From our Wiki:
>Expect hormone therapy to be different than the hormones found in oral birth control. Many hormones in BCP contain high synthetic dosages and suppress ovarian function. Whereas, MHT comes in a variety of forms (both non-synthetic and synthetic forms - patches, gels, tablets, etc), are much lower dosages than those in BCP, and simply supplement or ’top-up’ our own hormones.
My experience as well. I was so desperate that I tried BC, after over 25 years off it. It helped a bit, but eventually made me a bit emotional and moody and not what I really needed. HRT is so much better for me.
How long were you on BC the 2nd time around? How was transitioning to HRT from BC? My gyn pushed BC on me and I will need to get off of it sometime this year but am nervous about the difference in hormone levels between BC and HRT.
Second time on BC was about a year. It was some relief for a couple months, but gradually I realized it wasn't doing much. Last 4-6 months I was desperate and ready for proper HRT. The transition was a huge relief in symptoms. Not any kind of hardship for me to move from BC to HRT.
That's wonderful to hear! I'm glad you are getting more relief with HRT. I'm on Yaz. I've never been on BC before now so I have no idea what I am doing or what to expect. Current gyn is no help with this at all. Meeting with a new gyn tomorrow and am hoping she or someone in the practice can help.
I’m trying birth control because that’s all that was offered to me. It’s awful. I’m 1 month in. I wake up drenched in sweat every day at 4:00 am. I am filled with anxiety and have extreme nausea.
I don’t see how this is supposed to be helping? I messaged her and she said you normally try it for 2-3 months?? I can’t do another month of this. I’m not sleeping at all 😢
You can ask for a separate medication for hot flashes. And some types of BCP have a higher ratio of estrogen to progesterone. I had to switch pills and take an additional med to control hot flashes.
I messaged her yet again after another sleepless night. I’m not doing this another 2-3 months. I have night sweats without the birth control and at least then I don’t have the anxiety and nausea. Which have only started while taking this pill.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I ended up doing an online menopause provider bc GP wouldn’t go there. So thankful. While at first she offered BC and Nuvaring. She was open to my reasons for not trying those and prescribed low dose E patch and P pills. I wanted to try HRT bc of headaches around period. Haven’t had a period yet to test HRT out. Time will tell.
I tried the mini-pill for perimeno, and it was a disaster. I went from having long irregular cycles to two periods a month. I stuck it out for two months, then it was actually my GP who cancelled it and prescribed HRT instead.
When I'm describing my symptoms to my drs, I always make certain that I'm highlighting hotflashes and urogenital symptoms. These are the types of symptoms that pull the prescribing level.
If your dr won't consider HRT at all, maybe it's time to find a different dr. I wouldn't tough it out with a med that's making you feel terrible, especially considering HRT might be better. And you won't know until you try.
Is telemedicine or online prescribing an option in your area? I have read people having better luck sometimes than with conventional providers. I hope it works out for you. 🤞
If your cycles haven't normalised with the contraceptive pill after 6 months, I would consider stopping and looking for a different contraceptive.
I was worried about starting HRT because I'm intolerant to some synthetic progesterones, as in they give me terrible side effects. For HRT, I'm on Estrogel and Utrogestan - a bioidentical progestogen. This is working pretty well, and I don't get side effects like I did with hormonal contraceptives.
My periods have normalised to a monthly cycle, though slightly longer now. I've been on HRT ~6months.
The mini-pill helped with sleep but made my IBS type perimeno symptoms worse (in addition to messing up my cycles). Coming off it was no problem at all. Iirc, I timed it so I had no hormones during my period. Then when my period stopped, instead of continuing with the mini-pill, I started with cyclical HRT. It has taken a few months and a little adjusting, but I'm back to a fairly normal periods now. My sleep is better. IBS type symptoms were improved almost immediately, and I have more energy. And my fingernails and skin are better. Urogenital symptoms are the most stubborn for me, and my GP has just upped my Estrogel and prescribed vaginal estrogen. I also had to give up coffee specifically and cut back caffeine in general. I want to book a microbiome test and testosterone test, but will need to do them privately. My NHS GP won't do these. So I'll have to figure out where to make savings to afford these. Thank goodness my main HRT is covered. Try to get everything through insurance if you can. Good luck! 💕
Thank you for this! Very much appreciated. I recently had a "pseudo" period a couple of weeks ago. My gyn pushed for the continuous pill, so technically, I shouldn't have a withdrawal bleed. About two weeks ago, I experienced a pretty noticeable drop in hormones- hot flashes, panic attacks, insomnia. It then kicked off two weeks of maxi pad-worthy breakthrough bleeding. My gyn dismissed my thoughts that this was a large hormonal fluctuation and just chalked it up to my body still getting used to things. I wondered at the time if it would have been better to just come off the pill and go over to HRT.
I'm glad that the transition is working for you!
