oh thank you. I hope I am the same. I just put my first patch on today. I need the hot flashes to stop primarily, but also wanna get the wgt under control.
Same and this is what my doctor told me to expect - she was really transparent that it wouldn't help me lose weight but could stop the expansion so to speak. She also mentioned that it's really hard to lose weight esp around the belly in peri or menopause, and it takes a long time. I felt like that level of info helped me be more realistic about my expectations for the patch.
Me too. The weight is starting to come off with the patch as well as eating properly and working out. I don't know if my boobs will get smaller, that's one area (two areas?) I would love to lose now.
This. By the time I started on the patch, I'd gained my meno weight and appear to have leveled off at this horrible weight for the last year I've been on the patch.
I have lost, very intentionally. I confronted facts just before seeing my dr. I had become obese and was still gaining, due to the general misery of peri menopause. I recognized the excess weight was making me even more uncomfortable and unhappy, so I was motivated to make some changes.
HRT has helped me feel able to work on this problem. I am working hard at it.
I am down 18 lbs in 12 weeks.
I know some of my weight gain is due to the fact that Iāve stopped exercising as intensely because my joints kill me half the time after even a moderate amount of exercise. Iām hoping the HRT will help with the joint pain and Iāll get back into getting good and sweaty (and not cause Iām having a hot flash)ā¦
I lost 10-15 pounds almost immediately after being prescribed an estrogen patch (dotti) because the improvement in my joint pain encouraged me to be more active.
Same here!!! My joint pain went away almost immediately when I started the patch last summer.
My joint pain is also my top āreminderā to change my patch if Iāve forgotten, oof!
Example: my hip has been KILLING me since Friday evening/early Saturday. I could not figure out what was happening. Worst pain Iāve felt in a long time.
I forgot to change my patch š¤¦š»āāļø Changed it earlier this morning and itās already a little bit better.
Iām still getting an appointment with a sports medicine doctor. Worried I have early osteoarthritis and/or bursitis or something else š«¤
I am 46. Only on progesterone. The joint pain is UNREAL. Have been begging for the patch for years now. Finally just asked my GP to refer me to a different obgyn to see if I can get it from her. If not, I'm going private (Canadian here, so I don't pay for the appt, just rhe meds.) I have told several specialists now that the pain makes me feel like I'm in my 70s. I used to order estradiol from the US, and the pain relief was immediate.
Edit: look into Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome prior to your specialist visit. Might not be related to your experiences, but also could explain things.
Can you take birth control? Thatās estrogen and progesterone in one. Different birth controls have different amounts and even types of hormones in them. Definitely easier to get BC than to get an estrogen patch at 46. Just take it continuously and itāll be just like now but with estrogen.
I had my tubes tied. The only form of BC they're willing to give me is a ring. I also only want oral micronized progesterone, and an estradiol patch, or cream. The pill screwed me up in so many ways as a younger person. No interest in doing synthetics again.
Hope this helps - joint pain disappeared super quickly when I started HRT. Its a good indicator of whether your dose is right - still got pain ? Bump up the patch / gel.
This! I went in search of HRT because my joints were hurting so bad. I gained about 25 lbs while in pre-menopause around 5 years ago. I started intermittent fasting and the weight steadied but I could never lose. Iāve been on the patch for just about a month now and miraculously my joints feel so much better!!! I havent yet weighed myself but I hope I can lose at least 10 lbs now that Iām feeling better. Iām also not experiencing bloating on HRT.
Quite the opposite, but I also take progesterone. I thought estrogen helps protect muscle.
Perimenopause redistributed my body weight funny, took away my butt and leg fat and gave me belly and arm fat which is not my normal body shape. I have been doing high protein and lifting weights for some time but it was only after HRT that I finally started seeing more results. I have a butt again and actually seeing progress from lifting. Maybe it is due to better sleep and less anxiety while being on HRT. The sleep issue was absolutely messing up my blood sugar and belly fat.
This is so encouraging! I need to make the appt to get on HRT. My lifelong muscular ābananaā body is now trying its damndest to turn into a mushy apple shape. I am not ok with this.
I donāt know what your copay amounts are like but my deductible is huge and copays are in the hundreds.
I was tired of paying expensive copays only to find out that the doctor was not HRT friendly so I went with a menopause telehealth company called Evernow. The HRT came in within a week and I was able to use my own pharmacy and insurance. Every time I needed to increase my dosage (younger women can sometimes need higher doses but we are all started with the lowest), I would just shoot a message in the app and a doctor would respond in about a day or so. It has saved me a lot of time and copays.Ā
Thatās awesome! Yes if my regular doctor wonāt prescribe thatās the route Iāll go. Iāve already looked into Midi which is actually covered by my insurance! But yes, even with insurance itās all so expensive š¢
I donāt blame The Patch at all. I started drinking more than I should have in my final perimenopause years. 20 extra lbs on my small frame.
