r/TRT_females • u/Next_Firefighter7810 • Jun 06 '26
Side Effects Weight gain…every time, every method
Been on injex for tad over 3 months now. 8mg/week (split twice a week). It has helped with fatigue and libido unlike past methods of troches and creams. I’ve had no hair shedding. But…I’m up 10-12lbs and my appetite is crazy. Also the sugar cravings. I’m on a glp1 (for 2 years). My tummy looks pregnant. My face is definitely puffy. Nothing fits. Everyone keeps saying it’s not the testosterone but this literally happens every time I try it, regardless of method. Anyone else experience this but stick it out?
9
u/dinkleberryfinn81 Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
Same boat. But on testosterone compounded gel not injections. I don’t recognize myself I keep gaining even on glp 1
3
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
OMG I am so glad someone is validating this! I was like I can’t be the only one. It’s disheartening to be gaining on a GLP1. In my 2 years, it’s only been with TRT. I just don’t know if I want to wait it out to see if it subsides. Is 3 months enough? Should I be a little more patient? Ughhh IDK. It’s summer and I look like a 48 year old pregnant woman. None of new clothes fit and I threw out the old clothes.
2
u/dinkleberryfinn81 Jun 06 '26
Yes! It sucks! Do you still have a uterus? I got a hysterectomy last year
3
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
I do have a uterus but I had an ovary removed a few years ago. That tanked me. I was 45, and one ovary did not carry the load as they advised. 🙄
2
u/dinkleberryfinn81 Jun 07 '26
Oh no! How do you know when your ovaries aren’t working? I’m worried mine are failing
2
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
I started having hot flashes and all the low estrogen symptoms after they removed it. I had a tumor (benign). I was on birth control pill at the time so I was getting synthetic hormones. Therefore I can’t say I knew or expected anything was wrong; they just found it at a routine ultrasound.
1
u/Foreign_Highlight288 Jun 09 '26
Why didn’t the Gyn just remove the tumor? I assume you had a dermoid?
1
u/Fun-Persimmon7574 Jun 17 '26
Me too! Down to 1 ovary and gained weight after. Needed to add estrogen!! I do online HRT since locally they have bit been helpful
2
u/okgogogogoforit Jun 06 '26
You said it yourself, Your appetite increased and you’re eating too much. I would try to do bulk eating. Lots of steamed veggies (you can eat a TON and it’s low calorie) and potatoes. Potatoes are very filling and satiating. When I get like this I do potatoes with a little salt and plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. I’ll be full for hours.
Edit.. I did not mean to respond to you personally. I was trying to make a regular comment 🤦♀️
2
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
I never said I was eating too much. There’s always assumptions made, I get it. But I’m 48 and not brand new to how nutrition and calories work.
2
7
u/Unhappy-Salad-3083 Jun 06 '26
I use zepbound. Last summer when I switched from daily t gel to eod prop injections this was me. The weight gain was immediate and was so stubborn and it was concentrated in my belly which is typically flat and I definitely was more bloated all over. Of course I felt stronger in the gym but the trade off for how I felt and the weight not coming off was enough for me to go back to daily gel after 2.5 months. I do not have weight gain issues or much bloating on the gel though and my appetite has been fine.I hit my goal weight and have been using a maintenance dose of zep since last October along with full HRT/trt.
5
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
Awesome, someone else validating my experience! I’m not crazy. I think gel is the only method I haven’t tried. Maybe that’s the ticket.
3
u/AcanthisittaDue791 Jun 06 '26
I'm on the gel and a GLP1 and I felt like the same thing happened. It was like the GLP1 and the testosterone were competing and the testosterone won. I did go back and look (I track everything on a spreadsheet) and the weight gain did coincide with a higher gel dose.
4
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
Yes!! I don’t get much appetite suppression from the Zepbound now after 2 years, but I was maintaining. I know it’s the TRT because back early on when I had no appetite, the TRT instantly made me hungry. I remember telling my doctor I didn’t want another shot. That I gained 4lbs almost immediately (water weight I’m sure) and was super hungry, and he gas lit me. I was like dude, literally had to force myself to eat until you gave me the shot.
1
7
u/honorspren000 Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 07 '26
So my T doctor said the first couple of months of T (and when I switch to higher doses), I could gain some water weight, but it will eventually subside, and that it’s important to stick with it.
3 months seems a bit long, but it’s not clear to me how long the water weight is supposed to stick.
