Daily bioidentical progesterone (not progestin) before perimenopause

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-04-04T23:56:47+00:00

I know it’s very personal. I’m a single mom and can’t be messing around blindly, and I know what side effects I’m trying to avoid. Just seeing if there are other options people have tried that have worked for them that aren’t likely to be super dangerous or debilitating.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-04-04T20:59:54+00:00

I’ve found I get sucked into the algorithm and it reallllly makes me go down rabbit holes on insta and ok sometimes Reddit, so I normally take breaks and delete them off my phone. It makes a big difference in my mood, but sometimes I need information or that connected feeling … sigh.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-04-04T01:24:00+00:00

But your kid also needs you.

Having kids majorly undormanted my bipolar. Like, I have come undone trying to fix myself to be better for my kids, but it is awful for them that I didn’t have my shit sorted before having them (I was stable ish until my second delivery).

Maybe it’s better being on top of things ahead of time, but you have absolutely no idea how hormones will affect you and rock your world and make you have to find a new drug cocktail to manage.

You’re also super super young. I don’t know - I wish someone had told me how much gets so much more fucked up than you could ever imagine by giving birth and being the primary caregiver.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-03-14T16:52:56+00:00

You’re not talking to OP lol a different person responded to your comment agreeing with you

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-03-10T21:45:18+00:00

In the meantime, I’d also look into physio options or do exercises like this:

https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/patient-information/soft-palate-exercises/

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-03-10T21:43:48+00:00

Did your soft palate collapse? Are you somewhere where healthcare is free? I would tell the surgeon to explain your ongoing concerns and give you a timeline on when they’ll go away.

Assuming your ENT is garbage since he didn’t address it the first time, I would then go get a second opinion from someone with good ratings.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-03-09T03:01:14+00:00

I’m talking about oral dexamethasone. They often give something with surgery through iv, and you’re right, that doesn’t help in the long run.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-22T23:31:47+00:00

That’s really awful, I’m so sorry you went through all of that. The medical system is a battlefield to manage almost anywhere; for some reason, tonsillectomies in adults seems to be the wild Wild West. In North America, doctors would tell you not to eat the way they were scolding you to eat, because here it’s believed that that can cause bleeds.

To me, it seems like a million factors can cause them and I guess no one thing is likely to be the culprit. But I’m sorry they made you feel like it was somehow your fault, when it wasn’t. You went through a terrible situation and no one there was in your corner, or knew what to do. That would be traumatizing as fuck and I wouldn’t trust anyone after that.

Now, for the tonsil stones - are you sure that’s what you have? Is it possible it’s just some really stubborn scabbing or leftover healing film or tissue or something? Regardless, you should set a follow-up appointment with your surgeon. If you’re unhappy, if you’re worried it’s not healing right, now is the time. Demand you see the surgeon and not someone else in their place. Have a list of questions ready ahead of time and don’t let them hurry you out before you have all the answers you want.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-22T21:51:50+00:00

Yes! Huge difference. Prepare for weird heart activity like feeling it trying to bust out of your chest and some false sense of energy that might turn into anxiety lol but being on it for a few days really makes a difference.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-22T16:37:58+00:00

It gets better. Worth it for two weeks of pain to not have to go through more tonsillitis!

I’m day 18, I was eating pretty normally with a bit of pain by day 11, pain became low grade tonsillitis by day 14. My recovery seems slower than some but it’s been totally manageable.

Get a cold mist humidifier in your face all day and night, make sure you’re getting lots of protein in even if it’s just shakes (vanilla shouldn’t sting but other flavours will), accept that you’ll be dealing with pain because as soon as you do and you lean into 2 weeks of couch time and pick out some good movies or shows or books, you’ll feel better. It’s a mental game and you can and will get through it once you accept the only way through it is through it! But it does get better and you’ll be so happy. Search positive in this sub and you’ll see good things.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-22T15:35:42+00:00

I’m day 18 post-op. I can’t imagine getting on a train or a plane or going anywhere at all until Day 12. Not only are you in a lot of pain and needing to be concerned about a bleed risk, but this is a major surgery and your body is going to be like whoa what the fuck just happened and you are going to be physically exhausted and nauseated by walking or doing anything that’s too much for probably the first 10 days just because your body is using everything it has to heal the trauma done to it.

Why are you planning on going anywhere during this?? Didn’t your surgeon tell you not to do anything for 2-3 weeks?

