Did anyone have burning/tingling scalp sensations?

This is the place to post questions if you have not been diagnosed with POF/POI/DOR and are worried you may have it. Out of respect for our members who are learning to cope with this life changing diagnosis, we ask that you keep questions limited to this thread if you have not been formally diagnosed. Reassuring someone that they likely do not have this traumatizing diagnosis when you yourself do have it can be painful, we hope you understand. If you have had testing done that suggests you are somewhere on the ovarian failure spectrum (for example low AMH, high FSH) you are welcome to make a standalone post if needed or post here. You'll find our wiki here. Ovarian failure is a spectrum which can be considered "diminished ovarian reserve (DOR)" in the early stages and eventually progresses to premature ovarian failure (POF), aka primary ovarian insufficiency (POI).

If you are here looking for answers, Medline has a helpful basic rundown of the disease. Symptoms are often vague, nonspecific, and irregular periods are often one of the LAST symptoms to appear. Many other much more common conditions carry the same symptoms, for example PCOS and hypothyroidism. For this reason, you should see your PCP or gynecologist if you are worried.

If you are worried about your "ovarian age" or are having trouble finding a doctor to order the appropriate test, you can order one online from Modern Fertility (there are other sites that offer similar services).

If you are frustrated with your doctor and would like help finding one who is a better fit, read this post.

Thank you and welcome to our community, we hope your stay isn't long!

Hi there I have been going through perimenopause since age 33 now I am 36. My period has been MIA since April and my doctor wants to put me on HRT because I am so young. I have never been on hormones before (I had a hormone free copper IUD for birth control prior to my diagnosis) so I am a bit hesitant as breast cancer runs in my family. Me and my husband do not want to have children so that's not a factor however I would like to prevent other problems in the long run. What are your thoughts/experiences? Any help would be great! I haven't had hot flashes for a few months or any other menopause symptoms other than missing my period.

Thank you ❤️

Hi guys, did any of ye have a Hysteroscopy that came back with both a visual and biopsy report of atrophy? I’m going back to my gynae next Thursday and will finally be started on HRT. I’m very much hoping to start trying to conceive and wondered if any of you managed after a diagnosis like this and HRT therapy?

Hi friends—- I’m trying to get oriented to all this! Not to be nosy —- but just to understand what works for people —- what is your HRT dose and age? Are you happy with your dose ( how do you know it’s enough?)

I apologize as I’m sure this topic has been discussed many times already in this sub. But what do y’all think about hormone pellets?

I’ve heard mixed reviews.

hello lovely people of this sub. I’ve been on dydrogesterone/ostradiol for the past 2 months (had taken a different medication before) and about 3 weeks ago my boobs got really tender. They have also gotten “harder” and at first the pain wasn’t too bad but now it’s at a point where it hurts even when they are lightly squished (e.g. hugging someone, sleeping on my side). I thought it would be temporary but now it has been going on for a little while so idk what to think. Has anyone else experienced this and is it normal for the tenderness to last this long? Any advice or info is really appreciated:)

Hi POI people 💖💖! My sleep / anxiety issues quickly went away when I got on HRT about 2 months ago, but this week re-emerged. I've changed a few things in my program so trying to figure out what might have caused it.

Question 1: Any experience share on what might be causing the symptoms?

Question 2: Any advice on how you track symptoms and medication? Anyone like the Apple health medication app? Any advice on symptom journaling and how you deduce causes?

Symptoms this week are: -high resting heart rate / waking up at 3am again. Haven't done this since before HRT. -Anxiety and being easily provoked / not feeling like myself.

What I've recently changed: -started vaginal estrogen prescription early November that I applied 2 straight weeks and then 2 nights a week after that. Realize I skipped the last week of doses - could skipping a week of dose cause such symptoms?

-dhea 25 mg daily added this last week. Blood test early Nov showed my available testosterone was super low, DHEA in low normal range. Trying this out for libido and fertility. Know some folks report anxiety / rage on DHEA but this seems like such a low dose to be the cause.

