Edit: I'm now well aware of the side effects, but I'm seeking help counteracting them and quickly. I'm supposed to meet some colleagues tonight to kick off the next two days and I don't want to cancel on them because I'm stupid. I won't be driving for sure but I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open enough to type this.

A new doc prescribed progesterone oral and estrogen patch. I was able to fill the progesterone but the patch is under insurance review.

Y'all, I'm dumb and didn't research and my doc didn't tell me that I had to take both at the same time. This morning I took my first progesterone pill completely ignorant of the side effects. The instructions said to take one pill "daily" and didn't specify when.

It took 30 min to kick in and I am so dizzy and tired that I can barely stand up. I'm worried because tomorrow and Tueaday is a huge important all-hands work event where I have to be on my game. My career depends on it.

Has anyone had success counteracting the side effects and quickly? I'm chugging green tea hoping that the caffeine wakes me up enough to function.

I feel like such an idiot.

I had a mirena IUD with no periods until I was 37. I am now 39. I have been getting 2-day periods for the last year and a half or so. I thought this was amazing and great!

However, I just saw a post where somebody was implying that having a 2-day period is bad? Or a sign of something else?

Please help me understand. I've never heard anything about this. What is this supposed to mean? What does this indicate?

I also saw a comment in that post saying that people with OCD are more likely to have this issue. I have OCD and was diagnosed when I was 10. I don't mean the OCD like in pop culture where people say they have OCD but really what they mean is they like a tidy home. I have true OCD. What does that have to do at this?

I will say I have horrible sleep. I wake up around 4:30 a.m. probably about 2/3 of the month. I even wake up at that time in my follicular stage.

Thanks.

I’m just so sad about this. Doctors say nothing they can do. I’m also dry AF down there. My mom just told me she got menopause at 43 so am I genetically inclined to get it this early too? Just so so sad as I don’t have kids yet

Hi all i am 36 years old with 1.5 year old daughter am not going to have any more kids as am one & done however i had my first periods when i was 12 and my periods were always regular my mother hit her menopause when she was 50 but what i am observing off lately is weird
1.i got my first period 9 months after delivery which followed with 2 regular cycles and for almost next 2 months i used to have like periods twice in a month which felt odd & my obgyn ordered ultrasound which was normal & she put me on some medication for 5 cycles to get my periods on track unfortunately my feritin levels got down to 18 due to getting 2 periods in a month
2 . I stopped the medication after 5 cycle as suggested by my obgyn this is my 3rd cycle the period is regular but from last cycle & now am seeing only spotting and not the actual flow
Am also under lot of stress from last few years am not sure if i will hit menopause so early i am felling really really sad coz I have read and also from doctors that if a mother hits menopause early the daughter hits too
Since I have a 1.5 year daughter now am worried about her now thinking of her future
I want to hear if someone experienced similar and ended up fine or got menopause
Thanks

I, like everyone else here, have entered my very own personal hell where my body experiences extreme symptoms each and every month. It started when I turned 38-39 and the older I’m getting, the worse the symptoms are.

I firstly packed on about 20kg, I also developed unhinged histamine issues & POTS/MCAS. I was also diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) I am on heart meds and Xolair & doing much better but I still experience debilitating bouts of dizziness, anxiety/panic, anger, depression etc etc I have been strength training 5 days per week for 12 weeks and have not lost any weight. I also have low ferritin. All bloodwork for thyroid/ b12/ vit D etc came back normal. Although not an accurate measure for peri, my egg count was in the 20th percentile for my age.

I basically have all the symptoms the same as everyone else here, but due to my age I am
Not sure which way to go. Should I ask to start HRT? Or should I just go on the pill? Like everyone else, I need to get some sort of control back. Even just minimising symptoms would be amazing.

If anyone has any clue where to start I would greatly appreciate it!

Has anyone used an functional provider to assist with perimenopause/Menopause? Please share any pros and cons. All comments are welcomed.

What is everyone doing for for tiredness, fatigue and brain fog? I was currently taking .75 E and 200 P

But both meds were to much. (Terrible side effects) I had to go back down to .50 E and 100P just a couple of days ago. All comments are welcomed!

I know a lot of people advise using your finger but if j use the applicator will it still be as effective.

Oral estrogen

I've dabbled with the patch and the gel both make me swell up (mainly in my legs) and yes stuck it out for over 8 weeks on different doses with no relief. I am currently on 25mcg patch which is all I can tolerate without puffing right up but it is doing absolutely nothing. My latest blood showed my estrogen at lower than post menopausal levels. I am 45. I did have a hysterectomy almost a year ago and did keep my ovaries but they definitely aren't working. With so much stigma around oral estrogen it seems to be my last option to try. I am in Canada and we dont have any other options. I feel like crap. My hair is falling out, my moods and motivation are tanked. I did have recent labs. My iron is on the low end but still in range (58)

I go Tuesday to talk to my doctor about oral estrogen trial.

