Anyone else experiencing crazy alcohol intolerance? I usually have just 1-2 glasses of alcohol a couple times a week. Wine with dinner or a drink with dinner. I find I have one drink and I feel like I have drank 5 drinks! I feel foggy the next day and I hate that it hits me so hard. Do I need to give up drinking now that I am older? I’m only 53!

Pretty much the title.

I haven’t had much of an interest in food. Nothing sounds good to eat. Nothing sounds appetizing. None of my previously favorite foods sound at all appealing. I mean, absolutely nothing. Not snacks or candy. Not popcorn.

I can’t face an egg McMuffin ever. It’s all just cardboard tasting.

I get a smoothie for breakfast. I struggle to get it down but it stays down. I have maybe a sandwich—usually half a sandwich—and nothing sounds at all worth the effort to even look at.

Just had 1st scan done (57). I am really shocked that all the things I have been doing( weight training, strength, vit d3, hrt) seems like it's not helping. I am at a 15% of major osteoporotic event in next 10 yrs. T score shows oteopenia

I am so sad and want to know has anyone had similar results and been able to stop decline or improve?

ETA: Wow, thanks for all the advice and encouragement. This community has helped me so much. You all rock!! I will work on my protein intake, and try to up my game for strength training. I have a follow up on 12/1. I will also be thankful I now have a baseline and can make sure it doesn't get worse!

Also, for those who asked, I am on the 3 HRT (e, p, t) but working on those since I still have symptoms after 2 years.

That's all. A minor miracle. No ........a total game changer. My eyes were getting so dry they were glued shut by evening. TV and screen time off limits. I'm firmly in menopause. Changed from birth control pills to gel. Noticed improvement at 1.25 mg. Upped to 2mg and my eyes look normal. No more chalzions. No more scary eyes shutting from dryness at random times. Eye drops didn't help. Antibiotics were temporary. It was the 2mg. Only been a few days and WOW. If this changes I'll update. Hope that helps any dry eyes sufferers.

THEY called ME (shocker) and confirmed delivery, address, amount, etc. then she says "While you're on the phone, let me just confirm we have your... oh, yeah, yep we got plenty!"

.075 Mylan, and good luck to us all

EDIT: costco mail delivery. Brick-and-mortar are hit and miss.

I’ve been taking HRT for a few years, and for whatever reason everything seems to have shifted in the past few months - possibly coinciding with turning 55. 😒

On pretty much a daily basis, my joints ache. While it’s primarily my hands and arms, I sometimes feel it in my legs and feet. The sensations are more prickly and achy than painful - but definitely annoying.

I’ve had various labs ran, and all appear to be normal. I take thyroid medication and that dose was adjusted slightly based on lab results.

Is anyone else experiencing this? If so - what has helped??

I ran out of estrogen patches, so I stopped taking my progesterone 100mg. So, no HRT for about a month. I did start to only take progesterone only the last half of my cycle a few months ago, then completely stopped progresterone when I ran out of estrogen. I don't know if it is causation or correlation, but I feel SO much better. My mood and energy levels are good now. I feel like myself. If/when I get back on HRT, I'll likely do an IUD instead of oral progesterone. Curious if anyone has had similar experiences?

Has anyone experienced worsening gut problems with HRT? For the past 4 months or so I have had much worsening bloating and constipation. So much so that I have been to a GI doc 3 times and am working with a specialist. I’m not sure that the HRThas caused it but the time line matches up. I did also read a study showing that women on HRT can have an increase in these issues.

I have experienced some benefits (libido being the big one) but the stomach issues disrupt my sleep and my life really badly. Ugh.

I am 29 F and have premature menopause due to childhood cancer. I recently posted about intimacy being uncomfortable. After reading responses and speaking with my partner, i have learned that (at least to him), i am not experiencing dryness. I am then thinking maybe it's just atrophy?

I have an appointment with a gynecologist in a few weeks but im wondering in the interim if using lube & foreplay will help with my comfortability or if only estrogen creams and HRT fix what i'm feeling? I'm also hesitant to do systemic HRT due to having the BRCA1 gene and not yet completing an oophorectomy surgery yet.

Any personal insight or advice?

My skin changed so fast. It used to be normal-oily, and now it's cracking. My old routine does nothing, and even CeraVe isn't cutting it. Has anyone tried Typology's lipid-replenishing balm or Eucerin Original Healing Cream? I keep seeing richer creams for really dry skin, but I don't know what's worth buying. What actually helped you? Ugh, my skin is so uncomfortable. Any advice appreciated!

My body attacks every healthy thing I try to do with it.

Walking gives me GERD but sitting around like a fat, lazy turd gives me zero GERD.

B vitamin complex dried up my vagina completely and I blamed it on perimenopause. Then I stopped taking it and my vagina returned to its plump, juicy self.