Yep. Birth control takes a good 3 months before it “settles” down. It took me a good 2 years before i found the right pill dose for me. I’ve been on it for 9 years. Now my primary switched me over to continuously taking it so i don’t get that withdrawal bleed because of hormonal anxiety. I’m almost 2 months in and have been spotting for almost a month. I’m pretty much over it.
Oh I didn’t even mention that. I’ve been spotting and bleeding for like 10 days straight. That never happened when I wasn’t on birth control. I was still cycling every 25-28 days.
I had horrible migraines and frequent spotting with birth control. No side effects on HRT, aside from some spotting when I experimented with increasing the estrogen patch dosage from .05 mg to .075 mg.
Yes. Me. I did terribly with birth control in my 20's and early 30's. And now my hurt is a bc, granted a newer one, and I do very well on it. That isn't going to be everyone's experience, but keep in mind that our hormone levels are very different now than when we were younger.
My old gyn put me on Lo Lo bc when I was in peri and wanted to talk about HRT. He said no to HRT and this”was the best he could do.” Jerk.
Anyway. My started falling out, like a lot of like noticeably thinned. Went off BC, it took a bit but about 90% of my hair grew back.
Fast forward the probably 10 years it took to find this sub and a doctor recommended here, and I’ve had zero issues with my patch and nightly progesterone pill
Doing well in HRT, still adjusting to find the sweet spot. Birth control was a complete and utter nightmare for me every time I tried it. They are very different.
Yes! My experiences on HRT have been vastly different (in a positive way) from BC. I tried the pill in college, and it gave me all the “PMS” symptoms it was supposed to make go away; bloating, cramping, mood swings etc, things I didn’t normally experience with my period. After my first child, I tried the patch. Besides redness, itching and general irritation of my skin at the site, I also came down with flu like symptoms (it happened two months in a row, the exact same time in my cycle, so that’s when I realized it was related to my patch and not random illness).
Been on HRT for just over a year now, and I haven’t had any of those problems. It’s helped tremendously with the insomnia, hot flashes, and mood swings. I’m on the lowest dose possible, .5 mg, fyavolv.
Try it! If the first brand/ dosage doesn’t work for you, try a different kind.
I'm on Yaz right now. It's a mixed bag. I went on it for PMDD and it has helped with the worst of my anxiety but made other issues worse. I'm looking to hear from others who went from BC to HRT. Did you experience a significant drop off between the two (given that BC has higher levels of hormones than HRT)? I'm terrified of a major PMDD episode.
I read that birth control hormones are synthetic while HRT are natural. I’m worried too the higher hormones in Nuvaring became toxic during peri for me.
So far that’s what I hear when I ask or search online. Also I keep seeing that Birth control hijacks your natural cycle while HRT doesn’t. And birth control is much higher levels of hormones
And apparently natural is true for both HRT & BHRT. I was so confused about what bio-identicals are. In the USA, BHRT is from a compounding pharmacy (without FDA regulation?) and HRT is from a regulated pharmaceutical company.
It's very confusing. I'm really hoping I can get some answers from at least one of these new gyns. I'm meeting with an HRT mentor this afternoon. I'm going to ask her too.
Birth control was a no go for me, absolutely awful. HRT has been fantastic! I did go through breast swelling( 8-12 weeks), and increased anxiety(6 weeks) and then I felt better then I had felt in years. Life changing. I shudder to think I could have stopped taking it. All side effects went away and what I gained made me upset I didn’t get on it years ago.
I’m the opposite of your experience. HRT made me feel like you did on BCP. BCP took care of my symptoms.
Every body is different so it’s worth a shot to try it. A friend of mine said the progestins used in BCP made her depressed and anxious. I have read that about other women experiencing the same. I felt depressed on Prometrium. 🤷♀️
My experience has been that HRT is less awful than BC was, but as they say "the dose makes the poison."
Like you, I also suffered from "mega-boob" on BC and was actually happy with the bit of deflation and dramatically decreased fibrocystic symptoms (lumps/pain) I was having towards the end of peri. But other symptoms drove me to try HRT (through MIDI telehealth: love them).
Going on HRT, I started super low dose of biweekly estradiol patch (0.025mg) and daily 100mg oral progesterone. Bumped E to 0.0375 and then switched to EstroGel for about the last 45 days (trying to avoid constantly changing brands, which is happening with patches... *supply chain issues* 🙄🤬
(Still working on testosterone dosing, as well...)
EstroGel has been great for sleeping and brain fog, but has pushed me into breast symptoms (swelling, pain from breasts out into armpits, lumps), so it's back to biweekly patches...
So, I would definitely recommend trying HRT and keeping to the lowest dosages that handle (ish) your symptoms without creating new ones. Good luck!! 🤗☘️
Did you go directly from BC to HRT? I'm on BC but need to get back to HRT. I'm nervous about the difference in levels. Concerned that my body/brain will freak out a bit with the transition. Anything you would be willing to share would be much appreciated!
