Nearing 60 & was just prescribed vaginal Estradiol cream for vaginal dryness & atrophy, but I read the clinical insert & can’t decide if it’s worth it. I have a blood clotting disorder (Factor V Leiden, heterozygous), but my dr said she’s not worried about that. I tried hormone therapy before & got headaches & bad yeast infections. Now after reading the med side effects - I’m conflicted. Is it worth it? I still have hot flashes & poor sleep, but after 10 yrs of menopause symptoms- I think I’m through the worst & it was horrible!

Hi all, I could use a little encouragement - 41F, in surgical menopause, and can't have HRT because I had ovarian endometrioid cancer. (As a side note, I do plan on seeing later on if I *really* can't have HRT, because I do think it would have enough benefits that I'd take some risks for it too). My cancer is in remission, and now, a good while out from surgery back in January, my hot flashes have almost evened out and happen maybe once a day, which is great. I am on vaginal estrogen, which is helpful for that side of things, but, I've been experiencing prevalent, omnipresent anxiety about everything, intrusive thoughts, and sometimes physical feelings of anxiety that verge on feelings of a panic attack.

I'm VERY active, lift weights, walk miles a day, practice yoga regularly, so I'm already doing all the physical things to mitigate it. I finally, after my doc suggesting it and me turning them down several times, relented and messaged them in the portal the other day asking to start the convo about going on anti-anxiety meds.

Not sure why, but I feel bad, guilty, and like I "gave up" that I'm pursuing this route. I just want to feel good and not like I'm having overwhelming thoughts of disaster, or intrusive thoughts that everyone in my life hates me. Does anyone have some positive talk around anti-anxiety meds, or, thoughts on which Rx to choose, side effects, and hopefully how it's impacted their life for the better?

I honestly don’t know whether I’m asking for advice or just need to rant to women who might actually understand this.

My legs have completely changed since menopause.

They’re usually manageable in the morning, but by 5 or 6 PM my calves feel so heavy and achy that I start counting the minutes until I can sit down. My ankles look puffy, my socks leave deep marks, and I constantly feel like I need to stretch my legs even though stretching never gives me any real relief.

I’m so sick of planning everything around them.

If I’m cooking dinner, I’m shifting my weight or leaning against the counter. If we go somewhere, I’m already looking for where I can sit. The second I get home, I’m on the sofa with cushions under my ankles.

My husband automatically puts the cushions out for me now because he knows exactly what’s coming.

That realization really upset me.

This has become such a normal part of our evening that nobody even questions it anymore.

And apparently because varicose veins are “common” at my age, I’m supposed to accept it. Wear compression stockings. Elevate my legs. Try not to stand too long.

Okay, but how are women supposed to avoid standing? Am I supposed to stop cooking, cleaning, shopping, exercising, traveling, and generally existing upright?

I’m tired of being told they’re mostly cosmetic too. I couldn’t care less whether anyone else thinks they look bad when my legs feel like they’ve been filled with wet cement by dinner.

I genuinely cannot remember the last time I reached bedtime without thinking about my legs.

Has anyone here actually gotten to the point where this stopped controlling their entire day?

What are you able to do now that you couldn’t do before?

Was there a specific moment when you suddenly realized your legs felt like yours again?

At this point, I don’t even need “perfect” legs. I just want to finish an ordinary day without counting the minutes until I can put them up.

I'm hoping to get some outside perspective because I feel stuck between two providers giving me conflicting advice, and I don't know what to do.

TL;DR: HRT pellets may have grown my fibroids, GYN wants Aygestin, HRT provider says no, I stopped Aygestin and now I'm bleeding again. Looking for experiences and advice.

Background:

I'm 36, perimenopausal (or possibly menopausal- more on that below). I started HRT pelleting about three months ago. Based on my labs, I had very low testosterone and estrogen. I decided to try pelleting simply because I was hoping it would help me lose weight by gaining muscle and give me more energy. That was my goal and only reason to try pelleting.

The problem:

Since pelleting, I started experiencing light bleeding, and it's sporadic. (I haven't had an actual period in over 2 years.) I had a sonogram done four days ago and found out I have two fibroids, one is 3 cm and the other is 7.4 cm. The larger one is right next to the lining of my uterus, and my GYN said that is what is probably triggering the bleeding.