I ate a healthy food that was fortified with a supplement I had a reaction to that gave me glue ear, Eustachian tube dysfunction and tinnitus that made me want to end my life.

Flash IV drinks gave me severe panic attacks and made me sick.

And if I don’t take Zyrtec every day, I will lose my mind and have anxiety, depression and panic disorder (I’m glad at least have this and it keeps me mostly sane).

I’m not a good candidate for HRT. I had a very bad reaction to birth control pills when I was younger.

I’m 48F, perimenopausal and my quality of life is zero. Just trying to survive each day while my body takes swings at me and doesn’t want me to be healthy. Doesn’t want me to be anything but dead, I reckon.

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone might have had a similar experience and can offer some reassurance.

I've always attended my smear tests on time. When I was in my 40s, I had to have a colposcopy and treatment for abnormal cells (I can't remember exactly when). I had follow-up smears afterwards, and although there were some non-cancerous changes at one point, I've never had any problems with anyone finding my cervix. My previous smear tests were generally straightforward and not particularly uncomfortable. I think I may have bled slightly after one of them once, but that's all.

I've also had two pregnancies and gave birth naturally both times.

I've been on HRT for nearly three years now. I use two pumps of oestrogen gel and take progesterone tablets. I still occasionally have periods, so I'm not fully menopausal.

I went for my scheduled smear test today, and it was something I've never experienced before. The nurse tried several times using different-sized speculums, including longer ones, but she couldn't properly see my cervix. She said she could see a little bit, but not enough to insert the brush and take a sample.

She called another GP to help, and they tried as well, but unfortunately they couldn't manage it either. I've now been told to reschedule.

I'm feeling quite worried because I've never had this problem before, despite always attending my appointments and having previous smears without any difficulty. I'm wondering whether it could be related to perimenopause or hormonal changes, but obviously my mind is going into overdrive.

Has anyone experienced this, particularly during perimenopause or while taking HRT? Have you had smear tests that were previously straightforward but then suddenly become difficult because the nurse or doctor couldn't find your cervix?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially if you eventually managed to have a successful smear and found out what was causing the problem.

Thank you.

Don't know if this belongs here, I just need a community of people my age who may have had the same experience. Is this due to menopause? I don't know. I'm so embarrassed. I lied to my husband and said I spilled water on myself and the bed. He joked and said yeah you peed yourself. I got a shower. When I got out, he apologized and said if I did pee myself, he was sorry to joke about it and if that made things worse. He offered to help me strip the bed to wash the sheets. I thought about it and my lie and decided to acknowledge the truth by saying I would wash the sheets myself.

I feel really low. I know i can't control what happened. I just feel like a child and an old lady at the same time. And just when I was really easing into this menopause thing. I started HRT about 6 months ago. Started taking care of my skin, losing weight, sleeping better.

Ugh help!

UPDATE: While making my lunch, I had to pee. And then my body said NO YOU HAVE TO GO NOW! Followed by a bit of burning and not feeling "empty." Yup. UTI. Made an appt with online doc. Got a prescription for that. Still have an appt with my OBGYN to discuss my HRT in a few weeks. And ordered a waterproof mattress cover which will be here tomorrow.

I seriously cannot thank you all enough for your kindness this morning. I felt very humiliated and you made me feel better with your stories and solidarity. Sometimes knowing other people have been where you are makes all the difference. 🖤

I’m exhausted all the time. My muscles ache, my bones hurt, and some days I feel like I have absolutely no energy to do anything.
But it’s not just the physical symptoms. Emotionally, I’m struggling too. I feel depressed, overwhelmed, and find myself crying over the smallest things. Some days I don’t even feel like myself anymore.
Unfortunately, hormone replacement therapy isn’t really an option for me because of my family history of blood clots and because I’ve had a blood clot myself (not a DVT).
I just want to feel normal again. I miss having energy, feeling happy, and being able to get through the day without feeling so overwhelmed.
**Has anyone else experienced this? What has actually helped you get through it, especially if you can’t take hormones?**
I’m feeling pretty lost right now and would really appreciate hearing from anyone who understand. ❤️

Surgical menopause. Was still using an expired brand with mylan brand and was doing ok. 2d ago I applied 3 Mylan patches to equate to my dose that 2 patches previously provided. First day felt off. as today progressed worse and worse hot flashes/neck sweating. I took 1 patch off and noted it had a lot of adhesive gone as if it was dumping E too quickly. Patches don’t look this bad on change day. Anyone else notice this?

The HRT struggle is more and more real.

I started patch HRT a few months ago and am now confused — evidently there are different manufacturers for estradiol patches? If the doctor writes for “Climara” (brand name), then we get Mylan or Sandoz etc (generic est patches named after company who manufactures them?

I recently saw a copy of a prescription when my doctor upped my dose and it said “Vyvelle-Dotti…” are these permissible generics?