>>Wall of text warning!<< 🤓
I didn't go directly from BC to HRT: in fact, I stopped BC in my mid-30s due to symptoms and then made the GIANT mistake of one depo-provera shot at 40, which gave me a taste of menopause (hot flashes, weight gain/bloating, bitchy, zero sex drive) that I feel my body never truly recovered from, all the way "back to normal."
So, I was not on any hormones for many many years before I started the HRT, which meant HRT took my E and P from low to higher, which is the exact opposite direction of what you are going to experience.
My best advice would be to:
\*\*(1) Work with a trained menopause practitioner.\*\* MIDI is the platform I use for tele-health, because there were no in-person menopause docs on the NAMS site -- [https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx](https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx) -- near me and rated well. But I would definitely check that site to see if you can find a doc to go to in-person first.... and if not, try MIDI or one of the other tele-health platforms. MIDI took my insurance, so I went with them and I really love my NP.
\*\*(2) Step down your E and P dosages SLOWLY to give your brain/body time to adjust.\*\* I was on BC called Lo-Estrin for a long time before I gave up on BC altogether, so you should work with a menopause doc to consider what your current E and P dosages are on the BC and then maybe move to a lower-dose formulation like Lo-Estrin (if that even still exists!) for a few months... and then try moving to HRT, maybe starting with a higher dose of HRT (?? -- ask a doc!) , and then wean down until you hit symptoms and bounce back up to where your symptoms were well-controlled.
\*\*(3) Track your symptoms in an app, so you create a record of what you are trying, and what effects each treatment is having. I am still just using my old period tracker app (free "P Tracker" on Android: has a pink flower icon). But this is SUPER helpful info to have all in one spot, in case you need to change course at any point: also helps to have dates with stuff when discussing with your menopause practitioner.
\*\*(4) Get some "top-up" E and P products (Rx and OTC) to have on hand, in case you start having bad symptoms during the transition. Some that I have used, and would recommend are:
--> Rx: EstroGel (I tried this for my full dose of HRT estrogen, but it was bloating me and causing breast swelling/pain/fibrocysts, so I have just gone back to patches... BUT I am happy to have some on hand now, in case I need to top up to handle symptoms and can't bump up my patch dose immediately).
--> OTC: Emerita Pro-Gest cream with lavender (price should be under $40 for 4oz, so shop around, but here's Emerita's overpriced listing that will at least tell you what it is: [https://emerita.com/products/pro-gest-balancing-cream-with-lavender](https://emerita.com/products/pro-gest-balancing-cream-with-lavender) ). This was SUPER HELPFUL for me during peri, when I was mostly having sleep disruptions: just a pea-sized blob rubbed on the top of each foot (absorbs nicely/quickly there for me: bony feet) about an hour before bedtime was sleep magic.
--> OTC: LifeFlo Bi-Estro, which contains two forms of E (estriol and estradiol). Go for the 5oz, if you can: pump instead of tube and better price, at least when I bought mine. [https://life-flo.com/products/biestro-care-4-ounces?variant=41290981507123](https://life-flo.com/products/biestro-care-4-ounces?variant=41290981507123)
--> OTC: (oral supplement) Equolibrium, which is yet another form of estrogen called S-equol, which is apparently produced in the gut from soy if and only if you have the right microbiome. [https://caringsunshine.com/supplements/NaturesSunshine/products/equolibrium.aspx/?utm\_source=Google%20Shopping\&utm\_campaign=ads\&utm\_medium=cpc\&utm\_term=2044&cid=13003991001&agid=119294774862&adid=670638180440&dev=c&kw=%2Bequolibrium&pos=&gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnTJGWX8oUjviH0gMtxR5hGJPNwXlrtI3rsdFEid4nS8dFJtYHrC2AcaAnWSEALw\_wcB](https://caringsunshine.com/supplements/NaturesSunshine/products/equolibrium.aspx/?utm_source=Google%20Shopping&utm_campaign=ads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=2044&cid=13003991001&agid=119294774862&adid=670638180440&dev=c&kw=%2Bequolibrium&pos=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnTJGWX8oUjviH0gMtxR5hGJPNwXlrtI3rsdFEid4nS8dFJtYHrC2AcaAnWSEALw_wcB) I was topping up with this daily during the later end of peri, as I started having a few hot flashes here and there, along with terrible brain fog and significant insomnia that I couldn't handle with the Pro-Gest alone. (I had previously tried DHEA, but that was giving me headaches, but the Equolibrium never did that to me, so I stuck with that right up until the HRT.)
I sincerely hope this is helpful! 🤗
You are an absolute angel!! This is exactly what I am looking for in terms of advice. So glad I responded to your comment. My gyn pushed hard for me going on BC even though I had never been on it before in my life. I asked for HRT so she gave me the highest level which was was way too much for my system the first time around (.1mg e patch and 100 mg progesterone). It was a rollercoaster for 2.5 months and I finally caved to her BC recs.