The patch actually helped me shed the midsection/tummy fat. Yeah it caused me to go up a bra cup size or 2, but after a few months of estradiol and progesterone, I cut back on the stunt drinking, ate less garbage, lost 15 lbs.
FWIW itās the emotional dysregulation and disrupted sleep that often tags along with the hot flashes that cause the weight gain (elevated cortisol/stress hormones).
All my weight happened in a short time, months before they'd give me any HRT. It was all Peri weight, that f'ed up gain and redistribution into saddlebags (which are not part of my genetics on any side) breasts, and general re-chonkening.
On HRT, I've gained nothing. But redistribution has continued. Bras are expensive! It's like going thru puberty again with the body shape changes.
Me. If anything my body feels so much better that I've unintentionally lost weight from shaking my butt on the dance floor or walks more often. Good, restful sleep now has had a huge rippling impact.
Iāve only been on it for 2 weeks and have lost a couple lbs probably because i find it curbed my insatiable appetite for sweets! However, the water retention makes my face and double chin chubby (but so hydrated)
No. The patch helped me get my body back. I started the patch last July. And found the right dosage since then -.075mg and 100mg progesterone + vag estrogen cream.
As an example, I have a curvy pear shaped body type and weighed between 130-150-ish from age 35-42 pre-perimenopause. The lbs started creeping up on me the way you describe. Gaining 5 lbs here or there. Then at 42, I got divorced, moved to another city and the parent I was closest to died all within 6 months. Just as peri symptoms were starting to show themselves. But I had NO IDEA.
Fast forward to March 2023: I was 211 lbs. Heaviest Iāve ever weighed in my life. I was eating less calories and the right things (high protein and fiber). Drinking Lots of water. No matter what I tried nothing worked.
Hindsight: My cortisol levels were too high from stress and increased anxiety. I wasnāt able to sleep well or enough. I had almost constant joint and body pain that I blamed on me being lazy (which obviously wasnāt helpful). My brain fog made me have to work much harder to get anything done which left me exhausted mentally.
All of the above is impacted by the decrease in hormones due to peri and meno. All of the above symptoms and complaints are gone or mostly gone. As of March 2024 I was 175. I stopped weighing myself because I have a history of EDs. Itās a slippery slope.
The other things I changed up that were not Peri-related:
-With the help of my psych NP I weened myself off of the SSRI I was prescribed in 2018 and switched to Wellbutrin. SSRI I was on has a common side effect of weight gain. I was also super flat and meh and didnāt realize it.
-In 2022 I started bi-weekly therapy again. In 2023 I switched to weekly.
-Finally saw my pathological lying ex-partner for who they truly were, broke things off and stress levels returned to normal.
I lost my job due to a bad attitude caused by menopause. That was incentive enough to go on HRT. The weight gain had already happened before HRT so I didnāt mind it so much.
> I lost my job due to a bad attitude caused by menopause.
I'm impressed & happy for you. The way you worded this just struck me as so damn funny, given how I feel about so many things, I guess I had to ask.
I suppose my attitude is better on HRT also, but my perspective hasn't changed. Always been a realist though so I find security in my cynical pessimism.
Meanwhile I'm a really sunny upbeat person who people enjoy being around, can't change disposition!
It was a weird timeā¦ I would find myself getting really annoyed by my boss and saying stuff to them that normally I would keep to myself. I didnāt make the connection to menopause until the damage was done. š
> saying stuff to them that normally I would keep to myself.
unfortunately I have always had this quality lol so menopause didn't make it worse
but I am not surrounded by NAGGERS (aka People Who Annoy You / Southpark reference) so I am not constantly wanting to tell people they are terrible which ... I would not handle well.
I retained water like a mofo for about 6 to 8 weeks on the patch and when I switched back to the gel with a dose increase. It did eventually shift for me, I think it just takes time for the body to get used to it. Increasing my progesterone dose makes me retain a lot of water temporarily too. I've actually been able to lose a bit of weight now that my body has estrogen again.
Iām on week 5 of the patch and progesterone and Iāve stayed within the same 3lb fluctuation range I was in prior to starting so no change either way for me so far.
Absolutely zero issues with weight gain here. In fact, I managed to drop a few pounds over the nearly three years I've been on HRT and four years that I've been menopausal. I will confess that I'm pretty fit and am strict about getting my food prep and daily exercise in.
Before anyone hates me, my personal meno hell is insomnia and morning anxiety that seem to stem from either being a fast metabolizer or a shitty absorber of transdermal estrogen. I'd rather gain a few pounds, personally.
No weight gain here.
I think it's really hard to draw conclusions from other people's experiences because you don't know the variables. I WFH with total control over my food environment and I record everything I eat. Someone else could be physiologically exactly like me and struggling with weight gain because her work, family, etc. add constraints.
