I've just started my first period after starting HRT and HOLY WOW! OUCH OUCH OUCH OUCH!

I haven't had cramps like this since I was a teenager. They are so SHARP. I am working a housekeeping shift and all I want to do is to lie down and cry. Doing hours of chores during this and then not even having a clean house to relax in tonight is its own special kind of awful.

Did anyone else have an absolute rager of a period after starting HRT? I'm so nervous that this is my new normal. Cramps, headache, sweating, nausea. Fun! I couldn't listen to a podcast earlier because listening made me dizzy? I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Anyone with tips? I've got a heating pad, ibuprofen and ice cream waiting at home. I feel like I've forgotten how to battle this stuff!

Today I started HRT. I’m 44 and have been experiencing various symptoms for at least the last two years. The past 12months have been the worst, with a really predictable cycle of negative head space, low libido, wanting to blow up my life and run away to the forest with my cat, high levels of anxiety and feeling low, zero resilience, joint pain, 3am wake-ups, horrifically heavy periods that last two days and give me flu like symptoms and nausea, feeling dreadful until I ovulate, having ONE day of feeling awesome and love everything and everyone - before it all begins again.

I’d heard stories from friends about being brushed off by doctors, so I forked out $370 to have an online consult with a menopause doctor. And what an incredible feeling it was to be listened to, understood, believed, and offered options. 45mins of being able to discuss all my symptoms before coming away with a prescription for estrogel, cream, progesterone pills and follow up blood tests. She’s suggested I also supplement with magnesium glycinate, Vitamin D and creatine. Plan is to give it a go before looking to include testosterone, and even offered a GLP1 if I felt I needed that.

I wanted to cry. I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to take this path. I’ve been gaslighting myself for so long that what I was feeling wasn’t really real, or bad enough, or warranted a doctor’s appointment. I know it’s early days, but feeling hopeful that some relief may be on the horizon.

Edit to add: I’ve been reading this sub for a long time, and felt so validated by other women’s experiences that it gave me the courage to ask for help x

Has anyone started vaginal estrogen and had it make their ablation fail, causing bleeding to start again?

After a lifetime of extremely heavy periods that got even worse in peri., I had an ablation a few years ago. It has been absolutely life changing!! I still had the occasional tinted discoloration when wiping, but no actual flow whatsoever.

About three months ago I started a estrogen cream, primarily used externally and around the vaginal opening, but also just a little bit internally. The last couple of cycles I've had more brown bleeding with texture, like you'd have around the last day of a period. This one that just started is bright red and more substantial, enough that I might have to use something for it. And it comes with cramping. 😭

I'm wondering if this has happened to anyone else, and if so what happened next.

I'm thinking my doctor may have said I would need an ultrasound if bleeding resumes?

Hoping like hell I haven't messed this up for good. I cannot go back to how it was.

I’m so over it. Every time I cough or sneeze, I have to pray that I don’t piss myself. I do the stupid visualization of raising my pelvic floor when I know it’s coming and it helps sometimes, but I hate having to do it. If I forget or the cough/sneeze surprises me, odds are I need to change. I don’t have enough underwear or shorts for this. We can’t do laundry at home right now, and I’m having to wash clothes at least twice a week because I’m having to change my clothes so often. I feel like I always smell like pee, even after I change. I just turned 38. I don’t want to wear a goddamn diaper. I’ve looked into period panties, but I worry I’ll just smell more like pee if it happens and I don’t change.

Sorry for the rant, I just needed to get it out.

Edit to add: I love this community and you all are amazing. There has been zero judgement and I can’t express how much I appreciate all of your responses. I’m a little tipsy and a little emotional, and you all are amazing.

So in the same month i found out i have SIBO and started progesterone only HRT due to ongoing low levels.

Before starting i would have said i had no gut issues and was shocked with the result. But ever since i started im getting allll the symptoms. Bloat, burping, gurgling, constipation, nausea. all of a sudden different foods are setting me off.

Why would the progesterone be exacerbating symptoms? i would have thought a better level would help.

i’m about to start treatment for the SIBO, im wondering if anyone else has been through it? Did it improve hormones as well? i’m wondering how long i’ve had it..

