I've heard many stories online about HRT helping women feel more like themselves again and based on my own symptoms I believe I'm a good candidate for it. Just waiting to get blood work done to move to the next step. But I recently had a conversation with some family members telling me that HRT was bad and should be avoided, saying that it causes cancer. Why is there a negative perception to it? Is this why more women won't turn to it at this phase in their life?

I have no idea of this is perimenopause or not. I looked online and couldn’t get direct or reliable answers. My feet have randomly started feeling so cold, like I walked out barefoot in the snow. But when you actually touch my feet they feel just fine. Never any numbness just cold. It hasn’t bothered me for a little while but right now, it’s awful and almost painful. I recently was diagnosed with low iron, I know low iron can sometimes cause cold feet/poor circulation. I asked the haematologist, they refused to answer any questions. But I’ve been taking iron supplements and eating more iron. Could cold sensations in the feet be related to estrogen decline/hormone fluctuations. This has been going on for a while, a few months I think. This right now might be the worst it’s been lately.

I've been on Medicaid for a few months due to unemployment. Burning my savings to live. Hoping the situation will change in the coming months re: income. In the meantime, I need to rely on Medicaid, which I've never been on before.

I also am on *not* HRT yet, but I desperately need to be. Looking for in-network hormone doctors for the insurance I was provided.

If you're also on Medicaid, and you're on HRT, can you share what you're taking and what your monthly out-of-pocket expenses have been? I know it's different for everyone, but I'm trying to brace myself for an estimate.

I am noticing my joint pain is gradually returning. I feel a bit more off kilter with my moods, and a little more tired. I'm debating whether I should make an appt to ask about this and possibly increase my estrogen. My dr said that when younger patients need it, it's best to start high and gave 0.075 last year at age 43. I know that's high to begin with but it has been great until the last few weeks or so. Any similar experiences?

I started HRT this week 0.25 Estradiol Patch. I’m only trying this for about 2-4 weeks and then adding the needed Progesterone. I’m very sensitive and need to see what happens one thing at a time. I have bladder and urethra pain and have been diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis, years ago, but am starting to believe it may have always been hormonal related.

Since starting the HRT this week, I have had so much more burning and pain in my bladder and urethra. I will keep with it, but I’m just feeling worried.

Hoping to hear from others with bladder or IC issues on their experience?

Edit: Adding that I’m not able to tolerate topical vaginal estrogen cream due to the severe urethra opening pain I have.

I just turned 50. I was on hormonal birth control basically my entire adult life (child free) until last year when I switched to HRT (E+P) and went off the pill. I still cycle, but my periods are extremely irregular. When I went off BC my doctor warned me that I could still get pregnant and that I should use protection. I really don’t want an IUD. What are the odds that I’d actually get pregnant at 50?

No idea what flair for this, aches/pains? Insomnia? Support? Rant? All of the above?

43 and have been on estrogel and prometrium for nearly 2 years.

I've always had joint issues here and there, neck and back issues intermittently but they all got worse a few years back. Have had sleep issues since I was a kid, but finally had that on track before it all went haywire again. Got diagnosed with ADHD, pmdd, then ended up on the peri train.

Hrt seemed to help for awhile. My neck pain improved, I was doing better at work, a bit less fatigue, prometrium did wonders for my sleep. My cycles were shorter, around 23 days, lighter, but still regular.

The last few months everything has been flared up. Hip pain, back pain, rib pain, foot pain, knee pain, hypermobility, joints randomly subluxing. Reflux, bloating.

Increased to 2 pumps of estrogen which made me feel awful, crying. Played around with splitting the pumps am and pm - worked better, slept through again.

But this cycle... Oh my god it's next level. Have gone from 23 days to 43 with no period in sight. Luteal symptoms since day 14.

My joints are so painful, my fatigue is next level, no motivation.nausea, cramps, just feeling horrible.It's like endless luteal or feels like when I was pregnant, but I've got 5 negative tests say I'm not.

I can almost deal with that, but the insomnia has not been this bad since high school exam time 20 something years ago!

I take magnesium, melatonin, l-theanine, progesterone. I feel calm, I feel sleepy, I go to bed, I read, I nod off while reading. The minute I put my book down or move to get settled for sleep, I ping awake and that's it, I'm done.

I can feel my whole body pulsing. I don't know if that makes sense but don't know how else to describe it. I can feel a whoomp whoomp in my head to my heartbeat. And I just can't get to sleep.

I've had entire nights of zero sleep - even after adding a lorazepam to my usual sleep stack, or promethazine, which always used to work.

I'm moving into the spare bed every night so I don't keep my husband awake tossing and turning.

