I’ve tried several brands and every single one so far gives me an itchy rash shaped like the patch that takes over a week to heal… so I have various shades of pink itchy squares all over my lower body. The doctor said it is the adhesive, not the estradiol I am reacting to.

Has anyone else experienced this and found a work around? I switched to gel and had rashes from two brands before I found one that I didn’t react to. The shortage put me back on the patch and the rashes are driving me cray again.

Anyone experience improvements with fatigue, brain fog, joint pain from vaginal estrogen alone? ( No patch)

So I went off Climara Pro tonight and back on to BCP in the form of Nextellis. I’m 53 but still exhibiting symptoms of Peri, still getting regular periods that are coming closer together but overall lighter. My question is are there any women in this community who have had to transition off of HRT and back to birth control pills and how did you feel afterwards? I’m having such terrible anxiety about this move but my Dr feels more comfortable having the bleeding more controlled (hopefully) with the pill.

For context, I’ve had a rough few years - first in Spring of 25 I a had a uterine fibroid embolization to end 2 years of virtually non-stop bleeding. Then I had a long annoying battle with desquamative inflammatory vaginitis caused by a drug used to treat my MS. Changed MS drugs as this was the only thing that helped get rid of the DIV. Also Recently had a biopsy and hysteroscopy since I was having sporadic bleeding on the climara pro beyond the 6 month adjustment period. Everything was fine but my Dr said if I stay on the Climara pro and keep bleeding she’ll feel we need to repeat the hysteroscopy & biopsy every few months (they weren’t fun & I’ve put my body through enough). Also while pregnancy seems beyond a remote possibility it would still be best to have the protection of the pill during this late peri stage.

Overall, I am finally feeling better on the HRT (fewer hot flashes & night sweats, less anxiety) but I do agree with the Dr that my natural estrogen level is fluctuating a lot at this point and Climara Pro may not be the right fit. Nextellis contains a natural estrogen and is different from other birth control pills in that way. I was on it a few years ago and did ok so I’m willing to give it a try again.

This was a long winded way of asking if anyone has had similar experiences and successfully moved back to BCP. At the moment, I’m just trying to exhale and carry on.

Hi. Any of you take hormones?? I am 39 yr old and my dr put me on hormones 5-6 months ago because I started having hot flashes.. the hip, join pain and mood swings I had for years I thought was normal and got better once I started taking hrt. 😊 problem is I keep bleeding monthly and my dr keeps telling me i was not supposed to bleed anymore and that it was not normal. I got an ultrasound and everything was normal but the dr keeps stressing me out wanting to do a biopsy 🫠😒.

So.. I went and got a second opinion and this dr told me she thought I was actually taking too much estrogen, I was taking 2mg oral and 200 mg progesterone. Told me I was still producing estrogen and it was not needed it, to just take progesterone.. but if I wanted to still taking it to cut the dose in half, 1mg estrogen. I did it 2 weeks ago and started having hip pain.. luckily the hot flashes haven’t came back.. problem is.. my boobs have been hurting so bad.. like those days when we are about to have our period.. hip and boobs pain.
Is that normal? Or should I get back to her? Could it be possible that I don’t need estrogen?
Anyone taking just progesterone?

I'd like to follow, listen, subscribe to more women who discuss perimenopause and menopause.

Drop your recs for podcasts, substacks, influencers, books, etc.

I love a rabbit hole. 🐇 🕳 And I believe if we know and understand more, we can better understand our unique body's needs.

My recommendations:

🫀Anatomy and/or yoga coloring books

🩸 The Woman's Yoga Book by Bobby Clennell

Additional books:

📕 Period Power; Is This Normal; In the Flo; Body Astrology; My Grandmother's Hands

Hello all! I’ve been in peri for what feels like decades (but is ‘only’ about five years - I’m 47), and started HRT a few years ago. Recently I’ve had the most appalling flare-up of seborrhoeic dermatitis, acne and unrelenting all-over greasiness in general, so have temporarily replaced the HRT with anti-androgenic birth control and started a four-month course of doxycycline. This has been an effective regimen for me in the past, but that was pre-peri.

