1 year on HRT and the symptoms are as bad as before (weight gain mainly)

[HRHHRT]

Hi, please can someone help?
I went on HRT a year ago, I finally agreed to for my bones but mainly because my weight was ballooning with no correlation to calorie intake/deficit, and I have restricted my calories to the lowest point I reasonably can.

I was promised by the consultant that on HRT my metabolism would kick back in, and I'd shift the weight, and over the past year it didn't increase, at least... but this past fortnight my symptoms are as bad as they were before I went on HRT- I wake up every morning sopping wet from night sweats, I'm headachy, and most of all, my weight has just rocketed 2kgs without explanation.

I monitor my calories really closely and it's not because I'm eating more.

Have any of you experienced anything similar, and do you know how to help?
The consultant (private) very much refused to answer any questions and my poor GP is too busy for this sort of thing.

Hoping you can help me, I'm freaking out...

Thank you x

Thank you, you've been incredibly helpful. I really appreciate you taking so much trouble to guide me.
I worry if I reduce it I'll pile on even more. (I'm under 30, I am on HRT for bone health reasons...)
PS I wish I could eat what you do- it sounds delicious.

I’ve just come off it . Did nothing for me .

I’m baffled why you were started staight on the highest dose.

You can support your bones without HRT. If HRT isn’t working for you, you can stop and do weight bearing exercise, take calcium & vit D to protect your bones.

Whatever you decide, these symptoms indicate some other health condition and should be investigated. We have more organs than our reproductive ones. For example, sudden weight gain and night sweats are also symptoms of hypothyroidism. So I would see the GP and say it most likely isnt menopause because you are on HRT and these symptoms are both sudden and severe.

@SpiritAdder Hope you don't mind me chipping in here.
The supplementing with calcium and Vit D is now a bit outdated and not recommended by many experts. (You can find this online.)

Vit D is recommended for everyone from April - October. Women should take it all year round - my consultant recommends 1000iu daily.

The calcium debate is just that. A lot of recent research links taking supplements to possible arteriosclerosis (and heart disease) because the calcium is laid down in the arteries and not absorbed by bones. (Prof Tim Spector a former rheumatologist has a very strong view on this.)

I've also been advised of this personally.

The recent opinion is that you only need calcium supplements if you are deficient by diet. The target for women is 700 - 1000mgs a day .

Likewise, exercise alone won't maintain bones at the same level as supplementing with estrogen.

@HRHHRT I've just logged your age.

You're not yet 30? So you are having a premature menopause?
Is that correct?

Has your GP not sent you straight to a menopause specialist for premature menopause?

(Do you want me to make you a weekly menu? 😃)

You're a darling to offer :) I can't risk getting any larger so keeping my calories tightly monitored :(

As for preemie menopause not quite, there is a complex medical history with genetic risk factors that I won't bore you with, it's mainly my bones but I'm just grimmed out about my weight.

I know a couple of girls my age and younger prescribed the same as me for the same reason, I think it is becoming more common.

Aside from diet, have you heard of the Daisy Network?

It's a national charity led by consultants, for women with premature menopause.

They have a website and Q&As on it. There is a fee to join to use the forum and I'm not suggesting you do, but it is a good source of info.

There used to be a menopause clinic at the Chelsea & Westminster hospital (London) for complex issues including premature menopause and referrals were made across the UK. Some of the consultants there also work privately.

Re. your food, maybe if you feel up to it, you could list a typical day's food (happy to look at it by PM if you don't want to post here!)

I have multiple complex autoimmune issues and tried 3 different lots / types of HRT under 3 different specialists and all it did for me was make me put on weight. I’m 46 now (ten years on from my oestrogen completely packing up) and just coming out the other side of it all. Everyone likes to say HRT won’t make you put on weight but lots of anecdotal evidence says otherwise.