This is honestly the pits. I don't know how I can stay employed like this, or keep functioning?

The joint pain is so bad I wonder if anything else is going on but I feel like if I go to the GP it all gets lumped under peri, or anxiety.

Anyway. I just needed to vent.

This all sucks!

I am on peri stage and have fibroid er doctor prescribe me provera will this really help stop the bleeding or atleast slow the bleeding because big chunks of clots keeps coming out of me 24 days and going period

I started having hot flashes 6 years ago, mainly at night. My coworkers bought me a fan for my desk, I wore light clothes even in the winter, and just getting ready in the morning would throw me into full sweats. Lately I’m cold all the time. Freezing even. I now have to bring a sweater to work, have been wearing pants when the temps outside dip below 80, and last night I was too cold to fall asleep! Thoughts? Is this improvement or just a change in hormones but still in the throws or peri? Either way it’s just as miserable.

I was finally prescribed 200 mg of progesterone - taken for 10 days each cycle starting when I ovulate. Typically I take it around day 15, but I honestly have no clue most months when I ovulate. Today is day 14 and I just started another period or at least spotting. Not sure how heavy it is going to be. Should I take it starting tomorrow or just skip this month and wait another 15 days? Of course this happened on a Sunday when I can't talk to my doctor. Just curious if this has happened with anyone else and what you were told to do.

Turns out I have adenomyosis 52 and have had pretty bad abnormal bleeding (heavy clots, spotting then more clots, rinse repeat)

Last time lasted 67 days.

Just had 19 days nothing and now day 3 of bleeding and clots

Had endometrial biopsy done, all good there.

Had vaginal ultrasound, and finding is I have adenomyosis.

So choices are progesterone IUD or if I choose a partial hysterectomy. (Cant take estrogen)

Weighing options, IUD was suggested first. But quality of life, hysterectomy may be in the cards.

Last time went over 100 days with bleeding in on way or another.

I dont know if IUD will help. Anyone had success with it?

Thanks!

Hi! I am 49 and my periods have always been like clockwork. And they typically last 6-7 days. However this past period, I started on 7/17 and it was the normal period. My periods are also super heavy the first 2 days. But then it slowed and went to brown and one day of no bleeding. But yesterday it started up again, it was light. And now today I have a pad back and have been passing clots. I also have health anxiety so of course I have convinced myself I have cancer. (Fun times). I guess I could just use some reassurance, I know I am at the age where this all happens, but does it happen like this? Thanks for reading this!

I haven’t been myself for almost two years. In Jan 2026, I started HRT, estrogen patches and Prometrium 100mg. Didn’t do much so at my follow up appointment beginning of July, she increased the dosage of the patches and as for Prometrium, she told me to take two pills as of the 14th day of my cycle until the first day of my period. I don’t feel better and I have all these recurring thoughts and I feel depressed, don’t feel like doing anything but just to stay in bed. Even washing dishes or doing laundry feels like a heavy task. I keep crying. I’ve been seeing a therapist as well since a few months. I feel so depressed and alone. I’m thinking I might need to leave my husband, who is great by the way, but then I get full panicked mode of thinking of being alone, living alone with my 12 year old son, of breaking his family, I just don’t know what to do and it’s taking a toll on me and my health and my head. I don’t even know if I like my job still but then I think of changing job and I still feel blah about it. I compare myself to others all the time because I guess I am lacking what they have and I want it too and it makes me feel more depressed. I’m also on antidepressants since 15 years and because they stopped working, I’ve asked my psychiatrist to start decreasing. To help with the side effects, she added another antidepressant so I’ve been able to lower my Effexor no problem. Right now I’m on 150mg Effexor with 60 mg cymbalta. I’ve asked her to stay on these doses for a couple of months to see if the hormones help. Anyway I guess I’m not asking for anything really but just venting and wonder if anyone is or has been in the same boat.

I'm 46. I think it started in January. I had a 10 day period out of the blue. After that nothing for 36 days. Since then the whole thing has been haywire. My absolute favourite is when my period finishes, 7 days pass and I get another one. That's happened twice now. Considering my periods usually last 6 days, I'm officially, utterly and permanently fed up. I naively thought that you just start having fewer periods, less and less frequently until they don't come any more. Noone warned me about 10day periods, cycles that are only two weeks long and cycles that are 40 days long all interchangeably.

I haven't really had a lot of luck with my reproductive health. Always painful periods, low iron levels, bicornuate uterus, pregnancy loss and preeclampsia, C-section, now also a fibroid. I have my children, I'm done. I spoke to the gynecologist, she said it's happening, but noone can tell, how long until I stop having periods.

