To think my HRT patches have led to weight gain?

Opposite here. I started to lose weight as I'm more active.

There are lots of studys that women gain weight during the menopause. Hrt or not

It could be your menopausal and het isn't causing the gain but menopause it iykwim

"Laws of thermodynamics" are cited so often on here that I usually let it pass. Now and again, though ... 😂 The law as cited applies to closed systems. The body is not a closed system. We're not machines, we're biochemical organisms - open systems.

First law of thermodynamics: In general, the conservation law states that the total energy of an isolated system is constant; energy can be transformed from one form to another, but can be neither created nor destroyed.

Some bodies under some circumstances want to increase fat. They can easily do this by diverting resources from other functions: the body may give off less heat, cut back on muscle or even bone maintenance, slow down digestion, reduce brain activity, limit available energy, and a multitude of other means to create matter (fat) by not creating other matter (flesh, bone, muscle, etc) while directing energy to fat creation instead of using it up.

Why do you think conditions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes make people put on weight without changing their diets? How do you explain medications like some antipsychotics causing sudden weight gain?

The converse is also true: some bodies, under some circumstances, want to put out a lot of energy as heat and activity, consuming matter (fat, muscle) to do so. This happens with conditions such as hyperthyroidism, and some drugs like amphetamines.

There are also conditions where the body wants to create loads of skin cells, for instance (psoriasis), diverting energy away from bone and muscle maintenance, and other abnormal growth situations (cancer) that can divert all the energy from everywhere to fuel cell multiplication, resulting in sudden weight loss.

Hormones are neurotansmitters - messengers. The sex hormones reach every part of the body, communicating with the brain to adjust processes going on within the body's system. It stands to reason that changes in the quantities and proportions of hormones will alter the messaging - that's why we take them, after all! We want changes. We can't yet direct them to make only some changes but not others; it isn't even clear that we should.

First-form science rant over, you might get unwanted results from medications. Try different formulations and/or different proportions. And ignore that thermodynamic crap.

I started patches 5 months ago. I've put on 8 lbs. (I have always eaten well and carefully and maintain my weight fairly easily before this)

Since Jan 1st I've been calorie counting 1300 calories per day. No weight loss. Since Feb I've been walking an average of 10,000 steps a day (outside of my active job) and cut down to 1000 calories per day. I have lost 3 of those lbs (on a good day....sometimes it swings back up).

My breasts are constantly swollen and so painful. All month. I have gone up 2 bra sizes. My stomach is so bloated too I cannot bear to wear anything tight so I live in elasticated waists and loose baggy tops. Utterly miserable physically.

I went back to the doc and got upped to 75mg patches and constant progesterone and some testosterone. None of this has made any difference to my symptoms and I'm due a review next month.

I am very sorry for myself I have to say. 🥺
And so, yes, I think it is possible to put on weight with HRT

I put on weight when I started on the pill and the weight gain on HRT was similar. I was at a steady weight for 15 years and didn't start HRT until I was a few years into menopause but the weight went on (1.5 stone when I was initially 53kg). It might not suit the science but it's the truth.

Something that may be of interest is that the reason women can’t be on HRT whilst I have they have their cortisol levels tested - for adrenal insufficiency / Addisons disease - is that HRT causes a falsely elevated cortisol level. This is really complex and there’s a lot more to it in terms of what this means on a molecular level but essentially the oestrogen causes changes in the way cortisol is stored in the blood. Someone who has their cortisol levels checked whilst on oestrogen will have significantly higher levels of cortisol- this is why I’ve had to come on and off of it several times. I personally believe this is part of the reason many women do put on weight with HRT - cortisol is basically a steroid. (In adrenal insufficiency/ Addisons we take a life long low daily dose of steroids to replace the cortisol we don’t produce but others produce naturally). Anyway I know that’s a lot to get into but thought I’d share.

I feel loads loads better on HRT and have lost weight. I was carrying about 10 extra pounds and they've nearly all gone. I put it down to not having sleepiness nights, not getting migraines and generally not feeling shite.

OP, does it make any difference what the reason is for you putting on weight? I used to be able to lose weight so much quicker when I was younger than I can now but I don't think having an explanation for it makes any difference. If I want to diet I have to eat less than my body needs.

I know there are some medical issues that can affect weight gain so I know there are some exceptions.

I don't think you can cut all patches in half. Maybe some but I don't think all of them. I'd check with your gp before trying.

This is putting me off HRT. But I have heard of people saying that because they feel better, they actually had the energy to go to the gym / eat better to do something about their weight so it can't all be bad can it?