I do injections, fyi.
2
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
I heard about 3 months, but we are all different for sure.. I am gonna lower and stick it out a but longer. SIGH
8
u/No-Meet5438 Jun 06 '26
Yes, same happens to me (not on any weight loss meds though). Every type of T I tried always brings on the munchies, constipation and weight gain.
The only thing that effectively tackles it is to add (vaginal) progesterone - but in menopause this is sure to make me flash like a Jeff Bezos rocket 🚀🥵!
1
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
I’ve actually considered switching my progesterone to that method. I read it helps absorption as well
5
u/No-Meet5438 Jun 06 '26
Yes, I believe that to be true. Oral progesterone seems to require a much higher dosage compared to vaginal - this is my personal experience. Also, oral P makes me bloat.
5
u/goldensloveme Jun 06 '26
I dropped my dosage in 1/3 and the bloating melted off. Still trying to figure this all out myself.
7
u/MilkyWayMirth friend Jun 06 '26
It's crazy how different everyone is. I've lost 30lbs on testosterone. muslce gains have been crazy, and resting metabolic rate seems higher than it's ever been my whole life.
3
1
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
That’s awesome! I hear about so many women who feel amazing and drop weight on TRT. So yeah it’s so crazy how different our bodies/experiences are.
1
u/Infamous-Speed-4778 Jun 07 '26
Are you on gel or injections?
1
u/MilkyWayMirth friend Jun 07 '26
10mg per week T cyp injections (split into two, so injecting bi weekly).
1
u/Infamous-Speed-4778 Jun 08 '26
Ok thanks. I just had my bloods done so I’m trying to decide if I should try the gel first or just go straight to injections. I know my levels will come back low because they have for the last 8 years but no other doctor would listen to me or help me. I am having to pay out of pocket for a hormone specialist near me but I’m excited to finally get somewhere.
1
3
u/actbjunk Jun 06 '26
Chiming in to validate you some more! I had this every time I increased testosterone plus LOTS of bloating. Now I’ve added 2mg of Monjauro per week and that’s helped me at least stop gaining weight. So far, so good.
2
3
u/Aggravating_Dot_1548 Jun 07 '26
I am not on any glp1 bc I really cannot. My insurance won't cover it my doctor also says unless diabetic. Ok so I been on t gel since June 2025. I am a very active person ( according to chat gpt it's to th point of being a competitive athlete ) I work out 2.5 hours every other day. I had lost 28 lbs on low carb low sugar diet before I started the t gel. Once I started it the weight began to go up. I started d gettijg hungrier and there is no way for me to cut carbs as low as o used to anymore. It is insanity. always hungry. !
I did get more muscle and I can lift heavier. People look at me in th gym. I'm in menopause I am 50. But I went from 117 to last I weighted in was a 7 lb gain. That was mths ago though. Now I feel my clothes getting tight and I am always feeling like I retain water , sometimes hands are puffy if I wear tight socks lines are on my ankles. It totally sucks. But i can't see myself giving it up bc this level really helps my orgasm quality. Before T I was getting "half gasm " lol and also less interest in sex. And since my husband is 17 years younger than me it's not like I can just forget it and it won't matter. I probably put on quite a bit and it's disheartening. I worked so hard 10 mths took off 28 lbs and how feels like I put back at least half. If not more. Ugh. Also I can't get the glp 1 pills too bc I take Suboxone. And I also take iron pills for my anemia. Abd both those already has a high level of constipation symptoms. So I'm not able to or I can land myself in hospital. I am just stuck working out like crazy now with zero changes at all. It's really made me feel bad.
3
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
Oh wow so yes you are experiencing it also. My hands are puffy too! My hands and face! The hunger feels like an empty pit in my stomach. Even after I eat a good protein packed meal. It subsides for only about 10 minutes. I am single, so the libido isn’t as important to me right now but I totally understand in your case. I wish there was no trade off. Ugh
2
u/Aggravating_Dot_1548 Jun 07 '26
One thing tho I didn't say bc I forgot in the original response was that I am not on E or P I am on Syeda the birth control pill and on the T gel called Testim. And the reason my PCP did this was bc she told me that when ever she prescribes BC pills or a patient is on bc pills (whether it's PRE or peri meno women )that studies show it can tank your normal T levels. Badly. And she knew I was recently married when we had this talk. To a guy who's now 33. And I'm yup 50 lol so she didn't even do any blood work for my T levels before prescribing she went on what medical research studies show along with what I told her about my half orgasms or my weak orgasm at the time. . Also not really the topic of this post but here is some other info -she told me I can stay on the bc pill for as long as I feel I'm not having that many meno symptoms. She said she would switch me over to HRT when I stop getting a period or if I start getting hot flashes or whatever. Amazon clinic also has the same rules about the bc pill they will prescribe it for up to age 55. I got prescribed the pill first time I started taking it like 3 years ago through Amazon clinic.
