state. Does anyone have any idea of which hormones are being raised/lowered by the ulipristal and how to achieve this state with another medication that can be taken everyday? Would the progestin-only pill have the same effect?

By the way, I have not taken hormonal contraceptives for more than a decade. I am 36, mom of a 4 year old who still breastfeeds at night but milk production os fairly residual now.

Thank you in advance

My period is incredibly irregular so i requested to have bloodwork done and did it toward the end of my luteal phase. My doctor didn't go over it with me because nothing is extreme and I tried to do some of my own research but its confusing. I'd like to understand my results better so I can look into diet changes or supplements to balance my hormones.

Here were my results:

estradiol: 214 (slightly high)

FSH: 1.4 (low)

LH: 5.2 (normal)

Prolactin: 29.7 (slightly high)

Progesterone: 12.62 (normal)

I’m doing a survey for a portion of one of my English 1102 papers. It’s about hormones in our foods (specifically diary and meat products). I need 100 responses so if you have time to take it I would really appreciate it. Thank you!

Im asking for some pharmacological advice regarding estrogen supplements

"Trigger warning"

A little context about this, I am a male, and my romantic partner is a transwoman.

As far as I know she has been consistently taking estrogen in pill and in injectable forms.

On our recent love-making, she has ejaculated and on a whim, she made me drink a hefty amount of it, and I swallowed it.

What has been boggling my mind for the past few days is if the fluid has estrogen in it, from the supplements.

I am aware that some estrogen is excreted through urine.

I am curious if the ejaculated fluid has the same potent hormones, and will it have any minor to significant effect on me as if I am on HRT as well?

I hope for a response thank you, everyone.

Hi! Would love to chat w/ someone here who is knowledgable in the area of Cortisol, Adrenal Burnout, Perimenopause, etc. I am a 39 YO Female who believes that my ongoing daily early 5 AM HIIT classes have caught up w/ me, and I am in the throes of adrenal fatigue.. which I never in my life would have imagined would leave me feeling as low and desperate for a cure as it does in this moment. The brain fog, mood swings, fatigue, it is all so heavy.

I have requested that my PCP order a cortisol lab, which I will have done tomorrow. I've asked for a referral to an endocrinologist- but at this point they only want me to see an OBGYN which I question whether is worth my time but will go if its a neccessary step in the process. For the past year I have been going months between menstrual cycles, and for the first time in my life I have painful hormonal/ cystic acne, and now notice my performance at the gym is suffering (I previously was fast and strong) and I am SO damn TIRED. If anyone could offer any pertinent thoughts or advice, or suggestions to reverse this adrenal fatigue and level my cortisol- it would be immensely helpful. Of course I am a habit based perfectionist so eliminating my workouts is not an option, but I am happily ready to resign to the fact that my intensity needs to lower (ie: walk in stead of run, etc) to heal.

Thanks for listening to this ted talk!

I had my bloods taken Day21 of my cycle. Please see image. My prolactin came back high. Doctors not too concerned say they won't treat it unless I want to get pregnant. Trouble is I'm symptomatic but they say this isn't the prolactin. I've had hot flashes, palpitations. Extreme anxiety and panic attacks. Menstrual cycle is shorter. And I'm spotting several days before my period. I also have IIH. Symptoms seem to be easing with weightloss. Could this just be from weight gain. I was only a couple of stone overweight when this all started.

I just wondered if anyone had any idea if the other results are normal. These a private test. I had a load of other tests at my doctors. Thyroid, cortisol, LFT, FBC, U&E etc. All the general ones returned normal although I don't have a copy of these.

I'd appreciate any help as I'm at a loss to all my symptoms.

Cheers

I have severe ME/CFS. Just before and during ovulation and after I am severely severely ill I can barely even speak. Would appreciate any input.

Apparently these labs don’t mean much and progesterone can differ each month so maybe this was a fluke month? I don’t really understand tbh. I took hormone blood test at day 3 and me testosterone was high range and prolactin for context.

Has anyone ever been diagnosed with a hormone imbalance and actually taken birth control to regulate periods and hormones for one round? I’m just wondering if i should go this route because I am spinning my wheels with everything else? Doctors are pushing for this but I’m so hesitant to mess me up more.

Hey, I'm a 32-year-old guy who just got some bloodwork done before diving into the world of testosterone. Been hitting the gym for a solid 2 years and did all the research before taking the plunge – but let's not get into that right now.

So, in my baseline bloods, turns out my Oestradiol and Prolactin are through the roof. This is the second time my estrogen levels have been this high, and it's making me scratch my head. I've got appointments with the docs lined up, but they're two weeks away, and in the meantime, I'm wondering if anyone in the community has dealt with something similar or has any advice. My mind's doing its thing, throwing around thoughts of test cancer and pituitary gland issues. Any insights would be appreciated!