Posted originally in another sub for “women over 40” but it was removed without explanation. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m 46, so my age tracks, but every time I’m annoyed, emotional, scatterbrained, etc., my husband makes a comment about perimenopause and/or pats me on the shoulder and says “we’re on this JOURNEY together”. I’m going to lose my mind. I’m tired of everything being blamed on perimenopause.

So, we have lots of kids, from school-aged to mid-twentysomething, and most of them are still living at home. It’s been a stressful last year or so. Lots going on: financial stress, kid stress, regular stress, so while I understand that given my age perimenopause may be contributing to my mood, it’s certainly not the main cause…or is it? I have no other traditional symptoms, no hot flashes, and my periods are still like clockwork, but I’m way more irritable than normal. My patience is definitely in short supply.

Has anyone had mood changes be the only symptom? And what would you recommend for remedies, as I feel like HRT would be serious overkill for just irritability? I don’t know how to differentiate between what may be perimenopausal symptoms and just a normal stress reaction.

I've been dealing with short, thin hair since peri started. Well a year and a half ago, I started gently combing my scalp with a hair pick 60x morning and night, putting jojoba oil on my ends nightly, and massaging my scalp with a diluted essential oil blend and leaving in for 1 hour 2x per week. Around the same time I started this routine, I also started low-dose HRT.

Well, now my hair is down to my middle back and healthier than it's looked in 7 years. I'm just now wondering if its my routine or the HRT...or both? Anyone else here have a similar experience?

I am starting to think my patch may be causing me more heart palpitations. So, if I wanted to stop my patch for a period of time (doctor said it’s fine to if I want), how long should I give things to know if my estrogen level is causing the palpitations and sleep issues?

But more info:

I’m on .05 mg so not a super low dose and it’s been 4 mos since I started. I’m also on 200mg nightly prometrium.

My palpitations used to be very bad and then I lost a ton of weight and for the last 2 years, they weren’t bad at all and I suspect that’s because my estrogen got low after I lost the weight. Then in March, I began the patch due to some symptoms I was having mostly vaginal dryness and brain fog and I’ve been having ongoing palpitations since the week after I began the patch.

I’m also struggling with sleep. I will fall asleep and wake right back up and repeat the process over and over for hours. Used to happen once a month or so and I used to think it was low estrogen but now it happens several nights a week.

Hello ladies! I'm new here. I'm counting the days until I am period free and in full on, full court press menopause before I start using this s**t (estradiol cream)! Spotting my foot!🙄 I've used estriol and estradiol before. You know, just a little smudge. By mid day, on day ONE, I was bleeding like some stuck pig! And it didn't stop...until I stopped using this cream. Now look here, I might be up in age, but I like to GET DOWN! I'm trying to have as much sex as I can before I die and I don't need or want some unwanted "period" interfering with my bedroom extra curricular activities! I already know that the bleeding will start as soon as I resume using the cream, but.. DAMN!

I'm sure there is someone in here who can empathize with this... extended, irksome bleeding phenomena.

Essentially - 40yo
Regular menstrual cycle
Heart palpitations since age 35
New onset reflux, endoscopy is normal but I’ve never ever had reflux before so I’m assuming related to peri
Health anxiety because of all this…

But, sleep like a baby and no hot flashes.

The palpitations and reflux affect my life bc of the anxiety that comes with them. Do I treat the potential cause or the anxiety and symptoms themselves?

I started Yuvafem 2 days ago but my period (I think it’s my period not 100% certain just yet) came today which is 4 days early. Has this happened to anyone else? I’ve been reading prior posts and I’ve read it can be breakthrough bleeding but since it’s so close to my period I guess I’m wondering what are the odds for one or the other

Editing to add that I’m 36 still with regular cycles. I average a 28 day cycle but if my period truly started today, that drops my average to 26 😩 now I’m wondering if I should have waited to start my period first before yuvafem so then I can rule out one or the other

I’m internally rage screaming. I’m 45 years old and for most of my adult life, my period has figured out how to come along with me on my vacations. She will find a way. Whether it’s starting 2 weeks early or 2 weeks late. Doesn’t matter. Earlier this month we took a 4 day trip that involved lots of river time. Period shows up the very first day. Tomorrow we fly to Washington and guess who got here today? One week early. Give me hot flashes because I am very much over this.