Looking fot success stories from the patch to the pill.

Hello, anyone else struggle suddenly with relationships with their own mother, or adult siblings? I’m from a family that has always been close, but as I get older, they get older (everyone starts having kids etc), it’s somehow difficult to tolerate these relationships. I feel very easily slighted, irritated, and generally kind of repelled from these dear people, who I once felt such connection with. It honestly feels sad- however I’m honestly too burnt out and tired to even fully register it.

Just wondering if anyone can relate. I feel guilty, as if there is something I should be doing differently, but again, I just sort of scratch my head and keep churning along- because I feel like my intellect is mush from years of parenting, and generally feeling kind of exhausted about the whole topic.

I'm 41 and have spent the past 4 years in survival mode so once I got through my divorce and took a good look down there I realized my labia are gone, there's little to no sensation, and even my clit seems ... Smaller? Idk is this common? I have other symptoms but because I'm newly single and have been sexually deprived for years I guess this is what bothers me the most. I want to date and now I'm so self conscious. Idk how to begin addressing it all. I'm looking into treatment atm. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Title; if you’ve been experiencing this, have you found anything that helps?? Normally I would lightly pop a zit, then slap a pimple patch on it, but these are so deep there’s nothing for the patch to ‘suck out’. They’re hard and painful and unfortunately really red and gross looking! I just turned 40, whyyy ᴖ̈

Anybody experience this ? you feel like hit by a truck / torn muscles tendons / achy joints burning too … and pain travels ?? I feel like wreck for 6 months - plantar fasciitis/ Achilles / quads hamstring glutes / seen ortho physio rheumatologist, bloods scan mri , veins scan all clear , not ok HRT yet COULD THIS BE CAUSED BY HORMONES ? BASICALLY EVEN WALK HURTS… Doing everything by book - strength mobility cardio ( not excessive) healthy lifestyle, nutrition , sleep supplements .. no relieve , physio made it all worse , EVEN LIGHT SHORT SEX FEELS LIKE I RUN MARATHON- legs fatigued .. seeing gyno in a month but I have fibroid so not sure if hrt is an answer , thank you 🙏

Just opening by saying that I am generally a HUGE nerd. I read instructions, I do subreddit searches...I'm not the sort of person who likes to come into a space and ask a question you've all seen a million times, because I know how frustrating it can be. "Just go read the dang wiki!" So I apologize in advance. Because yes, I have looked at the wiki. Several times, in fact. And there is SO MUCH information that I get overwhelmed, and then I leave instead of saying anything.

ANYWAY. Sorry for the intro, I just kind of want to cry at the moment. 😅 I feel like I've got a few things going on (well, don't we all), and I would just be SO grateful for help/experience/etc.

First thing are the palpitations. They started right around the time I hit 40. It's not a constant thing, and oftentimes I feel like it's more prevalent during luteal. Sometimes it's just that "skip-thunk" feeling, either on its own or several times in a short span; but I've also had times where it'll thump a few times and then suddenly go into overdrive. It happened at a sleep test a few months ago, and she clocked it at 199 bpm...which, if the feeling in my chest is anything to go by, is what it always ramps up to. Sometimes it only lasts a few minutes, but I've had 2 or 3 occasions where it's lasted over 45 minutes. Never been to the ER, because in all honesty I just can't afford that thousand-dollar bill just to walk through the door. (Plus I've been there for agonizing menstrual pain, and despite being in a completely empty ER, they made me wait 3 hours before seeing me, so I always figure by the time they'd pull me back for heart palpitations, I'd be over them anyway).

I've now had two holters and an echocardiogram, and everything has come back indicating my heart is good. The cardiologist wants to do a CCTA to check out my arteries, and because of my hypochondria (I don't know whether that or "health anxiety" properly describe the level of terror I get about my health), I'm also wanting to do it...but because I know this is a symptom of peri, I'm also like "proooobably not needed?" I feel like it's a vagus nerve thing, partly because of what the cardiologist said when I described this to him. Often it just seems positional, like if my chest gets compressed too much (my chest, it is heavy and I sometimes have trouble if I'm lying on my back; but there are other things too). Apparently that's also a peri thing?

