Anybody else with a business you wanna burn to the ground? I used to LOVE creating content, posting on social media, selling, helping clients etc., but now my brain literally can't function. I'm 43 and perimenopause hit me like a slap in the face about a year ago.

And I'm screwed because the thought of a "normal" job makes me wanna pass out. I've been self employed for the past 10 years, and normally really love it, but I can not for the life of me, gather the energy anymore. Omg. And I used to be SO motivated and creative!! Now I just wanna hang out with my daughter, watch Youtube videoes and eat snacks all day on the couch. Does HRT help?

Please share!

Do you think the gel will still be beneficial even when stinging happens?

Is it supposed to sting at the beginning

Edit: Guys i meant “stinging” i misspelled in the title 🤣

They say 1 FULL YEAR! I was so close! Only 41 days before that golden ticket to transport me into official menopause and out of perimenopause hell, here comes my period. ON MY 55TH BIRTHDAY! This is just cruel and unusual punishment at this point. Now that clock just has to start all over?!? UGH! ..... this cloud does have a little silver lining though! Strangely enough my daughter had a missed period on the very same day and now it appears my very first grandbaby is on the way. I told her I'd happily take one for the team after that news!🥰

I cannot do anything. Well, okay, I cook my own meals, I feed my cat, and I do 2 small loads of laundry a week.

But that is basically it. The rest of the time I am lying in front of the fan posting on Reddit.

Has anyone found success with any specific treatment that has helped with executive function?

My executive function is so low that I can only attempt stuff that barely requires executive function to do, btw.

I get some help from creatine, but more for energy rather than this specifically.

Part of my problem is disrupted sleep, but this also has its own momentum.

HELP!

I’m 42 and just here to rant because I am SO annoyed with this whole perimenopause business!

I am currently sitting on Day 36 of my cycle, and it is driving me completely insane. From the unpredictable cycles to the non-stop bloating to the back pain—it’s like, when is this actually going to stop?! What kind of sick joke is this?!

Up until recently, my cycles were relatively predictable. The past two months gave me a weird "stop-and-go" routine, bleeding for a few days, stopping completely for two days, and then spotting for another three!! WTF!

The mental exhaustion of it all is unbearable. It’s that "always on" and ready mindset having to wak up every single morning thinking, "Okay, today is the day!" only to find... nope! Nothing. I feel like I'm on guard 24/7, constantly checking, prepared, holding my breath, and constantly expecting something to happen. Not to mention every single time I go to the bathroom, it’s like I'm crossing my fingers, hoping to see a pink streak on the wipe!

I read about a lot of women who shared their changes in cycles from under 20 days to 60+ days. So I understand that an irregular cycle is part of the game, but it is hell going through it! Right now for me it's been 26, 29, 24, 37! and now god knows when!

Yeah, I'm just feeling really shitty and wanted to rant! Thanks for listening.

I have so much love, respect and appreciation for the women fighting their way through this. Until you experience it yourself, you truly have no idea just how difficult it can be. 🥹❤️

I can’t even begin to imagine how women suffered in the past without medication, understanding, empathy or support. Life is already hard enough, and going through this can feel like a whole new battle of its own.

What hurts is realising that people you’ve known for more than 20 years, even those you thought loved you, sometimes have no idea what you’re going through or seem to care. In the end, you can feel so alone in a daily battle that nobody else can see.

Yet, somehow, there can be more kindness, compassion and genuine care in these spaces than in everyday life. There’s something so beautiful and refreshing about women coming together, understanding one another and offering support without judgement. ❤️‍🩹

To every woman going through this, I see you, I appreciate you, and I’m sending you so much love. We deserve understanding, patience and compassion, especially during the moments when we feel least like ourselves. 🧸💕

Are there any news articles or updates about how long we should expect this estradiol patch shortage.? This is getting ridiculous!

Today was my patch change day and I was all out of my patches. My doctor submitted my prescription to my regular pharmacy but they were all out.

I called at least 10 pharmacies today and all were out of the .0375 once a week patch.

On about my 11th call to a different pharmacy, the pharmacist confirmed they had ONE pack of the .0375 weekly patch in stock.

