r/Menopause 16h ago

Post-Menopause Menopausal facial hair - spearmint tea is working for me!

143 Upvotes

Ever since I hit menopause, I have been getting thick hairs on my chin, cheeks and jawline and had to pluck twice a day.  They were driving me mad and beginning to make me feel so miserable.  I have tried using spearmint oil in a carrier oil, massaging it in twice a day but this didn’t help but then I read online about spearmint tea which apparently lowers the androgen levels.  I thought I'd give it a go as I've tried everything else and ordered some - it took a while to reach me but it was worth the wait! I've been drinking two cups a day for the past two weeks, and I cannot believe the difference already!  I have still had to pluck a few out over last couple of days but nothing like before so I think it’s actually working.  It’s quite hard to find 100% spearmint in the shops and it can be expensive, but I found some online.  It was £9.50 for 120 bags so enough to last me a couple of months.  I’m sharing this, hoping it will help others as it’s been an absolute Godsend!  It’s working for me so hopefully it might help others going through the same. 


r/Menopause 10h ago

Depression/Anxiety What to do for severe clinical depression anxiety if meds and hrt doesn’t work? I don’t want to be one of the statistics.

23 Upvotes

Title says it. I tried all meds, they didn’t work caused permanent movement disorders that made depression 1000x worse gave me nerve damage. Hrt hasn’t helped me due to all progesterone causing the bad anxiety and not want to keep going on thoughts. I’m suffering with severe anhedonia memory loss I sleep maybe 10 hrs a week. I’ve endo and adenomyosis SEVERE PMDD that’s now bonkers and not just at my cycle anymore. Idk what to do.


r/Menopause 13h ago

Brain Fog Anyone else stop trying to fix the forgetting and just work around it?

19 Upvotes

I keep reading advice about improving recall and I have tried most of it. Sleep, supplements, brain games, paying better attention. Some of it helps a little.

But the thing that actually changed anything for me was giving up on the improving part. I stopped trying to remember and just started getting things out of my head and putting them in one spot. Not a complicated system, basically a list in a place I can find it.

I feel weird about it because it feels like conceding something. Like I should be able to fix this instead of working around it.

Has anyone else done this? Did it feel like giving up? Did it stop feeling that way?


r/Menopause 5h ago

Brain Fog Is extreme daytime exhaustion normal when first starting HRT (200 mg progesterone + 0.05 estradiol patch)?

18 Upvotes

I’m 65 and went through menopause at 59. I recently started HRT—200 mg oral progesterone at night and a 0.05 mg estradiol patch twice a week. I just started last Saturday, so it hasn’t even been a week.
Since starting, I’ve been waking up feeling extremely exhausted. Not just a little tired, but sedated, foggy, and out of sorts all day. It’s the kind of all-encompassing fatigue where all I want to do is lie on the couch. I feel like a zombie.
I’m wondering if this is a common side effect when first starting progesterone. Did anyone else experience this, and if so:
Did it improve after your body adjusted?
About how long did it take?
Did you end up lowering your progesterone from 200 mg to 100 mg, and did that help?
One of the main reasons I decided to start HRT (along with a recent diagnosis of osteopenia) was that I’ve barely slept for the last few years. I typically wake up in the middle of the night and am awake for 2–3 hours. I haven’t noticed any improvement in my sleep yet, but I also realize it’s only been a few days.
I know it may simply be too soon to judge, but I’m concerned that I can’t function like this for very long. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who experienced similar fatigue in the beginning. Did it pass? Did you give it more time, or did you need to adjust your dose?
Thanks in advance for any experiences or advice.


r/Menopause 23h ago

Hot Flashes/Night Sweats Just want to complain…

16 Upvotes

I’ve been post meno for 11 years yet I’m STILL having hot flashes.
They are not as intense as they were at the start but c’mon. Enough is enough.
I’m 61. Doc says no HRT since I have a heart condition. Boo.


r/Menopause 12h ago

Hormone Therapy How annoying is estrogel

15 Upvotes

I mean it does the job if..
you put it on in the right place, if you leave to dry and absorb properly ..
if I split the dose to get better night time sleep ?

Any tips - it’s winter here and I’m wearing singlets at 6am for 15 mins while it soaks in.

I apply to upper arm as this was my pharmacist’s advice. Because of surgical menopause I do this morning (2 pumps, one each arm leave 5 mins add 3rd pump then leave about 15 mins.