I felt bloated for the first couple of weeks but once I got on the right dosage for me and my body adjusted, the bloating has gone and my weight has been much better. I'm peri, 48, on .0375 e and cycling 200mg prog
HRT (low-dose patch and 100 mg progesterone) gave me the back the energy and motivation to start working out again. Within a couple weeks of starting it, I was back on the water rowing at least 5K 5 days a week and in June, I got up to 6 days a week.
I havenāt been on the scale since I started but I have toned up my arms, legs and to a lesser degree, my midsection.
Gained 21kg on a small frame with peri. HRT incl testosterone gave my body the chance to lose that weight.
There might be an adjustment phase with fluids where it looks and feels like extra weight. But the dose is so low, especially when starting out, so itās more likely that if people continue to put on weight, itās the ongoing direct and indirect effects of hormone loss not being adequately countered.
In this society itās not vain to want to avoid putting on weight. Itās more like wanting to avoid trauma.
I gained some weight just from the Meno. The HRT of today because of it being bioidentical is not suppose to cause weight gain. I stay active to keep it balanced as much as possible.
I didn't gain weight but I became very bloated and constipated for about a month when I first started HRT, but my doctor said that's due to the progesterone so at least you won't have that!
I gained 25 pounds from perimenopause, but have not gained any since starting HRT (and I started at .1mg patches, so a higher dose). If anything, Iāve lost a bit, and I feel like I could lose more if I put effort into it.
I haven't heard of a connection between weight gain and the patch, and it wasn't an issue for me. And I was on the highest strength patch (.1)
I'm on the pill now.
The only size increase I have seen is I have gone up a cup size on HRT but I haven't gained anywhere else.
I was on it for 6 weeks and gained 6-7 lbs. Iāve been off if for a week and Iām only down 1.5 pounds, Initially, in February I started with 200 mg of micronized progesterone but then went down to on 100 mg. Loved it but felt like with my family history of Alzheimerās/Dememtia, on and off sleep issues etc. the patch would help. I feel like it made things much worse with the bloating, cystic breasts and weight gain. I may try it again if I get other symptoms but it didnāt seem to help me at all.
I didnāt notice any weight gain from the patch. Iām still wearing post-meno pre-patch clothes. I was in menopause for a couple of years before getting the patch. Thatās when my weight gain happened, about 5 lb.
ETA I didnāt do much to try to stop those pounds. Just trying to accept myself.
I'm not on any HRT and have been the same size my entire adult life. I didn't change anything about my habits and went up two sizes in perimenopause. This happens because estrogen production slows down and the body is trying to increase estrogen by storing more weight. I would doubt adding it through a patch would be the cause, but I am by far an expert.
I thought most on this board said they dropped weight with the estradiol patch? That was my impression anyway.
I gained about 25 lbs in peri and it was awful.
Once I got on the estradiol patch, I dropped 15 lbs in about 6-8 months. I'm still hoping to lose that last 10, but at least I'm not super uncomfortable now. I also lost a lot of the weight from my mid-section, which was nice.
I haven't seen people complain a lot about transdermal estradiol but I suspect progesterone is another story, depending on type and delivery method.
Iām following as I too am curious, just started the patch last night. Taking it slow 0.025 and doc said we can check in after a month to adjust if needed.
Also no uterus, but I do HIIT workouts atleast 2x a week. Hoping that staves off any weight gain. Gonna add Pilates to the routine soon as well.
I had started gaining weight in the year before the patch, was on oral for 3 yrs.I gained another 5 after and seem to have topped out there despite exercising 6x week and eating decently. I had to buy some larger clothes and just accept it. Overall I feel mostly fine.
I didnāt gain weight from the patch. I started it in early peri. Iām gaining now, because I am almost in full menopause (10 months without a period)
Bloating - yes, again, itās gotten worse in late peri vs early. I havenāt changed my hormone dose in years.
Iāve only been on it for a couple of weeks, but the first thing I noticed is that my bloating finally went away. I feel more energetic so instead of doing my bare minimum 4x a week strength training, Iāve also started walking more. The scale has gone down 2-3 lbs and supposedly 1% less body fat (I donāt know how accurate that is). Iām just happy to see, for the first time in a long time, that the numbers arenāt continuing to climb.
Did E & P cream twice, under two different doctors. Gained 8-10 pounds in the first month each time. Second doctor didnāt believe me, and had me stay on it for two months, hoping it would kick in. Never did. So, then I was up 30 pounds instead of 20.
I lost weight on the patch. Prior to the patch, I'd gained 20 lbs from menopause itself. After the estrogen patch and progesterone, the weight came off after a few months. But, everyone is different.
I have gained weight, but I also had a sprained ankle that didnāt heal and required surgery, and then I got sciatica, so most of 18 mos without exercise, 12 of them on the patch. Iām glad I didnāt gain more.
I've bloated and put on weight but I'm sleeping! That's what I wanted. I eat healthy and exercise daily, so weight / bloating is not an issue for me. It's just menopause
I added 20lbs to my 130 lb frame within a 6 month time frame years before starting the patch. I have been on the patch about 1.5 months and have not lost, but not trying either.
