To think my HRT patches have led to weight gain?

[Lollingabout]

About 18 months ago I went on HRT patches; main symptoms that I was trying to address were anxiety, sudden mood swings and sleeplessness. Worked a treat on all the above. After about 6 months I felt the symptoms were returning so GP upped my dose so that I’m now on Estraderm MX 75 patches with progesterone pills every 2 weeks. My issue is that I’ve definitely put on what feels to me as substantial weight in that time - and usual measures to get it off are having zero impact. The weight is all boobs, tummy and hips - in fact my boobs are quite sore at times. The standard line when asking GP and googling is that studies show HRT does not make you gain weight and that’s just the menopause - however a few old threads on here from a couple of years ago show that there are women out there who also felt HRT made them gain weight. Just wanting to raise the subject here for traffic to see if there are others like me who felt they put on weight with HRT who then came off the patches and lost the weight. Am I being unreasonable to think the studies might be missing or omitting this side effect for some women? (I am 49 and still have periods)

Which magnesium supplement do you use?
I'm trying to find an affordable good one.

It definitely causes weight gain for many of us. Ignore those saying otherwise. Just because it hasn’t for others doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone. 🙄
I gained around a lot of weight on it very quickly and despite dieting and exercising I couldn’t shift it. As soon I stopped it’s started coming off again including 10 pounds the first week I stopped taking it! There’s absolutely nothing else to attribute that too. I’ve now lost 2 stones since stopping it at the beginning of February. I’m doing nothing else differently. I did go to my recent HRT appointment and I informed the nurse that I’d stopped it due to weight gain. She said that lots of others did too so it’s definitely common. I am currently researching natural treatment to manage flushes and excessive sweating if anyone has any recommendations?

You might need a different prep. For some women they don't absorb estrogen very well from patches and need gel or the other way round

@Hankunamatata HRT nurse is reviewing in 6 weeks now. I've been on sandrena since June 22 but GP hasn't ever shown much interest after it was prescribed. I went back in Feb and the practice have started a HRT nurse now, she's more clued up so I'm hoping she will be more helpful if it shows i'm still low on the review. I was great on HRT from 22-October 23 when something changed. This weight started and the non sleeping again.

@Foostit i got sage tablets from Avogel, they were very effective for me for stopping night sweats.

@Twoshoesnewshoes
Thank you. It’s not night sweats so much but more all day sweatiness. I am absolutely drenched in the gym, even my heart rate is only up to about 130. 😂
I’ll do some research to see if they can help with that.

I haven't gained weight on HRT. As @Girlintheframe said already, if your boobs are sore then your oestrogen levels may be too high. You can gradually cut bigger strips off the patches as the weeks go by, to gradually bring it down while you monitor symptoms.

Thank you - this is what I’ve decided is best route forward.

Don't forget to check if you can cut your patches. You can't cut all of them.

I’m 51 and been on HRT for 3 years. I’ve put on over half a stone. But it feels like more as I’ve gone up two dress sizes and I keep going up. I wasn’t even this heavy when I was pregnant. I bought a whole new wardrobe as I literally had nothing to wear and now those clothes are tight on me. I’ve got hips and a bum and I’ve never had either in my life. But maybe it’s not the HRT..

I am on HRT and have lost a lot of weight by cutting down carbs, it really helps me keep my waist .

@Mrbumpssmile I use Viridian high potency magnesium 300 mg. It is all natural etc. I found a bottle for £20 for 3 months supply. Definitely expensive but honestly they are the best thing ever.

I put on 1.5 stone since starting HRT. My diet hasn't changed and I'm pretty active. Also thinking of coming off it and looking for alternative symptom relief.

Oh God this thread is so depressing! I've just asked my Dr to go on HRT and I've spent the last 3 months doing low carb and I've lost 12lbs. I'm an Apple shape, so all my excess weight is stored on my tum and boobs, the rest of me is really skinny. It fills me with dread that all my hard work could be overturned by going on HRT!

