Combining GLP-1s with HRT during perimenopause and menopause

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teetee07

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I came across a medical article not long ago that mentioned studies from the Mayo Clinic and John's Hopkins. According to what I read, women struggling with hard-to-lose weight and belly fat tied to peri and menopause had improved outcomes when GLP-1's were paired with HRT therapy.

To the women in this community who are both on HRT and taking GLP-1's: do you expect to keep up this routine for the long term, or does it worry you that halting the GLP-1 could bring menopausal weight gain back, even if you stay on HRT?
 
This is something I want to know more about too. In fact, I've got a visit scheduled for next week where I plan to talk about HRT. I've had enough of everything that comes with perimenopause.
 
teetee07 said:

I came across a medical article not long ago that mentioned studies from the Mayo Clinic and John's Hopkins. According to what I read, women struggling with hard-to-lose weight and belly fat tied to peri and menopause had improved outcomes when GLP-1's were paired with HRT therapy.

To the women in this community who are both on HRT and taking GLP-1's: do you expect to keep up this routine for the long term, or does it worry you that halting the GLP-1 could bring menopausal weight gain back, even if you stay on HRT?
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For me, tirzepatide is something I expect to stay on indefinitely. Honestly, even just for its effects on inflammation and mental health, I'd keep using it.
 
teetee07 said:

I came across a medical article not long ago that mentioned studies from the Mayo Clinic and John's Hopkins. According to what I read, women struggling with hard-to-lose weight and belly fat tied to peri and menopause had improved outcomes when GLP-1's were paired with HRT therapy.

To the women in this community who are both on HRT and taking GLP-1's: do you expect to keep up this routine for the long term, or does it worry you that halting the GLP-1 could bring menopausal weight gain back, even if you stay on HRT?
Click to expand...
For me, I can only share my own experience, but HRT has completely transformed my life. Weight isn't the only factor—sleep, mood, energy, mental clarity… I feel like myself again in every way. I intend to remain on it for as long as it stays medically suitable.

My feelings about GLP-1s are very much the same. The advantages extend far past weight loss—appetite control, less food noise, improved metabolic health—it's been a major change. To me, this isn't a quick fix; it's about health over the long haul.

Still, I believe it's crucial to keep expectations realistic: these tools are most effective alongside lifestyle measures—strength training, enough protein, sleep, stress management, the whole package. Alone, they aren't magical, but they make the right habits far more effective.

Regarding quitting GLP-1s, I think many people may regain weight if nothing else shifts, particularly given the hormonal changes of peri/menopause. So I see it less as a "temporary diet drug" and more as ongoing metabolic support, much like how we view HRT.
 
Once I finally bring it up with my doctor, I'll begin HRT — and I figure that's a lifelong thing for me, since perimenopause won't ease up; the only direction is toward menopause. As for the GLP-1s, I can't picture stopping them either, given how much I'm liking being on the thinner side.
 
I'm in perimenopause, and my doctors said the same thing — combining them gives the best results.

For me, these are medications I'll stay on for life. They've completely changed my life.
 
I've used Tirz for 12 months and recently made the change to Reta. My weight is where I want it, so further loss isn't needed.

I'm hoping to hear from women who've been using HRT long term. From 2018 through 2021 I dealt with 4 years of perimenopause misery, and I attempted more options than I can name here. Pellets finally started in 2021. So far I've received 18 pellets, about every 13 weeks.

Spoiler alert. The pellet isn't something you can stay on indefinitely. What comes next? At my most recent pellet, my dr. wanted to reduce my test amount. She also lowered my thyroid med, and now I'm back to feeling sluggish with no energy. Doing both changes at the same time was a mistake.

Some of the other topics talked about in this forum interest me, but typing even a few of the letters or the "p" word gets my post blocked and flagged as spam. This forum kind of sucks.
 
HRT has been part of my routine for more than 2 years, and from my own experience I can say that my weight simply would not shift regardless of what approach I tried. None of the methods I normally rely on made any difference - strength training 2x per week, walking 3-4 miles on 2-3 days each week, tracking calories and macros. It drove me absolutely crazy, because the HRT genuinely took care of the perimenopause/menopause problems such as poor sleep, hot flashes, and unpredictable cravings. Even so, my weight stayed exactly where it was. My thinking was that since HRT had already handled all of those symptoms, it made sense to try a GLP-1, and tirz has delivered exactly what it promises.

In my own view, any woman who qualifies for HRT will experience a strongly favorable outcome from combining both treatments, allowing the scale to move while her body puts up hardly any fuss or pushback.
 
I began HRT through Winona, but other than getting rid of hot flashes, I didn't notice much.

After that, I added Tirze and everything shifted!

In time, my GP wrote me a prescription for actual HRT, and that's been excellent—though I can't say exactly how, since the effect is quieter—yet since bringing Reta into the mix too, I've dropped most of the meno belly.

Figuring out what each one is doing is tough, but together they're a strong combination.

So yes, I expect to stay on both HRT and GLPs going forward.
 
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