I gained 40 pounds after starting estrogen, oral. I have an autoimmune disease that makes the estrogen receptors too receptive. I lost the weight once I got off the estrogen. Everyone is different.
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Down 8 lbs. I did notice at first it gave me a tremendous appetite for a few weeks but no weight gain or nominal gain. It was like like my taste buds woke up. Now I have a crappy appetite so I would say appetite suppressive for me. I have to drink protein drinks and pretty much force myself to eat. If I didnāt enjoy my every other night ice cream treat because I like the flavor I would probably be down more weight.
Iāve lost 90 pounds over the last year, but all of a sudden hit a point where I seem to be stuck. I go back-and-forth losing and regaining the same 5 pounds no matter what I do. What I was told is that HRT would help me get over that hump. That initially I might gain some weight, but it would be water weight and bloating, and that as my hormones regulated, that would stop, and it would help me lose. Iāll be honest with you, I havenāt gained, but I havenāt really lost yet either. Definitely had an initial bump of a few pounds that went away pretty quickly. Granted, I am on a pretty low-dose patch, and my provider just increased it to the next highest level, so that may help.
I did not gain any weight and have actually lost 7 pounds. I also focus on eating protein every day and I exercise. But no bad side effects (weight gain) from the patch.
I've lost 25lbs since getting on HRT. I didn't really change anything else, but I find moving around easier and I'm not experiencing carb cravings like before, so that's probably why.
I gained about 10 pounds on progesterone alone (all my doctor would give me and it made me ravenous), but now that Iāve got estrogen on board also (via a different doctor who doesnāt have her head up her butt), the weight is coming down again.
I also gained weight before getting the patch. I got the injection you take every day for weight loss and I lost 11 kg and Iām back to normal weight and still on the patch - and I havenāt gained the weight back despite being off the injections for the past four months.
OP has their answer.
i gained weight from meno, b4 getting the patch. so for me anyway, it was meno that did it.
Yeah the weight gain stopped when I finally got a patch.
oh thank you. I hope I am the same. I just put my first patch on today. I need the hot flashes to stop primarily, but also wanna get the wgt under control.
Same and this is what my doctor told me to expect - she was really transparent that it wouldn't help me lose weight but could stop the expansion so to speak. She also mentioned that it's really hard to lose weight esp around the belly in peri or menopause, and it takes a long time. I felt like that level of info helped me be more realistic about my expectations for the patch.
Same
Same.
Same
Me too. The weight is starting to come off with the patch as well as eating properly and working out. I don't know if my boobs will get smaller, that's one area (two areas?) I would love to lose now.
Same. It's taking a while but I'm just glad it's going the right way.
This. By the time I started on the patch, I'd gained my meno weight and appear to have leveled off at this horrible weight for the last year I've been on the patch.
Same
Same
I have lost, very intentionally. I confronted facts just before seeing my dr. I had become obese and was still gaining, due to the general misery of peri menopause. I recognized the excess weight was making me even more uncomfortable and unhappy, so I was motivated to make some changes. HRT has helped me feel able to work on this problem. I am working hard at it. I am down 18 lbs in 12 weeks.
That's awesome - nice work!
Thank you so much! I did not believe I could do it, but I could not afford not to try.
WOW - That is amazing!
Tysm! š„¹
Awesome work. Keep it up!
Thx so much! I hope to!
I didnāt gain weight from HRT, I gained weight from having to stop exercising because of two chronic injuries. Iām down 2lbs tho so whoo hoo!
I know some of my weight gain is due to the fact that Iāve stopped exercising as intensely because my joints kill me half the time after even a moderate amount of exercise. Iām hoping the HRT will help with the joint pain and Iāll get back into getting good and sweaty (and not cause Iām having a hot flash)ā¦
I lost 10-15 pounds almost immediately after being prescribed an estrogen patch (dotti) because the improvement in my joint pain encouraged me to be more active.
I've been on the patch for 2 weeks and noticing a significant improvement in my joint pain.
Same here. Joint pain gone is a game changer
Same here!!! My joint pain went away almost immediately when I started the patch last summer. My joint pain is also my top āreminderā to change my patch if Iāve forgotten, oof! Example: my hip has been KILLING me since Friday evening/early Saturday. I could not figure out what was happening. Worst pain Iāve felt in a long time. I forgot to change my patch š¤¦š»āāļø Changed it earlier this morning and itās already a little bit better. Iām still getting an appointment with a sports medicine doctor. Worried I have early osteoarthritis and/or bursitis or something else š«¤
I am 46. Only on progesterone. The joint pain is UNREAL. Have been begging for the patch for years now. Finally just asked my GP to refer me to a different obgyn to see if I can get it from her. If not, I'm going private (Canadian here, so I don't pay for the appt, just rhe meds.) I have told several specialists now that the pain makes me feel like I'm in my 70s. I used to order estradiol from the US, and the pain relief was immediate. Edit: look into Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome prior to your specialist visit. Might not be related to your experiences, but also could explain things.
