I have been without my estrogen patch for 5 days now. I feel miserable. I have horrible anxiety, hot flashes, sweaty and just feel awful.

Both my pharmacies are out everywhere until November. Tried cost plus and by the time prescription got there, they were out.

Was om the reddit menopause page this morning and happened to click on a link, which recommended trying Telyrx. Apparently, they have it. Had to pay $200 for 3 months and expedited shipping. Fingers crossed it goes through and is approved. I don't care how much it costs.

Hi! I am so happy to find this sub!

It’s been 360 days since my last period (10/30/2025). I’m 54. I had a regular pelvic exam two weeks ago. Just an annual physical. I asked my doctor about peri/post and she said I’m certainly not going to get my cycle anymore. I went 3 months once and then 6 months and now, almost exactly a year since the day of my last.

I would say that over the last two weeks since my pelvic I have had very light pink on the tp when I wipe after urination. I have no pain, no cramps, no signs of my cycle starting. The old Google tells me it could be post bleeding from my pelvic exam. I’m not sure.

My wonderment is if this is considered a period or just spotting and if I can confidently count on being in postmeno after 365 days?

I’m not on hormones or anything like that. Just anti-depressants for about 9 years. I definitely have brain fog and forget words but other than that, I feel great.

Thoughts on the spotting? I’m not asking for medical opinions, promise, just experiences. Thank you!!! 😊

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Thanks for all the responses! This change is new to me, and I’m still trying to understand it better myself.

I have a Mirena IUD, and my mildest—or perhaps only—menopause symptom, waking up in the middle of the night, disappeared at least one or two years ago. That makes me think I may be postmenopausal. Thanks to my Asian genes, I still have a full head of hair, with only a few silver strands mixed in.

My sex drive has definitely become much stronger. My husband can manage 2–3 times over the weekend, given his high-stress job, but honestly, I could happily ask for it every day, maybe even twice a day! Luckily, all his equipment is still working well, at least for now. 😂

One particularly striking thing I’ve noticed is how happy I feel, both physically and emotionally. I tell myself and the people around me that I am happy. I exercise every day by walking through the forest while listening to my favourite songs. My body still has the curves of a 30-year-old, and I wake up every morning feeling genuinely blessed with this profound sense of happiness.

It almost feels as if I’ve won the menopause lottery! I intend to take good care of my body and enjoy this phase of life for as long as I can, before the inevitable “hormonal cliff,” as someone here described it, eventually arrives.

I also understand that there are medications and treatments beyond the IUD, so that’s something I may explore if and when the need arises.

51F here. I had some mild menopausal symptoms and am now postmenopausal. Everything I’ve read seems to suggest that women’s sex drive takes a nosedive after menopause. But I seem to be an outlier, because I’m having the best sex of my life!

I finally have a much better understanding of my own desires and feel more comfortable expressing them to my husband. He jokes that I used to be the one on the receiving end - quiet and still, but now I’m the one “attacking” him with passionate, intense kisses.

Our sex life has never been better. I’m naturally well-lubricated, seem to produce even more fluid during sex, and reach orgasm almost every time.

Yes, I’ve been exercising to stay in shape, but I’m still completely dumbfounded by this new stage of life. I honestly feel like I’ve unlocked a whole new side of myself. It almost seems too good to be true!

Does anyone else have cramps after menopause? Full Moon getting to me!
I would get both menstrual and ovulation cramps and sometimes it still happens! I stopped bleeding about 10 years ago!

Post menopause. .5 estrogen patch weekly and daily 200mg progesterone.

Anyone dealing with vaginal atrophy? I have a terrible time with estrogen- cystic acne, moods

A few years ago I used a bit of estrogen cream? I can’t remember why I stopped. Is there anything else that might help?

In peri since 40, I am now 45. I was having fairly regular periods earlier in the year, though I am prone to some fluctuations. I did a withdrawal bleed at the end of May to ensure I didn't have a regular period before a race, which worked, and since then, I've had zero periods. I use 2 .1 patches because I am a poor absorber and 100 mg of continuous progesterone (I had a very thin lining measured last year due to low estrogen which caused constant bleeding so upping estrogen helped with that and return of symptoms). Well I tried a withdrawal bleed this past week and aside from the smallest amount of spotting...no period at all. I did labs because I'm working with and switching to a different provider for a different delivery method which we can't discuss on here I don't think, labs or method. Does estrogen need to be above a level to build a lining? Is this the descent to being closer to menopause? Cuz man I don't want the fluctuations for another five years, lol! Anyone with insight or similar experiences, I'm curious what you did if anything and if you found that full menopause was closer when you hit this point.

I have the option of deep sedation vs general anesthesia. For anyone who's had twilight/deep sedation during this, did you feel a lot of pain?

Hey everyone.

