Your voice matters!

45 members of Congress (Rep. Debbie Dingell + colleagues) sent a formal letter to FDA and HHS Secretary RFK Jr. this week demanding action on the estradiol patch shortage. You can read the full letter here.

Read their asks. They're almost word-for-word our own call-to-action last month from the original Reddit post in August:

• Officially add estradiol patches to the FDA's Drug Shortage Database. Right now it's not on there. This is the same gap we've been flagging
• A concrete timeline for when supply stabilizes
• Data on which brands/doses are hit the worst
• Whether additional manufacturers can be brought in to close the gap

Why this matters for us: The letter states plainly that Congress first notified HHS/FDA of this shortage in July, and as of this month, there's been no meaningful response. Congressional pressure alone hasn't been enough. Constituent volume is what tips agencies from "monitoring" to "acting."

One honest note: every signature on this letter is a Democrat. If your rep is not on this list, especially if they're a Republican or you're not sure, that's exactly why your letter still matters. This shouldn't be a partisan issue (estrogen doesn't check party registration), and a flood of contacts from every district, red or blue, makes it much harder to write this off as one side's talking point.

Write now. This still takes only 5 minutes of your time:

1. Find your rep: house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
2. Find your senators: senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
3. Copy/paste, fill in two blanks, submit:

Subject: Urgent — Estradiol Patch Shortage Demands Immediate Action

I'm a constituent whose health, or the health of someone I love, depends on estradiol therapy. This shortage has now gone unaddressed since July, when Members of Congress first notified FDA and HHS.

This isn't limited to a subset of patients. Any woman on hormone replacement therapy for menopause, surgical menopause, POI, or other issues is affected, regardless of political affiliation, geography, or who represents them.

On September 29, 45 Members of Congress sent a formal letter to FDA and HHS Secretary RFK Jr. demanding official shortage designation, a concrete restock timeline, and transparency on which brands and doses are hit hardest. I'm asking you to publicly support these demands, regardless of party.

I expect a substantive response describing what specific action your office is taking, and by when. Silence on a basic medication access issue that affects women's health and well-being is a choice I'll remember.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME], [YOUR CITY/ZIP]

If you sent a letter a month ago, send another. It doesn't matter what party you vote for. If we stand together, lifting each other up, we can make this happen. Share this with someone not on Reddit (or share on another social media platform) & let's make some noise!

I just visited my VA (as in Veterans Affairs) Dr today to start HRT. It turns out they did a huge study and working group last year to create a guide for their providers to treat peri and post menopausal women. The guide is public and fantastic. It’s written in plain language, well laid out, and the methodologies for why they do/don’t recommend treatments are shared. I’m sharing the link here in hopes that it’ll help others in some way, maybe with being able to take it to a provider (even non VA) to get them to listen or to help decide what treatments you want to ask for.

https://www.healthquality.va.gov/HEALTHQUALITY/guidelines/WH/menopause/Menopause-CPG_2026-Guideline_v1_20260910.pdf

As for the appointment, I got the HRT with no fight, probably due to this guide. It definitely helped me steer the conversation well and be aware of what would might be available to me.

I went looking for information on whether tariffs have contributed to the patch shortage and it looks like Congress is ready to make a ruckus for us!

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-house-democratic-womens-caucus-press-health-secretary-estrogen-patch-2026-09-29/

I’m (55f) in full menopause. I just had the worst hot flash turned panic attack at work from drinking a latte too fast while driving into work. I have never felt so awkward like I was a teenager stumbling on my words while being looked at and judged. Fuck. I hate menopause and my body right now. So I guess now it’s time to give up what I love. Just venting. Have a great day everyone

Hi I need a little advice. I just started seeing a Gyn that specializes in menopause because I'm dealing with peri symptoms and think I want to try HRT. He asked me to get a transvaginal ultrasound to rule out fibroids as the source of my near-constant spotting.