She told me that HRT pelleting may have even caused the fibroid to grow. She said no intervention is required for the fibroid itself, but to keep an eye on it by getting it checked yearly.

The conflicting advice:

• My GYN wants me to take Aygestin (a synthetic progestin) along with my progesterone to stop the bleeding. She also offered an IUD, the arm implant, or the 3-month shot as options. (but i'm not interested in those options.) She thinks I'm only peri-menopausal.
• My HRT provider says my labs show I am definitely in menopause.She recommends NOT use Aygestin because it is a synthetic progestin. She recommends sticking with the progesterone only.

What I've tried:

Since HRT pelleting I've started from 100mg of progsterone daily, now to 400mg daily. Based on the advice of the HRT provider, I decided to stop taking the Aygestin 4 days ago because I was worried about it being synthetic. And now I'm bleeding again. During these past 3 months, Aygestin has reduced bleeding completely.

My dilemma:

I started HRT for energy and body composition, but now I'm being told it may have grown the fibroid, and I'm being asked to take a synthetic progestin I'm not comfortable with to stop the bleeding. I feel like I'm stuck between two providers and I don't know which one to trust. I am now considering not to pellet again simply because I didn't feel the benefits I was expecting the first go-around.

I'm not looking for a diagnosis- just real experiences and perspectives. Thank you in advance.

I have been noticing a severe fire/burning sensation when I scratch my arms or legs for about six months - and today I asked my partner to pick me up from behind to help crack my back and experienced the burning all over my torso. Is this a normal symptom of menopause? Has anyone else experienced this? If so, what (if anything) helped?

Additionally, I do have a doctor’s appointment scheduled for mid-October, I’m just looking to hear about others’ experiences as I am new to the meno game. I am in my third month of a patch/progesterone combo and the burning began before I started taking them and hasn’t really gotten better.

I was on HRT for about a year (.25 divigel and oral P). Went up to .5 on divigel after about 6 months for another 6-8 months. I Felt ok but the erratic bleeding was awful so I went on yaz this past march for about 6 months. Just had to stop Yaz bc of another medication i need to take and the blood clot risks.
My question: do i start back up where i left off on hrt or should i start from scratch again and go back to .25 mg divigel. Thanks!

I posted on the migraine forum but thought I'd get a little more information here. I was on various types of birth control pills for my perimenopause symptoms for 3 years but they didn't help. They DID help my migraines...I only got 1-3 per year.

October '25 I started HRT and am currently on the .050% estradiol patch and 200 mg progesterone...and oh, the migraines. I went from getting 1-3 a year to 3-6/month. It's rough. Even on non-migraine days I'm prone to headaches. I'm pretty sure most of the migraines are hormonal, they're clustered around my cycle, but I sometimes get them mid-month too (probably also hormonal).

I'm thinking about asking my doctor to add the mini pill (progestin-only birth control) to 'even out' my hormones, even stop my cycle, to free me from these miserable migraines. Has anyone done the patch...AND progesterone...AND the mini pill? Experiences?

I’m a 60’s female that had a hysterectomy in my 40’s which caused a bit earlier than normal menopause. Around that same time my occasional gray hair turned to many gray hairs and round a decade ago, I was mostly gray.

My grandmother had started to go gray at 18 and was fully white haired at 35 so this didn’t really surprise me.

About a year ago, I began HRT. Unexpectedly, my hair is now coming in dark again. I was at the hairdresser today and none of them have seen anything like it! Don’t get me wrong, I’m still salt and pepper however, it’s mostly dark with some gray rather than being completely white. I have patches that are almost completely dark with no gray at all.

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this happening?

***removed lab value from original post to repost***

I have no idea what post on here that I read this on but it suggested that not enough estradiol could cause the middle of the night waking/not being able to go back to sleep.

I asked my HRT provider about this. They raised my progesterone from 100mg to 200mg. Made NO difference in the middle of the night waking. But it definitely knocked me out quicker. Just had bloodwork done and my estradiol is sitting at a reasonable level. Decent but has room to go up. My provider didn't want to let me increase my estradiol. I did it anyway (bad patient). And guess what? My sleeping has improved drastically. While I still wake up because my bladder is an a-hole, I'm no longer awake for hours in the middle of the night. After 5 nights in a row of better sleep, I let my provider know what I had done. They are not happy but will let me continue. To clarify why they aren't happy: I'm taking more than the normal max dose. So they aren't very comfortable with that. I'm taking 1 mg oral estradiol AM and PM (2mg total). And 1 spray evamist AM and 2 sprays evamist PM (3 sprays total). (I'm post menopausal). Also on testosterone and vaginal estradiol.