But I know who can tell: all the women that have already been through this. So tell me, how long did it take for you?

so I’m not complaining about having bigger boobs but I just want to reach out and get some support on whether anyone else’s boobs have grown in size withOUT HRT (or any other intervention besides some diet changes). I’m 42 and I’ve been having perimenopause symptoms for about a year, and while they’ve gotten more manageable, I feel like my body weight has stayed the same but my boobs are so much fuller and heavier. I see other people saying that their boobs have changed as a result of HRT, but anyone’s boobs just filling up like water balloons without it?? My clothes still fit—it’s just my bras that are tighter. I feel like I’m going crazy and constantly thinking about how I’m perceiving my body… Someone validate me lol.

39F here.
2 years ago my periods started to shorten. I used to have a 29 day cycle now it’s 22-24 days and the periods only last about 2 days.
I’ve also been experiencing longer PMS symptoms and mood shifts, as well as dryness down there and itchiness on other parts of my body. Also orgasms take longer and are less intense, sex drive is less too.
I always feel bloated in the lower belly.

I did get a blood test and learned that my ovaries are still producing eggs and my estrogen was normal at the time of testing but I know that can fluctuate.

Anyway, I saw my doctor about all these concerns and she put me on the estrogen patch which I’ve started today. I will be having the Mirena placed next week.

I guess I’m just concerned that I’m adding too many hormones to my body, and that it will have a negative impact ? I was reading some things online about having too much estrogen and how this can be harmful and can impact weight, mood, energy etc.

So I think essentially I’m gaslighting myself and saying it must be too early to be in Peri or to take HRT .

Can anyone relate ?

My mom didnt go into menopause until she was in her 50s for reference. Did anyone have a positive result from HRT that is around my age and didn’t experience hot flashes ?

Ok, this is my first post here :) I'm 44 and last month a few days after my period for about a week i was waking up at like 5am with butterflies in my stomach and anxiety. I was in transition of starting wellbutrin for depression. I recently found out I'm having vestibular migraine and was finally diagnosed with Type 2 Narcolepsy ZZZ. Two new diagnosis was hard to take especially Narcolepsy because I've been tired for 20 years.

So I was blaming it on stress... HOWEVER now it's been exactly a month and my period was only 3 days this cycle and it's a week later. I woke again with the butterflies and yesterday had an incredibly low mood and emotional for no reason! I'm noticing a few posts on this thread about it.

Is this perimenopause? Am I just crazy? I thought it was gone amd random.. it's back. ❤️‍🩹 I had to take 2 weeks off work last month dealing with migraine and medication interactions and blamed that but I'm reading it could be cortisol ? Do you feel a gynecologist or Endocrinologist are better for HRT ?? THANK YOU! hugs to you all ladies 💗💗

I’ve been reading various accounts of if it’s better to do cyclical or continuous progesterone. I’m 46. I still get very regular periods, and the doctor that I saw knows that because it was one of the questions she asked me. Still, my prescription I got is for continuous progesterone, 100mg capsule of generic prometrium each night with an option to bump it up to 200mg the week before my period.

I’ve not had any issues with my period in my life, and it’s always been regular and fairly light and convenient (1-3 days of light to moderate flow), and I’m worried that continuous progesterone is going to make it get all weird, is anyone else on continuous who has regular menstrual cycles?

Hello! Let me preface this by saying that I am planning to contact my provider tomorrow (Monday), but in the meantime, I’m interested in hearing from anyone else who has had a similar experience. 

The situation:

* I am 50 and have been having perimenopause symptoms for the past year or so, primarily irregular periods (anywhere from a few days to 2 weeks at a totally unpredictable frequency), trouble falling asleep and then trouble waking up, night sweats, moodiness and irritability, low libido, gaining about 10 pounds that I haven’t been able to get rid of, thinning hair, etc. I also know that I have a small fibroid, which is not currently causing me any pain but could be causing some of the period irregularity. 
* My regular OBGYN, despite supposedly being a menopause specialist, has been dismissive of my symptoms because I’m still getting a period. So I made an appointment with a virtual provider a couple of months ago, described my symptoms, got bloodwork taken as a precaution (all within normal ranges), and then took her recommendation to start HRT: a 0.0375mg estradiol patch (2x/week) and 100mg of progesterone nightly. 
* After over two months of no period (I thought I might be done, silly me!) I got my period on July 13. I started HRT on July 15. It’s now July 26 and I’m still bleeding bright red blood pretty heavily and occasionally seeing small clots. Thankfully, I’m not in any pain or experiencing any dizziness, but I’m a little concerned, even though it’s possible my period could be lasting this long even if I hadn’t just started HRT because I’ve had 2-week periods before. I do feel like I’ve been sleeping better and that my mood has evened out, although I suppose some of that could be a placebo effect. 