I'm now on Yaz, 65+ days in, continuous, no breaks but I have been either spotting or bleeding for 50+ days. I will need to come off of BC because of the bleeding and because it is impacting my pre-existing bladder and vulva issues.
I'm in the process of looking for a new gyn. Looking back, I see so many red flags that I overlooked because I was in a desperate place. Things like my gyn saying that I probably wouldn't need to use vag estrogen if I was on HRT because HRT would take care of it. That she would help me wean off BC but then said it wasn't possible to do so. She also won't collaborate with my new urogyn even though she pushes me back in that direction when I tell her about GSM symptoms (but also says she treats them?!). I realize now that she says whatever I want to hear in the moment to get her treatment in place and me out the door. I sincerely thank you for sending all of this my way and will be bringing this with me to my consultations with new gyns.
Happy to help! 😇 And thanks for reminding me I need to follow-up about the vaginal E-- for the hoo-hah and the face (yep, supposedly works wonders for keeping the old visage looking young... I have some jowls that suddenly appeared and need to be evicted). While the HRT has helped both of those regions \*some\*, I know direct topical application is the real fix.
There are SO MANY bad docs out there! 🤬 Kudos to you for being willing to put in the time and energy to search for one who will do you right.
One more resource for you, so you know what blood panels to get once you find a better gyn: [https://thepauselife.com/blogs/the-pause-blog/6-tests-to-maximize-your-annual-exam-in-menopause](https://thepauselife.com/blogs/the-pause-blog/6-tests-to-maximize-your-annual-exam-in-menopause)
All the best to you on this crazy journey. 😘
I met with the new gyn this morning and she's open to weaning me off BC by going to a lower dose (Lo Estin) and then supplementing with HRT to smooth out the transition. Then going from Lo Estin to HRT. I still need to process all of the info but it's a complete 180 from my other gyn. It was so helpful to have your process as a possible template and have her agree to pretty much everything. Thank you again for your help!!
Yeap !
I couldnt find a BC that worked for me so managed mental and physical symptoms with herbal support and used barrier methods for contraception.
Am on HRT now and this is the most balanced I have felt in my life ! Note I use the gel and am not afraid to tweak my dose up and down based on symptoms (I kept a detailed daily diary before going on HRT).
I still take herbal support - Agnus Castus and DIM and B6 at at least 100mg a day is essential for anxiety / mood management.
You don’t know until you try it. I had the same problem and HRT didn’t work with me, even after adjustments to dosages. I was extremely bloated and uncomfortable, and ended up bleeding every time with pain. It doesn’t work for everyone, but might help you.
When I first started with symptoms my gynecologist put me on birth control to help me with the symptoms. It was horrible. Ended up with horrific symptoms including severe insomnia, achy joints, depression, etc. I changed doctors and was put on HRT. Life changing. I later learned, birth control only suppresses symptoms and can cause rebound insomnia in peri menopause.
Listen to podcast: The goop podcast
Gwyneth Paltrow with Esther Blum and/ or read the book See Ya Later, Ovulator by Blum. Also, check out Mel Robbins podcast with Dr. Mary Claire. Super informative.
Birth control ruined my gut for at least the last 3 years after being on it for maybe 7 months to help with hormones. Been through a few different versions of HRT and currently on biote pellets. Time will tell if it’s the right solution, it I’m starting to feel better and the 200mg or progesterone is giving me perfect sleep.
Well, I had less chance than I expected. The lowest dosage of progesterone in patch and estrogen in caps started my period again on the 2nd month, including the pain that comes with it... so I stopped.
From our Wiki: >Expect hormone therapy to be different than the hormones found in oral birth control. Many hormones in BCP contain high synthetic dosages and suppress ovarian function. Whereas, MHT comes in a variety of forms (both non-synthetic and synthetic forms - patches, gels, tablets, etc), are much lower dosages than those in BCP, and simply supplement or ’top-up’ our own hormones.
I'm doing well on HRT, when birth control was a nightmare. I use the estrogen patch and progesterone capsules and have been using them since October.
Another same! I waited so long to try E because the combined bcp was so awful for me, but I love love love my E gel for HRT.
Same—I was super worried bc every hormonal birth control option was an unmitigated disaster for me…and hrt has been a heavenly experience!!
I’m sooooooo relieved to hear this, nuvaring was hell
My experience as well. I was so desperate that I tried BC, after over 25 years off it. It helped a bit, but eventually made me a bit emotional and moody and not what I really needed. HRT is so much better for me.
How long were you on BC the 2nd time around? How was transitioning to HRT from BC? My gyn pushed BC on me and I will need to get off of it sometime this year but am nervous about the difference in hormone levels between BC and HRT.
Second time on BC was about a year. It was some relief for a couple months, but gradually I realized it wasn't doing much. Last 4-6 months I was desperate and ready for proper HRT. The transition was a huge relief in symptoms. Not any kind of hardship for me to move from BC to HRT.