-Functional medicine doctor has added maca and glutathione this week. I wonder if maca could be the culprit

The background: 37 yr old got on HRT 2.5 months ago for idiopathic POI .1 mg estradiol patch and cyclic 200 mg progesterone pill. Around a month in increased to .125 mg estradiol patch bc my symptoms had improved but not all and blood estrogen retest still showed it was a bit under 70 pg/ml. Retested in November and estrogen has risen up to 112 pg/ml. It seemed like paired w the vaginal estrogen this should be enough of a dose? How did you know you were at a sufficient estrogen dose?

Thanks again to the awesome community 🥰🥰 really appreciate all the resource share and support. Early diagnosed me back in September found this group while awake at 3 am and felt so overwhelmed with relief to not feel alone. 🥰🥰💖💖

So, we're all here bc of this diagnosis, but I'm very interested if anyone has tried or is considering taking semaglutide/ tirzepatide.

I was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency/Failure and started HRT (patch+pill). But despite regular exercise, eating right, holistic doctor visits, vitamins/supplements, sleep, etc. - this weight is a deal breaker for me.

It's been 3 years since this diagnosis and I've come to terms with it, I accept it. I accept ME. But I feel like after all of this, I deserve to give it a try at least.

Anyone else considering? Would love some support reading about your journeys.

I’m really struggling with insomnia again. I had horrible insomnia before HRT, it got better when I started HRT but now is back persistently despite recent increases in doses to .1mg estrogen and 100mg nightly vaginal progesterone.

Anyone have any tips or things that worked for insomnia besides the standard stuff?

Hello, I had been on 0.50 of the patch with 100 mg progesterone at night and my main issue was hot flashes, I had been on that a few months. My endocrinologist increased the dose based on my feedback to .75 still with 100 mg at night. I’ve only been on this for two weeks however I feel so much more anxious…I’m wondering should I explore an anti depressant or anxiety medication? The hot flashes are going away so that’s good and it can take some time to get used to. I Really didn’t feel great on Zoloft or lexapro three years ago but I was also peri (didn’t know it then) and I wasn’t on HRT until April of this year. I’m noticing I’m stressing out over the smallest thing, for example, going into work. I work with amazing coworkers, yes we have stressful files and clients but that never bothered me before.

So my doctor recently prescribed me Progesterone 200mg to be taken for 12 days, along with the Estradiol patch to be changed twice weekly (I'll be switching from a birth control pill so I'm hoping this will be better for me).

But I'm wondering, how do you manage this schedule? 12 days on and 16 days off? Or do you just go off it until the month ends? How do you remember to take a pill for x amount of days and then again after another x amount of days? Anyone using an app to help remember this stuff?

I've been on HRT for over a year with different kinds of transdermal estrogen. Trying to find the right kind and dose is an ongoing experiment.

Currently a bit under 2 weeks on 2mg of generic divigel (1mg in the AM and PM). Also using micronized progesterone. How's that dose sound to you all for someone in their 30s?

Trying to figure out if it's too much or not enough since I feel so cruddy. I'm leaning towards it not being enough since that's been my ongoing problem.

I'm trying to tell myself that there's an adjustment period but this feeling sucks.

diagnosed this fall & feeling isolated but debating on who to share this with. I want to tell my friends and family, but also don’t know if I’ll regret people knowing later on or unwarranted opinions.

Many of my friends are TTC. Does it help telling them, or should I not? I have told a few friends and actually a few coworkers (work in medicine). What have you found helpful?

Hi everyone,

I’m curious about your experiences with POF and effect on brain functionality.

My whole life, even been a sharp-minded person who could pick up new skills quickly and articulate my words and stay motivated and energized.