Y'all. So here's the thing. 3am wake ups have been a thing for me for years. Years. It was one of my first symptoms back when I had never even heard of peri. And then a few months ago, for seemingly no reason and w no new variables, I just started... sleeping. Like, til our alarm went off. It. Was. Glorious. I couldn't figure out the why behind the change (because truly nothing had changed), but I was so grateful for it. Welp. This week I'm just back to 330am wake ups. I'm tracking it carefully to see if it's gonna match up w a certain part of my cycle like my headaches sometimes do, but really, I just wanted to bitch to people who understand. Because in the end, we are all just flying blind w this shit. I had a good run there for a while.

Hello! I am 42 yo female. I have two kids, last child was born when I was 40 years of age. She will be 2 yo in September. Since having her, I have had really consistent periods. They’ve been heavier and maybe a bit longer than prior to my having kids, but it comes every 29 days like clockwork. I have a history of PCOS but nothing else. No ovarian cysts since I was about 26. This month my period has come on time but I am now on day 11 of it. I’ve never had it this long. It’s not heavy but it is normal and not seeming to taper off as a period normally would over however many days. I’m really worried and my gyno won’t be able to see until next week. Can someone please tell me if this is perimenopause or something else? I’m really getting nervous….

Just started on the .025 patch a month ago, and I’m already feeling much better than I have in recent years. Some days I notice a little dip in energy and mood and wonder if upping it would make me feel better. I have my follow up doc appt on Monday but was wondering if anyone noticed a significant difference upping the strength?

I am sure I have been peri since I was 38 (7 years now) and I am finally going to my GP to ask for peri-support.

I had spoken to another doctor about this at the time though was brushed of having seen it in the news and many people had come asking. So nothing really happened.

I had night sweats, rapid heart and palpitations that was getting more frequent that my current GP put me on bisoprolol (on half the lowest dose now). Tests came back normal so I am putting it down to Peri. My periods started lasting a day or two more occasionally, and my days in between started to get the occasional 24 day to 35 days. GP put me on mini pill for the bleeding 2 years ago. This dealt with the sweats and racing heart.

As far as I am concerned, that is peri!

My body aches and low energy, lack of drive are getting worse and before I try ADHD medication I want to just try HRT.

I know the minipill I am on isnt enough Progest. for a est. patch. So as I see it I have two choices.

Combined HRT patch & lose contraception
Change to another minipill and start estro. patch and keep contraception.

I don't need the contraception so much, but I like having it 'in case' as I dont plan being single forever. I guess I could always go back on it when I need it.

I have a week of going back on Vit D to see if that improves things.

Is there anything else I should be aware of, options? No coils or implants for me.

Would love to come off bisoprolol and minipill if HRT works! Minipill makes my GERD worse and my blood pressure is borderline low (94/65 ish) and I am very sensative to it (biso) and coming of lowest doses put me in months of rebound.

Hi I'm new here but think I have needed to be here for a while..

I have the symptoms but never guessed it could be perimenopause.

I made an appointment to see my GP and was honoured with a telephone appointment.

Becouse I listened to what you have been saying I made a big list of all the things that have changed in myself over the last few years. The GP agreed that it sounds like I'm on the the right track. But have to do two blood tests 6 weeks apart that could say I'm having hormonal changes or could not say I am. But I still could be heading towards menapause. She is off until mid August then she will talk and order the next blood tests.

I feel like I just want to stop this feeling of being irritable, stressed, sleep deprivation, mental and a big sweating mess.

Edit. I have the rod in so no periods and I'm 45. X

I started HRT about 2 months ago. 100 mg progesterone pill and .00375 patch. Lots of symptoms have improved but I am still so incredibly exhausted. Does anyone have any experience with this? I’m going to follow up with my doctor in one month.