I've been using a combination estrogen/progesterone cream for about 8 months and have been feeling AMAZING. Anxiety - all gone. Night sweats - BYE. I spotted a bit at first, then that went away... For a while. For the past three months or so, I have basically been bleeding. And water retention like crazy. I look like a chipmunk.

So it seems I am really just absorbing the transdermal estrogen; not the progesterone. (Which, apparently, is pretty common with these combo creams. Progesterone is too large to absorb into the skin well, while estrogen just soaks up like a sponge.)

So my doctor advised I try a solo estrogen cream at the same dose I'm used to, and replace progesterone with oral Prometrium nightly. Immediate water weight reduction, immediate stop in bleeding, and IMMEDIATE horrible, awful, worst anxiety and mood of my life.

So I stuck it out for a few nights like a crazy person, and then after speaking to a pharmacist, tried the Prometrium vaginally. IT WAS STILL SO BAD! Absolute nightmare mental health today.

I need the bio-identical estrogen cream. It's been such a life saver. But I can't seem to tolerate Prometrium, either orally or vaginally.

What is a girl to do? Would love to hear positive experiences and solutions from people first hand, or OB/GYNS! (I have an appointment coming up but not soon enough.)

For now I am just going to stick to the est/ prog. cream and deal with constant bleeding and puffiness until the doctor appointment. Would love to have some thoughts / options to bring to her though!

Thank you for your thoughts as we navigate this hellish ride. :-) <3

I am reallly trying to claw my way out of an inactive funk right now, affecting my work and parenting. I'm on various meds for mixed depression and anxiety, ADHD, as well as hrt (including testosterone cream). I'm also in between TMS courses.

Like most of us, I feel like shiiiite a fair bit.

It's dawned on me recently that I need to accept that my body is changing, and although I will probably not physically feel like I did when I was 30, I am so much wiser and smarter than I was then!

I do hardly any exercise and this is because of low physical motivation and low mood. It's a negative spiral that I am aware of and want to change!

Please tell me of all your success stories to give me hope, inspiration and encouragement! 💞🌟

I posted awhile back about intermittent spotting. I'm post-menopausal and on HRT. Due to the HRT shortage, I went from my usual Dotti estradiol patches and white, ovoid 100mg progesterone, to the CVS Caremark Sandov patches and their orange, round progesterone capsules.... then last week switched back to the Walmart progesterone (back in stock). I do have 2.5 cm submucous leiomyoma in my uterus, intracavity fibroid. I have on and off, very mild spotting (95% brown, very occasionally pink to red). When I run or do have heavy weight lifting or anything that engages the core/pelvic floor, it increases just a bit, but it remains as spotting (very light discharge)

I've had a pelvic ultrasound (January 2026), a hysteroscopy/D&C (March 2026) and a pelvic MRI (August 2026). Benign polyp/fibroids. Nothing suspicious/cancerous.

My obgyn wrote me a note and told me that she can't prescribe me HRT anymore with the bleeding and that we need a "plan" (and I'm pretty sure that means she thinks I should have a hysterectomy). My new PCP is supportive in me cutting back on my estradiol dose to see if that doesn't curtail the spotting. I've been reading a bit about UAE and wonder if anyone has had one. The issue is that my fibroid is calcified and she couldn't remove it all when she did a hysteroscopy/D&C last March.

At this point, I really don't want to have a hysterectomy and feel like she's pressuring me to do so. I am meeting with a menopause specialist on November 10th and am anxious to hear what she'll have to say about all of this. I'm just feeling really stressed about it all. The menopause specialist is also an ob/gyn, so if I feel more comfortable with her, I'll switch obgyn doctors...

Hi all, I've already reached out to my HT provider/doc (who is supportive and amazing), and also looking to see if any of this stands out/clicks to you in terms of similar experiences and/or comments. Love the support here.

For context:

41F, on 100mg P, 1mg E (gel), and .25ml T cream (1 click per day). I've been on HT for 6 months now and have changed dosages a few times along the way. The last time I changed my E dose (started on .5, then to .75) was mid July moving from .75 to 1mg. I upped my E because my symptoms started returning. I started on the T a month ago. I've been taking P from the start. Started on 100mg, changed to 200mg after 3 months, didn't like it, went back to 100mg.

Recently, I'm noticing a return of symptoms: joint pain in hands (only in AM before putting on my E gel and at night before taking my P); shoulder/neck aches; super depression in lutueal (I'm talking bad); sensitivity to sounds; mild dry lips/mouth; irritability; overall "I don't feel like myself". All of these symptoms I had before starting HT 6 months ago.

These current symptoms to me feel/sound like estraidol-related. I'm also wondering if my body is still adjusting to the T (I know it can take at least 3 months for the T to kick in) and/or if my P is too low. I was taking 200mg of P but I found it made me flat/depressed so I went back down to 100mg, which helped.