Then I repeat at night. When I’m out it disrupts, when I travel it’s also disrupting the routine with different times etc!

Such a pain. Was on patches but found huge issues with a few batches and all my symptoms came flooding back. So moved to gel - but it’s a constant process…

It’s 1 am and awake so not even sure this routine with gel works.

Sigh.


r/Menopause 1h ago

SCIENCE Is heart issue (PVC) possibly connected to estrogen?

Upvotes

I didn't know which flair to use, so chose Science.

The last couple years, my heart palpitations were so bad that I had to go to an emerg. There, they said my PVC is over 30%, so they referred me to a cardiologist. After many testes later, they said ablation is not an option since 30% is not enough.

Then I was put on Nextstellis for peri symptoms early this year, and it was gone!

Has anyone experienced or advised of the correlation by any chance?


r/Menopause 11h ago

Perimenopause Testosterone anxiety

7 Upvotes

Hello everyone. I’ve been on HRT for a good while now, a little over a year I’m on 1.25 mg E gel in the morning and 1 mg at bedtime, along with 200 mg micronized progesterone. I am doing 80% better but still felt lots of joint pain, complete lack of libido, and motivation. My endocrinologist added 1.5 mg of testosterone cream compounded. I kid you not, 5 days into using it i notice my anxiety is kicking into high gear at night. The episodes would keep my up til 1 am. Then I noticed anxiety keeping me up ALL night and anxiety during the day too! I’ve only been on it for only 15 days and already noticed all of this. However, I also noticed that joint pain has seriously decreased and I am hardly in any pain. But now I’m having trouble sleeping cause of the anxiety. Has this happened to anyone? I love the no joint pain but cannot stand the anxiety. Any advice or experiences?


r/Menopause 22h ago

Depression/Anxiety Going up in estradiol

6 Upvotes

I'm going from 1 pump up to 2 pumps of the estradiol to manage anxiety and it says to do them both at once but is there any benefit in doing it say morning and evening? For a more even dosage?


r/Menopause 10h ago

Hair Loss Hair fall

5 Upvotes

Has anyone’s hair started falling out after increasing the estradiol patch from .075 to .1? I noticed my hair has been coming out like crazy especially in the shower after I increased dosage. Nothing else changed.


r/Menopause 10h ago

Aches & Pains Any advice for joint stiffness/pain?

6 Upvotes

Hi all! 35F. I went into medical menopause last December via surgery for ovarian cancer. I was having expected symptoms then, like five billion hot flashes every day. My oncologists and my PCP haven't been able to figure out what's happening to me now, and I was thinking it might be tied into early menopause.

In April, (after finishing chemo) for the first time I started getting aches in my ankles and the back of my calves. Now it's getting to the point where I have to grab onto stuff to walk around the house or if I need to stand up from sitting. The pain is constant but I'm mobile once I get going.

CK levels are high right now, and somehow continue to grow even though I've stopped exercising per doctor's orders. Kidney and heart function have come back okay, same with my nutrition.

I'm mostly just looking for something to ask or tell the doctors, because I think they've given up? Or at least are being quiet while they think about it on their end. I asked if menopause might've set off a different disease or disorder and they said maybe. Lmao. Unfortunately I can't do hormone therapy - sort of the opposite, I'm supposed to be on inhibitors but due to muscle damage, they took me off them about a month ago.


r/Menopause 9h ago

Sleep/Insomnia Switching from oral progesterone to Mirena IUD - will I lose my newly acquired, amazing sleep?

3 Upvotes

I’ve (49F) have been on oral estrogen (adhesive allergy) and 100mg progesterone for about three months. I’ve seen significant improvement in my sleep but have had super long, heavy periods which isn’t a normal thing for me. At my check in appointment today, my doctor recommended a mirena IUD to deliver the progesterone and minimize bleeding. My worry is that I will lose the sleep improvement by stopping the oral progesterone. Has anyone made the swap and still recognized improved sleep quality? Thank you!


r/Menopause 23h ago

Hormone Therapy Mirena for progesterone sensitivity

3 Upvotes

After trying many different progesterone options for uterine protection while on HRT, I’m finally ready go the Mirena route. However, this will be my 3rd attempt to put one in, and this time it will be done under anesthesia, in the OR.

