Coming off hrt

[ChilliPanda]

Hi there did anyone find that being on hrt affected their weight at midlife?

I've always been a good weight within bmi but since hrt have gained 7 lbs per year.

Wondering if anyone has come off hrt post menopause and lost weight ?

I must add that I have mast cell activation disorder and my allergies are worse on estrogen therapy so I'm wondering if this has anything to do with it as I'm inflamed a lot of the time . Thanks

I’m on hrt. Just moved onto a conti after being on a sequential for about 7 years. I have put on about 7lb. Usually a couple of weeks of watching what I eat and cutting down the booze would help but it hasn’t. Not sure what to do!

Yes, I've put on half a stone but it's not bothering me, I'd rather be heavier and happier!

And I did lose it for a holiday last year but it crept back. So I can lose weight I've just found that HRT makes me totally unmotivated.

Also, when I did lose weight, I didn't get that lovely concave stomach feeling like I would have done pre HRT dieting. My stomach remains bloated.

Hmmm 🤔 my GP said midlife weight I'm less likely to gain on hrt .. I have given up alcohol and have halved sweet treats .. eating similarly to I have most of my life. I feel less anxious/ depressed but also lacking in energy.. almost sedated on estrogen.. like walking through mud. I do walk 5 km regularly but it's a slog with the extra weight . My mum was always a size 8/10 and looking at her in her hrt years she went up to a big 14. Was taken off her hrt due to the health scares in the early 90s.. weight went down again ( I remember at she was slim again for my wedding in 1992.

Yes !! It's the lack of motivation with me too. I felt unhappy/ other symptoms perimenopause prob due to hormones fluctuating. Hrt really helped with that and I'm glad I had it. I'm wonder whether reducing my dose a bit and see how I feel 🤔

My inclination is to up my dose. I'm currently in a battle to get more than 100mcg oestrogen - also having night sweats again.

When I was on 50, I was as bad as pre HRT, constant crying and so so low.

Gradually it's lifted the more oestrogen I got.

It's good that it's working for you .. I think mental health is more important than our waistline. I can't go any higher as it aggravates my endometriosis sadly .

Ah that's no good.

Do you also have testosterone? That gave me a bit of extra zip and zing though the initial impact has sadly worn off!

Yes but that's having a few side effects with the endometriosis too so have to limit it .. I dose maybe 1/2 times per week

I'm considering coming off HRT
I need to lose weight and it puts1/2 a stone on. Feels horrible. Huge boobs. Look pregnant.

Yes! I gained about 2 stones after being on it for a year, I stopped taking it 2 months ago and I’ve lost almost all of that since then! It definitely caused weight gain for me and I struggled to lose anything which was causing me to feel demoralised.

My mum was always slight and noticeably went up 2 dress sizes on hrt which she lost when she stopped

Did you come off on the end ?.. I feel low when I reduce mine

I lost 8.5 the first week after stopping it and have been steadily losing weight since then. It’s definitely an issue for some of us. Luckily the nurse at the surgery agreed with me.

How did you feel coming off it.
I want to ask I'm bit low on the progesterone and now I'm 57 hoping the worst is over.
I don't want the joint pain but don't want the low mood either.

I put on 1/2 a stone when I started HRT but I have since lost 2 stone through intermittent fasting.

Difficult to say as I didn’t feel that great on it so didn’t notice any real effects coming off it. I have arthritis anyway but didn’t notice a massive increase in joint pain.

Yes makes me fat and gives me heart palpitations

Came off it. I feel more normal again.
Achy though.
Am on collagen and starting weights next week!

Oestrogen and histamine feed each other somehow, I don't know the mechanics of it. Do you mainly eat low histamine foods? Body identical progesterone is supposed to be good for controlling endo, and histamine.

I’m better off on HRT. I’ve changed my diet to intermittent fasting 16:8, and it’s stabilised my weight brilliantly, I’m back down to a size 12. I wish I hadn’t given away some of my clothes to charity thinking I’d never get back into them 😞

I always have porridge with nuts in the morning. I’ve just read an article that states that oats help to stabilise your weight, they do keep you full for hours, are high in protein and generally a good all round food. I highly recommend intermittent fasting, it’s easy to follow and I feel great on it 🤗

So happy i found this. I went off my estrogen patch and I'm losing weight. i felt huge on HRT. My libido never came back on HRT. Still no luck there. But for sure put on 10 pounds on HRT

I've decided today to come off my HRT. I feel really fat. I also suddenly developed a sensitivity to caffeine which has never been a problem for me before. Whilst HRT gave me a libido lift for about two weeks when I started, it's never come back. I take collagen for my joints and do use Vagirux for bladder incontinence but the patches have been a nightmare. I have always slept like a rock until I started on the patches. But the weight gain has been the worst aspect, just when I'm already feeling less like myself.

Unsure if you'll see this message but how are you feeling now you're off HRT. I'm in a similar situation. The bloat is killing me. Constant swollen breasts and PMT symptoms.

I decided in the end to stick with it and the symptoms settled and the insomnia disappeared. Without HRT I get bladder incontinence and stiff joints and ADHD like symptoms where I just can't focus on anything and feel really agitated. So, here I am on Evorel oestrogen only and gritting my teeth! 😬🫠
I've definitely become wider round the hips but I'm nearly 50 so I figure I'm just getting into my middle age woman look, and if I look at other women of a similar age, I'm not doing too badly. It's just how it is.
I actually discussed everything with my female GP this week as the incontinence was creeping back in. She's suggested I try Evorel 75 patch, with a boost of Vagirux inserted every day for two weeks to see if that stops the incontinence and boosts my libido. I do worry about the insomnia but this too seems to pass after a while. My brain functions better with the extra oestrogen, there's no denying it.
I know how you feel with the heavy boobs and PMT symptoms. They do lessen, you just have to grit your teeth and get through it. Even if you don't feel like it, make yourself get out for a good walk somewhere lovely in some sunshine.
I've found eating a healthy salad every lunchtime with lots of fresh herbs, kimchi and a protein like tuna or mackerel and some lime or lemon juice keeps me going without the ravenous hunger pangs. I'm realising I don't need as many calories as I did in my 20s/30s but those calories need to be really nutritious ones to keep bone density.
Also, weirdly, if I drink wine now, that gives me hot flashes but I can get away with a beer no problem! I used to hate beer as well! 😂 Probably the sugar content in wine that's hitting my metabolism.
My hair is now looking better and shinier. It fell out for a while when I started on Evorel but it's grown back looking nicer so again, it's something you have to give your body time to adjust to.
If you feel rubbish, keep in touch with ladies on here as lots of us can keep you going. I think in some ways it's a grieving process for the young woman you were and accepting that you're now in a new era. I'm told by post menopausal friends that a lot of the peri symptoms fade and you feel much more stable.
Take collagen!! It's great!! Ancient and Brave do a good one and I've also found one in Home sense (think it's a Polish brand?) in a white tub that's cheaper and keeps my skin feeling nice.
If you get bouts of oily hair (it comes and goes), I use Herbal Essences Daily Detox shampoo every day then use a tiny amount of a higher priced conditioner on the mid to end lengths of my hair. I've also rinsed it after shampooing with diluted apple cider vinegar to really strip the oil if it's been bad. Again, this is now settling down!
Complete nightmare isn't it! But trust me, it's getting better xx