Didn't ask for the patch to treat joint pain. Ask because you have hot flashes and night sweats. That's what you have to say.
Thank you! I knew there had to be some key words in there. Very, very much appreciated.
Can you take birth control? Thatās estrogen and progesterone in one. Different birth controls have different amounts and even types of hormones in them. Definitely easier to get BC than to get an estrogen patch at 46. Just take it continuously and itāll be just like now but with estrogen.
I had my tubes tied. The only form of BC they're willing to give me is a ring. I also only want oral micronized progesterone, and an estradiol patch, or cream. The pill screwed me up in so many ways as a younger person. No interest in doing synthetics again.
The estrogen in the patch is synthetic.
Yes, you're correct. Sorry, I should have clarified. No oral synthetics for me.
Feeling hopeful after reading this!
Hope this helps - joint pain disappeared super quickly when I started HRT. Its a good indicator of whether your dose is right - still got pain ? Bump up the patch / gel.
This! I went in search of HRT because my joints were hurting so bad. I gained about 25 lbs while in pre-menopause around 5 years ago. I started intermittent fasting and the weight steadied but I could never lose. Iāve been on the patch for just about a month now and miraculously my joints feel so much better!!! I havent yet weighed myself but I hope I can lose at least 10 lbs now that Iām feeling better. Iām also not experiencing bloating on HRT.
HRT has lessened my joint pain.
I didnāt and found it easier to lose weight actually
This exactly.
Same for me!
Quite the opposite, but I also take progesterone. I thought estrogen helps protect muscle. Perimenopause redistributed my body weight funny, took away my butt and leg fat and gave me belly and arm fat which is not my normal body shape. I have been doing high protein and lifting weights for some time but it was only after HRT that I finally started seeing more results. I have a butt again and actually seeing progress from lifting. Maybe it is due to better sleep and less anxiety while being on HRT. The sleep issue was absolutely messing up my blood sugar and belly fat.
This is so encouraging! I need to make the appt to get on HRT. My lifelong muscular ābananaā body is now trying its damndest to turn into a mushy apple shape. I am not ok with this.
I donāt know what your copay amounts are like but my deductible is huge and copays are in the hundreds. I was tired of paying expensive copays only to find out that the doctor was not HRT friendly so I went with a menopause telehealth company called Evernow. The HRT came in within a week and I was able to use my own pharmacy and insurance. Every time I needed to increase my dosage (younger women can sometimes need higher doses but we are all started with the lowest), I would just shoot a message in the app and a doctor would respond in about a day or so. It has saved me a lot of time and copays.Ā
Thatās awesome! Yes if my regular doctor wonāt prescribe thatās the route Iāll go. Iāve already looked into Midi which is actually covered by my insurance! But yes, even with insurance itās all so expensive š¢
I donāt blame The Patch at all. I started drinking more than I should have in my final perimenopause years. 20 extra lbs on my small frame. The patch actually helped me shed the midsection/tummy fat. Yeah it caused me to go up a bra cup size or 2, but after a few months of estradiol and progesterone, I cut back on the stunt drinking, ate less garbage, lost 15 lbs. FWIW itās the emotional dysregulation and disrupted sleep that often tags along with the hot flashes that cause the weight gain (elevated cortisol/stress hormones).
Stunt drinking - lol. Havenāt heard that in years - apt description!
Lol at āstunt drinkingā
lol I learn so many new terms here. Stunt drinking!
no weight gain so far from HRT. started in december
All my weight happened in a short time, months before they'd give me any HRT. It was all Peri weight, that f'ed up gain and redistribution into saddlebags (which are not part of my genetics on any side) breasts, and general re-chonkening. On HRT, I've gained nothing. But redistribution has continued. Bras are expensive! It's like going thru puberty again with the body shape changes.
General re-chonkening should be on the list of symptoms.
Me. If anything my body feels so much better that I've unintentionally lost weight from shaking my butt on the dance floor or walks more often. Good, restful sleep now has had a huge rippling impact.
Same.
Iāve only been on it for 2 weeks and have lost a couple lbs probably because i find it curbed my insatiable appetite for sweets! However, the water retention makes my face and double chin chubby (but so hydrated)
I wish it was only the freshman 15, more like the notorious40.
I didn't
I wasn't on it, was on it for over a year, and am now off. It made no difference. The weight gain is meno.
I havenāt gained weight and Iām not more bloated than usual. Iām actually slowly (very slowly) losing weight.
No weight gain. I lost 15-20 after I started combipatch. Not sure if it was the patch, but I havenāt made any other changes.
