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[SuzieQ]

Hello ALL

I finally admitted defeat and took steps with the GP to starting introducing HRT into my life.  However, I feel worse than ever which was not what I was expecting. 

I am 5ft 4inchs, 13 stone in weight.  I exercise daily, usually a Spin class or some other high impact cardio. On average I do about 10 hours a week of exercise how ever the bloating and weight gain is insane, especially round my middle to the point its really uncomfortable and can't bend over.  Its got to the point that I've reduced calorie intake to approx. 1000 just to see if that makes a difference as my APP claims that I burn 2000+ calories a day.

Its hard enough dealing with the emotions of the Perimenopause but this is a new low for me and I'm really struggling.  I feel that I'm working so hard on my well being but not getting the benefit and its making me feel worse.

Pre-peri if I did exercise to the level that I am and reducing the calorie intake i'd be stick thin. 

I've booked a follow up with my GP but thats 3 week away.

I could really do with some guidance, support, experiences to help me along the way.

I have 3 prescriptions:-

Evorel 50 (every few days its replaced)
Vagifem 10 (twice a week)
Utrogestan 100 (once a night for 12 days every month)

x

[Flossieteacake]

Hello SuzieQ. Welcome to the forum. It could be you are not on a HRT that suits you. It may help to say which one you are taking as other members can make suggestions. Just to say, it can take time to find the right one so please do not worry.

[SuzieQ]

I have 3 prescriptions:-

Evorel 50 (every few days its replaced)
Vagifem 10 (twice a week)
Utrogestan 100 (once a night for 12 days every month)

[ATB]

Hi! Sorry to hear you don’t feel well. Yes it could be you’re not on the right HRT for you, maybe tell us a bit more about that?
In my experience of years of dedicated exercise and perimenopause and other hormone issues, my personal advice, I would cut the cardio for now and add in weight training and/or yoga. I would also not cut calories that much, you’re just creating future problems and metabolism issues plus it won’t work. Eat a good healthy normal diet. You need good food to exercise properly. Eat little and often. Are you on testosterone? Had it tested?

[Flossieteacake]

How long have you been taking HRT for? Have they helped any symptoms at all? I understand how distressing weight gain is. I know what you mean by it being had enough dealing with the emotional side of perimenopause. You will find lots of support on here. The members are very supportive.

[CLKD]

Could it be a thyroid function issue?   Have you had full blood count and VitD checks this year?

Browse round.  Make notes.    I am finding the continued heat problematic and need to sleep a lot 

Some find that keeping a mood/food/symptom diary of use.  Let us know how you get on.

[SuzieQ]

So i've been taking HRT for 4 months

Evorel 50 (every few days its replaced)
Vagifem 10 (twice a week)
Utrogestan 100 (once a night for 12 days every month)

I've got an appointment in 3 weeks to see the GP, she is meant to be the Menopause expert in my practice.

As for the exercise, its the only thing keeping my moods stable.  The effect of exercise it greater and more effective than the HRT at the moment.  I sleep well, all be it the sweats can wake me up but during the day i'm avoiding my work as I can't concentrate at all and the brain fog is shocking.  I'm a senior manager, its a little embarrassing when you can't remember the name of a project you've continually work on for 2 years or you can't even remember your words just in general.

[Flossieteacake]

So i've been taking HRT for 4 months

Evorel 50 (every few days its replaced)
Vagifem 10 (twice a week)
Utrogestan 100 (once a night for 12 days every month)

I've got an appointment in 3 weeks to see the GP, she is meant to be the Menopause expert in my practice.

As for the exercise, its the only thing keeping my moods stable.  The effect of exercise it greater and more effective than the HRT at the moment.  I sleep well, all be it the sweats can wake me up but during the day i'm avoiding my work as I can't concentrate at all and the brain fog is shocking.  I'm a senior manager, its a little embarrassing when you can't remember the name of a project you've continually work on for 2 years or you can't even remember your words just in general.

You are on a very common HRT regime. The Evorel is oestrogen. The Utrogestan is progesterone. The vagifem is to help with vaginal atrophy.