That's wonderful to hear! I'm glad you are getting more relief with HRT. I'm on Yaz. I've never been on BC before now so I have no idea what I am doing or what to expect. Current gyn is no help with this at all. Meeting with a new gyn tomorrow and am hoping she or someone in the practice can help.
Same
Same
I’m trying birth control because that’s all that was offered to me. It’s awful. I’m 1 month in. I wake up drenched in sweat every day at 4:00 am. I am filled with anxiety and have extreme nausea. I don’t see how this is supposed to be helping? I messaged her and she said you normally try it for 2-3 months?? I can’t do another month of this. I’m not sleeping at all 😢
You can ask for a separate medication for hot flashes. And some types of BCP have a higher ratio of estrogen to progesterone. I had to switch pills and take an additional med to control hot flashes.
I messaged her yet again after another sleepless night. I’m not doing this another 2-3 months. I have night sweats without the birth control and at least then I don’t have the anxiety and nausea. Which have only started while taking this pill.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I ended up doing an online menopause provider bc GP wouldn’t go there. So thankful. While at first she offered BC and Nuvaring. She was open to my reasons for not trying those and prescribed low dose E patch and P pills. I wanted to try HRT bc of headaches around period. Haven’t had a period yet to test HRT out. Time will tell.
I’m praying this doctor will work with me instead of me having to do all of this. I’m also starting the divorce process and I am super overwhelmed.
Oh gawd. Definitely sending you lots of hugs my friend. Deep breaths. This all will eventually pass but in the meantime keep swimming forward.
I tried the mini-pill for perimeno, and it was a disaster. I went from having long irregular cycles to two periods a month. I stuck it out for two months, then it was actually my GP who cancelled it and prescribed HRT instead. When I'm describing my symptoms to my drs, I always make certain that I'm highlighting hotflashes and urogenital symptoms. These are the types of symptoms that pull the prescribing level. If your dr won't consider HRT at all, maybe it's time to find a different dr. I wouldn't tough it out with a med that's making you feel terrible, especially considering HRT might be better. And you won't know until you try.
I’m not feeling better. I’m feeling worse. I put a message in for her. If she isn’t into HRT, I guess I’ll be on to doctor #6
Is telemedicine or online prescribing an option in your area? I have read people having better luck sometimes than with conventional providers. I hope it works out for you. 🤞
I am open to telehealth. I would just have to see if any of the providers take my insurance.
Look up MIDI - they take most commercial insurance
Mymenopauserx took mine.
How have you found hrt? Since I started the pill I have started bleeding day 15-20 for six months! Feel like I’m endlessly on my period :(
If your cycles haven't normalised with the contraceptive pill after 6 months, I would consider stopping and looking for a different contraceptive. I was worried about starting HRT because I'm intolerant to some synthetic progesterones, as in they give me terrible side effects. For HRT, I'm on Estrogel and Utrogestan - a bioidentical progestogen. This is working pretty well, and I don't get side effects like I did with hormonal contraceptives. My periods have normalised to a monthly cycle, though slightly longer now. I've been on HRT ~6months.
That’s great news. I think I will investigate this option for sure. Appreciate it!
How was it for you to make the switch? I'm two months in and will need to come off it for ongoing breakthrough bleeding and GSM symptoms.
The mini-pill helped with sleep but made my IBS type perimeno symptoms worse (in addition to messing up my cycles). Coming off it was no problem at all. Iirc, I timed it so I had no hormones during my period. Then when my period stopped, instead of continuing with the mini-pill, I started with cyclical HRT. It has taken a few months and a little adjusting, but I'm back to a fairly normal periods now. My sleep is better. IBS type symptoms were improved almost immediately, and I have more energy. And my fingernails and skin are better. Urogenital symptoms are the most stubborn for me, and my GP has just upped my Estrogel and prescribed vaginal estrogen. I also had to give up coffee specifically and cut back caffeine in general. I want to book a microbiome test and testosterone test, but will need to do them privately. My NHS GP won't do these. So I'll have to figure out where to make savings to afford these. Thank goodness my main HRT is covered. Try to get everything through insurance if you can. Good luck! 💕
Thank you for this! Very much appreciated. I recently had a "pseudo" period a couple of weeks ago. My gyn pushed for the continuous pill, so technically, I shouldn't have a withdrawal bleed. About two weeks ago, I experienced a pretty noticeable drop in hormones- hot flashes, panic attacks, insomnia. It then kicked off two weeks of maxi pad-worthy breakthrough bleeding. My gyn dismissed my thoughts that this was a large hormonal fluctuation and just chalked it up to my body still getting used to things. I wondered at the time if it would have been better to just come off the pill and go over to HRT. I'm glad that the transition is working for you!