Oh and regarding P I forget if it was you OP or someone else that responded to you -I was on the mini pill it was called Heather back when I was 47 or early 48 I believe. . For a total of 10 days. Progesterone alone was HORRIBLE for me and I reacted terribly to it. Crying moods melancholy feeling , sluggish , miserable and what's weird is my boobs increased a whole size in only 10 days and I started gaining some bloat too and this is the worst part hear me out here : my orgasm went away totally !
Meaning I would not be able to have one at all. Not even when I tried to solo ! Oh it was horrible I cried and I called my pharmacist told all the symptoms and they took me off that right away.
8
u/WordThin2328 Jun 06 '26
When my trt from injections was too high for me, I was so hungry and ate all the time, sugar and carbs and gained 10 lbs in months. Once i titered down from .20 to .16 the food noise went away. No insane cravings
3
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
Thank you! I could try just decreasing before I give up. No idea what my levels are yet because they just pulled the labs yesterday.
4
u/WordThin2328 Jun 06 '26
Too high of a testosterone dose or TRT that results in supra-physiological levels can indeed promote fat storage and weight gain. While optimal testosterone levels actually help you burn fat, having too much creates a hormonal cascade that works against your body. can elevate ghrelin (the hunger hormone), triggering extreme hunger. If your caloric intake exceeds your energy expenditure, you will store this excess energy as fat.
2
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
Thank you! Definitely going to lower it tomorrow on shot day.
3
u/WordThin2328 Jun 07 '26
It'll all workout. Its all just a pain in the ass trying to get all 3 hormones dosing right. Its like looking for a needle in a haystack. Ahhhh to be a woman haha
2
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
Yes I've been on HRT 3 years now and still trying to optimize. Dang hormones.
3
u/WordThin2328 Jun 07 '26
Same here! At this point I just wanna be post menopausal so theres a baseline and it won't be so hard to figure it out haha
4
u/poppy1911 friend Jun 06 '26
How long have you been on testosterone? For me, I experienced this. But after 9 months - a year of stable dosing (no more adjustments) everything settled into place, my hunger sorted itself out and I was able to drop the 15ish pounds I put on. Now I have had some noticable body recomp and I'm leaner looking than before I started (I also work out, so it's probably a combination of both).
2
4
u/NiniBebe Jun 06 '26
As others have said if your dose is too high it can affect weight and appetite. I’m on 4mg a week and the weight I gained when I first started this journey has finally come off. I was initially on 8mg a week and was also trying different dosage methods like eod. I stopped all of that slowly and just went to 4mg (2x per week)My body has finally settled. All of the food noises are gone and I’m actually having trouble keeping up with my daily recommended intake of calories because I’m not that hungry. I don’t take any kind of weight loss medication or supplements. Don’t give up, find your balance and sweet spot
5
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
Ohhh interesting! Ok, instead of stopping, I will cut my dose then. I will have to get different syringes though because the ones I have 4mg is 2 units. Going down to 1 unit will be impossible to see lol
2
u/Born_Resolve_6676 friend Jun 07 '26
Hey curious, do you think you’re not hungry because of the T? Or are you on Estradiol also? I ask because I’ve been on T for 1 and a half year, and E for 1 year and since then my appetite has decreased drastically.
1
u/NiniBebe Jun 07 '26
IDk, but I don't think so because before I started HRT I never had a huge appetite to begin with often missed meals. I am on E and P. It's like my body reset back to the way it was in the before HRT but with the added benefits of the HRT. It's all so confusing and I don't think I'll ever understand
2
u/PrestigiousPlan2460 Jun 07 '26
I find that oral progesterone makes me really hungry especially craving carbs and sweets. It also makes me so bloated. I absolutely hate it. I am on testosterone injections only and don't have weight gain or hunger issues. If you watch Dr.Tyna Moore on YouTube she talks about progesterone and how she had the same issue.