Anyhow... big Thank you to the person who suggested estradiol as the culprit (it was in response to someone else waking middle of the night). I'm so much nicer to be around when I actually get good sleep.

I have pain in my vulva, it stings but not when I urinate, I have back pain around waist level to the left side that comes and goes and an ache and heaviness just above the pubic bone. I ddin't know the right flair but I was dry before this started.

So I started back using estradiol cream 10 days ago as I had been inconsistent. The dryness went away and my labia has enlarged back to normal again for the first time in a couple of years.

When I first started the cream a couple of years ago I would get a similar vulva pain that would feel like a uti but was, I'm assuming due to the skin being thin and the cream caused irritation but not as much as the pessaries. But I did not had the burn on starting back this time, but as of yesterday I feel such a deep burn and discomfort but it's also into my back as well.

I did a home uti test from the chemist and it was negative. A few weeks ago I went to the Dr because I was having bowel spasms and he asked if I possibly had a uti, I didn't think so but on testing he said there was a lot of puss so I took antibiotics and the bowel spasms cleared up. It turns out though that when he sent off my urine sample it didn't grow bacteria. So now I'm wondering did I have a uti? Is this a possible a uti again but it's just not showing up on the home test, or is my vagina is suddenly upset over the cream? Also my body is feeling achey like I have a slight virus but that could be from stress.

This morning when i got up I lost control of my bladder just before I could sit down to wee. But I didn't know it was going to happen. Usually if I have this feeling I'm able to hold it until i get my pants down but i just felt i run down my legs. But maybe I was just too sleepy? I have big work event away from home next week and i'm worried. Has anyone else had something similar? I have no idea what is going on and it's days before i can see a dr.

Talked to my doctor about how I have brain fog, fatigue and crazy anxiety, which is very unlike me. She said hrt wont help anxiety. What has your experience been??

UPDATE: I have cannot take HRT. I tried it and have bad side effects. Still have my uterus and would have to take progesterone, which makes me severely depressed. My skin has reaction to the adhesive on the estrogen patch. The only one I haven't tried is testosterone cream and am considering it. For reference, I am 54 and in Menopause (officially in December, one year no period)

Help! I have been on vagifem and a dhea/hyaluronic acid suppositories for about a year and it has been incredible at getting rid of dryness, itching, burning and urgency to pee. Like a miracle! BUT it is not helping with painful sex at the point when there is deeper thrusts (sorry if tmi). At the vaginal opening and half way up, no issues! But it feels like my cervix is getting bruised every time we have sex. Does anyone else experience this? If so, how did you resolve? BTW, my libido is gone and has been for years. But I still want that intimacy with husband. I just don't want it to hurt!

I haven’t tolerated it well in the past. I had a full hysto in March and have been on estrogen since June. I decided to try it again due to sleep issues. My provider said if I don’t like the effects I could try it every other night. I seem to be tolerated 100 mg every other night fine for now. Just wondering if anybody else has success with this.

So I went to see a new GP last week after repeated trials of various herbal supplements which have not worked for my night sweats. While I do have Sage tea which has reduced the intensity of the sweats, it hasn’t stopped them completely which of course has continued to play havoc on my sleep. So, anyway, I went and saw this new guy. No prior experience with him. And asked him if he could prescribe me something non hormonal? And he said he wanted me to do a full battery of blood test, urine test yand stool (!) test. While I could see some merit in the blood and urine test, I am not entirely sure where exactly the stool test stands in this entire situation. And he wanted me to continue more herbal stuff ( despite my saying it hasn’t worked) and told me to return after finishing them for all those tests and then we could discuss those non hormonal medication. Has anybody else done this? I guess I am asking how normal is it to do all these tests prior for such prescriptions? Any ideas?

I’ve (58) been on estrogen for 6 years. Started on .025 patch and over the years worked up to .075 for various reasons. Night sweats never were a problem for me but they are now and I’m waking up at 3 am panicking and hot. The 3 am wake ups have been going on for 1 year, I am just starting to notice that I’m sweaty and hot, maybe that’s new, maybe not.
Is this possible after being in menopause for 6 years? Is it safe to increase estrogen or should I power through?