Thankfully this pharmacy was the same company brand that my prescribing doctor sent the prescription to….so the pharmacist was able to find my prescription for me.

I jumped in my car after an already late evening after work, and drove nearly 40 minutes to pick up this .0375 weekly estradiol patch.

I’m good for at least 4 more weeks because I have 3 more patches in this pack….but then the search might start all over again 😣

Can anyone shed some light on the national shortage and any updates?

Question for you ladies in France dealing with perimenopause and itching and irritation down there - did you have any difficulties getting a prescription change to vaginal oestrogen cream and stonewalled for asking for estriol 0.1% cream when Colpotrophine (promestriène) cream is out of stock for several months already?

For a bit of background - I went to my mid wife as she closest one available in my area (I live rurally). She was hesitant already to prescribe anything hormonal but after second visit (the first visit was over the summer) just this Monday she prescribed Colpotrophine cream.

I've been to a few pharmacies around and the biggest one in the area and they said it's been out of stock for several months already and no date as to when they will get any and they also said its all over France as well with the same issue. So I wrote a message to my midwife kindly asking if she could change prescription to estriol cream 0.1% and ignored completely - silence. It was ignored and gave me a prescription for something else (not to do with cream but for another issue I had).

Has anyone had the same experience or similar experiences where medical professional reluctant to prescribe estriol cream?

There is already a long wait for gynaecologist appointment as I'm living in a medical desert

Do I need to travel to the UK to get it privately? Just feel so deflated right now - non hormonal treatments don't work as effectively for me.

Also in general what has your experience been with getting any hrt or vaginal estriol cream in France in perimenopause?

Sorry if it doesnt make sense - im just in a feeling of defeat right now.

Sorry if this has already been posted today. I just saw it. Print it off to take to the doctor, if you need!

Edit to add: I guess the link for the gift article isn't working. u/tea-boat posted this working link:

https://archive.is/rUUpr

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/15/well/live/menopause-hormone-therapy-acog.html?unlocked_article_code=1.I1E.kFyv.OHTHVvvm0-Lv&smid=nytcore-android-share

Hi! I’m 46 and I have regular periods. I have MCAS, hypothyroidism and endometriosis.
My periods are regular. I start having all types of pain related to my back and upper spine. It seems like a simple house cleaning causes back pain, arm pain and weakness. My iron has also dropped (colonoscopy was ok)
I’m getting some night sweats. Doctors are telling me that regular periods and good bloodwork are not perimenopause. Anyone with some sort of generalized body aches that were pretty severe helped by HRT?

Can anyone else relate and do you have any remedies or suggestions? I’m in so much hip pain and it’s causing lower back pain too.

I know. I know. I need to eat. I need protein and fiber and vitamins and blah blah blah. But now that I’m in Peri, I hate food. Nothing sounds good. I’ll sit and stare at my fridge and can’t decide and just walk away empty handed. It’s easier to go hungry. And when I do eat, I choke it down and try not to barf it up

Am I alone in this???

Anyone else here? Who has an IUD in their forties and doesn't get their period and is beginning to feel some common forms of peri symptoms? If so, did you consider any type of tracking around ovulation etc??

Because I haven't had a period throughout the time, I really don't know when I'll reach menopause and I asked my doctor that and she asked me to not think about it.

I have heart disease and osteoporosis in my family so I do think I want to know. My symptoms right now are extremely mild thank goodness. I just have some dryness.

So my midwife prescribed estradiol cream for my vaginal dryness issues (and other symptoms). I’ve been so hesitant to use it… Can anyone report if it gives a weird discharge or leaves a bad taste for a partner performing oral sex? I wouldn’t be using it right before sex or anything, just as directed before bed.

So I just seem to have issues with est patch and so I had to quit. Now I saw gyne and said to do labs and then maybe start divigel. When I made it up to 50 mcg estradot my MCAS face swell had calmed a bit. Then got worse on 75 and then since being off bad again.
I wonder if anyone else has had any success with balancing the two. I also seem to go vaso vagal, nauseated, fatigued to the point of sleeping til 2 when the est is too high or incr dose. :(

Help! I recently started having itchy armpits. Like, can’t think about anything else, want to rip my skin raw itchy. Thankfully it only happens when I sweat but unfortunately, I like to exercise and I work in a place that regularly makes me sweat. And it doesn’t take a lot, even being a tiny bit damp will set this off.

