r/femaleHRT

I’m 40 and started HRT in mid-March.
At the time I weighed 70 kg (154 lbs). Today, exactly two months later, I stepped on the scale for the first time and honestly… I’m shocked.
I now weigh 74 kg (163 lbs).
That’s a 4 kg gain (almost 9 lbs) in just two months.
The confusing part is that I haven’t really changed anything:
same eating habits,
same activity level,
same workouts,
same lifestyle overall.
I know people say HRT doesn’t directly cause weight gain, but this feels too dramatic to ignore.
Has anyone else experienced noticeable weight gain after starting HRT?
Was it temporary water retention or did the weight stay?
I’m honestly feeling really upset and confused about it.

I’ve had low t for a long time now. But I needed to get my thyroid leveled out first. My doc started me at .25ml 2x a month is this normal dosing. Google says this is high and I’m freaking out of course I looked at google after my first shot! I’m pretty scared to be honest if you didn’t get that from my title can anyone give me any insight or reassurance? I’m 36 female athlete hashimoto s, hypo, low t HEDS ETC. thanks in advance!

Should have specified this is 25mg bi weekly intramuscular it’s written as .25ml and formulate 100mg/ml done once bi weekly intramuscular

Those of you who use 2x weekly estradiol patches, which brands/manufacturers have you had the best results with? And which ones didn’t you love?

I am considered High Risk both for family history and dense breast tissue. I am 47 going through perimenopause. My NP gave me birth control pills last year to help with my symptoms and for sex. I went off the pills this January as I didn't like the weight gain. My peri symptoms have returned.

High Risk Breast Clinic advises no HRT. Tells me that the studies published on the risks are with a normal populations - not those determined to be High Risk.

Meanwhile, everyone in the world on the internet wants to give me HRT and says the benefits outweight the potential costs.

What are people doing with this mixed bag of advice?

Considering just doing a GLP to deal with weight gain and inflammation.

I’ve been doing a slow titration of test Cyp for 6+ months with repeat blood work every 4-6 weeks. And still no return of libido. Labs were done a week after last injection
I’m up to 7.5mg 1x a week injection
200mg prog
0.05 est patch
150mg Wellbutrin
My shbg is still high at 130
Total t is 64
Free is .63

I’m at a loss. I don’t know what else to do. I’ve tired boron and a few other supplements.
My brain fog is clear and I have some motivation but I feel like I’m never going to get back to the way I use to feel.

Any suggestions?

I’ve been thinking about HRT for a long time now, but I genuinely don’t know when the “right” time is, and I feel like not doing anything is starting to mess with me mentally.

For context, I’m in the UK and still living with my parents, although I pay for most of my own stuff like food and personal expenses. I recently quit my job because of many reasons but being taken off my meds made it a lot harder , and right now my BMI is too low for certain prescriptions, so everything feels kind of unstable at the moment. Finding another job or moving out feels really difficult in my current state.

Part of why I’m struggling so much is because I think dysphoria is affecting me way more than I used to realise. My confidence is awful, my mental health is awful, and interacting with people feels exhausting. I hate being perceived half the time, even stuff like eye contact makes me uncomfortable. I don’t think dysphoria is the cause of all my issues, but I do think it plays a really big role in them.

The main thing that makes me think this is probably gender-related is that I remember going to a convention once and cosplaying as a character that felt much closer to how I actually wanted to look/be. I remember feeling genuinely confident in a way I honestly haven’t really felt since. Looking back on it, that feeling stuck with me a lot more than I realised.

I know HRT isn’t a magic button that suddenly fixes your life or mental health, and I’m not expecting that. But I do think it could help me feel more comfortable with myself and improve my quality of life at least somewhat.

The biggest issue is my family situation.

My mum reacted badly even to stuff like earrings and nail polish at first, although she eventually got used to it. There were also a few comments that made me really uneasy. My dad mostly just ignores it, so I honestly can’t tell what he thinks. That’s part of why I’m so conflicted, because sometimes I feel like they probably already know on some level. Looking back, there were a lot of obvious signs. But I can’t tell if they’d eventually accept it or if they’d be completely against it.

I think most of my wider family probably wouldn’t support it though.

Another issue is access to care. I’d most likely have to DIY because UK waiting lists are terrible and I can’t afford private right now

Past couple of days I’ve been feeling achy all over. I did have to change brands for my E patches due to the shortage. It’s been 2.5 weeks and just now I’m getting the achy feeling. Could it be the new patches? And does it mean I’m absorbing too much or not absorbing well enough?

What days and times do you take your Injections?

The question of which GLP-1 performs best changes when HRT is part of the picture. The trials that established tirzepatide's weight loss advantage over semaglutide didn't stratify results by hormonal status, so the data doesn't cleanly answer the question for women on estrogen or progesterone therapy.

What the data does show: tirzepatide's dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonism produces stronger average weight loss outcomes in head-to-head trials. For women in perimenopause or postmenopause, where fat redistribution shifts toward visceral storage, the GIP component's direct effect on adipose tissue metabolism has drawn active research interest.

Semaglutide carries a longer clinical track record and more predictable side effect management. Some providers prefer starting semaglutide when HRT is being adjusted simultaneously, specifically to avoid having two significant hormonal variables changing at the same time and creating unclear attribution when symptoms shift.

The most useful question isn't which GLP-1 wins on trial averages. It's whether the goal is maximum weight loss or a protocol that minimizes variables while HRT stabilizes. Those are genuinely different objectives that can point to different medications.

What has worked better for anyone here running both at the same time?

I'm in surgical menapause gel was fluctuating too much. I had surgery for PMDD. I stopped the gel. Can't do oral because very high stroke risk.

Anyone able to do the Minivelle patch? Estrogen is my trigger. I didn't know. No chemical menopause. Climara would cause welts and peel off.

And I would panic.

I have Medicaid so options are limited. Surgery 2/7/25.

I feel SO much worse post op. Stopped gel 35 days ago. Can't sleep at all.

On Klonipin for anxiety. Other mental health conditions. I have tried so many sleep medications.

Wasn't sleeping with gel either and Progesterone didn't help sleep. Medicaid 🥺

I’m hoping someone has been through this before. I have had the stomach flu for 4 days and haven’t taken any supplements or medications. I can’t keep any food on board and I’m having horrible cramps and diarrhea (sorry tmi). I’m also very likely about to start my period. I’m wondering if I can switch to taking 200mg of progesterone vaginally versus orally. I typically take it orally every night. TIA