Sharing in case there are other progesterone sensitive folks out there looking for solutions. My story is that I had a Mirena for the past 6 yrs, stopped bleeding so wasn’t sure how far along in peri vs menopause I was. After a year on trying diff HRT several diff docs recommended I replace the Mirena instead of taking other progesterone (it’s deemed safe for HRT for 5 yrs).

Unfortunately, the old Mirena came out (barely) but the new one did not want to go in, even though attempt 1 was prepped with misoprostol and cervical lidocaine, and attempt 2 was under light sedation. Diagnosis was cervical stenosis.

2 days later I started a full 5 day period, and have had 2 more since, on schedule. Didn’t realize how much I did NOT miss them.

So… it was decided to first try Climara Pro patch (only comes in one dose) since it does use the same type of progestin as Mirena. But, 6 weeks in I’m miserable, have bad PMS with my revived periods, etc. So doc and I both agree that it may be time to get serious about getting a Mirena back in place. So, anesthesia and operating room it is. Feels very over the top but to be honest I’m just looking forward to go back to “normal” - whatever that is!

Side note:
I wrote a post here before about my 2nd attempt to put in a Mirena but the focus in the comments ended up being about the fact that my doc wanted to do a biopsy at the same time (since they were going in anyway and I had had a short lapse of progesterone coverage). She will likely still want to do that, and I’m ok with it.


r/Menopause 8h ago

Vaginal Dryness(GSM)/Urinary Issues Bladder help

2 Upvotes

So weird question ladies lol
I been on patch and vaginal estrogen Imvexxy now for a few months. It’s going ok. Also using vaginal moisturizer. Well lately like within last couple days I have had a feeling I’m leaking but when I run to bathroom to check there is nothing. Unless it’s residue from products I use. I don’t actually smell urine. There could be a small amount of course but I don’t detect it. Is this something normal that we are blessed with as we go through this meno process? I don’t want to keep being in fear of leaking. Or wear liners. Can this be fixed? With like pelvic floor exercises?


r/Menopause 8h ago

Hormone Therapy Cramps with Estrogen increase

2 Upvotes

I went up on my estrogen about three weeks ago and this week I keep waking up with awful cramps. Advil works, but once I’m up, I’m up, which sucks. Why does it only happen at night?! I had an ablation several years ago and haven’t had a period, but it almost feels like the E has brought it back. Is that a thing? Additionally, I also got cramps after having an orgasm.😩 Again, nothing Advil can’t take care of, but just want to make sure it’s normal (I see my doc in a couple of weeks).


r/Menopause 22h ago

Aches & Pains Dygesterone: what's the strongest daily dose you can get?

2 Upvotes

am currently on Femoston 2mg estrodial/dygesterone. At least a week before my period, sometimes two, I have felt very ordinary. Not least is the thoughts. Am very aware they are thoughts, and I ignore them, but whoa. it's annoying. The pain is the worst. and three days after: magic. Ive been told I'm in the highest dose. Not sure that's true. And continuous.

I don't tolerate progesterone in other forms. I've tried everything. Tablets, pessaries, and I wish I could do estrogel. That works. But the progesterone is horrible.

have contacted the supplies if progesterone and they can't or won't make a lower dose than 2mg. You can't cut it. Any thoughts?


r/Menopause 2h ago

Hormone Therapy .075 E Patch to .045 Duavee E dose, how was it?

1 Upvotes

Hey all, I'll be going on the one and only dose of Duavee. Currently I'm on the Sandoz .075 Estradiol patch. I'm progesterone intolerant and having the Mirena removed, I don't want another one. I'm 56 and one year post menopause.

For those of you who have 'moved down' in the estrogen dosage, how was that for you?

Frankly I think I'm a pretty crappy transdermal absorber with the patch as it is - Day 1 I'm in recovery, Day 2 I see colors and taste flavors again, Day 3 I'm headed into the dreaded E trough.

I am hoping so very much that this is not going to feel like a crash with the .045 conjugated estrogen dose in Duavee.

Thoughts?


r/Menopause 2h ago

Perimenopause HRT and addiction

1 Upvotes

Is anyone dealing with severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression. I’m sweating and my feet are super cold. I have nausea. My blood pressure is high and then low. I feel like I have a rock on my chest. Should i try HRT.


r/Menopause 8h ago

Moods Hrt am I still ovulating

1 Upvotes

I'm 56, on HRT Oestrogel and Progesterone. We are tweaking doses to stop bleeding. Question: I'm getting PMT symptoms monthly - does that mean im still ovulating?