Lately, I am struggling. Sometimes my brain fog is so bad that I’ll be at work and the computer screen looks blurry. I’ll have to re read sentences 5 times and still not absorb information. A colleague will ask me a question and my mind goes blank. And worst of all I’ll have random days where I find myself running to the bathroom to avoid breaking down in tears in front of my coworkers. My brain was always my most prized possession and now that I sometimes feel detached from it, I’m scared and angry and frustrated. And I’m exhausted no matter how much sleep I get.

For background, I stopped getting my period about 3.5 years ago when I was 30 (I’m 34 now). I just got on HRT in June of this year which has helped a lot in terms of taking away my hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia. But now I bleed a little every two weeks and when it’s coming I always feel pretty heavy and sometimes disoriented.

Does anyone else experience feeling disoriented and emotional? Have you talked to your employer about this, and what’s the reception been like? Part of me doesn’t want them to know because I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses.

I just want to feel like me again. When will this end?

Please keep discussion regarding active fertility treatment limited to this thread out of respect for members here who are not in this phase of their journey. You can also go to /r/poisupport, which is a POI/POF sub focused on fertility in POI. Mention of pregnancy & active IVF treatment outside this thread is against the rules. We also ask that avoid use of cutesy acronyms (baby dust, DH, etc).

I was on cyclical HRT last year and was bleeding for 6 months straight. Then I changed to continuous and have no bleeding which I’m happy about. My doctor refused to tell me why I was bleeding so much on cyclical… but do any of you know why this might happen?

I am just wondering what E2, FSH and progesterone, LH look like on day 21? Do they look “normal” or do they look menopausal? Thanks

Hi! I am very new to this - had my first bloodwork confirming POI a month ago (with FSH coming in at 128) and got told that there is no treatment (outside of HRT) available to me two days ago. I am only 27 and just started my career. My doctor seems fairly convinced that I have already had this condition for years and likely started menopause as a teenager. I feel like I am going through so many emotions one right after another. Sadness, anger, numbness, anxiety.

There are so many doctor's appointments coming up. I work with children and am absolutely dreading going to work on Monday. Idk how to deal with any of this. Right now, it's like I'm sitting at the bottom of a well.

Can somebody who made their peace with this weigh in? Has hormone replacement therapy helped you feel better? Do you have any encouragement or words of advice to give me? I am usually very open with my feelings towards everybody around me and I have a fantastic family and great friends, but I feel like nobody really gets how this feels. What was your grief timeline like?

The really ironic thing is that I was diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis a year ago. Seems like my body at some point just went like "Let's just use all this estrogen to attach some organs to each other for funsies!" and then it nixed my ovaries altogether (my ovaries were actually largely left alone by endometriosis, no cysts or anything, so the doctors were sooo confident that my fertility would be left intact once my uterus was disentangle from my bowel. What a jolly good time that was). Well, according to my new gyno, I was likely already sterile when they started treatment for endometriosis. I never had a chance. Thanks for nothing, body.

Hi all.. I am 29 and just got my diagnosis this year after only having one natural cycle my whole life. My god are the doctors the most frustrating thing to me regarding women's health. I only was diagnosed because I refused to get on HBC and the NP at the women's specialty clinic finally brought up labs to test my hormone levels. So now I've been on HRT for about 9 months.

The NP referred me to an endocrinologist. And now the endocrinologist is suggesting I see an OB... a doctor specifically, not an NP.. to check in and manage my HRT and check my labs annually. I got the referral and SURPRISE the doctor looked at my case and is setting me up with an appointment with the NP at their office. I feel like I want to rip my hair out.

I don't have anyone to relate to over this so I'm incredibly grateful for this page and the women here sharing their stories. It's helped me understand things almost more than these medical professionals (I know we shouldn't trust the internet too much). I feel like my health has never been a priority. I had my first period and then they never came back and the only medical care I got was birth control. No one thought to figure out why in the 10+ years before my diagnosis. They just want to tell you how to have a baby. I'm so sick of it.

