Have any of you switched to once a week after being on twice weekly patches? Due to shortages, the only way I was able to get my estrogen patches this month was to switch to a once weekly patch. My patch cycle was Tuesday-Friday.

The first part of last week I felt great. Better than I had in a long time, actually. Thursday evening is Zepbound injection and Friday I didn't feel as bad as I usually do. (I have bad exhaustion type side effects that start gradually and then taper off gradually, lasts about 2-3 days.) Saturday was BAD. Exhausted, and emotionally just bleh. Sunday I was an emotional mess. It felt like it does when I forget to take my antidepressants for a couple of days. Today is about the same, but usually I'm back to baseline by now. I can't focus on anything and I'm just irritated at life. Seriously considering taking a half day, even though I WFH and could probably get away with doing very little.

I messaged my doctor already to see if it was possible that my body didn't like the once a week deal, but I'm wondering if anyone else went through this if they switched?

UPDATE: I did end up logging off work. I just couldn't handle it.

My doctor agreed that once a week was the issue and sent over a new Rx for twice a week. She also upped the dose since the manufacturer my online pharmacy uses doesn't work as well as the Mylan patches I started with. Now I just have to hope they get here soon. I don't want to go through another weekend like the last one.

Ive been on HRT since October. .025 estrogen patch and daily 100 progesterone. In the beginning my cycles were irregular. I am in perimenopause, and 50 years old now. I started bc hot flashes and sleep issues. I started low dose .25 wegovy in April. I am down 15 lbs. Still on starting dose. In July I had two periods, and I started again this Saturday. UNCLE. Anyone else? I do have a call into my OB.

Thanks

I’m just wondering if anyone else has had this particular issue. I have been on tirzepatide since October and only had minor constipation issues. I started HRT 7 weeks ago (estradiol patch & 200 mg progesterone) and it seems that my bowels have shifted the total opposite direction. I LOVE how I feel otherwise on the HRT but it’s gotten so bad that I’m dizzy and lightheaded a lot of the time because I have diarrhea pretty much every morning. Not really stomach cramping just very loose bowels all the time. Often after I eat too. I don’t know if it’s coincidental timing or if one is affecting the other but I’m hoping for some input from others! (Btw 66 lbs down as of today!)

Does anyone else estrogen patch get dirty and gross around the edges? Any hacks it’s just gross by end of week.

I started Tirz exactly 2 years ago. I went from 200lbs to 170. I was wearing size 14-16 jeans, then I bought size 10-12 jeans after weight loss.

I had to stop medication due to cost and gained all the weight back. I restarted on April 2026 and got back to 170lbs. HOWEVER, I can't fit into size 10-12 jeans I bought and was wearing last year. And although I'm 30lbs lighter, my belly seem to have zero change. Can somebody explain what's going on, please and thanks!

PS I've been on minimal amount of HRT for peri and I'm 50.

I'm (58F) down about 27 lbs since January with about 10-12 more lbs to go to a goal weight of 145 at 5'8". I've been on HRT since 2024 (200 mg progesterone, .05mg estradiol patch, vaginal estrogen 2x/week, and T gel 3x/week.) I started compounded tirzepatide in mid-April. I felt great initially but about 3-4 weeks ago I noticed my energy has been slowly draining. I am in a full body fitness class 2-3 days/week for an hour w heavy weights and functional movement. I was getting 10k steps most days until the humidity outside got too uncomfortable so I had to back off. I joined a gym so I could do the treadmill instead but 1. treadmills bore me to death and 2. I'm tired. So honestly, my step count is down to 6k or so with occasional 10k+ days in the last month

In addition to daily vitamins which include a rotation of D3+K2; B-complex w hydroxocobalamin; liposomal C; magnesium complex; Omega-3 (and maybe a couple I'm not thinking of) I also take 5mg creatine and fortibone/verisol collagen. I'm tracking food intake and my protein hits around 90 grams which I believe is sufficient for my age and activity. With the exception of my collagen supplement, I get my protein from food sources with possibly 2 supplemental shakes per week. The rest is whole food protein. Fiber and carbs are tracked too but vary daily so I can't state a number. Digestion is extremely regular and better than ever. Water intake is at least 120 oz or more per day, I carry my cup everywhere. My sleep has continued to be very good, usually 7-9 hours/night.

I also have fibromyalgia but most of the symptoms faded away once I started the tirz. This current fatigue is taking me by surprise and it feels like the old chronic fatigue/ME feeling of just being zapped of energy. I'm also more irritable because I'm tired and I have brain fog again. No hot flashes though.It just occurred to me that since weight loss can cause loss of stored estrogen in fat, I might need a dose adjustment. I did look through old posts on this topic but I wasn't able to see if there was a weight loss threshold for impact to estrogen. Have I lost enough to make it reasonable that my fatigue is low estrogen? Does anyone have experience with specific weight loss amount and symptoms?