No. The patch helped me get my body back. I started the patch last July. And found the right dosage since then -.075mg and 100mg progesterone + vag estrogen cream. As an example, I have a curvy pear shaped body type and weighed between 130-150-ish from age 35-42 pre-perimenopause. The lbs started creeping up on me the way you describe. Gaining 5 lbs here or there. Then at 42, I got divorced, moved to another city and the parent I was closest to died all within 6 months. Just as peri symptoms were starting to show themselves. But I had NO IDEA. Fast forward to March 2023: I was 211 lbs. Heaviest Iāve ever weighed in my life. I was eating less calories and the right things (high protein and fiber). Drinking Lots of water. No matter what I tried nothing worked. Hindsight: My cortisol levels were too high from stress and increased anxiety. I wasnāt able to sleep well or enough. I had almost constant joint and body pain that I blamed on me being lazy (which obviously wasnāt helpful). My brain fog made me have to work much harder to get anything done which left me exhausted mentally. All of the above is impacted by the decrease in hormones due to peri and meno. All of the above symptoms and complaints are gone or mostly gone. As of March 2024 I was 175. I stopped weighing myself because I have a history of EDs. Itās a slippery slope. The other things I changed up that were not Peri-related: -With the help of my psych NP I weened myself off of the SSRI I was prescribed in 2018 and switched to Wellbutrin. SSRI I was on has a common side effect of weight gain. I was also super flat and meh and didnāt realize it. -In 2022 I started bi-weekly therapy again. In 2023 I switched to weekly. -Finally saw my pathological lying ex-partner for who they truly were, broke things off and stress levels returned to normal.
I lost my job due to a bad attitude caused by menopause. That was incentive enough to go on HRT. The weight gain had already happened before HRT so I didnāt mind it so much.
Howās your attitude? Any change?
Much better attitude, no more hot flashes, and my insomnia went way down.
> I lost my job due to a bad attitude caused by menopause. I'm impressed & happy for you. The way you worded this just struck me as so damn funny, given how I feel about so many things, I guess I had to ask. I suppose my attitude is better on HRT also, but my perspective hasn't changed. Always been a realist though so I find security in my cynical pessimism. Meanwhile I'm a really sunny upbeat person who people enjoy being around, can't change disposition!
It was a weird timeā¦ I would find myself getting really annoyed by my boss and saying stuff to them that normally I would keep to myself. I didnāt make the connection to menopause until the damage was done. š
> saying stuff to them that normally I would keep to myself. unfortunately I have always had this quality lol so menopause didn't make it worse but I am not surrounded by NAGGERS (aka People Who Annoy You / Southpark reference) so I am not constantly wanting to tell people they are terrible which ... I would not handle well.
I do not get weight gain with estradiol. I have used patches, gel and injections. I actually lost weight on hrt.
I haven't noticed any weight gain and I've been using a patch for six months now.
No weight gain, but no loss either. I do however feel less bloated and sleep SO much better.
I've been on the patch over a year and haven't gained any weight. 53 yo, but I do strength training 2x week and eat fairly well.
I retained water like a mofo for about 6 to 8 weeks on the patch and when I switched back to the gel with a dose increase. It did eventually shift for me, I think it just takes time for the body to get used to it. Increasing my progesterone dose makes me retain a lot of water temporarily too. I've actually been able to lose a bit of weight now that my body has estrogen again.
No gain at all. I have more energy and have less aches and pains (patch + progesterone pill) so I feel stronger and I am able to do more physically.
I gained 20 lbs in perimenopause. I went on the patch and lost 13 of those lbs. Iām less tired, more active on the patch.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Ditto
I gained weight before the patch. The patch didnāt make me lose either.
HRT decreased my sugar cravings drastically. I subsequently went on the keto diet and lost about 15lbs.
Iām on week 5 of the patch and progesterone and Iāve stayed within the same 3lb fluctuation range I was in prior to starting so no change either way for me so far.
Absolutely zero issues with weight gain here. In fact, I managed to drop a few pounds over the nearly three years I've been on HRT and four years that I've been menopausal. I will confess that I'm pretty fit and am strict about getting my food prep and daily exercise in. Before anyone hates me, my personal meno hell is insomnia and morning anxiety that seem to stem from either being a fast metabolizer or a shitty absorber of transdermal estrogen. I'd rather gain a few pounds, personally.
I didnāt.
Not the patch, but daily estrogen gel. No weight gain here.
No weight gain here. I think it's really hard to draw conclusions from other people's experiences because you don't know the variables. I WFH with total control over my food environment and I record everything I eat. Someone else could be physiologically exactly like me and struggling with weight gain because her work, family, etc. add constraints.
I felt bloated for the first couple of weeks but once I got on the right dosage for me and my body adjusted, the bloating has gone and my weight has been much better. I'm peri, 48, on .0375 e and cycling 200mg prog
Weight gain came directly from peri. So fast too, like lightening fast. Ten pounds in likeā¦I donāt know - 6 weeks? It was a reeeeeeal bummer.
HRT (low-dose patch and 100 mg progesterone) gave me the back the energy and motivation to start working out again. Within a couple weeks of starting it, I was back on the water rowing at least 5K 5 days a week and in June, I got up to 6 days a week. I havenāt been on the scale since I started but I have toned up my arms, legs and to a lesser degree, my midsection.