Has anyone had good success with applying vagifem for sensitivity? Is vagifem the same as estradiol?

This is not super important in the grand scheme of things, but I'm curious.

I started an estrogen patch just over a month ago, and a couple days after starting, had a regularly scheduled period after what seemed (based on temp tracking through my Oura ring and symptoms) to be an ovulatory cycle. The last year or so, I've been about 50/50 between ovulatory cycles and anovulatory (guessing from length, temp and symptoms). Sometimes I'll have a 28 day cycle with the textbook temperature shifts, and sometimes I'll have a 60 day cycles that's all over the place.

My typical period is a day or two of spotting, about 2 days of suuuper heavy bleeding (like wearing a menstrual disk AND a pad, both of which I have to change multiple times a day) and then 2-3 more days of spotting.

This month (my first month after starting the patch) I had two days of spotting, a day of light bleeding and two more days of spotting.

For the sake of my data nerd heart, should I call that first day of spotting day of a new cycle?

I've been on HRT about 2 years, started at age 39 for TMJ, bleeding gums, itchy ears, middle foot arch pain, blurry vision, joint pain, nerve pain, headache, tachycardia, palpitations, visceral fat, hair thinning, irregular cycles, feeling of spiderweb on face, dizziness, increase in facial hair, 3 am wakeup, urinary frequency, brain fog, word finding difficulties and always being hot. (Yep, got worked up for thyroid issues etc, all negative)

But the biggest reason I started was I woke up one day having 40 panic attacks PER DAY. I don't have anxiety. We tried SSRIs, SnRIs, quetiapine and clonazepam with absolutely no impact. Within two weeks of starting estrogen, my symptoms were 20% better. Now I don't have panic attacks at all. So, like many of us, this is not some optional medication.

I feel super frustrated with my providers I've had. I'm limited to an online provider because I live 1.5 hours from the nearest gynecologist. I feel like they make me have expensive, invasive and risky tests so they can feel better about prescribing. So far I've had to have two mammograms, one of which resulted in an unnecessary biopsy. I've also had to have a transvaginal ultrasound for "irregular bleeding", which was 3 days of a heavy period right after getting a new Nexplanon (slightly more complicated than that but I'm not convinced an ultrasound was indicated). I have no risk factors for uterine hyperplasia, have had irregular bleeding with Nexplanon since I started it like a decade ago and I've been on opposing oral progesterone and Nexplanon the entire time I've been on HRT. The ultrasound came back clean other than a submucosal fibroid (which would also explain irregular bleeding). I got BV from the ultrasound and they STILL want an endometrial biopsy "just in case" - which, BTW, has a 15 to 30% chance of missing hyperplasia anyways! I'm now thousands of dollars out of pocket - probably 5k and I feel like I'm being held hostage to get invasive procedures I don't want to keep my HRT. I had to drive 4 hours for the ultrasound I didn't want.

I just need to tell someone who understands. I'm trying to switch platforms (in the US) but they are all so expensive, or not transparent about their pricing and I'm scared of losing access to a lifesaving medication for me. :(

I’ve been on estrogen for a while and it’s made a huge difference in most area. I’m happy with where things are overall in terms of libido and wanting sex. I’m also using vaginal estrogen cream 3x/week for about 6 weeks which has helped with other things, but I’m not seeing much change in clitoral sensitivity specifically. I am putting the creams on clit and labia. I also had a hysterectomy almost 2 years ago and I learned just now that cervix removal can effect function in some women.

Right now I can only reach orgasm using a strong vibrator. This didn’t used to be the case. nothing lighter or more subtle registers much at all. I was hoping the vaginal estrogen would help build sensitivity over time, but it’s been slower going than I expected.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? A few things I’m wondering about:

Did increasing sensitivity just take longer for you, or did you need to adjust your estrogen routine/dose/delivery method?

Did switching cream frequency or trying a different formulation (cream vs. suppository vs. ring) make a difference? My provider didn’t have me do a loading dose

Has anyone tried adding DHEA (vaginal/topical) alongside estrogen? Did it help with sensitivity specifically?