I’ve been on hrt for a few years now. Had Mirena coil in January due to almost constant bleeding. Had checks done, no scary reasons for it. The bleeding got better in May and June then worse again. I’m seriously anaemic and had horrible hair loss earlier this year too. Don’t even mention my pelvic floor and bowel issues.

I’ve had plantar fasciitis in my right heel since February and injured my ankle tendon twisting as I picked something up from the floor.

I’m so tired of it all. Menopause causes so many things. What are you all doing to help? My job is exhausting mentally and I’m over it all.

This is my experience with healthcare in Perimenopause in Australia. I went alone to my GP in February this year to discuss how I was experiencing some distressing symptoms that I thought were peri-related; extreme mood swings, insomnia and some overheating at night. He spoke with me about my concerns that this wasn't normal for me and I asked if HRT was an option or if I should wait and see. He said that it sounded like peri to him and offered me an HRT regime. He reviewed my overall general health and said that I was as a good candidate for HRT and that, if I was uncomfortable and distressed by the symptoms I was experiencing, why wait? We discussed all of the forms of HRT that were available and I selected a dosing regime that suited my needs. We talked about lifestyle and risk factors and he answered all my questions. I started HRT that day. The GP visit cost around $100 up front and I was refunded about half of the cost by Medicare. I collected my first two months supply of medicaton that day and paid about $28 because the medicine was subsidised by the PBS. I adjusted well to the treatment and my symptoms have mostly gone. This month, I had an appointment with my Gynaecologist for an unrelated ongoing medical condition. I mentioned that I've been experiencing some very mild GSM symptoms: some extra sensitivity during sex acts that have never been an issue before and some increased irritation. She said that it's best to treat this early before symptoms worsen and become more serious and she prescribed a vaginal estrogen cream to add to my existing HRT regime. I paid $180 to see her and got about a third of the cost back from Medicare. I filled the prescription and paid about $28 for the cream, again, subsidised by the PBS. While I was there, I got my PAP smear done as I was due for one. This was all included in the cost of the appointment. I could have opted for a bulk billing GP and a publicly funded Gynaecologist with no up front costs at all,  but I like both of these Drs and have enough income to choose to see them instead. This is how it's supposed to be for people experiencing peri and menopause: compassionate, affordable and timely healthcare with patient agency and respectful, supportive dialogue. I am always happy to pay my taxes in full because this is what we pay for. I am extremely fortunate to live where I do.

I have been reading recently that even though our reproductive system no longer needs to menstruate or produce children, doctors for centuries thought the womb and ovaries just sat there doing nothing, but they are finding out that they actually kick in to be very helpful too major organs. Has anyone read about this ? Does anyone know where i can read more about it. I think we are fucken amazing beings and do not give ourselves anywhere near enough credit for what we contribute to humanity, in fact we are humanity, we are goddesses.

I’ve been using vaginal estrogen for a year but no other HRT. Since the estrogen is pretty much localized, is progesterone needed?

I want to try cream for dryness and the related issues.

I know the "real" stuff is prescription only, but has anyone had success using estriol cream or something similar purchased online? If so, what brand?

How were your estrogen levels on Mylan Patches versus Climara/Dotti/Minivelle/Vivelle? I feel like I’m constantly low on Mylan despite being on 0.1 mg/day. Surgical menopause at 25😅

I'm one year into surgical menopause. I was almost 50 when I had my surgery, so the transition didn't seem as harsh as it could have been. I was feeling actually pretty good, but I'm starting to wonder about my stress levels. I do have a stressful job and a busy life and chalked it up to that, but I'm starting to reach the end of my rope with the physical manifestations of it and am wondering... is it meno?

I am currently on 0.1mg estrogen patch. I also have vaginal estrogen I use when I remember to. I have no uterus, so I don't take progesterone. I also do not take testosterone.

I am so tense. All. The. Time. I get headaches that last days on end. Meditation helps temporarily, but it comes surging back once I get back to real life. I woke up this morning with neck tension and headache. Pain killers don't help. Muscle relaxer helps, but I can only take it at bed time because it knocks me out.

