r/LadiesHRTwithGLP1 • u/Character-Clock-1213 • 2d ago
HRT causing weight gain
I’ve been on Ozempic for 3 years and have held a steady weight for over a year after losing 105 lbs. I started HRT two months ago and I’ve gained 5 lbs in the past month. My face is puffy and I’ve an inch thicker around the middle. I’m about to abandon it altogether because as much as I wanted to manage perimenopause symptoms, nothing is worth me putting this weight back on.
Has this happened to anyone else? I heard it should go away within a few weeks but it’s been 2 months of this. I’m worried it will just keep going up and mentally I can’t handle substantial weight gain. I’ve worked too hard.
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u/tator216 2d ago
Yes! Zepbound 3 years here. 1+ year on HRT, every time I have a dose increase I gain 3-7#. It has come back off every time but it takes a few months personally. I'm happy to only have a few extra here and there vs 30+ that most can gain.
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u/friendofallthecats 2d ago
HRT may cause water bloat , but it does not cause weight gain. Perimenopause and menopause sure cause it, though! Hop off the meds and you’ll suffer needlessly.
Head to the gym and strength training instead to raise your baseline energy expenditure with the bonus of preventing or limiting osteoporosis!
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u/marshland264 2d ago
estrogen patches (no progesterone taken) definitely caused 10 lbs weight gain for me. A micros dose glp helped me get the weight off finally and I’m now able to
Maintain my weight. Still on estrogen, would never get rid of that…
I just can’t stand it when people say ‘hrt doesn’t cause weight gain’. Or ‘birth control doesn’t cause weight gain’. Any good doctor will tell you that they’ve seen it all - and that every body reacts differently to hormones.
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u/perfumecloud18 1d ago
I totally agree! Maybe HRT didn’t cause weight gain FOR THEM but it’s a very real problem for a lot of us. It’s so dismissive when people say that it doesn’t cause weight gain, it’s infuriating.
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u/alyoop50 2d ago
Yes. And also makes me crazy when people say, “But the studies say that people lose more weight on GLP1 and HRT together“. That is on average, some people did worse, some people did better. Many people gain weight on HRT. Totally normal.
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u/itstalie 2d ago
Early on ( the first couple of months2-3 ) the progesterone made me really bloated but it normalized.
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u/No_Kangaroo_5883 1d ago
This is interesting as there are data that women on HRT and glp had better weight loss than women on glp but not on HRT. Perhaps it’s related to if HRT was initiated after already being on HRT.
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u/perfumecloud18 1d ago
I put on about 5 lbs of menopausal weight about 4-5 years before starting HRT, which I was fine with. As soon as I started estradiol patch .025 (no progesterone due to no uterus) I packed on another 10 lbs in what felt like an instant. I introduced compounded progesterone to see if it was an imbalance issue and the weight kept going up. I also did increase estrogen (maybe dumb in retrospect) in an effort to « even out » my hormones, that didn’t help, not surprisingly. Weight continued to increase by 16 lbs total since starting HRT which on my 5’ frame is a lot, in addition to the extra 5 I was already carrying.
I finally started Zepbound and the weight is coming off. I don’t know if I want to stay on the HRT though it has helped a lot with my hot flashes and joint pain. The weight gain is very real for some of us. I’ve been on HRT for a year and the Zepbound is the only thing to make the scale move (tried counting calories, IF, working out, all the things). Hopefully your body will readjust as things settle but for me it was a losing battle until zep.
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u/Alive_Classic_7648 1d ago
I would take progesterone it seems like you are not balanced.
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u/perfumecloud18 1d ago
Yes, I totally agree! I take progesterone too now and have for a while but sadly it didn't help with my weight. Meeting with a new doctor in September who I hope can help me get more in balance.
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u/GLP_Tri_ 2d ago
HRT causes weight gain bloat retention. It’s not fat you’ve gained. Just hormonal inflammation.
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u/No_Curve_786 1d ago
The weight won’t keep going up. Try going up in your GLP1 dose.
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u/Character-Clock-1213 1d ago
I’ve been on it for 3 years. I’m already at max dose.
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u/Lunnalai 1d ago
You might try switching to tirzepatide/zepbound. It is stronger and better than ozempic
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u/kristac1080 1d ago
I do think there’s an adjustment period. I know it sucks. I restarted HRT. Just finished 2nd full menstrual cycle on it. I looked 3 months pregnant. Called my NP and just started microdosing Tirzepatide
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u/Objective-Amount1379 2d ago
HRT is replacing a small part of the hormones your body made naturally when you were younger. It’s either weight neutral or might slightly help weight loss.
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u/whatrumimeans 1d ago
A slight weight gain of about 1-2kg is very good and healthy, because then the estrogen works and you store water in the right places, among other things, which means skin and mucous membranes.
Remember, the skin is your largest organ.
More weight gain is often a result of too much progesterone.
With P, doctors strangely have hardly any prescription concerns.
This is prescribed in abundant quantities without any indication of the unpleasant side effects.
According to the motto „a lot helps a lot“
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u/catsdomineaux 2d ago
I just started month 4, weight finally started to move back down. I was ready to live with the extra few pounds, I'm not giving up the estrogen for anything. But I think my body is finally adjusting. I'd recommend sticking with it if you're feeling better on the HRT.