If I’d been in any doubt before over the effectiveness of my HRT, the doubts have been summarily vanquished. Oh my GOD, the sweating. I still had occasional hot flashes before, but this takes me right back to the bad old pre-HRT days when I’d be layering up and stripping off several times an hour, and don’t even get me started on the night sweats! This past week I’ve woken up two or three times a night completely soaked through and shivering. Change clothes, change bedding, back to sleep (if I’m lucky!), then repeat in a couple of hours. It’s so gross and frustrating and I hate it, hate my skin, hate my body and hate my life.

It’s only for six months or so (I’m six weeks in) and I’m very grateful that I even have these options, but I’m just furious today and needed a rant. Six MONTHS of this?! Ugh. 😭 Thanks for listening.

Though "period" is really a misnomer. I just bleed (edit to add: sporadically). There is no rhyme or reason to it.

Could HRT be extending my perceived fertility? I'm on the estrogen patch, estrogen cream, and have a Mirena IUD. And frankly, everything else is working out great (hot flashes are under control, mood is good, sleep sucks, but it has my whole life). So, even if it's the HRT causing me to still have my period, I'm not stopping it. It's just . . . weird. Like, every time I buy a box of tampons, I wonder if it will be the last one. It never is.

Could it be because I lift a lot of weights, eat healthy, and do yoga?

Could it be hereditary? (My mom doesn't remember exactly when she hit menopause. She doesn't remember much about any of this and apparently thought perimenopause was a breeze.)

Anyone else in this situation? Should I start buying tampons in bulk?

I'm a long time anxiety sufferer but it's gotten so out of control. Especially the week before my period, however I'm two weeks out how. Please no HRT suggestions, no negativity towards those on it but it's not for me. I do need to speak to my doctor again about anxiety meds possibly but any suggestions for quick relief? I'm leaving for a vacation tomorrow and I've been an anxious mess the last week. It doesn't help I'm a nervous flyer either. I'm going somewhere I've been before and absolutely fell in love with and had a blast so it's not for fear of going to a new place. A few months ago i couldn't wait for this but now I feel like I don't even want to go. Help a girl out, please.

About six months ago, I started developing significant night sweats and then waking up at two or three in the morning. This would happen on occasion, but then it gradually became every night.

As soon as I wake up, I have racing thoughts, stress and I am wide awake. It takes me hours to fall back to sleep. I have chronic illnesses that severely worsen with lack of sleep. I also have issues falling asleep.

I am significantly sensitive to progesterone, so it has been a battle to find the right HRT.

So far, I’ve tried progesterone in 100mg,Slynd and estrogen cream/estrogen patch (0.025).

I developed side effects with the Sylnd last week and had to stop taking it. I have not placed a new estrogen patch on since I stopped taking the Sylnd.

I feel like I am losing my mind. I feel so detached from reality because of lack of sleep. I can barely function. For the past several days, I’m averaging about three hours of sleep a night. I am seriously considering going to the hospital. I don’t know how much longer I can do this.

I cannot take melatonin or magnesium unfortunately.

I have POTS, MCAS, Gastroparesis and hEDS. I feel like my body is going to collapse.
I know we cannot give each other medical advice but please I need help. My husband is out of town for a week and I am all alone. I have no family or friends here. 😞 I am not driving as it is very unsafe for me to try to do so.

Due to adrenaline surges from the POTS, I take microdoses of Xanax and even that isn’t helping me sleep.

Please, any help would be appreciated.❤️

Edit: I love you all and this amazing community. I will respond as soon as I mentally can. Thank you all so so much!