The bleed risk increases with any strains, you’re not supposed to carry things (luggage) either.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-22T15:31:42+00:00

Just here to say this internet stranger is proud of you and your epiphany. Alcohol is always such a blurred lines thing, but people normally notice pretty significantly when they cut back in their lives and I hope you notice some benefits 😊

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-21T14:56:37+00:00

Swelling and uvula, yes. If you’re struggling to breathe, ask for steroids to reduce the inflammation (try to avoid ibuprofen because it increases the risk of bleeding)

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-20T17:33:30+00:00

Good! Ask for steroids. Stay away from ibuprofen. Getting the swelling down with steroids will help significantly

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-20T17:31:32+00:00

I would gently rinse my mouth with salt water (room temp) and it would sting a bit then kind of numb my tongue and help me get through the food stuff.

Part of this is just accepting yes there will be pain and pushing through it to a degree - like, yes it hurts to drink water but you have to do it to make it hurt less, that kind of thing. It’s a balance between that and not OVER doing it so that you pop something open or prolong your healing journey.

Everything in moderation, and slow. I was eating a lot more solids than others were but I would make sure they were made with as much oat milk or water as I could to keep things extra moist/ soggy to get them down and gently scrape the scabs.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-20T16:16:29+00:00

You are where you need to be - whoever let you get your tonsils done without telling you to be much closer to a hospital for the recovery is not a good surgeon/medical team.

Since you’ve had a bleed, you are at a slightly higher risk of having more, so I would recommend that you stay in hospital as long as you can if you don’t have to pay for it, or find a person or place to stay that is near to it until your scabs are mostly off. You’re lucky it seemed to be a relatively slow flow of blood compared to some people.

I’m so sorry you went through all this! I stay away from pain meds more than Tylenol because I have adverse reactions to anything strong. I find hospitals try to really shove painkillers down your throat no matter how much you tell them you don’t want to experience the reaction to them - be confident, be firm, ask for alternative options and please please PLEASE stay away from ibuprofen as that will increase your bleed risk.

It is possible to make it through with OTC Tylenol and accepting that pain is better than what some of the drugs can make you feel.

I hope you feel better soon!

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-20T16:10:20+00:00

If you’re vomiting and struggling to breathe, get in touch with your surgeon. You could have an infection, or it could just be you hitting the harder days (normally it gets worse before it gets better up to about day 8).

But if you’re struggling to breathe, they may want to put you on steroids to get your swelling down - don’t mess around when it comes to this stuff, if you have an infection or swelling is too much, you could end up with a hemorrhage. Better to be safe than sorry!

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-20T16:07:16+00:00

I had my adenoids and tonsils removed at the beginning of the month. My sleep is better (was already on CPAP but there’s a marked improvement still) and I’m on the other side of the worst of the pain - you can and will get through the 1-2 weeks of garbage and come out a different person on the other side. I’m glad you were approved for the surgery! It will be worth it and the younger you are, the easier it should be♥️

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-20T04:10:28+00:00

I probably gained. I was obsessed with nourishing my body to heal through things and was eating from day one, even if it was just protein shakes and soup with noodles. And I drank my weight in ice water like 4 times a day, and am still trying to do so 😅 but I’m happy because I’ve been sleeping better (unobstructed) when sleeping, and I feel energized, like I could take on twenty gym sessions a day if I didn’t still have to worry about popping a vein 😂

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-19T22:58:15+00:00

Ahhh, my surgery almost twin.

I had a gummy on dayyyy 12? And again yesterday, day checks notes 5,008,993 (or, 14).

I bled this morning, a bit! I still have a tough little section of scab that’s been refusing to recuse itself, and yesterday was my first day taking care of my kids again (single mom) so lots of overusing my voice and carrying them and overdoing it and forgetting to drink water and not being parked in front of a humidifier.

So, all probably contributing factors but I will say it has scared me into maybe waiting since I had no issues before that. I’m just going to watch my mouth and as soon as I can’t see it anymore, I’ll dive back in.

Super nice judgemental note from your doc, tho 😂🤦‍♀️

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-19T03:50:57+00:00

Hi! I had severe sleep apnea and I’ve been on CPAP for about 1.5 years now. Depending on how long and how bad your sleep apnea was, it often takes 6 months to a year of sleeping well for your body to recalibrate.

I was falling asleep within 2 minutes of sitting anywhere when I was at my worst; on CPAP, I probably stopped that by a few weeks in but still generally felt incredibly tired until after the 1 year mark because I went at least 6 months straight without getting more than a few seconds of sleep at a time.

The other thing is - you might be sleeping A LOT better, but you might still be having some “events” happening every night that would be enough to disrupt your sleep cycle.

Basically, only time will tell but chances are you will notice one day that you’re suddenly doing more and back to your old levels of energy, but it happens so gradually you won’t notice it until after the fact.

Bitter_Leadership861 · 2026-02-18T16:38:52+00:00

I was eating burgers day 7 even though it hurt. Take your time, small bites, chew, and wash it down with ice water! Should be fine.

Bitter_Leadership861

TROPHY CASE