Please don’t get depressed, as I said upthread there isn’t the clinical evidence it makes people gain weight ,it’s very individual and I would say it’s worth looking at your past history with any hormonal contraceptives and your response to how your weight changes over your menstrual cycle. It has to be about your individual reasons for going on hrt….I went on it for bone health reasons, my pain is soooo much better hence I am more active and can actually do exercise hence why I have lost weight and have a waist back again! Hrt isn’t for everyone and many people get through peri with none but equally it’s a life saver for others and can make their lives so much healthier.

Please don't worry, as I said upthread it hasn't stopped me from losing weight. I think it's even helped because I feel more alive and active now.

That’s not true about raised cortisol.

I’m 56 on HRT & just finished a 70 minute intense weights session. The oldest there today is 70, youngest wax about 50. (it’s a women’s gym.

Building muscle will help you not gain weight & put you more in touch with your body.

Huge weight gain due to menopause fatigue. Loosing again as I have more energy and feel so much better. Took two years to get my HRT dose level. Take all three hormones not the patches though. Couldn't live with out it

I 100% put on weight on HRT

Its infuriating they deny it.

I suspect my oestrogen dose was too high and it creates oestrogen dominance, which makes you put on weight

I decided to stop, the doses are all too random for my liking. There’s no rhyme or reason to the doses and I’m pretty sure that at different stages of the menopause you are lacking in different hormones, eg: I suspect it’s progesterone that you need more in early peri. Until the tests are better, I’m not doing it

I have had a lifetime of hormone problems stemming from a dodgy pituitary gland. Over the last 40yrs science has caught up and there is a wealth of research now available that explains some of the problems I’ve had.
The main thing I have learnt is that hormone levels can and do affect weight, fat deposition and fat storage regardless of what and how much we eat
My personal problem was a prolactinoma which produced high levels of prolactin. The hormone is needed for milk production and longterm in a normal lactating woman will cause the body to store fat in specific areas such as the top of the back causing “buffalo hump”. There is a suspicion that prolactinoma are far more common than stats suggest since if they develop after 40 women assume they are menopausal, they stop menstruation and other symptoms mimic those of the menopause.

I think that we need much more research into peri and menopausal hormone levels with relation to weight gain with and without HRT.

Until recently HRT was only available to peri menopausal women if they were diagnosed with premature menopause or if they had ovaries removed. Otherwise you had to be 12 months post meno. Very little research has been carried out with HRT during perimenopause. I do wonder, because most hormones are subject to complex feedback systems, maybe HRT is actually speeding up the shut down of the ovaries. In a lot of endocrine glands if you take a supplement the feedback loop is overridden and the gland no longer produces the hormone. Shutting down our ovarian function may be lowering natural post meno hormone production necessitating increase in HRT dose.
Starting HRT post meno after the ovaries have shut down naturally may avoid messing up the feedback loop. WHO knows? So little research has been done, hopefully, in the future alternatives will be discovered.

Hi yes sorry I can see my response wasn’t very clear - I do know that about weights - the advice wasn’t referring to weights though it was about high intensity cardio work outs that kind of thing . But I’m only repeating so could be wrong there anyway!

I’m on Citalopram and HRT, and despite eating healthier and doing more exercise than I ever have, I’m a stone overweight.

I don’t drink, either - if I did, I reckon I’d be edging into obesity.

It’s difficult, but my menopause symptoms were awful, so it’s swings and roundabouts, really.

Well nobody needs high intensity cardio.

It’s a really hard phase. Walking and Pilates is not enough exercise really though good. You could add in hiit, cycling, swimming etc + walk everyday.

Only way I can manage my weight is hardly drinking any alcohol - it’s the calories but also impacts my sleep and make me want to eat loads of carbs the next day

Wow - so interesting and informative. I think you are right that we are so early stages with regards to research on it and it can’t possibly be a one size fits all. I definitely put weight on with the contraceptive pill and gave up on that as a result so maybe that’s just how my body responds to such things. Sigh.