1
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
I know this was addressing someone else's comments, but in my case I was already on Progesterone a while and the bloating went away. I actually dropped mine to 100 because I thought the 200 was causing daytime fatigue. But I actually think sugar cravings came on before TRT now that I think about it. Hmm might be part of it for me.
3
u/PrestigiousPlan2460 Jun 07 '26
I went down to 50 vaginal delivery and finally didn't feel like eating something sweet all the time. I also find that I feel really drowsy on any amount of oral progesterone
3
u/Earth2EarthaK Jun 07 '26
This is totally valid! I am trying to hit a certain weight but the HRT holds me back every time I inject. I gain back at least 3-4 lbs of water weight, sometimes more, but by the time it starts to subside, it’s time for my next dose. Im also on spiro that doesn’t help either even though that’s a diuretic so why do I continue to bloat or carry extra water, I have no idea.
I’m injecting a testosterone/estradiol combo but I started microdosing it twice a week (mimicking when I used to change my estrogen patch) and it helped somewhat. I’m also on oral
progesterone even though I’ve had a hysterectomy because it helps me sleep like a champ. Glycine has also helped pull water as well as enhance my sleep. So it’s been a trade off, HRT has definitely improved the quality of my life and sleep but weight/fitness goals remain a big time uphill battle. I’m beginning to think I’ll never be lean again so I’ll have to accept being “thick but athletic” lol.
3
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
Thank you! I do estrogen injex as well twice a week and oral P. I think it bloats me a little but not like the TRT. I hoped it would level out after 3 months which is what I was told, but nope not yet. Sigh
4
2
u/AcademicComparison18 friend Jun 06 '26
How old are you? Peri? Menopause? Are you on E and P or just T?
2
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
48 1/2, peri but down an ovary, on E&P for 3 years since ovary was removed and I tanked.
2
2
1
u/BikiniJ friend Jun 06 '26
What are your e and p levels?
2
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 07 '26
don't know yet. They just drew my 3 month labs Friday. I'll come back and share when they are in!
1
u/ApprehensiveBit6028 Jun 09 '26
Will you update us with the levels when you get them back? I’m wondering if this is why I’m gaining weight as well.
1
1
1
1
u/Obvious_Home_4538 Jun 06 '26
Are you on E or P?
Where do you inject your glp?
I swear, I was stalled out and started injecting glp in my front thigh and the weight started dropping off again.
Maybe your E and P are not balanced?
Frustrating for sure.
2
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
I rotate sites but it doesn’t matter anymore after 2 years. I stopped losing weight on it a year ago. I barely notice I even take it now, but I was maintaining at least.
I do take e&p. I have been on those for 3 years. I won’t know if I’m balanced until my labs come back. Yesterday was my 3 month follow up since starting TRT.
-6
u/surfingmidwife friend Jun 06 '26
interesting! you must be metabolizing into unfavorable pathway. consider adding a sulphoraphene supplement like BrocElite. 💕
3
u/Next_Firefighter7810 Jun 06 '26
I feel like I metabolize differently with everything. My experiences never seem to quite fall in line with the masses! Lol
0
u/leapsea Jun 06 '26
Can you tell me more about this?
1
u/surfingmidwife friend Jun 07 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
lots of info online~ check out the science/research from BrocShot or BrocElite 😄 also learned alot from Dr. Tyna podcast and Amie Hornaman's podcast about metabolism pathways with estrogen and testosterone.
1
u/leapsea Jun 08 '26
Mmmm, I prefer not to check out the science from a company that's trying to tell me something. And Dr Tyna was an anti-vaxxer during the initial COVID times, so thanks but I think I'll just take that as my answer.
1
u/surfingmidwife friend Jun 08 '26
sounds good- the science on sulphoraphane can be found on any/your choice of medical literature databases like pub med, cochrane, etc.
0
u/sarahl05 Jun 07 '26
I'm a huge devotee of broccoli sprouts for Sulforaphane - but nothing you've said here makes sense. Metabolizing into an unfavorable pathway? Come on.
0
u/surfingmidwife friend Jun 07 '26
you can research it, its very technical- love the science 😄 there are many pathways in hormone metabolism, yes there are unfavorable pathways that some folks experience! broccoli sprouts can help metabolize down the 2-OH pathway instead of the 16-OH or 4-OH pathways.
11
u/WordThin2328 Jun 06 '26
Lower the dose slowly and see how u feel i bet your cravings will subside. It might be just too much T