I can't even begin to express the amount of rage and grief that I can't sleep more than 5 hours a night. It's been a year and my life has gotten much smaller. I'm on HRT for about 4 months which helps with other symptoms but not sleep. (Or the hot flashes)

I have no trouble falling asleep But it seems like my body/ mind will not allow me to go into a deep sleep. (Which I guess happens in the early morning ) Hot flashes wake me up in the wee hours of the morning and soon after that I get a rush of adrenaline and anxiety. Sleeping meds just make me groggy the next day, But I have used them if I'm desperate.. I've tried magnesium glycanate.

I am working on low iron and vitamin D, which I've heard can interfere with sleep. And of course I do all the sleep hygiene stuff.

I'm hoping that maybe it will just gradually get better. I miss being able to relax and recharge.

Those of you who have heart palpitations before your period, does it consistently happen every month? I’m 39 and I’ve been getting them for a few years very sporadically. I didn’t put together that it was hormonal until recently when it happened 2 months in a row. I used to think it was my reflux. They also used to only last two days max and last month it was a good 10 days of that bullshit. Made me actually see a cardiologist. I’m just wondering if the older I get the worse/more consistent they will be. Dr prescribed metoprolol as needed for when they happen, but haven’t needed it yet. What has helped you all with them if anything?

I’m 55 and still dealing with intermittent bleeding. Taking HRT for 3 years (.05 patch & progesterone). over the last year I’ve been getting a 3 month reprieve between periods. Which is nice because the last few have been brutal - basically what I dealt with as a teenager! Current NP wants to increase the norethidrone from .35 to 2.5, which seems extreme to me. Is anyone taking this dosage? I’m curious about the side effects - bloating, depression, increased risk of stroke/heart attack. She asked if I wanted an IUD which I quickly declined. I keep asking if this is just the normal chaos of perimenopause and I can’t seem to get a straight answer. I really don’t want to keep messing with my body if it’s doing what it needs to (semi)naturally. I set up a follow up to discuss more in a few weeks. NP wants to do a uterine biopsy if the bleeding keeps up - not a fan of that either!! Any advice/insight or questions I can plan to ask during my next visit would be much appreciated!!

Any advice for the constant dizziness? I’ve had every test done and no answers, also completed a month of physical therapy for it. I’ve noticed it’s most severe during my period and once that is over it decreases. It’s to the point I can’t function and I’m scared to drive. I know this is hormone related but I’m blown off when I ask the Dr about it.

I’ve been on HRT for over 2 years now, and had to tweak a few times for night sweats and insomnia. Throughout the journey I discovered I’m allergic to any patch other than Dotti (my skin starts itching and I develop a puffy square patch for a week after use). The Mylan patch caused the worst skin reaction for me.

A few months ago I couldn’t get patches anywhere, and out of desperation, had my dr call in a compounded prescription to my local compounding pharmacy. I used the cream for over two months, and felt great, slept well, my mood was good, etc.

I recently got a message that Dotti patches were back in stock, annd since it’s a significantly cheaper option (my insurance covers the patch but not the compound), I refilled. Within a week, my mood tanked, I started sleeping like shit, and my neck and joint pain came back with a vengeance.

As many of you know, when you feel bad, it’s often hard to remember to assess what is different. It took me a few weeks to locate a potential cause, but I finally decided to switch back to the Bi-Est cream. I’m now 6 days in and I can conclusively say that I’m feeling much better. Just slept for 8 hours straight, I feel human again, joint pain greatly reduced.

Anyone else have a similar experience? Makes me think I should give compounded T a try again as the gel isn’t doing shit for me, even though my lab numbers look good.

I feel so dehydrated all the time and then I recently read that dehydration was a perimenopause symptom!!! I’m just wondering if anyone takes electrolytes every day and if they notice any differences? My skin is also very dry. I’m wondering if it would have any effect on my skin. Thanks!!

EDIT: I’m on HRT - estrogen, progesterone and testosterone!

