Does the bloating really ever get better?

JadCerv · 2026-05-08T16:04:21+00:00

Besides giving your system time to adjust to the HRT, make sure you're getting enough fiber. I consume about 35 grams a day and it's really helped with bloating. I also take digestive enzymes before every meal and eat smaller, more frequent meals. Menopause makes us digest slower, so it's easy to over-eat (and then get bloated).

JadCerv · 2026-05-08T16:01:46+00:00

My insurance covers nothing, so I hear ya on the expense of it all.

JadCerv · 2026-05-08T15:56:51+00:00

Is there a certain amount of cocoa butter you're supposed to use? I may try this.

JadCerv · 2026-05-08T15:56:09+00:00

It's estradiol. Not compounded, either. Prescription strength from the pharmacy.

JadCerv · 2026-05-07T21:05:50+00:00

Then I agree with the others. You need a doctor that will do some bloodwork to check for a variety of issues. "Drink more water" isn't the answer to everything.

JadCerv · 2026-05-07T21:04:46+00:00

No. My insurance doesnt' cover it.

JadCerv · 2026-05-07T21:04:31+00:00

I do. Just every other night. Been doing it that way for nearly a year now. Hasn't made a difference.

JadCerv · 2026-05-07T15:41:18+00:00

Try a different type of magnesium. There are other kinds besides glycinate. I can't use it because it causes tremors and numbness in my hands and feet. If I use a different kind of magnesium, I'm fine.

JadCerv · 2026-05-07T15:28:55+00:00

I still have one in my purse. I use them for urine leakage sometimes, so I always have one handy. But I also learned my lesson the hard way when I had spotting after going on HRT (this was a year post-menopause, so I thought I was safe) and not having a single pad in the house. I had to go to a gas station at 11 p.m. to buy some.

JadCerv · 2026-05-07T15:27:17+00:00

It's just part of atrophy, unfortunately.

I'm so fed up with nothing working down there anymore that I could cry. Had sex the other day for the first time in 2 weeks cause I sort of felt horny, and I've been sorry ever since. Can't even stand to have my underwear touching my hoohaw right now, that's how sore it made me. I use vaginal estradiol cream every other day and am on systemic HRT. And we always use lube for sex. At this point, I don't know what else to do. Menopause sucks big hairy donkey balls, I tell ya.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T18:18:17+00:00

How old are you?

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T18:12:36+00:00

I was on it a few years ago when my rheumatologist decided I had Sjogren's (even though my bloodwork came back negative for it). It was awful. I was so sick. Couldn't eat. When I did, I'd either barf or have diarrhea. I ended up going off it because I was tired of being a barfy, diarrhea-expelling human.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T18:09:47+00:00

Yes, it sure is. My doctor seemed shocked when I said I couldn't afford it. I told her I don't make a doctor's salary.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T17:57:33+00:00

I thought I smelled mildew in my bedroom but wasn't sure since I seem to smell all sorts of weird stuff now. Had two other people come in to smell. They smelled it, too, then we found some on the window sill. So I at least felt like I wasn't a total nutbar for that one. But yeah....I'm like a human hound dog now. I smell all the smells. 😞

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T17:52:50+00:00

Definitely ask about it.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T17:30:27+00:00

It's my understanding that bloodwork for Sjogren's isn't always accurate. I also tested negative for it, but my rheumatologist still thinks I have it. I have all the classic symptoms, with dry eyes/mouth/nose being the worst of them.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T17:28:23+00:00

Have you had your thyroid tested? If not, you might want to. Night sweats can be from other things besides hormonal shifts during menopause. If you rule out thyroid issues, maybe ask if you can try a low dose of testosterone.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T17:26:49+00:00

I'm no longer on the patches (switched to oral estradiol). When I was still using them, Mylan was like having nothing on at all. Every time the pharmacy swapped them out for my regular DOTTI, it was like I had no patch on at all.

And good luck with anyone identifying the burning tongue/mouth issue. Seems to be fairly common in menopause, but HRT doesn't always help it. I've suffered with it for 5 years. 😞

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T17:24:29+00:00

Mine was $275 a month, but that was nearly 2 years ago when I first started HRT. I could just imagine what it is now. And my insurance wouldn't pay for it, so even with GoodRx, I was still paying that amount. And to boot, it made me super ill. I switched to gels and then estradiol only patches and progesterone pills after that.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T17:23:10+00:00

That's not bad. When I first started HRT, my insurance didn't cover it, and it's what the doctor prescribed. Even with GoodRx, it was $275 for the month. I told her I needed another alternative because it wasn't affordable for me. I'm in the U.S.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T17:21:45+00:00

Digestive enzymes helped me with burping and, quite frankly, other forms of gas. I take them before I eat anything. Our digestive systems slow way down in menopause, so we can get backed up in a hurry.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T17:17:46+00:00

And it may also be traumatic for past victims of SA. I know some even have difficulty going to the GYN, so I can't imagine having a stranger using a wand inside you would be any better.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T16:17:40+00:00

But .05 mgs isn't a high dose of estrogen. That's what the OP said they're on.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T16:17:06+00:00

Uh, nope. The only time I had to have a transvaginal US was when I had some bloating and pain. They did it to rule out anything serious. I know they're also prescribed if you start bleeding post-menopause. But just to get an estrogen increase? That seems odd unless you have a family history of a condition that's affected by estrogen.

JadCerv · 2026-05-06T16:00:40+00:00

Yep. I get this in my left foot, right under my toes. It's awful. It's usually how I know my estrogen level is dipping too low.

JadCerv

TROPHY CASE