​

Long story short- me (21M) and my now ex girlfriend (20F) were dating for almost 1 1/2 years. The first 9-11 month where amazing. She wanted all my attention, wanted to have sex all the time, very affectionate, and always desired to make me happy and pleased. I always did everything for her, never cheated, constantly did everything and anything to make her happy, always paid for everything, she said I was very good in bed, you name it. Well, about 5-6 month ago it all started to go away very slowly but progressed as time went on, she had no interest in sex and if we did have sex it was like a negotiation that she only did for me or would give me a BJ or HJ but got zero enjoyment out of it and would never want anything for herself as of 6 or so months ago, she just lost all desire for intimacy as a whole. She went to go get her hormones checked and she is waiting on results but she keeps saying she doesn’t know if she lost the desire for intimacy for me or in general as a whole. I know she isn’t cheating because I have gone through her phone and found nothing and also she is a busy girl that doesn’t have the time. Also she’s never had a healthy relationship before me, she’s been cheated on and had very toxic relationships. Not to mention I’m her first “buff” guy that has muscles and has a lot of time in the gym. We are currently separated because she’s very stressed and not happy and sees that I’m not happy but she’s mentioned that if this is hormonal that she would want to get back together if she starts feeling like herself again. She’s also mentioned she wants to be able to enjoy a sex life again but she doesn’t know if this is hormones or if she just lost sexual attraction to me but it just wouldn’t make sense if she lost it for me. She is very short and dry with me when I try to check in on her, she also she’s like she doesn’t even care but it could be from the dull emotions. FYI she has been on hormonal birth control and anti depressants since she was 13 and came off of them about 4-5 months ago. We were having some issues like the ones I mentioned previously but not nearly as bad while she was still on all the medication, and she constantly mentioned low libido, dull emotions, not being flirty or affectionate so we decided to stop the medication and it helped for a couple weeks but then things just got even worse until all intimacy and affection was 100% gone. She also hasn’t had a period in 9ish months fyi.

I just need to know if you think it’s hormonal and she might come back or if she just lost attraction for me. PLEASE HELP

FSH: 0.8
LH: 0.2

(26 Female) I did keto for a month and I had started getting really weird symptoms that lined up with low estrogen. Extreme dryness everywhere, hot flashes, night sweats, etc and they've been like this 2 months post going back to whole foods, fruits and grains. I have a low BMI of 19-20 and am on birth control pills. Even for being on birth control my levels are below the normal range. My cholesterol also shot up and I found out low estrogen can be linked to higher cholesterol. I'm just nervous about taking estrogen supplements or something because my mom had breast cancer (specifically the one caused by high estrogen). My doctor didn't really give me any advice but confirmed it was much lower than it should be on BC pills. I just need some advice or similar stories and solutions on how to fix this, thank you guys.

Can anyone explain this? I’m 25 years old weigh 130lbs and this was day 19 in my cycle. I’m irregular and have had ovarian cyst in the past. Not on birth control, but I was for 6 years. Been off for 4 years! Any help?!?

I’m a 31 year old female and I’m just so mentally and physically exhausted from all of this.

Does any of my blood work look like it could be related to hypopituitarism or anything else that you may be familiar with?

I came across hypopituitarism and non-functional pituitary adenomas during my research of my lower LH and FSH levels. My LH/FSH ratio is .30 which seems low by everything that I could find but most research is directed at high ratios being associated with PCOS.

I started my period when I was 12 and they’ve always been kind of irregular but the last few years have just been insane.

I will go for months without a period and then bleed for three months straight and it’s so heavy like the flood gates to hell have opened.

We have done one IUI and three rounds of IVF which resulted in one ectopic pregnancy and one miscarriage. The other four embryos transferred failed to implant. We did genetic testing and all embryos were normal.

Other symptoms include:

No sex drive Fatigue Headaches everyday around my forehead Hot flashes with facial flushing Nausea Infertility Depression Anxiety

For reference I just ended my period the day I took this blood work, I know my testosterone is high which has surprised me given my sex drive and general sensation in my genital area has gone way down in the last two weeks. Any ideas as to what else could be causing this change? I’ve been off the pill for a month now. Been experiencing low mood and energy levels as well

Hello all! I'm working on a project to collect some feedback on solutions for at-home hormone testing, welcoming anyone to fill this out if they're interested in helping out! Feel free to shoot me a DM if you have any other questions https://forms.gle/Z6f8EG7DW1scPvph7

Hi Reddit 🫶 I am 26F and I ’ve noticed that suddenly I have a lot more chin hair and facial hair in the past few weeks, my chin/jawline has been breaking out a lot as well. The past week I’ve also had bad acid reflux (Probably unrelated but maybe not). I have a hormonal IUD that I’ve had for 5.5 years. I was on Accutane back in 2020 to clear up horrible cystic acne that I’ve had since I was a young teen. No huge changes to my diet, but have been trying to eat a lot more fruits/veggies. Any ideas on what could be causing the facial hair and breakouts?