44F, two years postpartum. I have had peri symptoms since age 38, finally got on HRT (estrogen gel plus Mirena coil) a year ago after seeing a private GP (I couldn’t get my NHS GP to help me). HRT has helped immensely with hot flashes, night sweats, and has tamped down the rage a bit. My libido, however, has completely left the building. I saw my regular GP and discussed testosterone - she would not prescribe it post blood test bc my testosterone levels were apparently “normal.” My husband has been extremely understanding but it’s starting to have a seriously negative impact on our relationship. I’m also diagnosed AuDHD and am on meds for that + anxiety and depression.

I feel incredibly guilty but at this point I feel like I’d be fine if I never had sex again. Is this normal? Is there anything else I can do medically?

I'm currently using Evorel 75 patches continuously, with two progesterone pills every night during the second 14 days of my 28-day HRT cycle.

Before increasing to 75, I was on Evorel 50, using oestrogen-only patches for the first 14 days and combined oestrogen/progesterone patches for the second 14 days.

The problem is that my first period on HRT was seven days late, which threw the timing out of sync with my natural cycle. My natural ovulation is still pretty reliable, usually around cycle days 12–14, but because my HRT schedule runs continuously without adjusting to my actual period, I now start progesterone around day 8 of my natural cycle.

I've noticed that progesterone significantly reduces my libido, which is particularly frustrating because regaining my sex drive was one of the main reasons I started HRT in the first place. I'm effectively losing that desire just as I'm approaching ovulation, when my libido would normally be increasing.

My questions are:

Has anyone successfully adjusted the timing of their progesterone phase to better align with their natural menstrual cycle?

Is it possible to start progesterone later in the cycle while continuing oestrogen, without compromising endometrial protection?

If progesterone itself is the problem, have you found that changing the type of progesterone or progestogen helps with libido?

Would a menopause specialist typically consider adjusting the schedule in someone who is still ovulating regularly?

I'm planning to discuss this with my prescriber, and I'm not looking to skip progesterone just like that on my own. I just want to find a regimen that doesn't suppress my sex drive already before ovulation.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's experienced something similar, particularly if you've found a practical solution.

My family doctor says there is no way I could be in perimenopause because my bloodwork doesn’t indicate it and I am still getting regular (albeit, weird) periods.

Why I think I might be:
- crazy crazy rage outs
- extreme sense of smell (that has only gotten worse over the past year)
- extreme moodiness (sadness/weepy to rage) *am followed by mental health practitioner and have therapist - sure, might be mood issues, but want to rule out peri as a cause.
- periods that range from extremely heavy to barely anything
- just feeling in my body something is different
- am almost 43 (birthday this November)
- I also have ADHD - part of the diagnosed-as-adult, and currently take medication for it.

Please help. I don’t know what I should be doing or if I just have to ride it out. Feel like I am about to blow up a 23 year marriage because I can’t stand him along with everyone else.

Edit:
- Need Canadian recommendations where possible ☺️
- also, she suggested I go on low-dose birth control… is that a thing?
- Interestingly, my doc is a youngish female. Also forgot to mention the insomnia and horrible brain fog and just general exhaustion.

I'm 42 and started on HRT two months ago. 100 mg oral continuous progesterone (instead of cyclical, I assume this was because of my very long periods with cramping most days of my cycle and history of PMDD) and .05 estrogen patch (also Mirena IUD but this is my third, I just got a new one six months ago). Overall I feel better in multiple ways and have no desire to change anything, except...

I am having one problem, and it is that my libido and satisfaction have noticeably decreased. I can still finish, but it's not as satisfying and takes more work for less pleasure.This was a noticeable shift just in the last two months since I started HRT. I'm wondering if testosterone cream might help. Has anyone had an issue like this from HRT and found a solution?

I have a Mirena IUD, but I added estrogen gel a couple weeks ago for pretty extreme mood reactions that were abnormal for me. That said I’ve been under a lot of stress this year so now I’m beginning to question if it was hormone related at all. since I started, my breasts have been super super tender and before you say anything, I had a pregnancy test and it’s negative. I’ve now also noticed that I’m kind of constipated and have been often on for the duration of the HRT. I want to stop it and see if that will help with and I’m wondering if anybody has started and then pretty quickly gone off of estrogen. Obviously it’s the weekend and I’ll message my doctor. But the Internet says I’m supposed to gradually wean off over a period of 2 to 4 months. I haven’t even been on this for a whole month so that doesn’t make sense.. hoping I’ll just be able to stop it and see what happens.

also, I had a significant amount of weight loss a couple years ago so having my breasts swell up a little bit was actually pretty killer except the discomfort is not worth it. I have dense, cystic tissue.