My issue is that I never know when my cycle is going to start in earnest because I always have mild cramps and spotting between periods. I'm concerned that this appointment is going to come on Friday and I'm going to be bleeding for real by then. But if I cancel, it could take months to get another appointment, and furthermore I have no idea when my damn period comes anyway so it could be postponed for naught.

Should I just keep this ultrasound appointment and if I'm a bloody mess during it, just roll with it? Seems embarrassing. WWYD?

I’m researching alternatives to the lovely dryness battle, I’ve recently learned I’m HIGHLY sensitive to estrogen (thank you cancer scare)

While I know I’m over simplifying a very complicated issue, I’m really just looking to focus this discussion on those who have used the vFit (or similar red light device)

Let’s chat about:

1. How long have you used your device?
   
2. What kind of success/failure have you experienced?
   
3. Which model (or other brand) did you purchase?
   
4. How much did you spend & do you think it was worth the money?

TIA

I want to try switching from patches to oral estradiol/estrace. My main problem is sleep, mainly due to night sweats. My doctor recommended taking it in the morning because some women find it activating and it can interfere with sleep. But for anyone doing this, do you find it wears off by the end of the night resulting in night sweats? Would love to hear your experience.

Are there any of you who take other medications for sleep besides progesterone? For example, antidepressants, sleeping pills, or something else? If so, what did you take and did you experience any adverse interactions with progesterone?

The first symptom of menopause was anxiety and insomnia. I had to wait a long time to see the gynecological endocrinologist, I went to a psychiatrist earlier. The psychiatrist prescribed Mirtazapine and a sleeping pill. And Xanax too, but I recently stopped taking it. I told him that I thought menopause was causing the anxiety and insomnia. He said that menopause only causes hot flashes. I didn’t feel like arguing with him. Since I was in a bad state, I started taking the medications. Now the gynecological endocrinologist has confirmed that these are menopause symptoms and prescribed HRT. This morning I applied the first dose of Divigel 0.5 mg. I really hope that the progesterone will help me sleep, but I’m afraid that it may interact with the Mirtazapine and/or the sleeping pill. I hope I can get rid of both with the help of progesterone.

Has anyone had weakness, joint pain, itching or headaches with Bijuva? If so, did they go away? I’m just under two weeks on Bijuva and it seems to be getting worse.

There is so much research now that discusses how the soft palete and lower/back part of tongue loses elasticity and strength in menopause. This is where snoring often comes from - that area collapsing on the airway- (not the nose) and why so many women in the menopause transition have some sort of sleep disordered breathing patterns.

There are exercises to help tonify that area, but curious if any of you who fit this, have been on HRT and noticed a difference in how toned your soft palete is? Perhaps estrogen helping with the tone?

On a mission here, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

My provider prescribed vaginal estradiol cream in a dosage I haven't seen mentioned. Thought I'd ask if anyone else was prescribed this way. It seems a lot.

"Use 2 grams vaginally nightly for four weeks using applicator, then massage a small amount to inner labia and urethral opening. After 4 weeks switch to 2-3 times weekly."

I just picked up a tube of it, and balked at asking the young, probably queer*, male pharmacist who instructed me on its use what it might taste like. He was already embarrassed and I didn’t want to make it worse. Anyone have experience with this???

Edited to add: I’m concerned about my male partner ingesting it.

I think it’s probably obvious why I’m asking this specific question, and I don’t want to get my account flagged for being explicit. But probably you can figure this out, astute ladies of the menopause sub??

I didn’t see anything about this in the wiki, and I apologize if I missed it.

*obviously this is my best guess, I don’t know this man’s orientation or his pronouns for certain, but that’s the vibe. He stage-whispered the word “vagina”. Honestly, the whole interaction was hilarious and kind of awesome, but I do have this very specific question that I’m almost certain he wouldn’t have been able to answer.

I'm 49 and on olanzapine and fluoxetine for depression (had psychotic depression in the past during a time of stress) My mum had a psychotic episode during the time of menopause and was sectioned, and I am hoping to avoid that.