I got quite heavy on them too. Im off my patches now feel bit slimmer. Didnt come off for that reason they just didnt suit me. I def think hrts put on weight.

there are a bunch of posts on here saying 'HRT makes you gain weight/made me gain weight'. that's scary to read if you're considering it and I think it paints the wrong picture.

I think it's important to be clear that HRT on it's own cannot make you gain fat. It just can't.

It could make you gain weight in the form of water. What it can't do is create energy from nowhere for you to turn into fat. This can only happen if you eat more calories than you need (which can definitely happen with the additional hunger that you get from HRT).

If you don't eat more than you need (check a TDEE calculator) you cannot gain fat. It's impossible under the laws of thermodynamics.

I'm worried people will read this thread and not try HRT because they've been misinformed.

I had to just stop cold turkey, immediately. I think I’ve been lucky though as despite being off HRT for nearly 2 months now ish I haven’t had any symptoms come back. Just the weight loss…! I know it takes about 6 weeks to completely leave your system so if I would have had any peri menopausal stuff come back I think it would have done by now.

I used Oestrogel and definitely gained weight. I slowly managed to shift some of it then had to stop using HRT altogether. This was followed by a hysterectomy and since then have lost 5 lbs in 10 weeks without changing my eating at all. To me it was much like the weight gain went I went on the pull.

Evorel patches definitely cause me to gain weight as I have been doing my own experiments. I switched to gel and back again. The patches cause a lot more water weight gain and bloat.

I use two pumps of gel now and my weight is a lot better. I know if I came off HRT completely I would lose weight as if I forget to put it on, I feel lighter.

It definitely can cause weight gain. I used it for 10 weeks, and gained over half a stone. I didn't have an increased appetite, and my diet and exercise were the same as before. I never normally put weight on at that rate. I stopped it due to the weight gain, and because it didn't make me feel any better. The additional weight gradually came off, without a change in diet or exercise.

My sister has been on it for years. She hasn't gained weight and feels better on it, so it's a very individual thing.

Another on HRT that has lost weight. You’ll get examples of both, so anecdotal evidence isn’t scientific unfortunately.

HRT may have made me hungrier, but if you realise that’s what is happening, you can make more informed choices ( just like the pill can make you feel hungrier)

I gained a bit initially but I think that was more to do with poor diet and lack of exercise (mainly as a result of the peri-menopause symptoms) than the HRT itself. I've been on the patches for about 16 months now and I am finding it near impossible to shift weight. I am watching what I eat (although admittedly not calorie counting but I know it's not ridiculous from when I have done that) and I am back to exercising like mad. This week I've lost a lb and that's the first time i've lost anything in months. it's soul destroying as 10 years ago the weight fell off me. My boobs have also grown and often ache or feel sort of full and almost bloated like they've felt before (they're not big enough to feel heavy!).
Walking 2/3 times a week and a couple of pilates sessions is not going to be a huge calorie burn unless you're spending a full day out stomping around the hills.

I think HRT definitely can make you put on weight. After all, the Pill can, too.

OP you mention you walk and do pilates. I think you probably need to do more. Do you have any sort of outdoor fitness class near you? The three things you need to build lean muscle and avoid weight gain are:

strength training - ideally with (heavy) weights but bodyweight will do to start

sprint training - this can be done on a bike or aerobics or anywhere where you have to do some hard effort - you could also do fast walks when you are out walking

plyometrics - skipping or doing things like jumping backs

An outdoor fitness class would give you all of this. You could also try a gym if it;s your thing (it's not mine :) )

I have put on a stone in the 8 months I have been on HRT patches. I am 49 and still having periods.
Boobs and tummy are taking the weight here. Really sore breasts just before my period for the first 6 months, but this has subsided a bit now. GP said at my 3 and 6 monthly review this just happens.
I have seriously thought about discussing coming off HRT at my next review next month due to the weight gain. I am 5'6 and 12stone 6 now. My heaviest ever and officially in the overweight category for the first time in my life.

I have been doing 18:6 for 6 weeks and still put on a couple of pounds.

Reading everything on this thread with interest.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10759058/ No evidence it does ,I have lost weight on hrt but everyone is an individual and oestrogen / progesterone have important modulating effects on things like your thyroid hormones, cortisol and noradrenaline levels, serotonin so it could be via the impact on other hormone balance perhaps?

My GP won’t indefinitely represcribe HRT for me…because they want to do weight and blood pressure checks at regular intervals due to potential increases caused by…the HRT.

Mine causes weight gain, as does my under active thyroid.

I just adjust my diet and exercise accordingly, as I wouldn’t be without my HRT.