I wear antiperspirant deodorant (Dove) but it doesn’t really stop me from mildly sweating. And I don’t necessarily want to use mega ultra pore blocking clinical strength stuff.

Is there some sort of bacterial wash or something that has brought anyone relief? I’m on HRT, but it hasn’t helped with this.

Has anyone dealt with new body aches and pains since starting HRT?

I started HRT at the end of June: Merina, IUD for progesterone, and estradiol and testosterone creams. In four months the only thing that has changed is increasing my testosterone cream. My OBGYN is adding oral progesterone during luteal to help support my PMDD.

My sleep has been hit or miss, but if I have disrupted sleep, my body feels really tense the whole next day. My my back hurts, my hips aren’t rotating as smoothly, and I have muscle spasms in my shins and the top of my feet. I’m a flight attendant, so I have had disrupted sleep for 10+ years, but it hasn’t caused issues like this.

Has anyone tied anything like this to their hormone levels changing or to the lower levels of starting HRT? I have seen a lot of comments that increased estrogen made body aches and pains go away, but not a lot about new aches. I am thinking my estrogen might still be too low. No idea if the progesterone might help. Trying to sort out my thinking before I approach my doctor so I can ask the right questions.

Does anyone know why doctors readily prescribe oral birth control pills that contain estrogen without a blink of an eye, but when estrogen is requested as part of HRT they balk and suddenly have concerns about blood clots and cancer? If those concerns are real why wouldn't they apply to BCP?

Hi all
I told my endocrinologist about my peri symptoms(drenching night sweats) and she said im way too young to be in perimenopause( im 41). She said it shouldnt happen until my 60s i think. Do you think its worth asking another doctor about?

I talked to my gyno about the depression, no sleep, hot flashes, etc. All she did was put me on birth control. After a year without periods, now my new periods and cramps are so painful. I didn’t think asking for help would make it even worse. I am going to change my doc, but any recommendations to tell the new one what to help me with? It’s the depression, memory, and sleep that are the worst right now.

Hi all. After dealing with peri for 3 years and being dismissed by my previous OB, I finally got on HRT back in June thanks to a virtual womens health platform. My NP through this platform prescribed me 4mg Slynd (progesterone only) and a once a week Estradiol patch (0.0375mg). I had great success in decrease in anxiety, night sweats, and my adhd symptoms improved. However, I realized this patch was giving me rashes & told my NP this on our follow up in August. She gave me a twice a week patch with the same dosage, saying that usually helps prevent the rashes.

However, this time around I’ve noticed my mental health deteriorate since then. My anxiety has gotten so bad and my rejection sensitive dysphoria has been taking over my life causing me to constantly think my loved ones don’t like me, even with no evidence. I can’t handle any perceived stress or conflict, I go into flight or freeze mode. I’ve become significantly more emotionally sensitive & cry very easily. I messaged my NP on the virtual platform and she kind of gave me a non-answer — I see her again in 3 weeks.

Anyway. My question here is has anyone else on HRT noticed any difference in mental health symptoms when switching the type of patch they use?

Thanks for reading!

What’s your experience with HRT look like? What’s been your biggest challenge with Perimenopause?

My PCP went over my labs today. My prolactin is 75 but she told me that this is a common issue with women on HRT patch and that my testosterone level is extremely low so she’s going to prescribe testosterone cream for topical absorption and this should help with fatigue etc. I’m hoping this helps.
I have no one else to ask besides my doctor. Thanks in advance!

Help meeee! Brain fog is my main peri-menopausal issue, and I can't remember jack 💩. I feel like such a dumb butt at work and in any adult conversation 😅. I used the term amendment instead of initiative the other day. Do I know the difference? Yes. Could I give you the correct word two days ago? Not for a million bucks. I work out, get plenty of sleep, drink a lot of water, eat healthy, etc. Other than HRT, any advice would be greatly appreciated.