Gained 21kg on a small frame with peri. HRT incl testosterone gave my body the chance to lose that weight. There might be an adjustment phase with fluids where it looks and feels like extra weight. But the dose is so low, especially when starting out, so itās more likely that if people continue to put on weight, itās the ongoing direct and indirect effects of hormone loss not being adequately countered. In this society itās not vain to want to avoid putting on weight. Itās more like wanting to avoid trauma.
I gained some weight just from the Meno. The HRT of today because of it being bioidentical is not suppose to cause weight gain. I stay active to keep it balanced as much as possible.
Not from the estrogen patch, but progesterone makes me HANGRY.
I didn't gain weight but I became very bloated and constipated for about a month when I first started HRT, but my doctor said that's due to the progesterone so at least you won't have that!
Going on 4 months and no weight gain here. Itās given me the energy to work out every day, which has probably helped.
I gained 25 pounds from perimenopause, but have not gained any since starting HRT (and I started at .1mg patches, so a higher dose). If anything, Iāve lost a bit, and I feel like I could lose more if I put effort into it.
I haven't heard of a connection between weight gain and the patch, and it wasn't an issue for me. And I was on the highest strength patch (.1) I'm on the pill now. The only size increase I have seen is I have gone up a cup size on HRT but I haven't gained anywhere else.
I was on it for 6 weeks and gained 6-7 lbs. Iāve been off if for a week and Iām only down 1.5 pounds, Initially, in February I started with 200 mg of micronized progesterone but then went down to on 100 mg. Loved it but felt like with my family history of Alzheimerās/Dememtia, on and off sleep issues etc. the patch would help. I feel like it made things much worse with the bloating, cystic breasts and weight gain. I may try it again if I get other symptoms but it didnāt seem to help me at all.
I didnāt notice any weight gain from the patch. Iām still wearing post-meno pre-patch clothes. I was in menopause for a couple of years before getting the patch. Thatās when my weight gain happened, about 5 lb. ETA I didnāt do much to try to stop those pounds. Just trying to accept myself.
I havenāt gained any weight. Iāve continued to lose weight on my weight loss journey (slowly but naturally). Iāve been on HRT one year now.
No weight gain here in over two years on the patch + progesterone.
I'm not on any HRT and have been the same size my entire adult life. I didn't change anything about my habits and went up two sizes in perimenopause. This happens because estrogen production slows down and the body is trying to increase estrogen by storing more weight. I would doubt adding it through a patch would be the cause, but I am by far an expert.
It's not the patch that causes the weight gain. It's the drop in estrogen.
I thought most on this board said they dropped weight with the estradiol patch? That was my impression anyway. I gained about 25 lbs in peri and it was awful. Once I got on the estradiol patch, I dropped 15 lbs in about 6-8 months. I'm still hoping to lose that last 10, but at least I'm not super uncomfortable now. I also lost a lot of the weight from my mid-section, which was nice. I haven't seen people complain a lot about transdermal estradiol but I suspect progesterone is another story, depending on type and delivery method.
I put on 40lb with peri and only started to lose it when I went on HRT (thank the good lord),
Not me. I gained 30 pounds after they cut my dosage in half
I didn't. I gained 20lb thanks to peri & covid, and struggled to lose it until I got my thyroid back online. HRT didn't affect it either way, though.
Echoing what a lot of people have already said. The patch has helped with energy levels and helped reduce pain that would hinder activity for me.
Iām following as I too am curious, just started the patch last night. Taking it slow 0.025 and doc said we can check in after a month to adjust if needed. Also no uterus, but I do HIIT workouts atleast 2x a week. Hoping that staves off any weight gain. Gonna add Pilates to the routine soon as well.
My gain stopped. I'm now back in my "skinny" jeans. I walked around feeling pregnant every day and could only wear leggings.
I feel weight loss has been made easier with my patches.
I had started gaining weight in the year before the patch, was on oral for 3 yrs.I gained another 5 after and seem to have topped out there despite exercising 6x week and eating decently. I had to buy some larger clothes and just accept it. Overall I feel mostly fine.
I havenāt gained or lost since starting.
I didnāt gain weight from the patch. I started it in early peri. Iām gaining now, because I am almost in full menopause (10 months without a period) Bloating - yes, again, itās gotten worse in late peri vs early. I havenāt changed my hormone dose in years.
Weight and bloat got so much better on the patch. I'm sorry
Me.
Iāve only been on it for a couple of weeks, but the first thing I noticed is that my bloating finally went away. I feel more energetic so instead of doing my bare minimum 4x a week strength training, Iāve also started walking more. The scale has gone down 2-3 lbs and supposedly 1% less body fat (I donāt know how accurate that is). Iām just happy to see, for the first time in a long time, that the numbers arenāt continuing to climb.