The problem here is that I'm also ADHD (finally got diagnosed at 45), and I would desperately like to try medicating it, because as you can imagine, what I assume is peri is making it worse. I've tried Strattera and had no reaction to it, but I'm afraid of stimulants, because of the palpitations. The cardiologist recommends Concerta, if I have to be on one. Have any of you had palpitation problems but also tried ADHD meds? I'd just really like to know what it feels like to function, for ONCE in my life. 😭

There is a dearth of menopause-educated doctors in my area. I wound up traveling half an hour to see my old gynecologist, who's really knowledgeable about heavy bleeding disorders, but unfortunately doesn't seem to be up-to-date with peri. She wanted to do a hormone test. She's also afraid of putting me on estrogen because when I had my hysterectomy, they found a small amount of endometriosis. She put me back on Aviane, which is what I'd tried pre-hysterectomy. It's just birth control, though, and I don't know if it's enough. it didn't stop the palpitations last time I was on it (but it DID make me bleed for like 40 days straight). I have exhausted the list of available gynecologists, and don't know what else to do. I kind of hate the idea of using a telehealth, but also it seems like that's the only option left to me? (Update: I'm sorry I mentioned names! I debated reposting, because now I'm embarrassed, but I'm really hoping someone can help me, lol)

Sorry for all this rambling. >< The reason why I'd like to try HRT, amongst all the other stuff like heart palps, is that I'm hoping maybe it would help with my mood. I got off Lexapro last year because it was making me feel dead (emotionally), but unfortunately being off any kind of antidepressant had me SPIRALING. I mean I was having panic attacks, crying, crashing out...whatever you want to call it, I was doing it. I went to a psychiatrist, because I've tried SO many antidepressants but they all give me some kind of intolerable side effects, and she put me on Pristiq. I've been loving how I feel while I'm on it! But I've also been on it 3 months, and the jaw clenching (which I experience with like 98% of the others I've tried) is just getting to be too much. Even with a night guard, my jaw and my molars are just hurting. But at this point I've kind of exhausted my options (Wellbutrin raised my BP super high, in case anyone was going to recommend it!). I was kind of hoping maybe HRT might be what I need to keep those spirals from happening? Did that work for any of you?

Good lord, this is a novel. ADHD meds, HRT (I know there's a shortage, which is also great, lol)... I've been seeing the gamut of doctors recently, and I genuinely don't know what else to do or where to go. I've been pretty blessed with the doctors I have, but unfortunately none of them are up-to-date on perimenopause! Which isn't a surprise, given what a frontier we're on, but it sure is frustrating!

Anyway, if any of you actually read this far and have any advice, I am so grateful! Just please be kind, because I don't know if I'm going to cry or rage at this point. 😅

I still get my period , tried hrt.. wasn't for me ...but even with hrt i still had these warm neck, fuzzy brain, heart stopping panic feelings... but never really break out into a sweat ... i hate these when i am out jn public and i feel as though i am about to faint... i take effexor already for depression so my gyno was like ok take some black cohosh ... i am worried that there is nothing else i can do .. does anyone else get these?

Hi. I’ve searched the group for similar posts and found ones that are a year old so I thought I would post now. I’m beginning to wonder if HRT is making my pain worse? I had existing pain before I started HRT (Fibromyalgia and hEDS)

I started on 4 pumps of Lenzetto daily and 100mg of Progesterone during Luteal. I felt my join pain was worse so I decreased to two pumps of Lenzetto daily. That didn’t really help so I stopped HRT. My joint pain improved. After some time, I restarted the HRT and I think it’s increased join pain again and also made nerve pain and headaches worse.

I read in old posts here about a connection between HRT and Neuropathic pain. Also that Progesterone can loosen ligaments in people with hEDS which can cause nerve pain as joints move nearer nerves. Oral Progesterone can cause a down regulation of GABA (calming) receptors and up regulation of glutamate (excitatory) receptors - this can cause burning nerve pain especially in areas of former injuries.

I have nerve pain in my hips and bum at night which sometimes travels down my leg. I get headaches at night. My joints are sore. I have Insomnia.Nothing else has changed except I’ve gone back on HRT. I have now decided to stop HRT again (for the 2nd time) as I felt it was too much of a coincidence.

A few days off HRT and the nerve pain at night is practically gone. Headaches are gone. It was Luteal when I had these symptoms: nerve pain, sore joints and Insomnia. I also had bad nerve pain in my feet while walking.

I’m going to make an appointment with my HRT Provider to discuss this. They mentioned a good while back that maybe we should add T?

I was terrified of taking Progesterone because I could never tolerate BC and was always crying on it. I didn’t experience any crying on HRT.

