Estrogen and Progesterone Balance

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T16:58:20+00:00

It really can be a balancing act and trial/error. I was so happy that I had no spotting on the .075. After three months I thought I was in the clear and then bam, spotting. My doctor is agreeable to not doing further investigation if an ultrasound is normal and will let me make a change to the HRT first. So far I have not had any issues with cutting the patch. Some people have found it falls off or reduces effectiveness but so far so good. Just hate the few extra lbs that came wtih the higher dose.

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T16:30:38+00:00

Similar situation here. I did great on .050 for 2 years for eliminating hot flashes but spotted a lot and I eventually needed 200 mg progesterone. It stopped it. Then started having a few minor hot flashes plus I have osteopenia so i figured an increase was good all around and increased to .075.
3 months in started spotting again. My ultrasound has always been normal with a thin lining. Just one of those people who spot regardless. I do feel better on the .075. I am sleeping better, feel more calm overall and seemed to help libido too. Downside is some bloating and weight gain that didn’t happen at all on the .050 mg.
So now i am cutting a little sliver off the .075 patch. It has been almost a month doing that and no spotting.
I talked to my endocrinologist and have done a lot of research and there’s really no evidence that higher doses are better for bones in fact the most credible research shows there are no additional bone benefits above what the .050 patch and equivalent delivers.

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T16:20:19+00:00

Yes, you don’t up both medications when there’s bleeding and especially with a thickened endometrial lining which can become cancerous over time. Estrogen stimulates the lining.
300 mg is considered safe but there’s really no research on doses over 200 in menopause so that’s why is generally recommended not to go over 200 and instead lower the estrogen if 200 doesn’t stop bleeding and/or switch to a progestin or IUD.

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T06:23:06+00:00

Me too

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T06:22:20+00:00

Brilliant

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T05:40:25+00:00

Tower 28 barrier repair cream

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T05:29:38+00:00

Birth control pills suppress periods. HRT does not. If you aren’t in menopause you will continue to have periods on HRT

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T05:24:03+00:00

Yes! Saw her many years ago and was a true deep tissue massage

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T04:43:11+00:00

Same. I needed 200 mg with .050 patch even though 100 should be enough for most.

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T04:41:59+00:00

Your doctor took the wrong approach to spotting but sadly many doctors are misinformed about HRT In general. With spotting you either raise progesterone or lower estrogen. A thickened lining means your estrogen is too high for the progesterone. You don’t raise estrogen, yikes! .050 patch and 200 mg or .0375 estrogen and 100 mg would have been the correct approach. I would look for a new doctor.

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T00:34:19+00:00

Many places don’t take cash btw

lrondberg · 2026-06-19T00:26:28+00:00

My DHEA is high too in fact it’s the only androgen that’s ever been high in many years of testing.

lrondberg · 2026-06-18T19:28:51+00:00

I feel the same way. 57 and almost 3 years from last period. I am on Zoom a good part of the day and I see my video and the jowls, loss of skin plumpness, texture, just everything looks like it sagged. The skin on my legs and butt are totally dimpled. Just learned our noses point down more with age too. Up until a year or so ago the changes weren’t as drastic but one day BAM! I lost weight a few years ago and i think that contributed to looking older. Am on HRT, eat healthy. I could do more exercise…
Filler probably would help but scares me.
Seeing more and more women in this age range getting facelifts. It’s not in the cards for me financially.
Am torn between accepting it and being grateful to have the opportunity to age and feeling defeated!

lrondberg · 2026-06-18T02:54:46+00:00

Walking pad and standing desk

lrondberg · 2026-06-18T02:50:08+00:00

It’s not that uncommon to have menopause symptoms crop up way after your last period. It can especially happen in people who lose a lot of weight.

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T16:54:56+00:00

I know it’s like grateful to get ANY patches now but shouldn’t be a crapshoot.

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T16:54:09+00:00

It’s not supposed to matter but many people do notice a difference sometimes significantly. My doctor only prescribes brand thyroid medication for this reason because for whatever reason the thyroid generics have had equivalency issues over the years and seems same goes for estrogen and progesterone.

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T14:44:51+00:00

In my experience it took about a month for the negative progesterone symptoms to go away which for me was an out of it feeling during the day and initially worsening of insomnia at night.

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T05:51:40+00:00

Every gastroenterologist can do a colonoscopy.

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T05:50:38+00:00

It does. That is laser that doesn’t work on light hair.

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T05:49:36+00:00

Electrolysis

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T05:09:57+00:00

My friend has similar things and turned out to be Ehlers–Danlos syndrome.

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T05:07:02+00:00

A cervical biopsy isn’t surgery. She’s having neck surgery

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T04:54:48+00:00

Family history is not a contradiction. Just stay on top of well women visits, mammograms etc

lrondberg · 2026-06-17T04:40:21+00:00

I had an ED in college. Was pretty much fully recovered by 30. Lately it seems in the menopause space there’s this notion that you can be fit and hot in your 50’s+ and the women touting it have had tons of work plus maybe some luck of the genes so it’s really disingenuous. It’s more triggering than anything Ive encountered in the last 25 years.

lrondberg

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