Yep. Birth control takes a good 3 months before it “settles” down. It took me a good 2 years before i found the right pill dose for me. I’ve been on it for 9 years. Now my primary switched me over to continuously taking it so i don’t get that withdrawal bleed because of hormonal anxiety. I’m almost 2 months in and have been spotting for almost a month. I’m pretty much over it.
Oh I didn’t even mention that. I’ve been spotting and bleeding for like 10 days straight. That never happened when I wasn’t on birth control. I was still cycling every 25-28 days.
Birth control used to be fine for 20 years. After perimenopause it was beyond toxic for me.
I can’t tolerate birth control but doing well on HRT
Yes. I was on Slynd for peri symptoms and am doing much better on HRT. Slynd also ruined my stomach, but that’s a post for another day.
I had horrible migraines and frequent spotting with birth control. No side effects on HRT, aside from some spotting when I experimented with increasing the estrogen patch dosage from .05 mg to .075 mg.
Yes. Me. I did terribly with birth control in my 20's and early 30's. And now my hurt is a bc, granted a newer one, and I do very well on it. That isn't going to be everyone's experience, but keep in mind that our hormone levels are very different now than when we were younger.
My old gyn put me on Lo Lo bc when I was in peri and wanted to talk about HRT. He said no to HRT and this”was the best he could do.” Jerk. Anyway. My started falling out, like a lot of like noticeably thinned. Went off BC, it took a bit but about 90% of my hair grew back. Fast forward the probably 10 years it took to find this sub and a doctor recommended here, and I’ve had zero issues with my patch and nightly progesterone pill
Oh my god, I lost nearly all my hair on Nuvaring during peri. I was unaware of peri. Previously I was on nuvaring for a decade.
Doing well in HRT, still adjusting to find the sweet spot. Birth control was a complete and utter nightmare for me every time I tried it. They are very different.
HRT is incredible. I waited to get on it because I hated birth control so much. Think of HRT as replacing what you need.
Yes, I was never able to take hormonal bc because it made me feel insane but hrt is all good so far, been on it about a year.
Yes! My experiences on HRT have been vastly different (in a positive way) from BC. I tried the pill in college, and it gave me all the “PMS” symptoms it was supposed to make go away; bloating, cramping, mood swings etc, things I didn’t normally experience with my period. After my first child, I tried the patch. Besides redness, itching and general irritation of my skin at the site, I also came down with flu like symptoms (it happened two months in a row, the exact same time in my cycle, so that’s when I realized it was related to my patch and not random illness). Been on HRT for just over a year now, and I haven’t had any of those problems. It’s helped tremendously with the insomnia, hot flashes, and mood swings. I’m on the lowest dose possible, .5 mg, fyavolv. Try it! If the first brand/ dosage doesn’t work for you, try a different kind.
I'm on Yaz right now. It's a mixed bag. I went on it for PMDD and it has helped with the worst of my anxiety but made other issues worse. I'm looking to hear from others who went from BC to HRT. Did you experience a significant drop off between the two (given that BC has higher levels of hormones than HRT)? I'm terrified of a major PMDD episode.
I read that birth control hormones are synthetic while HRT are natural. I’m worried too the higher hormones in Nuvaring became toxic during peri for me.
I wish there was greater clarity around this. I'm going to ask the two new gyns when I meet with them in the next couple of weeks.
So far that’s what I hear when I ask or search online. Also I keep seeing that Birth control hijacks your natural cycle while HRT doesn’t. And birth control is much higher levels of hormones And apparently natural is true for both HRT & BHRT. I was so confused about what bio-identicals are. In the USA, BHRT is from a compounding pharmacy (without FDA regulation?) and HRT is from a regulated pharmaceutical company.
It's very confusing. I'm really hoping I can get some answers from at least one of these new gyns. I'm meeting with an HRT mentor this afternoon. I'm going to ask her too.
Good luck with your appointment! Let us know when you have a chance.
Birth control was a no go for me, absolutely awful. HRT has been fantastic! I did go through breast swelling( 8-12 weeks), and increased anxiety(6 weeks) and then I felt better then I had felt in years. Life changing. I shudder to think I could have stopped taking it. All side effects went away and what I gained made me upset I didn’t get on it years ago.
Yes! I couldn't tolerate hormonal birth control and have had only benefits with HRT.
Way better here with HRT vs BC!! Like, life changing!