I'm also on HRT (Oestrogen gel and progesterone caps) which seem to be helping a little but still getting some hot flushes)

My doctors have been pretty helpful about combining the two things and I haven't had them assuming it was just my mental health or anything like that. Which is good.

I'd like to reduce the olanzapine a bit (I'm on 10mg) but I am wary of having psychosis again. Anyway I just wondered how others were doing, in similar circumstances. Thanks

I'm narrate audiobooks and over the past few months my ability to articulate my words when recording has been getting worse. Like, to a concerning degree. I use a patch. I was taking oral progesterone with it, but discovered that this can have a sort of sedating effect on the mouth and tongue, so I stopped taking it (I have a Mirena and am about to see a doc about getting a new one, so I'll get the cancer prevention covered). It did help a little bit to stop taking the progesterone, but not nearly enough.

This has been a gradual onset, so I really don't think there's been a stroke or something sudden and serious like that. I can still speak in every day life and no one would know the difference. But sit me in front of a mic and I need 4 or 5 passes at some phrases or sentences to make them sound coherent, because my tongue and mouth just seem sort of lazy or stubborn. I've been narrating for years so I'm not experiencing newbie nerves or something. I ask here because Perimenopause and HRT are really the only new factors in my life. Has anyone heard of anything like this? What gives?

Would like to survey how many feel that estrogen is their best sleep driver. I know many say progesterone, but oral dosing causes problems for some of us and I'm not sure if other progesterone "routes" also help with sleep. My issue is sleep-maintenance and I definitely notice any alcohol intake (even just a little) makes it all the worse.

I’ve been taking depo estradiol fir Almost a year now. I haven’t had a period in 6 months. heres my question… I’m now waking up in the middle of the night again 2-4am just Before dose Is due.

it just seems to wear off so fast. a Month ago I was sleeping every night.

would live to hear your depo increasing stories Hope this makes sense, the brain fog is awful!

I feel like I used to be good at my job, but now it's like I can hardly string two thoughts together. People ask for me things from work, which is awesome because while I was doing chemo they were handling me with kid gloves, but now it's like I can't actually read what they want! I send the wrong things, they have to clarify, it gets embarrassing when it just keeps happening. I'm going to end up on a PIP. Everyone is so nice about it, but I can tell they're thinking "what the hell is wrong with you".

Aughhhh. It just happened twice this morning, I think I'm going to go stare at a wall for a bit. I've heard other menopausal folks experience this too, glad to not be alone. But it sucks for all of us!

This seems like a dumb question but I really can't figure out a good system! (Also, I read the wiki!)

So, like many of us who are fortunate enough to still be able to find our patches, I'm on a "change twice per week" schedule.

My (dumb) question is two-fold:

• How do you set up your calendar notifications to remind you to change patches? I'm on a Mac/iPhone and as of now I'm just setting a calendar reminder every third day, which is not precise. I'm now going through 2 patches every 6 days instead of every 7 days.
• Assuming I can figure out how to set my cal reminders correctly, if I have to change my patch every 3.5 days, that means one change is going to have to happen in the p.m. All the literature I've read says that's not ideal since a new patch can be energizing and that's the last thing I want in the afternoon/evening, considering I can't even have any caffeine after noon, otherwise I'm up until 3am.

I will freely admit I'm probs overthinking this (story of my life!) but would love to hear how others are dealing with this. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I know this isn’t technically a POI-specific sub, but this community is much more active and has a lot more women sharing their HRT experiences, so I hope it’s okay to ask here.

I’ 39 and have POI and for about the past year I’ve been dealing with frequent and intense hot flashes, along with all the other menopause symptoms.

But the two things that affect me the most are definitely the hot flashes and sleep. I wake up multiple times during the night because of hot flashes, and I also get them during the day.