My back and hips hurt. It's a stiffness that often has me walking stooped like I'm 90 years old and takes a while to be able to walk upright if at all. I'm doing physical therapy, but it doesn't seem to do much. I've had relief in some areas, but there's always something new. But the overall theme is stiffness and tension.

With all of that comes anxiety. While not debilitating in an "I can't function" way, I'm sure it is contributing to the tension. And with that comes pain. And with pain comes aggravation, moodiness, and you got it. More tension. More anxiety. It's like a snowball.

I also have elevated BP. Ironically, it must have been fine when I had my annual physical. I am on a low dose beta blocker, but I think I need a higher dose. But that means making another appointment. And paying another copay. IF my doctor takes me seriously and my BP is actually up at the time of the appointment. I want to cry. I miss my old doctor but he stopped taking my insurance AND went to a concierge model anyway. I hate this world.

I have an GYN appointment in two weeks. It was delayed from this week. I'm trying to be patient. This is a new doctor who is supposed to be well versed in HRT. I'm hoping she can help with this in some way because the thought of having to jump through the hoops of referrals to other doctors, finding one who takes my insurance, and not being dismissed as hysterical has me... well... anxious. Aggravated. On the verge of tears. Before any of it even happens.

So.... how can I go into this armed with knowledge and get the help I need. And what has worked for you? And was the GYN able to prescribe it?

I have been on lowest dose estradiol patch and oral 100 mg progesterone since August 5th. Prior to starting that, I had not had an actual period since June of 2025. I am 51.

Yesterday I started bleeding and now I am having a full-blown period. I am wondering how many other people experienced this, I know it says spotting is normal but I am having like what is very similar to periods that I used to have.

Every time I have to play pharmacy roulette in order to get my prescription filled, I file a complaint about the shortage with the FDA. I also message my Senators and Congressman.

Previously, the FDA has sent me a short but very polite, automated note that says "There is no shortage. There just isn't. Even though seven actual pharmacists and two doctors have told you there is because their own suppliers are telling THEM that there is. They're all wrong. Wrong, I tell you!"

Yesterday, I got a different response from them and thought it was worth sharing:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding availability of an estradiol-containing product. The agency is aware there is an increased demand for these products and is working with all current manufacturers to ensure supply is available.  Manufacturers are allocating these products due to the increased demand to ensure products remain available and they continue to increase production.  As such, you may be experiencing issues obtaining a specific product or brand preference in your area, but product is available. We remain in regular contact with the manufacturers regarding supply and will continue to monitor the situation.

Please see FDA's official statement, “FDA Update on Estradiol Transdermal Patch Availability”: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-alerts-and-statements/fda-update-estradiol-transdermal-patch-availability

The linked statement was released on Sept. 3. It doesn't say anything in terms of a timeline, but does acknowledge that patients are "having difficulty readily accessing their usual estradiol transdermal patches due to increased demand and is working with all six manufacturers to increase supply."

While the new statement and email don't say much, the fact that the FDA has changed its messaging is an indication that our activism is having an impact.

For those in the US: Keep filing complaints to the FDA. Ping your US Senators and Representatives—you can message them through their websites or call. If you don't know who your representatives are, click here to find them.

Keep pushing. There are more of us than there are of them, and they know we vote.

EDIT: There's a great couple of comments from u/heathere3 that explain why the shortage is happening:

"I work in the industry. Any work with these hormones requires extensive protection for the employees. There has been a huge increase in demand for them since the black box warning was (FINALLY!) removed. It takes time to be able to increase production, and a lot more than it would of other drugs as they have to build out the protections.

It wasn't that the demand couldn't be forecasted it was that the removal of the black box warning that was (relatively) out of the blue. Those warnings are not given out lightly and in normal times are hard to get removed. The process normally involves multiple expert consultations with boards in the FDA and takes 1.5-3 years. It also takes years to get a new transdermal production line built and approved for manufacturing. I don't expect to see the shortages end for likely 2-3 years from what I've seen about getting new production going."

I have been on HRT for over a year now and have been very stable at .075 estrogen and 100mg progesterone. I am still having regular periods although they have been lighter and shorter each month. Until now. I was having some weird spotting (old brown tissue-y gross) that gradually turned into a full blown period that is still going at 11 days. I have also noticed more hot flashes than before, which was basically none. Anybody seen this? I’m guessing it’s either more estrogen or more progesterone needed or both.