Gained 7lbs (3kg) in 3 weeks on HRT 😳

[Flockameanie]

I’m 46. Peri. Haven’t had a period for 7 months. started HRT 3 weeks ago (2 pumps oestrogel + utrogestan for 12 days) and I’ve put on 7 lbs (over 3kg) in that time! I only just started the progesterone tablets 2 days ago. My diet hasn’t changed (I anyway already tracked what I ate) and I’ve actually upped my exercise in that time (but not to an extent that would affect my weight, I don’t think).

Is this normal?? Everything I read says HRT doesn’t cause weight gain. But surely my weight gain can’t be a coincidence? I worked really hard 2 years ago to lose about a stone and was the lightest and fittest I’ve ever been in my life. It’s massively depressing to see all that undone in a matter of weeks. I can’t even tell if the HRT is having any positive effect yet - my symptoms weren’t that bad (mostly mood/ rage related).

Has anyone had similar weight gain that then came off again once you adapted to the HRT? Is it worth sticking with it? The whole thing is making me fed up…

Why do you need to get the timing of the utoro to tally with your natural cycle? That sounds like unnecessary hard work to me. I tried it but complained to my Dr and he said just take it the first 12 days of the month. Then you’ll always know where you are and you’ll create a new cycle.

If you're becoming irregular (as I was) and while establishing that new cycle.
Im also on thyroxine though.

@Sarahcoggles it's refreshing to hear a GP say that weight gain is common on HRT. Everything you google has medical experts denying that it happens. The leaflets with the medication list 1 in 10 women may experience weight gain yet this is denied in so many FB forums and so on. If you're in that 10% as I am, it's very depressing to watch yourself grow and grow despite doing everything right. I'm 6 days off mine now and the bloating/water retention is shifting. My belly is already looking smaller. Over the next few weeks I'm hoping that my continued calorie tracking and exercise, which includes both cardio and strength training, will finally start showing results.

@JinglingHellsBells I know you are very informed and helpful on here and have been to me as well. But you say the only reason we need progesterone post menopause is to protect the womb, like there is no other point to it.

I am not totally post meno, however, for me personally, the progesterone part of my regime seems to be very important and the effects on me when I stop it (as part of the regime) are quite profound. It has a big effect on me in terms of mental health, palpitations, feeling of well being, anxiety, sleep.

People talk as though it's only oestrogen that affects women in terms of those things and maybe I'm a weird anomaly. But I feel like the drop in p really is a problem for me and when I look back to pms symptoms, I always assumed it was the oestrogen plunge that made me get terribly depressed, but now I'm wondering if it might have been the progesterone plunge. I will never know.

I do think we have to be a bit careful sounding quite so sure of all this stuff. Our systems and experiences are so different and I presume it's not even down to exact amounts of things but our sensors and how our systems respond to these hormones also.

There seems to be not as much research and info in the effects of progesterone as to oestrogen.

I have my own theories about myself but they probably don't apply to the vast majority of people. So I do try to be careful not to make generalisations from my own experience. But my own experience does make me question the limitations of the literature sometimes or the blanket assertions you tend to find on the internet because the difference between the general and the specific can be huge.

Again, you say about the continual having more side effects than sequential and that it's the progestins that cause carb cravings, not progesterone. But this hasn't been borne out for me. I found the sequential had a lot more extreme side effects for me, including extreme hunger (on natural progesterone) and other quite strong side effects such as vivid dreaming and nightmares that was quite difficult to function with. However, the continual regime (keeping things constant and steady) just stopped the side effects like that.

It's now a case of clawing it out of my cold dead hands! So - for me - the progesterone part does seem to have profound effects on me and I think they should research that more.

I don't feel that any of my experience is particularly reflected in the general sites and advice given. But there is so little research on progesterone it seems to me, and I really wonder why.

I've had the opposite experience - been on HRT for a year and dropped nearly a stone.
However, I have consciously reduced calorie intake through 16:8 eating pattern, and I do 30 or 45 minutes of weights most days, plus I walk about 90mins a day with my dog, around ft work from home.
I do suffer from bloating and water retention but that's been normal in my cycle throughout.

@WarriorN can you tell us a bit more about your utrogestan regime; what you were on previously, what you do now and how its affected your appetite/weight?

(if you don't mind...I'm on the cusp, i think of making a similar change)

Really helpful reading this. I’m on Evorel sequi and the tummy weight gain has been horrific.