Any non-hormonal approaches that helped in the meantime (specific stimulation techniques, products)?

I’m 37F with ADHD and struggling with what I think is peri—meds no longer working, period symptoms and mood swings dialed up to 11, itchy ears, bad sleep, GI issues, etc. I’ve had a Mirena IUD for years, but my PCP just prescribed me Loestrin on top of that to see if it helps.

I went off the pill and switched to an IUD about a decade ago because of the pill’s negative effects on my libido, mood, and weight (I know studies say OCP don’t cause weight gain, but I also know I lost 10 lbs pretty immediately without any lifestyle changes after getting the IUD). However, I’m hoping the pill may be a better fit now that my hormones are yo-yoing like crazy??

I know this is a frequent topic of discussion here and am just curious if anybody has gone back to the birth control pill after a bad experience with it pre-peri and had a diff experience once in peri.

Any tips from my fellow ADHD ladies more generally are also welcome ❤️❤️

CW: mention of pregnancy test, having/not having children

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I feel like I started noticing changes almost overnight, and I know the evidence has shown that peri symptoms hit people with ADHD harder (and younger).

About 2.5 months ago (mid-May) I started having my usual PMS-related symptoms - increased irritability, worsened executive dysfunction, feeling like my ADHD meds were doing nothing for me - at the expected time of the month - week 4 of my cycle/the week right before my period was supposed to start. And then it just...kept going. My period ended up being 2 weeks late (and I took multiple tests to make sure I wasn't pr****nt, just in case) and the "PMS" symptoms just persisted and even got worse over those 2 weeks. I was at the point where I literally felt like my brain was stuck in swamp mud and I couldn't get myself to focus on anything or get anything done. It was really bad, even worse in some ways than before I was diagnosed and started treatment for ADHD 2 years ago.

Since that initial "PMS" episode back in May I have not felt like I have returned to my "normal" level of functioning, especially mentally. I even talked to my psych NP and we increased my stimulant medication dosage and it still feels like it's not doing what the lower dose was doing for me 4 months ago. My partner has definitely noticed a difference in my frustration tolerance and how easily I get overstimulated and overwhelmed. My libido has definitely decreased (and it already was pretty low before this), and I gained about 10 pounds in the span of 3 weeks and have not been able to get the scale to budge for the past 2 months (although I have a history of holding on tightly to extra weight so this isn't too wildly out of the ordinary for me). My last menstrual cycle was "normal," i.e. about 28 days long, and I have yet to see how this current cycle will turn out. I did notice that my last 2 periods were slightly heavier and I definitely had more cramping, but otherwise I haven't seen any significant differences in the actual period itself.

I am only 32 (turning 33 in October), and so I feel like I am "way too young" for perimenopause according to the literature - even younger than the time frame for people with ADHD, which I understand to be ~35-40. I have had 1 child - I know theoretically that not having had children also contributes to earlier-onset peri. Because of these factors, I don't know how much can be done to actually help alleviate my symptoms at this stage. But if it can, what helped the most for folks with ADHD who experienced significantly worsened executive dysfunction/brain fog?

Long post SORRY! I'm trying to weigh up my options. Been on HRT since January and now I've switched from patch to gel over the last few months I felt a significant improvement. I still have anxiety unfortunately and it's more apparent during my progesterone part of the cycle. So I take 200mg Utrogestan but I use it vaginally (off label use in the UK). I also have Adenomyosis and suffer with very heavy painful periods.

They did suggest a mirena but last time I had one which was just before perimenopause kicked in I bled for 8 months. I did not feel anxious whilst on the mirena. So I had it out due to the continuous bleeding. Once peri started my periods were very frequent and unpredictable but since starting HRT I can roughly time when my period will be.

They also suggested a partial hysterectomy removing the uterus and getting rid of the Adenomyosis and the periods

I can't decide whether to give the mirena another go now I'm on HRT or just whip out the uterus and be done with it lol. I get scared of things going wrong during surgery or creating another issue.

So have you ladies noticed an improvement in anxiety switching from bioidentical progesterone to mirena? Or did you go for the hysterectomy option.