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Understanding Menopause: Symptoms, HRT/TRT, and Helpful Supplements
Menopause is a natural stage in a woman’s life, typically occurring between ages 45 and 55 when menstrual cycles permanently stop due to (sometimes severly) declining hormone level, particularly estrogen and progesterone. While it’s a normal biological process, the symptoms can significantly impact daily life and mood.
This article will include a summary of the general symptoms of menopause including common medical and supplement intervention. It will conclude with an HRT/TRT/Supplement stack that is currently working wonders for HarleyGirl (the authors better half!). Her bloodwork will be posted which was drawn on 16Mar2026 with adjustments to her menopause stack moving forward including symptom relief both now and moving forward.
Common Symptoms of Menopause
Menopause affects each woman differently, but some of the most common symptoms include:
- Hot flashes and night sweats – Sudden feelings of heat, often accompanied by sweating and flushing
- Irregular periods – Cycles become unpredictable before stopping completely
- Mood changes – Increased irritability, anxiety, or risk of depression
- Sleep disturbances – Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Vaginal dryness – Leading to discomfort during intercourse
- Decreased libido – Reduced sexual desire
- Brain fog – Trouble concentrating or remembering things
- Weight gain and slowed metabolism
- Joint and Muscular discomfort - Most commonly reported in the hips
These symptoms are largely driven by hormonal fluctuations, particularly declining estrogen levels.
Medications for Menopause Symptoms
Several medical treatments can help manage menopause symptoms effectively:
1. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Hormone therapy is one of the most effective treatments for moderate to severe symptoms.
Estrogen:
- Helps reduce hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness
- May also help prevent bone loss
- Endometrial protection: for women with a uterus taking estrogen, progesterone is vital to prevent endometrial hyperplasia (overgrowth of the uterine lining), reducing the risk of uterine cancer.
- Improved sleep and mood: Progesterone has a calming effect, often reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality, particularly when taken at bedtime. Better sleep can mean better mood!
2. Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT)
How can TRT can help with menopause symptoms?
Low libido (most evidence-backed benefit):
- This is where TRT is most effective and commonly prescribed.
- Can improve sexual desire and arousal
- May increase frequency of satisfying sexual activity
- Often used when estrogen therapy alone doesn’t help
Energy and fatigue:
- TRT has been reported to increased energy levels and reduced feelings of exhaustion
Mood and mental clarity:
- TRT has been reported to help with low mood or mild depressive symptoms including 'brain fog' or difficulty concentrating
Muscle mass and strength
- TRT can help maintain lean muscle and support strength and physical performance
**This may be especially helpful as muscle naturally declines with age.
Supplements That May Help
Many women turn to natural supplements for symptom relief. While results vary, some commonly used options include:
1. Phytoestrogens
Plant-based compounds that mimic estrogen in the body.
- Found in soy products and supplements
- May help reduce mild hot flashes
2. Black Cohosh
A popular herbal remedy:
- May help with hot flashes and mood symptoms
- Evidence is mixed, and long-term safety is still being studied
3. Vitamin D and Calcium
Important for bone health:
- Help prevent osteoporosis, which becomes more common after menopause
4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- May support mood and heart health
- Found in fish oil supplements
5. Magnesium
- May help improve sleep and reduce anxiety
Lifestyle Strategies That Make a Difference
In addition to medications and supplements, lifestyle changes can significantly improve symptoms:
- Maintain a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Exercise regularly to support mood, weight, and bone health
- Practice stress-reduction techniques like yoga or meditation
- Limit caffeine and alcohol, which can trigger hot flashes
- Keep your sleeping environment cool and comfortable
HarleyGirl's Symptoms and Menopause Stack Solution:
Symptoms pre-stack:
- Hot flashes and night sweats – Waking up sweating nightly, constant changing of bed sheets. Overwhelming feeling of being overheated daily either outside or in the home
- Mood changes – Increased irritability, anxiety, and short temperdness
- Sleep disturbances – Difficulty falling and then staying asleep each night
- Brain fog – Trouble concentrating or remembering things
- Joint and Muscular discomfort - Waking up with sore hips every morningfrom sleeping, particularly on one side
The Stack (started 12Jan2026) :
- TestE 7.5mg/week (see bloods - this is to be reduced in half)
- Estrogen 3.75mg/day (= 3 pumps of 0.06% estradiol gel every day)
- GLOW 10iu powered by Biogenix Pharma @biogenix 6.2mg/day (1mg BPC-157/1.2mg TB-500/4mg GHK-Cu) in AM
- 1g black cohosh/day (at night as it also helps with sleep)
- 2g red clover/day (at night too as it's a mild sedative)
- 5g creatine/day
- 1 multivitamin/day
- Probiotics (30+ billion - one with each meal)
- Psyllium Husk 5g/day
- N2Guard 3caps/day (lipid profile has improved drastically including ALT/AST). You can obtain N2Guard here: Get N2Guard
Results (as at 16Mar2026):
- Hot flashes and night sweats – Only momentary and infrequent hot flashes reported once or twice a week
- Mood changes – Mood stabilized
- Sleep disturbances – Once or twice weekly sleep disturbances but overall big improvement
- Brain fog – In remission
- Joint and Muscular discomfort - Hip pain is In remission (KLOW pinned directly into hips)
Final Thoughts:
HarleyGirl's TestE is to be cut in half (see bloods) although she is reporting that she feels better than she ever has! The intention of this community research is to have a reliable place for female members to land who fall into this category, and have a safe place to discuss both symptoms and solutions of menopause, regardless of the detail or otherwise hesitant nature to discuss some of the symptoms. EVO is judgement free and the intent is for this to help all female members when they arrive at this often difficult fork in the road.
Thanks for reading,
HarleyGuy
References:
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-024-19280-5?
- https://journals.lww.com/menopausej...rceived_efficacy_of_complementary_and.6.aspx?
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11379379/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12037939/
- **https://journals.lww.com/menopausej...rceived_efficacy_of_complementary_and.6.aspx?
- **"Hormone therapy (HT) is the most effective treatment of VMS. It reduces frequency and severity by 75% and improves health-related quality of life. However, HT use has been in decline since 2002, ... This decline has been associated with increasing use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) for relief of menopausal symptoms. CAMs are a “diverse group of medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not generally considered to be part of conventional medicine."
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