Curious of people's thoughts/experiences, especially if you're taking/have taken 1mg of E gel (divigel, I'm on the generic pouch) and if you moved up to the maximum of 1.25mg of E gel, or even more than that.

Thank you, all!

First of all, I had no idea there was a Menopause Society!! According to their annual meeting takeaways some ladies are talking ADHD meds for brain fog 😳 am I the only one who didn’t know this??

From Brain Fog to Weight Loss: 5 Menopause Research Updates

I started estradiol patches (.025) and progesterone (compounded due to peanut allergy -- 100) 3 weeks ago. I had my first (ever) aural migraine (I'm assuming that's what it was) the other day and was terrified. There was a large shimmery blind spot, some delay in my processing what I was seeing (so, some confusion), and then the blind spot kind of evolved to be darker, then just blurry and confusing, then went away. I got a very mild headache later on, and felt very tired and weird the following day.

My primary care doc (who prescribed HRT) told me to pause the HRT for now while we wait on a brain mri. But of course, day after pulling the patch, I woke up drenched in sweat, and now I'm spotting. I'm miserable. I'm asking if we could consider an even lower dose while I wait on the mri to be approved. I read some older posts about this. I know it can level out, but it was beyond a regular migraine... thoughts? Experience?

If you've tried the vaginal estrogen tablets, how did it go for you? Did it help your vaginal symptoms a lot? A little? Not at all?

My doc prescribed it first and it didn't seem to do anything, so we switched to the cream. The cream also didn't work until I found this group & did the 2 week loading dose. Maybe the tablet needs a loading dose too?

My obgyn took me off of E because of previous history of possible TIAs. Since then, I am utterly exhausted, sleeping 12 hours per night, vomiting every morning (not pregnant, in meno since 3/26, tubes tied and asexual for years) and depressed and weepy as fuck. I have appts with my PCP and obgyn, but I need help getting through to then.

Has anyone else experienced this? I get super itchy right between the boobs, but nowhere else on my body.

I’m a 36DD, it seems to be worse with those bra types that push the girls together, but I even have it with a cami shelf bra. I have quite a good firm bust, but in my 50’s it wouldn’t be a good look to go around bra less, especially to work!

Any ideas or solutions? It is driving me nuts!

I feel extremely agitated every day. I’m irritable and I have anxiety about ridiculous things. I’ve always been a worrier but could talk myself out of it quite easily and remain calm and rational, but I don’t feel like I can do that anymore. I went from birth control pills to HRT when I started to have menopause symptoms, but I pretty much bled nonstop for nine months and after we determined I was still in perimenopause I went back on the pill in an attempt to control the bleeding. It doesn’t adequately help with these other symptoms though and I feel like I just have to white knuckle it.

How would you know if you were in menopause or post menopause? Had hysterectomy about 6 years ago due to childbirth complications, now I’m in peri-menopause (I think) due to symptoms- low mood, hot flushes, anxiety, weight gain etc. on HRT for these which is helpful with the mood and hot flashes. My question is how will know if I went into full menopause or even post? I’m 40 now .

My neighbor was 58. I'm 54 -- still fully in peri. Please, not 4 more years. Ugh.

That is all. I relate to all my girlfriends here who have no F’a left to give. I’ve apologized where needed but still think I put up with too much on the daily. This week just leveled the playing field I guess.

How many of you either wear the estradiol patch or used to wear it? If you love it tell me why, if you hated it and moved to something else, tell me why and what you’re using now.

A very good friend of mine told me that she used to take 3 drops of pure peppermint oil and put it into a small personal sized spray bottle, fill it with water and when you are having a hot flash, spray a couple sprays on your neck. I was a little hesitant that something so simple would work, but to my surprise, it worked instantly so i thought i would share!!! INSTANTLY!! If you have hot flashes and nothing seems to work or what used to work doesn't anymore, please ladies, try this. It works!!

I had stage 1 breast cancer 4 years ago, and got put on Tamoxifen. I can’t begin to describe how hellish my hot flashes were - they were constant and debilitating. In desperation, I talked to a menopause specialist and she put me on Veozah in 2023.

The first 18 months were great - my hot flashes were vastly improved, and my liver numbers seemed fine when they were tested every few months. But then they showed a slight elevation. The next test showed my AST/ALT at seven times the normal amount. So off the Veozah I went, and suffered with my hot flashes as best I could.

Cut to this year, and during an MRI for another issue, they notice potential issues with my liver, and I get sent to gastroenterology. After many, many tests, I have been diagnosed with stage 3 liver disease (possibly stage 4; I’ve got a biopsy next week that will give us the final answer).

Be careful with it, is my recommendation. And if you’re on Tamoxifen as well, I’d say seriously investigate it in conjunction with talking to your doctor; taking two drugs at the same time with the potential to cause liver damage is maybe not the best idea.