You may feel bloated and uncomfortable like having trapped wind. This can be due to the progesterone and usually settles with time.
For this reason it's important to discuss your symptoms with them. It's also important to note that bloating can actually be a side effect of HRT, particularly oestrogens.
Your body's fat distribution also changes during the menopause. You might have more fat around the waist and less fat around the hips and buttocks. You may have water retention when taking HRT. This is when too much water builds up in your body.
Some types of progestogens can lead to some bloating and lower abdominal discomfort. This usually settles within a few months.
Eating a healthy diet rich in complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and whole grains, exercising regularly, and managing stress levels are essential for reducing hormonal belly fat.
Bloating is a common side effect of HRT and can be a result of taking oestrogen or progestogen. It usually improves with time but it can feel uncomfortable.
Another reason why some women may appear to gain weight occurs when background anxiety, with reduced appetite, keeps weight a little lower than it would be naturally. This anxiety is often reversed by the positive impact of HRT, which in turn can increase appetite and weight over time.
“When estrogen is high, women seem to retain more water,” said Thacker. That water retention equals bloat. The role of our sex hormones and gastrointestinal upsets like bloating are well documented, but still somewhat poorly understood, Thacker explained.
There is no easy answer, but rebalancing the hormones, exercise routine and diet can help to increase your metabolic rate, which will ensure fat is burned more efficiently.
Symptoms of a high HRT dose: Nausea and vomiting. Breast tenderness and enlargement. Spotting or heavy bleeding.
It usually takes a few weeks before you feel the benefits of HRT. It can take up to 3 months to feel the full effects. If you have not felt the benefit of HRT after 4 to 6 months, it may help to try a different type. It can take your body time to get used to HRT.
Menopause, low estrogen levels and decreased diversity in gut bacteria are connected, says Somi Javaid, M.D., a Cincinnati-based obstetrician-gynecologist and founder and chief medical officer of HerMD. Decreased gut bacteria diversity can negatively impact your digestive health, causing bloating, gas or constipation.
There also appears to be a redistribution of fat mass at the time of the menopause, with an increase in the waist-to-hip ratio. Although it is a common belief that HRT inevitably causes weight gain, available evidence suggests that this is not true.
NHS Inform says although many women believe taking HRT will make them put on weight, there is no evidence that this is the case. And many actually find they lose weight by using HRT as it shifts the metabolism back into a pre-menopausal state. Studies have backed this up too.
If side effects continue after this time, see your GP so your treatment plan can be reviewed. Hormones used in HRT can have associated side effects, including: fluid retention.
Once progesterone drops to lower levels after you get your period, you shed the excess fluid, have a decrease in appetite, experience far fewer salt cravings and release the extra waste your body had been holding onto–all leading to feeling far lighter and your waistband becoming a bit looser.
There are several reasons why your HRT may not work immediately. It takes time for the hormones to build up to an effective level and to reverse the changes caused by months or even years of low oestrogen levels.
Many women notice an increase in belly fat as they get older even if they don't gain weight. This is likely due to a lower level of estrogen because estrogen seems to have an effect on where fat is located in the body. Genes can contribute to an individual's chances of being overweight or obese too.
A hormonal belly looks like an accumulation of fat around the belly. It looks like excess fat on the stomach that cannot be removed. Hormonal imbalances can lead to excess fat accumulation in the belly area.
Many women actually find that they lose weight by using HRT as it shifts the metabolism back into a pre-menopausal metabolic state. Progesterone can sometimes cause fluid retention which can mimic weight gain, but there are alterations that can be made to the regime to minimise this impact.