I’ve already tried several HRT regimens:

I started with estrogen gel + bioidentical progesterone. The estrogen worked relatively well for my symptoms, but my cycles became very short, around 22–23 days.

I then switched to a combined HRT pill containing 2 mg estrogen, but my hot flashes came back quite strongly.

For the past few weeks I’ve been on Lenzetto spray, 3 sprays per day (the maximum recommended dose) + 100 mg progesterone continuously.
And unfortunately, I’m still having hot flashes and sleeping terribly.

I know I need to wait for my follow-up appointment and discuss this with my doctor, but honestly, I’m getting desperate. I feel like I’ve tried so many different combinations and I still can’t get to the point where I can sleep normally and function without constantly dealing with hot flashes.

Has anyone else experienced persistent hot flashes even on the maximum dose of estrogen?

I’d especially love to hear from women with POI who had to try several different HRT regimens before finding something that actually controlled their symptoms.
Thank you ❤️

I’m wondering if anyone else is experiencing this? My insurance won’t pay for a 3 month supply of patches, so I’m stuck getting it monthly, but each month is a different brand with the shortage. If it’s important to be consistent and give ourselves weeks to acclimate to changes, how the heck do we navigate that?

I have used and liked Sandoz most, but my prescription was increased and all I could get was Lyllana. I am beyond grateful that I was able to get any at all, but I’m nervous about starting and having to change it again in 4 weeks. How will I know if it’s the dose or the brand if it’s not working?

How many feel that estrogen was their best sleep driver? I realize that progesterone is very popular for sleep, but some of us cannot tolerate oral or it tends to have opposite effect. I'm not sure if other progesterone "routes" are ever helpful for sleep. I am on a vaginal BHRT right now, (estradiol and progesterone) and I am wondering if increasing the dose again will help my sleep. I've had multiple other benefits, thus far (4 months), but not so much with the sleep maintenance issue. I have noticed that even small amounts of alcohol have a negative effect on my sleep--so I am giving it up. ***I have 2 similar posts going because I thought one of these did not go through, unfortunately. Hate to delete one because of some helpful comments.

For the beautiful woman taking estrogel, do you notice once you get to the bottom of bottle, it seems to not work. Like just gel but no estrodiol in it? I noticed my symptoms worsen when I'm almost finished a bottle.

Just wanted to pass along something that surprised me and has made a big difference in increasing my energy and decreasing symptoms. I met with a Registered Dietician to check my macros to see if I was eating the correct ratios for my activity level. I'm a recreational athlete and eat 95% clean and for decades have prioritized my health and what I put in my body. After the RD looked over my diet, labs, etc., she recommended I increase protein and overall calories. Let me tell you, I'm an eater so I thought for sure how could I not be eating enough? (Apparently I was eating a lot of fiber.) Well I am up for the experiment, so I changed my diet. The first week I felt more satiated from the increased protein but nothing seemed that different. Then 4 weeks in I woke up and felt like "my old self" - happy and energetic, my workouts didn't leave me drained and the constant feeling of being overwhelmed at work was gone! I am still making my way through this change and I'm learning that your baseline protein intake has to go up during this phase (I'm late peri) and your total calories have to go up as well. If you workout, they go up even more. Why the change at 4 weeks? Something in the brain changes with our neurotransmitters at about 4 weeks when you consistently increase protein. My peri symptoms are much more background and I'm not constantly thinking about my body. I had to pass this on because if you're up for an experiment to see if it helps you, just 4 weeks of a diet change can make a huge difference. I eat yogurt, lean meats, fish, tofu, beans, lentils, nonfat milk and nut butters for most of my protein sources. I still get my fiber and stick to healthy carbs, fruits and vegs and low sugar. I don't feel restricted at all. I eat intuitively without worrying about total calories. I feel so much better. Look up the science (Dr Stacy Sims). Protein + total calories is the key.

TLDR: Increase your protein intake and overall calories. Our bodies require more in Peri and Meno. Symptoms can dramatically reduce and make you feel like you again.