As an aside, if Mylan or any patch falls off, call their customer service and ask them to provide you with a free box via your pharmacy - did this last week and it was easy and is nice to have a stash.

So I am 48. Post Menopause and 2 weeks in on HRT. I have also been put on an anti depressant vortioxetine.

I feel I just want to be alone all the time. I can't bear work anymore. I want to live alone. I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't cry.

Does anyone else feel this way? Is this normal? Will it get better?

I’m 50 and in peri (I think) on 4 pumps of oestrogel and Slynd (synthetic progesterone, micronised P intolerant).

I recently had an ultrasound for some pelvic pain and bleeding that I thought was another ovarian cyst. Scan showed no cyst, a small 1cm fibroid and an ovary that was close to my uterus (inconclusive but adhesion not ruled out). My lining was 4.1mm - the guidance wants 4mm on continuous HRT. Solely because of the lining, I’ve been referred for a hysteroscopy.

Interesting context, I’ve had two very similar experiences a year apart: start gel then a month later develop pelvic pain, bloating and bleeding. The first time this happened, a year ago, the symptoms were attributed to a large ovarian cyst and a slipped mirena coil. The investigations and mirena coil removal (and a 2nd failed coil) took several months to solve by which time I had started to trial the patch. On the patch, my pelvic pain, bloating and bleeding all went away, though most of my perimenopause symptoms came back (wasn’t absorb it it well). At the time, I thought the pelvic pain and bleeding went away because I no longer had the coil and cyst (absorbed itself). But in hindsight, the picture is unclear and perhaps the change to the patch caused the improvement in pelvic symptoms.

I know that changing HRT seems like the most logical and least invasive option. However, 4 pumps of gel is the only estrogen that has come even close to treating my debilitating perimenopause symptoms (all over flu feeling, intense anxiety and suicidal thoughts). In an ideal world, I’d keep the gel (now resettled for 3 months) and figure out and treat why it seems to be causing pain (if it’s the gel). Part of me wonders whether it might be some endometriosis that would benefit from treatment but I’m self diagnosing based on google!.

I’m not sure whether to push back on the hysteroscopy since I had these symptoms a year ago and suggest moving HRT first. But I’m very nervous that I’ve tried most oestrogen and apart from the oral pill, the only thing I have left to try is the Divigel.

The other option is to have the hysteroscopy, but I don’t see that that will fix my pelvic pain as it’s really just designed to check my lining isn’t cancerous. I don’t believe I have polyps or fibroids that would be causing this amount of pain. Should I just get the hysteroscopy and see what it says? I surely should be able to take four pumps of gel without pelvic pain? In case it’s relevant, I’ve been offered complete sedation for the hysteroscopy. Because of that, I’m leaning towards having it done. But I’m not sure it’s going to get me any further forward.

Other information: I’ve been on Slynd for 5 months and another progestin mini pill for 4 months before that so don’t think that’s the cause of the bleeding. I’m unable to add micronised P to solve the bleeding due to intolerance (I really did try it orally and vaginally for 3 hideous months)

Edited to add: I do think there’s something wrong with my pelvis. I can no longer take vaginal localised oestrogen without getting cramps (after a bowel movement) that are so strong I have to lie down for 20 to 30 minutes. Neither the tabs or the cream.

Any thoughts?

Post menopausal bleeding

Hi

For those of you who have had post menopausal bleeding on HRT and it was caused by that and not anything else, how long did it take for it to come right after you adjusted your estrogen and/or progesterone?

Thanks!

Started gel packets on Thursday last week. Just applied day 6 dose. Been applying in AM. Been off & on with headache & feeling off a bit since but also pushing a wee bit of crud out of system. But I think headaches are from change. I’m going to continue with it to give it some time. The patches were a pain for me & I like gel delivery. Give it at least a month?
Ive also gone back to waking at 3, but thinking the full moon is also to blame. 😉

Hi, just wondering if anyone can cheer me up with positive stories. I am a couple of years post menopause, I used to be very creative, I would paint, machine embroider, digitise my own designs. Write poetry/songs. Play the keyboard, not that well but it was fun. I was also a exercise addict and loved it. As soon as my periods stopped that was it I went from ideas coming to me constantly to nothing. I am on Hrt and use testosterone gel and all my physical symptoms are gone and I have regained some energy but I want my creativity back. I also don't have the same capacity for exercise, if I try to push myself I pay for it later with a low mood. I don't even know who I am without this part of me. I am scared that I am going to be stuck like this. I never used to ever be bored but now it's like I am a non person. Every so often I have glimmers of feeling normal but it is always short lived.

Good news. Found my strength of patch at telyrx. Thanks to a post on this forum. They are on their way and will be here tomorrow.

QUESTION: I've been without them for 6 days. When I put one on, will it be like starting over or will I get any relief within a few days?