Has anyone had this happen? I switched to the patch Tuesday night and this morning had a hot flash while I was drinking a very hot drink. My mother was actually witnessing it in real time cause she was next to me lol. I'm also taking 200 mg progesterone at night... Do you think this is just my hormones adjusting? I used to be on the patch and progesterone and then switched to the pill and took it for five years.

Hey all. I started HRT yesterday. A bit nervous about it all, but hopefully it is worth it. In regards to Mammograms, do people with POF that are taking HRT get scanned annually even if they are younger than the usual screening age for mammograms?

Have to admit the leaflets made me feel anxious even though I know a lot of that info in the leaflet is outdated.

Just wondering if anyone with POF has been able to get pregnant?

(39yrs old) Hi, I’m very confused about my current situation. Earlier this year, I visited an endocrinologist to ensure everything was fine. That’s when I discovered I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. However, no treatment was required since my TSH levels were still normal. During the check-up, the doctor also noticed my FSH was 41, and my estradiol was 95. She informed me that I might be approaching early menopause and prescribed Vitex agnus-castus to help balance my periods.

Historically, I’ve occasionally skipped periods (2–3 times per year), and my cycle had started becoming less punctual. After two months of taking Vitex, I felt much better, but in the third month, I experienced spotting that lasted for two weeks. During the third week, the spotting increased slightly, so my gynecologist prescribed seven days of progesterone to stop it—but it didn’t work.

I consulted a new gynecologist, who prescribed Cycloprogynova (a combination of estrogen and progesterone) and a strong anti-inflammatory medication. Later, I discovered this anti-inflammatory pill is commonly used for medication abortions. This pill caused heavy bleeding and severe cramps, which landed me in the ER. The ER doctors told me the anti-inflammatory medication was the culprit but advised me to continue with Cycloprogynova for two months.

After finishing the two months of Cycloprogynova, I stopped the medication and retook my blood tests during the withdrawal period. Surprisingly, my hormone levels were worse: estrogen and progesterone were extremely low (<18), and testosterone was also low. While my FSH had decreased to 32, it was still high. I had no idea why the treatment, which was supposed to help, made things worse. Additionally, I discovered I had a folic acid deficiency.

My gynecologist concluded: “It’s clear—you’re in menopause and need to start long-term HRT.” However, since the doctor didn’t fully explain the side effects (I suffer from chronic migraines), I decided to delay HRT and seek a second opinion.

Last week, I repeated the blood tests in preparation for my appointment with a new doctor, and the results were shocking. My estrogen was now 1200, FSH dropped to 4.4, and all other levels were within the normal range. I also decided to test my AMH, which was 0.22—not surprising given my earlier diagnosis of premature menopause.

This leaves me deeply confused. If I was previously diagnosed with premature menopause and told my results wouldn’t improve without medication, how could my hormone levels now be so different? Could FSH decrease so dramatically, and estrogen increase from <18 to 1200 during premature menopause?

I want to begin treatment if necessary but only after receiving the correct diagnosis.

Hey everyone, I'm wondering if your doctor has told you what blood estradiol level is considered normal/optimal to treat POI and avoid the negative consequences of low estrogen? I'm asking because I am having a hard time getting clear answers on what levels are okay. Thank you :)

Edited to add: specifically my doctor (a specialist supposedly) let me know that my estradiol level which is in the low 30s is "normal" - I am 35 and feel really bad so I highly doubt this! Also a previous doctor told me that my reading a couple of years ago which was slightly higher (40 maybe) was too low.

Hi all. First of all, I just want to thank you all for making poi so much less lonely. I have been finding the posts about symptom fluctuations so validating... I have ups and downs with my symptoms but just in general don't have enough energy. I'm literally just wondering, and I wonder if any of you feel the same way, why don't the research and articles about poi not mention the fluctuations at all? I feel like if they even mention the symptoms at all (!), it is really underemphasised... I'd been feeling so lonely and a little crazy as if it's all in my head and then I came across this forum - so thanks guys.