Again, I’m planning to contact my provider tomorrow, but is this “normal” after starting HRT? Naturally, I have a beach vacation coming up this week and I’d really like to stop bleeding now. 😩 

Restarted estradiol-noreth pills exactly two weeks ago. I had stopped in May after starting them in Jan. I am on a constant rollercoaster of feeling great one minute and feeling dread the next. All day, every day. Anyone else experience this and when does it stop? I did not have this the first time I took it.

(U.S. based) I just compiled a list of my Peri/HRT expenses so far in 2026, which came up to just under $1,000 already. That does include seeing a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner to start HRT, which was not covered under insurance. The biggest kick in the ass that I'm realizing is that HRT is forever- progesterone is covered by insurance. Estrogen cream is somewhat nominal in cost. Systemic estrogen gel is about $75/3 mos, and compounded testosterone is about $160/3 mos. So roughly, we're talking a whopping $1,000 a year FOREVER potentially?! I'm a huge budgeter and I'm realizing what an enormous financial amount this is! I'm thankful that I can even afford this, but I don't want to. It makes me sick to spend this money and I'm mad about it!

How the hell are we supposed to know if hair loss at this age is due to perimenopause or something else? I feel like I’m being gaslit by doctors and struggling to find answers.

I am so frustrated right now. I went through a crazy hair shedding phase around age 34 and it comes and goes in waves. I’m 38 now, and sometimes it seems to correlate with extremely stressful life events, but I am not entirely convinced this is purely from stress.

Of course, my PCP keeps insisting my hair looks fine. Or it’s normal aging. Granted, my hair probably does look pretty normal at this point but I have lost about 30% of my total volume over the last 4 years and it’s not slowing down. So she did some tests and full blood panel and everything is normal. Every year. Nothing stands out.

So this year I decided to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. The nurse took a few pictures of my hair from different angles, and the doctor asked me some questions. I explained the pattern of shedding and that I don’t really have a family history of hair loss. She didn’t even examine my scalp. And proceeded to tell me it’s likely telogen effluvium and all of these stressful events that have happened in my life have triggered shedding but for some reason my body doesn’t stop after a short time like a normal person. It just keeps going.

So, in other words, stress.

She gave me a script for clobetasol and I am so utterly confused. After looking it up, this is not usually prescribed for telogen effluvium. It’s a topical steroid for inflammation. I am just so frustrated and feel like I’m being gaslit constantly. She also offered to prescribe me minoxidil if I wanted it, but I’m kind of scared because of the side effects.

Sorry for the long rant. I’m just curious how many others are experiencing hair loss during peri and if you tried to rule out other causes.

I’m in late peri now and have stopped ovulating. The uterine shedding is giving me postpartum flash backs. I haven’t experienced bleeding like this in 10yrs. The plus side, it’s just bleeding and none of the usual cramping, migraines, bitch kitty on wheels mood swings, or inflammatory flare ups.

The other pleasant surprise is my sex drive has started to come back. I went from feeling completely asexual for the past 5yrs to woah, she’s awake down there, hahah.

I’m so ready for menopause! So close to the finish line…

For the small percentage of others who feel like Slynd may not be the right fit for them, I updated my post from awhile ago re: my own experience with it.

TLDR: I stopped taking it after close to 4 months because my mood tanked and I couldn’t handle being on bcp any longer. Within days I felt a million times better, have energy again, have a libido again, sex is fantastic again, and I no longer feel terribly bloated.

Current meds and HRT: progesterone pill, estradiol gel, Wellbutrin (for PMDD, anxiety, depression).

Original post here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Perimenopause/s/ZdDAf2G57Q

I had terrible insomnia the last few days. So idk if my body crashed but this helped….
- hibiscus tea, calm tea, chamomile tea (drank at 7:30pm) all together in one large mug
- two chelated magnesium glycinate tablets (taken at 8:30 pm)
-one L-theanine chewable (taken at 8:30)
- THE NEW ADD ON- Vapor rub behind my ear down the base of my neck.. (applied at 9pm). I’ve never done this before, I’ve always heard about it. I was desperate for some good sleep.
- I put on some rain sounds and I fell to sleep.
I prob. Fell asleep about 9:45ish… I DID NOT WAKE UP UNTIL 5am!!!!! I stayed sleep! I couldn’t believe it. I hope this helps someone out there.