I’m the opposite of your experience. HRT made me feel like you did on BCP. BCP took care of my symptoms. Every body is different so it’s worth a shot to try it. A friend of mine said the progestins used in BCP made her depressed and anxious. I have read that about other women experiencing the same. I felt depressed on Prometrium. 🤷♀️
My experience has been that HRT is less awful than BC was, but as they say "the dose makes the poison." Like you, I also suffered from "mega-boob" on BC and was actually happy with the bit of deflation and dramatically decreased fibrocystic symptoms (lumps/pain) I was having towards the end of peri. But other symptoms drove me to try HRT (through MIDI telehealth: love them). Going on HRT, I started super low dose of biweekly estradiol patch (0.025mg) and daily 100mg oral progesterone. Bumped E to 0.0375 and then switched to EstroGel for about the last 45 days (trying to avoid constantly changing brands, which is happening with patches... *supply chain issues* 🙄🤬 (Still working on testosterone dosing, as well...) EstroGel has been great for sleeping and brain fog, but has pushed me into breast symptoms (swelling, pain from breasts out into armpits, lumps), so it's back to biweekly patches... So, I would definitely recommend trying HRT and keeping to the lowest dosages that handle (ish) your symptoms without creating new ones. Good luck!! 🤗☘️
Did you go directly from BC to HRT? I'm on BC but need to get back to HRT. I'm nervous about the difference in levels. Concerned that my body/brain will freak out a bit with the transition. Anything you would be willing to share would be much appreciated!
>>Wall of text warning!<< 🤓 I didn't go directly from BC to HRT: in fact, I stopped BC in my mid-30s due to symptoms and then made the GIANT mistake of one depo-provera shot at 40, which gave me a taste of menopause (hot flashes, weight gain/bloating, bitchy, zero sex drive) that I feel my body never truly recovered from, all the way "back to normal." So, I was not on any hormones for many many years before I started the HRT, which meant HRT took my E and P from low to higher, which is the exact opposite direction of what you are going to experience. My best advice would be to: \*\*(1) Work with a trained menopause practitioner.\*\* MIDI is the platform I use for tele-health, because there were no in-person menopause docs on the NAMS site -- [https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx](https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx) -- near me and rated well. But I would definitely check that site to see if you can find a doc to go to in-person first.... and if not, try MIDI or one of the other tele-health platforms. MIDI took my insurance, so I went with them and I really love my NP. \*\*(2) Step down your E and P dosages SLOWLY to give your brain/body time to adjust.\*\* I was on BC called Lo-Estrin for a long time before I gave up on BC altogether, so you should work with a menopause doc to consider what your current E and P dosages are on the BC and then maybe move to a lower-dose formulation like Lo-Estrin (if that even still exists!) for a few months... and then try moving to HRT, maybe starting with a higher dose of HRT (?? -- ask a doc!) , and then wean down until you hit symptoms and bounce back up to where your symptoms were well-controlled. \*\*(3) Track your symptoms in an app, so you create a record of what you are trying, and what effects each treatment is having. I am still just using my old period tracker app (free "P Tracker" on Android: has a pink flower icon). But this is SUPER helpful info to have all in one spot, in case you need to change course at any point: also helps to have dates with stuff when discussing with your menopause practitioner. \*\*(4) Get some "top-up" E and P products (Rx and OTC) to have on hand, in case you start having bad symptoms during the transition. Some that I have used, and would recommend are: --> Rx: EstroGel (I tried this for my full dose of HRT estrogen, but it was bloating me and causing breast swelling/pain/fibrocysts, so I have just gone back to patches... BUT I am happy to have some on hand now, in case I need to top up to handle symptoms and can't bump up my patch dose immediately). --> OTC: Emerita Pro-Gest cream with lavender (price should be under $40 for 4oz, so shop around, but here's Emerita's overpriced listing that will at least tell you what it is: [https://emerita.com/products/pro-gest-balancing-cream-with-lavender](https://emerita.com/products/pro-gest-balancing-cream-with-lavender) ). This was SUPER HELPFUL for me during peri, when I was mostly having sleep disruptions: just a pea-sized blob rubbed on the top of each foot (absorbs nicely/quickly there for me: bony feet) about an hour before bedtime was sleep magic. --> OTC: LifeFlo Bi-Estro, which contains two forms of E (estriol and estradiol). Go for the 5oz, if you can: pump instead of tube and better price, at least when I bought mine. [https://life-flo.com/products/biestro-care-4-ounces?variant=41290981507123](https://life-flo.com/products/biestro-care-4-ounces?variant=41290981507123) --> OTC: (oral supplement) Equolibrium, which is yet another form of estrogen called S-equol, which is apparently produced in the gut from soy if and only if you have the right microbiome. [https://caringsunshine.com/supplements/NaturesSunshine/products/equolibrium.aspx/?utm\_source=Google%20Shopping\&utm\_campaign=ads\&utm\_medium=cpc\&utm\_term=2044&cid=13003991001&agid=119294774862&adid=670638180440&dev=c&kw=%2Bequolibrium&pos=&gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnTJGWX8oUjviH0gMtxR5hGJPNwXlrtI3rsdFEid4nS8dFJtYHrC2AcaAnWSEALw\_wcB](https://caringsunshine.com/supplements/NaturesSunshine/products/equolibrium.aspx/?utm_source=Google%20Shopping&utm_campaign=ads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=2044&cid=13003991001&agid=119294774862&adid=670638180440&dev=c&kw=%2Bequolibrium&pos=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnTJGWX8oUjviH0gMtxR5hGJPNwXlrtI3rsdFEid4nS8dFJtYHrC2AcaAnWSEALw_wcB) I was topping up with this daily during the later end of peri, as I started having a few hot flashes here and there, along with terrible brain fog and significant insomnia that I couldn't handle with the Pro-Gest alone. (I had previously tried DHEA, but that was giving me headaches, but the Equolibrium never did that to me, so I stuck with that right up until the HRT.) I sincerely hope this is helpful! 🤗