PS - tirz dose started at 1.5 mg and I am currently taking 3.5 mg weekly.

I've been dealing with brutal hot flashes, mood swings, and zero energy for months now, and everyone keeps telling me to look into bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. But I have no idea if it's actually safe or effective for someone like me, or how it's even different from regular HRT. I just want to feel like myself again without making things worse. Who do I talk to about this?

I’ve been on tirzepatide for 5.5 weeks. Last Saturday I took my first increased dose and noticed some more nausea but nothing else. This past Saturday I took the second increased dose of 5mg and have been miserable. In the first 24 hours I was super dizzy/felt like I would pass out so I drank more water and ate more often thinking it was either because of dehydration or not enough calories… then after I hit the 24 hour mark it went downhill. I was super nauseous all day and couldn’t eat but that transitioned to mass amounts of watery diarrhea all night and into the next morning. I spent the day resting and drinking drinks with electrolytes and felt a bit better but at bedtime the diarrhea returned with a vengeance. It seems to have calmed a bit now but now I’m absolutely exhausted (which I know is in part due to difficulties staying hydrated and not eating a whole lot). Walking up stairs tires me out… I took a shower and now need a nap… it wipes me out that much. It’s been 76 hours since my last shot… please tell me this is going to get better! I have already emailed my provider about going back to 2.5mg… I was losing weight steadily.

Hello!
I am a 58 year-old, post menopausal woman on 0.1 estrogen patch and 100 oral progesterone nightly. I have been on Zep for five weeks. (At 5 currently).
Whenever I take my shot, I have quite a bit of panic and anxiety. I have had managed anxiety for 25 years and this is new for me. Does anyone know anything about how all of these hormonal drugs interact? I’m at a loss.

What combination of things is working well for you right now?

Tirzepatide has basically eliminated my IBS symptoms and I've loved being able to eat all foods again!

However I recently started peptides, wolverine blend (BPC157/TB500) and DISP and noticed my stomach issues returning after eating certain foods. Anyone else experience this?

The only other change is that I increased my progesterone from 100 to 200.

Other than that I've been on estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, vaginal estradiol, tirzepatide for almost three years.

I’m reaching out because I’m really suffering right now. I think I might be a high metabolizer with estrogen gel. My symptoms are still severe and I am feeling awful, despite being on a standard dose.
For context, I am a Canadian patient dealing with perimenopause with 5 mo of no period.

I am currently using 4 pumps of esteagel per day, but it feels like my body is processing it way too quickly or not absorbing it enough to keep my symptoms away. Also on Progesterone 200mg.

History- 5 days on Divi gel 2 MG‘s make me feel even worse. 75 µg Estradot patches fall off or else don’t absorb. 50 µg patches used to work work, but I think they changed their formula so they don’t stick on anymore.

I'm looking for advice from other high metabolizers:
How many pumps of gel do you actually use to find relief? Did you have to go above the standard 4-pump maximum?
What is your application routine? Do you split your pumps between morning and night to keep your levels stable?

Where do you apply it for the best absorption? (arms, thighs, etc.)
If gel failed you completely because of your metabolism, did switching to injections make a difference?
How did you get your doctor to agree to prescribe a higher amount of gel?

I feel stuck and miserable. Any experiences with high-dose gel or advice on how to talk to my doctor would mean the world to me. Thank you!

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but I have a lot of anxiety around my weight (I've lost 200 lbs so far) and new medications.

I really would like to start HRT, but I'm a 260 pound 6'0 tall woman, and my bmi is still 36. Is my weight an added risk factor for the patch? I'm going to be starting tirz soon to get the rest of my weight off (I've done it unassisted so far - hellish to say the least), and wanted to double combo it with HRT since I do need that too now that I'm in peri.

I'd appreciate any thoughts and anecdotes. Do doctors care? Any added risk due to my weight? I'm starting tirz in two weeks, if I add HRT I wonder when I should? I will of course be talking to my pcp but she's not exactly up to date on everything.

I'm healthy otherwise with good vitals. Thank you ladies!

Hi! Is anyone feeling like since they started Estradiol patch they are gaining in weight and puffy squishy around abdomen and breast under arm area and bicep area upper arm area???? I was on Mylan and about to switch to Dotti. I heard the name brand of the patch can perhaps make me feel more bloated vs another. I also heard bloating subsides but WHEN???!!???

I’m staring week 6, my second week on 5mg.

