HRT - weight gain/bloat

[Annanet1]

Hi,
I’m 25, my doctor prescribed me 2/10 femoston tablets which I have been taking for 7 days. She prescribed them because I haven’t had a period in over a year and was worried about my bones. However, I have gained a significant amount of weight, I can’t look in the mirror or put on my usual clothes. I also have anorexia so this is unbelievably distressing for me. I have decided to stop taking the tablets. But does anyone know if this is a common issue from the tablets, and if the bloat/weight gain will go down once I stop taking the tablets, and if so, how long it will take to go down?
Really appreciate any support on this, as I’m finding this weight gain unbelievably difficult and I can’t find any answers elsewhere on the internet.
Thanks

PLEASE go back to your GP, tell them all of this and ask for a referral to a specialist. You need help for your eating disorder.

Presumably, your periods have stopped because you are underweight. This is a common result of anorexia.

Is your GP treating your anorexia? This is the priority. Unless that is under control and you are a healthy weight, your health will suffer. You will have a very high chance of osteoporosis, heart disease and other serious illness.

If you do have anorexia, what you are seeing in the mirror may not be a significant amount of weight . How much weight have you gained? How much did you weigh prior to HRT?

You cannot put on a significant amount of weight within 7 days of HRT. It's not possible. Some women get a bit of weight gain - often breasts get bigger- after a few months, but it goes away.

Please do not stop taking the tablets. Being without estrogen at your age is very dangerous for your long term health.

Go back to your GP and ask for more support.

Hi,
Thanks for your reply, I appreciate your time. I’m not entirely sure why they stopped, I went off the mini pill a year and a half ago as I was having a period every week, and then I never got one again after I came off the mini pill.

My doctor isn’t treating me for anorexia but she referred me to a specialist and I’ve been on the waiting list for that and have my first appointment in a few weeks.

I’ve gained at least 1kg in the 8 days that I was taking the femoston, and the bloat/weight gain is very significant, I can’t put on all my clothes and feel extremely uncomfortable. My mood absolutely plummeted as well, and I’m extremely fatigued, finding it difficult to get through the working day. I will make an appointment with my doctor to discuss this. But I’m not sure I can carry on taking the tablets as they seem to be having a really horrible impact on my body. Do you know if there is a way to stop the bloating on the tablets, or if I stop taking them how long the bloat would take the go down and back to normal? Because that is really stressing me out.

Thanks

But 1 kg is only 2lbs. Your weight can vary by about three pounds every day. People also tend to bloat in warmer weather, so it could be due to the nice weather we're having, assuming you're in the UK.

Try drinking lots of water and dont stop your medication until you've seen your GP or specialist. You were put on HRT for a reason.

Without knowing you or your medical history like your dr, it's really hard to be sure what is going on.
I've never heard of anyone your age being put on HRT unless they were diagnosed as having a premature menopause.

-Has your GP done blood tests?
-Has she referred your for a scan of your ovaries to see what's going on?
-Is she assuming your loss of periods is down to weight loss?
These are the questions you need to ask.

In the long term it is very important to replace estrogen to protect your bones. Anorexia itself gives you a greater risk of bone loss.

I know it's really hard for you to accept, but it is possible that your anorexia is affecting how you see your body. Most people would hardly notice 2lb weight gain and normal weight can vary by a 1lb a day anyway depending on what we eat, fluid retention, etc.

The only thing I can suggest is your dr should have considered starting you on Femoston 1mg, a lower dose, to see how you got on.
She could also try you on Oestrogel- a gel - where you can easily start with a very low dose.

Maybe that is something to ask her about?

Do you think your mood has plummeted because you feel your weight has gone up? Estrogen doesn't tend to cause low mood- it's the opposite.

In women your age, sometimes the Pill is given as a form of estrogen- the one used is Qlaira as it's very like HRT.

This is more psychological and a skewed perception you have as 1kg is miniscule, so some of what you say does not add up. However, if your clothes really don't fit after such a tiny weight change, it could be bloat and I'd guess as likely to be gas as water retention - has your bowel habbit changed. I don't expect that you'd want to divulge your actual weight on a forum, but what is your dress size? If your periods have stopped, it could well mean you are significantly underweight.
You need counseling for the anorexia, and perhaps a pelvic scan to assess your reproductive health as polycystic ovaries or other conditions can affect hormones and periods too.

Thankyou for your reply, I do appreciate that it doesn’t like a lot being 1kg, but I can notice a big difference in my clothes and I’m hoping it is just water retention or something. I know that I’ve said I have anorexia, but I am in the recovery phase so physically I don’t think I’m very under weight, I’m a size 6/8 depending on the shop.
I’ve been scanned for poly cystic ovaries a year ago thanks, and that came back fine.
And thankyou, I will ask my doctor to go on a lower dose and see if that helps at all.
I really appreciate both your messages, thanks very much for taking the time to reply

Maybe you can ask your dr to refer you to a gynaecologist with menopause expertise?

You need to know why your periods have stopped, not simply guess and offer HRT.

In women your age, it's more usual to offer the CCP such as Qlaira which is the same natural estrogen as HRT but more suitable for younger women, for various reasons.

You need to have blood tests to see if you are ovulating, and also your estrogen levels (without HRT.)

You should also have a bone density scan now to see how your bones are.

Don't accept any old treatment from your GP- ask more questions so you get a diagnosis and see what they say.