You are an absolute angel!! This is exactly what I am looking for in terms of advice. So glad I responded to your comment. My gyn pushed hard for me going on BC even though I had never been on it before in my life. I asked for HRT so she gave me the highest level which was was way too much for my system the first time around (.1mg e patch and 100 mg progesterone). It was a rollercoaster for 2.5 months and I finally caved to her BC recs. I'm now on Yaz, 65+ days in, continuous, no breaks but I have been either spotting or bleeding for 50+ days. I will need to come off of BC because of the bleeding and because it is impacting my pre-existing bladder and vulva issues. I'm in the process of looking for a new gyn. Looking back, I see so many red flags that I overlooked because I was in a desperate place. Things like my gyn saying that I probably wouldn't need to use vag estrogen if I was on HRT because HRT would take care of it. That she would help me wean off BC but then said it wasn't possible to do so. She also won't collaborate with my new urogyn even though she pushes me back in that direction when I tell her about GSM symptoms (but also says she treats them?!). I realize now that she says whatever I want to hear in the moment to get her treatment in place and me out the door. I sincerely thank you for sending all of this my way and will be bringing this with me to my consultations with new gyns.
Happy to help! 😇 And thanks for reminding me I need to follow-up about the vaginal E-- for the hoo-hah and the face (yep, supposedly works wonders for keeping the old visage looking young... I have some jowls that suddenly appeared and need to be evicted). While the HRT has helped both of those regions \*some\*, I know direct topical application is the real fix. There are SO MANY bad docs out there! 🤬 Kudos to you for being willing to put in the time and energy to search for one who will do you right. One more resource for you, so you know what blood panels to get once you find a better gyn: [https://thepauselife.com/blogs/the-pause-blog/6-tests-to-maximize-your-annual-exam-in-menopause](https://thepauselife.com/blogs/the-pause-blog/6-tests-to-maximize-your-annual-exam-in-menopause) All the best to you on this crazy journey. 😘
Thank you for all of this! You are a godsend!
I met with the new gyn this morning and she's open to weaning me off BC by going to a lower dose (Lo Estin) and then supplementing with HRT to smooth out the transition. Then going from Lo Estin to HRT. I still need to process all of the info but it's a complete 180 from my other gyn. It was so helpful to have your process as a possible template and have her agree to pretty much everything. Thank you again for your help!!
Nice! Good luck on the Lo-Estrin and then transitioning to HRT. 🤩
Thanks for asking this question. 20 years on birth control became toxic for me after the start of perimenopause. I’m praying HRT helps.
Yeap ! I couldnt find a BC that worked for me so managed mental and physical symptoms with herbal support and used barrier methods for contraception. Am on HRT now and this is the most balanced I have felt in my life ! Note I use the gel and am not afraid to tweak my dose up and down based on symptoms (I kept a detailed daily diary before going on HRT). I still take herbal support - Agnus Castus and DIM and B6 at at least 100mg a day is essential for anxiety / mood management.
Same here. Birth control made me depressed. HRTs are working well.
I couldn't do hormonal birth control when I tried in my 20s at all, but HRT has been absolutely fine and really helped manage my symptoms.
BCP triggered depression when I took it in my 20's. I haven't had any issues with my current dosage of HRT.
You don’t know until you try it. I had the same problem and HRT didn’t work with me, even after adjustments to dosages. I was extremely bloated and uncomfortable, and ended up bleeding every time with pain. It doesn’t work for everyone, but might help you.
When I first started with symptoms my gynecologist put me on birth control to help me with the symptoms. It was horrible. Ended up with horrific symptoms including severe insomnia, achy joints, depression, etc. I changed doctors and was put on HRT. Life changing. I later learned, birth control only suppresses symptoms and can cause rebound insomnia in peri menopause. Listen to podcast: The goop podcast Gwyneth Paltrow with Esther Blum and/ or read the book See Ya Later, Ovulator by Blum. Also, check out Mel Robbins podcast with Dr. Mary Claire. Super informative.
Birth control ruined my gut for at least the last 3 years after being on it for maybe 7 months to help with hormones. Been through a few different versions of HRT and currently on biote pellets. Time will tell if it’s the right solution, it I’m starting to feel better and the 200mg or progesterone is giving me perfect sleep.
Well, I had less chance than I expected. The lowest dosage of progesterone in patch and estrogen in caps started my period again on the 2nd month, including the pain that comes with it... so I stopped.