I can relate to the brain fog. It is horrible and confusing. I was wondering how you would feel stopping the Evorel and Ultrogestan for a bit just to see if you felt better. I am not sure what other members would think. I would continue with the vagifem as it is a very mild HRT but essential for vaginal atrophy.

[ATB]

You may need an increase of estrogen, and I also take the same routine Utrogestan but 2 tablets, so 200.

Do you take testosterone? I was prescribed it for brain fog, concentration and memory issues. I feel so much better since I added testosterone.

Have any symptoms improved?

[ElkWarning]

Hi SQ

Also 5ft 4" and recently was totally shocked to discover I was 13 stone.  I had Covid in March and was 'bed-bound' for a couple of weeks, and then a wee bit sluggish for a while, and this seemed to result in a 1.5 stone weight gain.  However, when I say sluggish, I mean as a full-time teacher running around a lot, just not with the energy for super long dog walks in the evening.  For reasons that are too tedious to go into, I found myself working across different sites for three weeks with no access to the canteen, so I switched to yoghurt, fruit, oatcakes (for convenience) and then my usual evening meal.  Honestly, the weight fell off me (like a stone in 4 weeks) and I wasn't counting calories ...

^^ I've been desperate for a while to get under 10 stone (most of my life I've been around 8, but this changed in peri) and so am relatively accustomed to counting calories and feeling rubbish about my ever increasing 'middle-aged spread'.  It felt as if nothing really seemed to work (plant-based diet, time in the gym, Couch to 5K, etc), and then this.  I don't know what to make of it, but I'm currently going with 'refined carbs, e.g. bread, don't seem to suit me'.

I've now re-joined a gym (summer holidays, suffering from lack of structure) and will mostly concentrate on building my muscle mass, with half an eye on eating a relatively high protein diet to accomplish this.  My son-in-law is a huge hulk of a man, and he says that it's muscles which burn calories most effectively, and so while cardio is great for heart and overall health, it doesn't really do much in the way of creating the conditions for 'fat burning'.  S-I-L also tells me not to diet, as this puts the body into a different kind of input/output relationship, over complicates the effort in some way.

TLDR, rowing machines and weight machines alongside the cardio.

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies.

As I understand it the best type of plant based diet is the one that centres around whole foods and includes plenty of starchy vegetables such as potatoes and rice. I know for a fact that it's possible to eat a lot and feel satisfied eating this way without experiencing any weight gain.

Take care ladies.

K.

[ATB]

Totally concur with Elk regarding weight training. I just did a Heather Robinson leg day strength workout for 40 mins, feels great! I used to be a cardio Queen, an endurance triathlete, but it just doesn’t suit me or work for me now so I completely changed the type of exercise. Heather Robinson has metcon videos that combine cardio & strength which may be better for you and me SuzieQ, who love cardio. Fasted cardio is effective for weight loss, really effective. That’s an early morning workout before breakfast, fasted because you are essentially fasting when you sleep. Just something moderate and 30 minutes is enough, a walk or light jog is perfect. But overall weight training is more effective for fat loss, it’s also so important for bone health. When I studied nutrition & sports one of the main things we learnt was why diets don’t work 95% of the time. I really believe that focusing on quality of your meals and eating when hungry, staying away from processed food as much as possible and staying hydrated are way more effective for maintaining a good weight, and the evidence is pretty clear IMO on that too. If I need to lose weight I stick to whole plant based foods with no refined sugars or even oil. If I don’t need to lose weight I can be flexible on sugar & oil but I don’t eat them much. Just sharing what’s helped me & what I’ve learnt over the years analysing diets & working with sports people.

[Milly1974]

Hi Suzie, sorry to hear your having a rubbish time, I was also on evoral 50 patch and the utro, I was fine for 2 months then the migraines kicked in, the severe cramps, brain fog and insomnia. I actually felt worse than I did before I started it. I too love to exercise especially running and it works wonders for my mood and anxiety. I have stopped the hrt for now to see how I get on, the migraines, cramps, insomnia and brain fog have all disappeared. Maybe have a break from it see how you get on, you can always go back to it if there's no change.

Lisa 😊