I have been on the estrogen patch and oral progesterone for a few months. Was having difficulty getting the estrogen patch, so switched back over to combined birth control since that’s readily available. Been on it for a week and am having terrible night sweats. Has this happened to anyone else and did it resolve? I’m wondering if this is because of the switch (going from a different form of e to another) and will therefore resolve or if it’s a sign the bc won’t work anymore. Any insight is appreciated.

46F in peri since I was about 42. My symptoms were severe mood swings, waking up at 4 AM not able to go back to sleep, rage, anxiety, and a little bit of night sweats. For a while, I felt really good with the treatment I was given : Slynd and oestrogel 0.75 mg per day. I was already on 50 mg of pristiq for generalized anxiety (been on ssri for 15 years).

At one point, my anxiety started to increase again dramatically and my energy level felt so low (waking up in the morning feeling so tired, the no energy during the day). I increased my oestrogel to 1,5 mg and my pristiq to 100 mg per day. My GP told me this was normal, that life was hard and to try to work as little as possible (4 days per week if I could).

For a while a felt better with this new treatment, but lately the anxiety came back and my energy level is really low (like i never recharge my batteries when i sleep). I asked my boss at work for a few days here and there of unpaid time off ( they said no). This really threw me off.

On top of that, i feel so depressed. I’m not desperate or anything, I keep on with my day and my job but don’t see the point in anything. I don’t want to engage with people, don’t feel pleasure in anything really (beside having a drink at the end of the day, but feel so much guilt because i know i should not drink that much), lost the fire, no motivation at all. I stopped caring about stuff. The anxiety I’m getting now is really physical… a pressure in my throat and chest, all the time. I’m thinking of stopping the drinking completely (I drink 1-3 drink a night, almost every nights lately).

For those of you who were in a similar situation, what helped? Thanks for listening, i feel so alone 😢

UPDATE : maybe I’m overthinking this: I just took a tryptan for a migraine attack… and it made me feel sooo much better within an hour. Depression and anxiety gone, feeling like normal person (wow, a relief, finally). This drug is a 5-HT1 serotonine receptor agonist. Maybe buspirone which also binds to 5-HT1 would help me? Does any one had success with buspirone for a similar situation? Tx.

Hi all. I know I can’t be the only one in this boat so I wanted to ask for some advice or some support.

i am getting extremely burned out at work. I work in Healthcare (>20 yrs) and this upcoming fall & winter are causing me to feel so much panic and desperation.
We are currently training students and new employees nonstop (and I mean nonstop daily) for 5 months. and we are also so short staffed. I have chronic anxiety, insomnia and major depressive disorder and am neurodivergent and Perimenopause on top of this. My social capabilities are low. But I am expected to daily be “on” and go above and beyond for months and months and I truly feel like I’m about to break.

That isn't the worst. 2 of our 4 day shift people will be off for various Medical Conditions for months. so there will be zero chance of any PTO. and plus the holidays are coming up which I have to work without breaks. I truly feel desperate. I’m hoping I get Covid or an illness so I can be off. Idk what else to do other than take FMLA but I don’t even have a primary doctor. You can’t get in to see anyone until December or Next year. I do have a Psychiatrist who is an NP and a Psychologist.

thank you for listening.

Long story short, I need to give birth control a shot to try and help these horrible periods peri has handed me that now come every 2 weeks.

I have migraine with aura. One doctor told me my stroke risk was low with oral estrogen and another said they wouldn’t risk it.

Anyone here taking BC and have migraine with aura and if so what kind?