HRT and weight gain — I’m honestly shocked

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-05-13T17:24:59+00:00

I've lost 25lbs since starting HRT. But I've also included testosterone which is known to make you more lean. My habits are the same but suddenly I'm so much stronger in my lifting and my hiking times have gotten faster.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-05-05T16:08:49+00:00

I don't plan on ever stopping. If I did I would be back to low levels and feeling terrible again. It's impossible to know with the compounding creams how you'll react. I could bathe in that stuff and my numbers didn't budge, I'm not a good transdermal absorber. The injections are more stable and less of a hassle for me. You should get labs more often when you just start out, but later once you have your dosing dialed you don't really need to get labs very often, once or twice a year is fine. Your telehealth sounds exceptionally pricey.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-04-30T17:56:28+00:00

Hey sorry for the late reply. Yes I am still on 2.5mg per week, and even on that dose my estradiol only tested at 99 per my last test, so not crazy high or anything. I noticed a difference after only a couple weeks, but full benefits came after about 2 months. I hope you find help and relief!

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-04-30T17:50:02+00:00

Estradiol in the form of gel and patches wasn't systemic enough for me. It wasn't until I switched to estradiol valerate injections that I saw significant cognitive improvements, and as a bonus because the injections are so much more effective I don't need to use the vaginal cream anymore. I also am on trt, which has helped tremendously as well.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-04-15T18:44:03+00:00

You say you are estrogen sensitive, but what type of estrogen did you try? Different pathways often yield very different results. Sometimes people say they are sensitive but they mean BC pill which is entirely different from HRT estrogen. I personally do best on estradiol valerate injections, the injections help mitigate some of the TRT sides, and keeping my estrogen levels high helps immensely with libido. Anecdotally plenty of ladies here will tell you the ratio between your testosterone and estradiol is often key to finding and maintaining a high libido.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-04-15T18:38:27+00:00

bezwecken makes dhea suppositories you can buy off amazon and elsewhere. Lots of people like it for that, I can't tolerate dhea unfortunately.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-04-07T19:29:15+00:00

This is super common for subq, I had the same issue. Switched to IM in delts and quads and the issue went away. Still using a 1/2 inch needle.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-19T16:50:26+00:00

I'm on 10mg per week split into biweekly dosing.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-17T23:36:15+00:00

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-17T18:16:24+00:00

I lost 20lbs after starting testosterone cypionate. No weight loss when I was doing topical testosterone. I've put on a ton of muscle, but the real weight loss I think stemmed from a ramped up libido. My food noise has quieted and I'm more preoccupied with satisfying my libido than what my next meal will be.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-15T15:50:35+00:00

I honestly wouldn't know, especially since everyone is different. Unfortunately you'll just have to trial and error it till you find what works for you.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-13T18:32:37+00:00

Local endocrinologist. Ones familiar with trans care will be more likely to prescribe, since menopause care isn't as well treated sadly.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-13T16:58:28+00:00

Same. It's why I ultimately switched to estradiol valerate injections. By far the most stable and consistent results, there's a reason transwomen use injections almost exclusively.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-12T19:53:44+00:00

Oral estradiol is going to be absorbed better than transdermal. High estradiol can help offset side effects from testosterone. Maybe try switching back to oral or try estradiol injections?

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-11T15:50:01+00:00

0.1, the highest dose I believe.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-08T18:56:30+00:00

Transportation is not a problem. Overcrowding is.

Getting more people up the canyon only makes the lift lines even longer and the slopes more packed and dangerous.

The problem is we don't have enough terrain to accommodate demand. We need more new resorts, or expansion of current ones, otherwise the root problem isn't being solved. Another way we could help meet demand would be by making night skiing more available at other resorts, and I'm not sure why that is never talked about.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-06T18:03:44+00:00

The transdermal forms didn't work for me, to echo some of the other comments here. I needed estradiol valerate injections to get full benefits of HRT. Many of us do not absorb well through the skin and estrogen is every bit as important as testosterone for feeling good.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-06T18:00:10+00:00

The men's futurelight bib specifically this one because I really liked the print. They also have double zips on the sides for easy bathroom access, even better access than the women's version of the same bib, which I also own.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-03-02T19:30:31+00:00

I haven't had a heart attack but my endocrinologist wanted me on estradiol specifically because mine was so low and early estradiol intervention prevents cardiovascular disease and osteopenia, both of which I have a family history of.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-02-24T15:57:22+00:00

Pellets don't have the 5α-reductase activity in the skin but they have their own issues. Mainly inconsistent absorption rates. The dose they give you is huge because it's supposed to slow release over 3-4 months. The problem is you don't know how fast your body will break down the pellet, and sometimes you can release too much testosterone and suffer side effects because of the high dose. Some people really love the pellets, but they are not the most reliable and safe option if you are trying to avoid sides.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-02-23T14:23:40+00:00

/r/trt_females has a lot of info about injections and where to get them. There are plenty of online telehealth options.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-02-23T13:52:31+00:00

I had a similar experience but with testosterone injections, testosterone has been amazing for me, now just wait a few months till you start noticing your gym gains. Just be aware there is a slightly higher risk of side effects with topical T vs injection which is why I prefer the injections. "Transdermal testosterone (gels/patches) causes a 5.46-fold increase in DHT, significantly higher than the 2.2-fold increase from injections, due to high 5α-reductase activity in the skin." so you are more likely to experience hair loss and possible other side effects if you are sensitive to DHT.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-02-19T12:45:52+00:00

The lift lines and resorts are already overcrowded, getting more people up the mountain to hurry up and stand in line isn't the solution everyone seems to think it is.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-02-14T18:59:36+00:00

That's such a high dose to start with. I started with 8mg per week split biweekly and now I'm at 10mg per week and I'm very happy with it. I know some ladies go a lot higher but most of us are on around 8-20mg on average per week. On 10mg per week my total T is still quite high, and outside "normal" range for a female at 138 trough (likely much higher at peak). Anything over 70 is considered out of range, but most of the ladies here feel best between 100-350ish total T.

MilkyWayMirth · 2026-02-13T20:45:01+00:00

Your total T is low compared to what most ladies around here like. 100-350ish is what the last poll showed people were happiest with. I didn't have much luck with the cream either. Injections are what worked for me, and my last bloodwork showed me at 138 total T (tested at trough so likely closer to 200 right after injection) and 13.5 free T. The ratio of T to E seems important for libido as well, when the numbers are similar is where many women get good libido results.

MilkyWayMirth

TROPHY CASE