I have also had the opposite experience. I started HRT in March (one pump Oestrogel and continuous Utrogestan which was increased to 2 pumps in May). I have lost 32 pounds since then snd have gone from being right at the top of overweight BMI to a healthy BMI. I have also been doing Time Restricted Eating and am walking more. Oh and I gave up alcohol 9 months ago - think this may have been a very big help!

I don't know if it is just HRT that causes weight gain I came off HRT over a year ago because I did gain weight on it. BUT now, 18 months later, in 3 weeks I have gained over 3kg with no explanation. This has coincided in the fourth week with a period from hell (they had stopped for 6 months). I think it's not just the HRT that causes weight gain but the hormones they contain. I don't know enough to know which hormone must have surged/reduced in me to cause a period (possibly progesterone?) but I think that for all the women that gain weight on HRT, there are a similar number that gain weight inexplicably just by going through a HRT-less menopause.

I should add though, when I was on HRT, my boobs and hips/thighs grew huge! I hate the effects of it, but know I need to go on it at some stage for the long term benefits. Sucks though..

At your age, not on HRT, I put on 2 stone in 6 months.

Our bodies are craving the oestrogen we have lost. Even in HRT we aren't getting anywhere near the amount we had naturally.

Fat cells contain oestrogen so our bodies try desperately to make fat cells.

This is what a menopause specialist told me. It is the reason our metabolism changes. I now can only eat 1200 calories a day to maintain my weight. It's shit.

Movinghouseatlast

That is interesting.

I have just weighed myself on the pod at the surgery and I am 72.65kg around 11.5 stone! I haven't had any scales at home for a couple of years so haven't been keeping check. I have now increased my weight by 1.5 stone since starting on HRT.

I have a mirena and evorel patch 100mg but started on the gel. I am going to go back onto the gel and reduce my dose. I am shocked!

I am very active. I walk about 15000 steps a day at least. Run twice a week(6-7k) swim (front crawl) for an hour, twice a week, both of which at a good pace and length. I also do strength work at least twice a week. Press ups, resistant bands, free weights etc. I also eat healthily.

Is it case of just enjoying, pain free joints and having no brain fog but also having to except being so big around my boobs, belly, bottom and thighs?

I had a similar experience, unfortunately I seem stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea! If I stop taking it, I lose a few pounds but nothing close to what I’ve gained, but my symptoms are so bad, it’s unbearable, so…reluctantly I will have to start again…I don’t know why all the literature says it doesn’t cause WG, there are so many of us who are active and health conscious people who are having this same experience. Wishing you well, I think I am just having to work on acceptance of this being the new normal for me.

GPs are so quick to tell you that medication doesn;t cause weight gain when it clearly does. I never had HRT but same issue with antidepressants - weight shot up by 7lbs in a month. GP insisted there was no connection and told me to lay off the pies, silly patronising cow. A couple of years (and 15lbs later) the same medicine carried in tiny writing that some people exerienced weight gain. On Reddit forums about rapid weight gain on ADs, a LOT of people experienced weight gain. I was the same weight all my adult life until starting antidepressants.

OP it's the medication. Do you really need it? I have never quite understood HRT. Menopause is a natural state. Increase weight bearing exercise and dairy to protect your bones, stop taking bullshit from others as your oestrogen decreases (that's the fun part) and carry a fan if you get hot.

Same here - on HRT and anti/ depressants.

I've never been so big. My breast are actually the pendulous breasts I wanted when I was younger and always a 34B.....

I have cut calories, fasted, cut carbs,

I'm confused about exercise ( cardio for heart health but not so it increases cortisol?? ) Buggered if you do, buggered if you don't.

I need to do something. Weights, walking maybe. I've cut down on carbs and am 16:8 fasting but nothing is budging, 😥

My boobs got bigger when I increased to 3 pumps oestrogen but decreased again - phooey- when I increased the progesterone to the recommended daily 200mg. I think a lot is to do with balancing the hormones, not an easy thing to do particularly in peri when your own hormones fluctuate.

This is really worrying. I have debilitating pain and HRT is being suggested as the solution. But it’s no good if it’s going to make me fat!

I have always been really slim and unable to put on weight and I’ve gained a stone in 12 months on hrt I would be pleased as I was underweight but it’s all gone on my stomach and I feel like I have a pot belly now