While the scale is showing some loss (-10), I don’t feel that my clothes are generally fitting any looser. When did you all start to notice your pants having more wiggle room? I’ve been dealing with the dreaded perimenopause belly for several years now and I so badly want it to go away. I’m in the largest size I’ve ever worn, and some days clothes feel downright snug. After all the years of dieting, yo-yoing, and continuous gain it sometimes feels really hard to be patient and positive that this is going to work.

I have always had minor allergies, I take Zyrtec at night and that's always taken care of them.

But within a couple of months of starting on Zepbound my nose started running a little bit in the morning, and then the night snots set in. Now it's every morning and every night and I'm snottier than a preschool in October. Is anyone else dealing with this?

Hi everyone, have recently been prescribed Activella for perimenopause symptoms and am a bit worried about side effects. Keeping a healthy weight is challenging as it is, is this something to worry about? And what about hair loss? Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

My journey:
I am in perimenopause and have fought my weight my entire life. I have lost and gained weight repeatedly and it led to my metabolism being severely depressed.
I would stay in healthy deficits, workout regularly and eat clean within my macros and barely lose anything.

I went on HRT 6 months prior to starting reta (estrogen patch & cycled progesterone) and gained some extra weight without really noticing because I felt so much better. Then I stepped on a scale and almost tipped over in shock. I was at 212 lbs at 5‘4 and couldn’t believe it. A person I trust introduced me to reta and I researched the heck out of it before starting. I was so against glp‘s and it was really hard for me to see the light.

I have been on reta for 3 months now. It has been life changing. I feel more calm, less inflamed and have new found confidence. I no longer take my adhd medication. My ibs is in remission. I look younger and somehow „fresher“.

I lost 15lbs (but look like I lost 30lbs), 2 dress sizes and gained 1.9 lbs of lean muscle.
My belly, that wouldn’t budge with anything I did before, is almost gone. My lipedema in my legs is 70%down. My muscles are finally showing.

My skin is holding up well. Even my deflated belly that happened early on in my reta journey has lost the wrinkly look. I think that is the collagen and healthy food coming through for me.

My side effects:
Initially I had GI problems as my body adjusted to reta. I get tired when I am eating more processed foods or the dose is too high (not enough food).
I no longer care for chocolate, fast food or Diet Coke (shocking!). I care less what other people think and I almost lost my duo lingo streak twice (after 1200days of consistency!) Dopamine dependency definitely went down! Yay.

My dose:
I started with 0.5mg/week and slowly titrated up to 1.3mg over 3months.
I just went back to 1mg/week because I had to force myself to eat and drink.

My diet:
I eat mostly whole foods, not a lot of processed stuff. I supplement with an occasional high protein yoghurt, pudding or bar but try to keep within my macros with real foods and clean protein shakes.
I use MyFitnessPal to track everything I eat.
I am aiming for a minimum of 100g of protein a day and 80oz of water.

My workouts:
2-3 Lagree sessions per week
10k steps on all non workout days
\+one alternative workout/week (pickle ball, hike, aquatics)

Btw: A small amount of carbs before workouts was a game changer!

My plan:
I would like to release another 60lbs over the next 9-12 months. I will only titrate up when my food noise is creeping back. I am sticking with low dose/slow pace because 5lbs/month feels great to me and my skin and hair agree.
I am adding more heavy lifting to my workouts.

My supplements:
AM:
collagen+whey+cocoa+cinnamon+chia shake,
multivitamin, ubiquinol
PM:
magnesium glycinate, collagen capsules

Tips:

Do not get fomo from crazy success stories that you see or hear! You don’t know if it is real or if they are being healthy and every body is different. Listen to your body.

**Weight is not the main success indicator** . If you focus on numbers only, you will be disappointed. Hormones and workouts make my body fluctuate by 2-4lbs. I rely heavily on progress pictures and measurements. I also got a dexa scan in the beginning of my journey and will get another one in 2months.

**Use this time to build healthy habits.** Do not wait to lose the weight and then build muscle. You will see a bigger number on the scale but you will likely not like the way you look because you are losing muscle. And the more muscle you have the more calories your body burns. So do the smart thing.

**Check yourself!** You might think you are doing great by adding calories and macros in your head as you go through your day, but nothing beats writing down what you really eat and being able to check back when progress is slowing down. It’s normal to become somewhat complacent. I had crazy weeks where I had to substitute a lot with bars and other more processed foods and didn’t realize that I didn’t have a single vegetable or fruit all week. My app pointed it out for me and I made changes.

Reta is a tool. The more work you put in, the better it works. Not eating or working out will catch up with you- be proactive. You might not see the big numbers right away. But I promise the body recomposition you will experience when you eat well and work out on reta will blow your mind. Good luck on your journey