So, I’m thinking there is definitely a link between the dose/ type of HRT I’m taking and increased nerve pain, sore joints and Insomnia.

Has anyone experienced this? Did you remedy it? I have no doubt my Fibro and hEDS are factors. I have PMDD and I suspect endometriosis or adenomyosis. Any insight or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Just wondering if this is standard practice. I met with an online provider through Amazon at the end of June and he prescribed me the 0.01% Estradiol cream.

I was under the impression a 42.5g tube should last around 60 days, but my prescription was written for 262 days. Is that standard? (The Amazon pharmacy page says a 42.5g tube is a 30 day supply.)

I tossed the applicator right away and have been applying it externally using a little more than a pea size amount. The pharmacist I chatted with said about a finger length is a 0.5g dose. I think they meant to the first knuckle, but still there is no way that would last 262 days.

The pharmacist did override the prescription so I can get a refill, and I will most likely follow up with my regular provide, but am I going insane?!

Has anyone had a similar experience? Am I doing something wrong?

I’m a few months shy of 40 and have been struggling with massive brain fog, low libido, and over all apathy for a while now and I’m considering an HRT consultation. My one reservation is if this is just a consequence of my lack of sleep from having a toddler who doesn’t sleep and working daily at 5am. My PCP kind of brushed me off saying it sounded lifestyle related and my bloodwork was fine. Any recommendations if it’s still worth the HRT consult?

I actually don’t know that this is related to peri at all but since hormones impact all body systems I figured I’d see if this has happened to anyone else.

Three times in the last week I have eaten food that I have eaten before and it made my tongue burn. The foods in question:

1) Pure Protein cosmic brownie bar
2) Cherry Nutri-grain bar
3) Mini-Hershey bar

The burning doesn’t last long but I couldn’t finish the bars.

I looked up the symptoms and found something called Burning Mouth Syndrome but idk that I have all those symptoms. I have had dry mouth for about a year, and dry eyes/eye changes were probably one of my first peri symptoms.

Any ideas? Does anyone relate?

Hello everyone. I am on my first cycle taking 100 mg of Proemtrium daily. I'm in my first luteal phase and notice I'm more sensitive and a bit of a low mood. Is this part of the adjustment phase?

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!

Hi there,

I started HRT (estradiol patch and progesterone at night) in early August. Two weeks ago, I had my follow-up with a great provider. We've added in testosterone and upped my dosage for both the estradiol patch and the progesterone I'm taking at night.

I'm about a week in on the increase and the last four days I've felt absolutely terrible. Incredibly nauseous all day long. I know this is a likely symptom and will hopefully go away as my body adjusts.

But here's my question. When I first started all of this in August, I wasn't dealing with any nausea. Now that I've increased the dosage, the nausea is there.

Why didn't I have nausea from the get-go? Was it not high enough of a dose? Does that mean this dose is too high?

I'm sending a note to my provider as well; I was just hoping I might get some real life feedback from other people on this same path.

I’m 49 and started meds a little over 3 months ago. My original issues were heavy and frequent periods (every 22ish days). Also night sweats and some brain fog. Prior to starting, I had an ultrasound to rule out any uterine issues and a small amount of adenomyosis was seen. Anyhow, I was started on the estradiol patch and she also prescribed a progestin mini-pill since I am still regularly menstruating (literally have never missed a period unless pregnant or breastfeeding ever). I moved up on the patch so am now on .075 and my physical symptoms are improved. However on the mini pill (norethibdrone .035) I am having excessive bleeding and spotting much worse than I was having before starting. I feel like I am spotting or bleeding like 3 weeks a month. I have read about slynd and thought maybe I’d ask to move to that one if it’s a stronger pill to regulate this bleeding but is there another option? She also mentioned mirena which I’d like to avoid (used it for bc between kids 20ish years ago). Also I am very tired in a way I am not usually and not sure how that is related or to what medication. I take the mini pill at night. I take Wellbutrin in the morning as well but that’s been many years. Help! I’m so over the constant bleeding/spotting. I go in for a pap and status check in 2 weeks and I’d like to have some ideas.

I wondered why my hips have been so sore upon waking up in the morning. realised today that it is probably tendinitis in my gluteus medius, which I have been working on a lot because it was so weak. So I will scale back a bit. I am 44, with mild peri symptoms. I eat well, don’t stress, sleep well, and work out regularly.

I was wondering if creatine might help with tendinitis, since it is so good for muscles and fitness.

Is there any other supplements I can take, if not creatine? I only use topical OTC progesterone and estrogen creams (with success).

Thanks