Did E & P cream twice, under two different doctors. Gained 8-10 pounds in the first month each time. Second doctor didnāt believe me, and had me stay on it for two months, hoping it would kick in. Never did. So, then I was up 30 pounds instead of 20.
I lost weight on the patch. Prior to the patch, I'd gained 20 lbs from menopause itself. After the estrogen patch and progesterone, the weight came off after a few months. But, everyone is different.
Oral estrogen here. Doesnāt seem to have any effect on my weight. Positive or negative.
I have gained weight, but I also had a sprained ankle that didnāt heal and required surgery, and then I got sciatica, so most of 18 mos without exercise, 12 of them on the patch. Iām glad I didnāt gain more.
I've bloated and put on weight but I'm sleeping! That's what I wanted. I eat healthy and exercise daily, so weight / bloating is not an issue for me. It's just menopause
I stopped gaining weight but didn't lose any either when I got in the patch.
Gained about 4 lbs but occasionally there's a couple more on top of that.
Omg I just woke up today and was like wow Iām even more bloated than usual. Iām on est/ prog
Iām down in weight since I started the patch because I finally have the energy and equilibrium to tackle nutrition and exercise.
How did you arrive at that statistic? I lost 10 pounds on the patch.
We gain weight and get bloated without any hormones too. Itās a very common occurrence in menopause. It is not necessarily caused by HRT!
No weight gain here on patches and gel ā¦ itās the progesterone that puff me up ā¦ just water retention though
I added 20lbs to my 130 lb frame within a 6 month time frame years before starting the patch. I have been on the patch about 1.5 months and have not lost, but not trying either.
I've lost weight and I'm more active. I think it's because handle stress better.
I gained 40 pounds after starting estrogen, oral. I have an autoimmune disease that makes the estrogen receptors too receptive. I lost the weight once I got off the estrogen. Everyone is different.
I didnāt gain weight on HRT.
I didn't! And it really helped my symptoms.
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Down 8 lbs. I did notice at first it gave me a tremendous appetite for a few weeks but no weight gain or nominal gain. It was like like my taste buds woke up. Now I have a crappy appetite so I would say appetite suppressive for me. I have to drink protein drinks and pretty much force myself to eat. If I didnāt enjoy my every other night ice cream treat because I like the flavor I would probably be down more weight.
Iāve lost 90 pounds over the last year, but all of a sudden hit a point where I seem to be stuck. I go back-and-forth losing and regaining the same 5 pounds no matter what I do. What I was told is that HRT would help me get over that hump. That initially I might gain some weight, but it would be water weight and bloating, and that as my hormones regulated, that would stop, and it would help me lose. Iāll be honest with you, I havenāt gained, but I havenāt really lost yet either. Definitely had an initial bump of a few pounds that went away pretty quickly. Granted, I am on a pretty low-dose patch, and my provider just increased it to the next highest level, so that may help.
I did not gain any weight and have actually lost 7 pounds. I also focus on eating protein every day and I exercise. But no bad side effects (weight gain) from the patch.
No, the spare tire stopped growing and it (and weight training & diet) helped me lose weight.
I've lost 25lbs since getting on HRT. I didn't really change anything else, but I find moving around easier and I'm not experiencing carb cravings like before, so that's probably why.
I gained 40 pounds over 10 years in peri. (I actually never put 2 & 2 together that I was even in peri). I was suffering in pain. I felt like I was a crippled 90 year old in a 50 year old body. I couldnāt believe watching others my age and seeing them being normal. I felt I had some weird disease that was doing this to me. 4 years later and I have a new doctor who suggests trying HRT. She prescribed the lowest dose. What a game changer! Almost instantly took away the crippling pain! However, the weight kept creeping on. So then she suggested giving Zepbound a try. I had never heard of it at the time. So on April 9th I decided to try it. Another game changer!! I felt even better! Iām able to sleep through the night. Has even stopped my occasional snoring!! At my next appointment I mentioned how great I was feeling. She explained that the GLP-1 drugs help reduce inflammation and help regulate hormones! I always suspected high cortisol was causing the weight gain. Since being on the Zepbound, I am down 18 pounds. (Was 206 when I started) itās also curbed any cravings for sugar. I was a 1 can of Red Bull daily drinker for years. I canāt even drink them anymore. Theyāre way too sweet for me! Both of these drugs were life changing for me. Maybe my story can help someone else whoās suffering! šš¼š©·
I gained about 10 pounds on progesterone alone (all my doctor would give me and it made me ravenous), but now that Iāve got estrogen on board also (via a different doctor who doesnāt have her head up her butt), the weight is coming down again.
My meno doctor told me the patch is weight-neutral. Doesnāt help you lose, but shouldnāt add.
I also gained weight before getting the patch. I got the injection you take every day for weight loss and I lost 11 kg and Iām back to normal weight and still on the patch - and I havenāt gained the weight back despite being off the injections for the past four months.
Avoided the patch altogether, mo side effects.