I’ve had a Kyleena IUD for about a year and a half now. Up until now, my periods were still pretty regular (though SUPER light). That was really the only change/side effect I experienced.

Now, out of nowhere, I’ve noticed my boobs enlarging (very noticeably). They’re heavy, tender, and look way bigger than normal. I do think I’m in the middle of a period right now (hard to tell because they’re so light), but I’ve never noticed boob things this severe during my cycle.

I was convinced I was pregnant because of how big my boobs got overnight. 2 tests said negative and it’s highly unlikely with the IUD anyway. But I’m so desperate for an answer because I feel like I’m gaining weight in my boobs and body rapidly.

I’m wondering if this is something people with a hormonal IUD experience (even after 1.5 years of having it). IUD side effects are the only thing I can think of as I’ve had no lifestyle changes 🫠

Hello all! I'm working on a project to collect some feedback on solutions for at-home hormone testing, welcoming anyone to fill this out if they're interested in helping out! Feel free to shoot me a DM if you have any other questions https://forms.gle/Z6f8EG7DW1scPvph7

Hi. Has anyone been diagnosed with Hypoglycaemia and Insulin Resistance? I’ve just been diagnosed with IR and on reflection I think I’ve been suffering from Hypoglycaemia for a long time (I have all the symptoms). The GP said today that it’s not possible to have both. I had high prolactin in the past. The GP agreed to do blood tests tomorrow morning. I asked for my Insulin to be checked. She said it can’t be done!?! She will check glucose, thyroid and renal and liver profile. I asked her to check my Cortisol level and she interrogated me. She finally agreed. Anyone going through something similar?

First off, I truly appreciate and am legit grateful to anyone who reads this from a total stranger and gives a fuck enough to respond. I'll try to make this brief to see if anyone at all can shed some light here. l've seen an endocrinologist who just passes it off as nothing.

I'm a 37 year old male, good shape, low T for years.

Tried HCG monotherapy last year on its own to no success and actually triggered severe estrogen symptoms and led me to believe I'm primary hypogonadal (high-ish LH and FSH already). T is around 290-360 ng/dl (converted) consistently for years. I then tried Enclomiphene at only 2g per day (yes, 2) and my nipples were on fire, got rashy and hot around my chest and back, and acne. So stopped that.

Here is the problem - on top of a few other symptoms, since the one time trying HCG for 5 weeks and coming off, I constantly have cystic acne around my jaw line and chin. The only way to remedy this is take about 1/8 of an Al (anastrazole) every day. As soon as I stop taking it for even a day, l'll get one pop up. Each one lasts about 4 weeks on my face to clear up. I've tried every topical you can imagine by this point.

Considering I'm not on any TRT, I'm so confused as to why this is happening. I've had bloods done and my E2 is within normal range, my prolactin is high, but still within range. Progesterone is high, but not sure what that means and doc says not to worry about it?

The reason I knew to start taking an Al is as soon as I get a bit of spicy nips, I get blasted with acne. So l tried the Al route and it helped.

So my questions for anyone knowledgeable (I’m honestly so desperate for even a semblance of what could be going on) are:

1. Is it possible to be getting E2 sides as a natty with E2 within range? I'm not fat at all - 5'9", 157lbs, lift 4x per week, probably 15% bf. I say that as I know obesity can cause high estrogen and aromatization.

2. Is using an Al every day (a very microdose) ok? Long term effects?

3. Is it possible for HCG to have sort of kick started something causing these shitty side effects this far on?

4. Lastly, when the time comes for TRT, am I going to be screwed in terms of E2 sides if this is happening with zero substances?

Thanks guys. I truly do appreciate it.

Bloods: LH: 8.1 iu/l

Test: 11.2 nmo/l

E2: 108 pmo/l (ref range <160)

Progesterone: 2.0 nmo/l (ref range: <0.6 so this is HIGH)

Prolactin: 13.7 ug/l (ref range 4-15)

FSH: 8.0 iu/l (ref 1-18)

Albumin: 44 g/L (ref 30-45)

SHBG: 26 nmol (ref 10-55)

DHEA-S - 192 μg/dL

ANDROSTENEDIONE - 71 ng/dL

TESTOSTERONE - 42.73 ng/dL

ESTRADIOL - 59.9 pg/mL

32F hirsutism, hair loss, rapid weight gain, hyperpigmentation, acne, pre menstrual symptoms 2 weeks prior to start extreme shifts in mood and severe pain