So to preface, found out I have POF a few months ago (39F, missed 3 periods over the summer and finally pushed to have levels checked which showed my FSH at 160+. In retrospect I was probably in peri for a few years since my cycles were behaving oddly but that's pretty much the only warning sign I had noticed back then). Found a better doctor who is working with me to find the best treatment for me, which is still a work in progress. She gave me several options and I chose to start with a birth control pill since I felt it's easier to remember. The first pill my old doctor had started me on (Mili) made me have constant breakthrough bleeding and heart palpitations. Second pill my new doctor switched me to (Lo Loestrin FE) made me continue to bleed the whole month. She then switched me to a new pill with increased estrogen (Junel 1/20) which stopped the bleeding and I felt like my mood has been more stable so far. I've only been on it for about two weeks though.

However, I've noticed something new, which is that my legs look kind of swollen and there's more visible vasculature on either side of my calves. Furthermore, I get achy around those areas. Happens randomly. I had noticed I was getting tiny spider veins here and there over the past year before I was treated, and I never made the connection that it could be hormone related.

But now I'm literally in a small panic that this will continue to get worse and I'll develop varicose veins and never feel confident in shorts again 😭😭 just looking at them wanting to cry. I have never had them and I don't currently, but my mom has them after 4 pregnancies and hers are BAD, some had to be surgically removed.

I messaged my doctor about this, but does anyone have experience with this happening? Was it due to fluctuating hormones and can it resolve?? Is my dose maybe too low or too high? I'm thinking of just switching to HRT now and dealing with the annoying changing a patch twice a week, if that can help at all.

I'm just feeling super upset because it seems like I cleared all these hurdles (hot flashes, night sweats, uncontrollable bleeding) and then more BS appeared...😭 Plus I am terrified she'll tell me I can't be on hormones anymore because of this. I cannot fucking go back to that hellscape.

Hi! I’ve been recently diagnosed with POF. I had my hormones checked 2 years ago and my PCP didn’t catch that my estradiol and FSH levels were in the menopause range. He has no experience with this and I’m looking for a PCP- preferably a woman who has some background in POF/menopause. I’m located in RI but would travel to MA. Anyone have any recommendations? Thanks!

I just want to share into the void that it’s been a hard few days for me. I learned that one of my close friends who is a few months older than me is pregnant. And then someone else that I follow online, a year older than me, also pregnant. And then Gisele Bunchen, 7 years older than me is pregnant. And of course when I was at the coffee shop today two women came in with their little babies and sat next to me. It’s hard to see my peers having children “easily” ( two were spontaneous, I realize I don’t know about the others)

I never really let myself think about having kids before I was diagnosed. I had a lot of relational difficulties with my parents through my late 20s which made it hard for me to trust people and have romantic relationships. But I always hoped to heal and be “normal”.

I planned to freeze my eggs at 35 as an insurance policy in case I couldn’t figure my shit out by 40. I was diagnosed with POI that same year. In retrospect I had symptoms starting at 29/30.

I feel like such an alien compared to my peers and it’s especially hard when women older than me get pregnant. Because I guess I was never sure that would be a possibility for me more for trust and relational reasons. And now I know it’s not a possibility for biological reasons.

I’m so far from a relationship. I wish I could have fixed all my emotional issues at a younger age and maybe gotten a chance at a biological child. At the very least I wish I was in a supportive relationship when I was diagnosed to now so we could try to get pregnant through IUI or spontaneously. With every month that passes I’m just further and further away from any possibility of a future I could never imagine but always hoped for.

I’m just ranting here since I have no one else to speak to who will understand.

I’ve been taking HRT for overall symptoms and to also have a “ period bleed” every month for about a year now. I stopped taking my estrogen because honestly I’ve been lazy but I noticed I started spotting around the time I normally would need to take my progesterone for a “period bleed”. I got excited because in my head I thought that my body was back to normal and I didn’t need hormones to be able to have a period. I’m not going to lie I feel like my heart kind of shattered when that didn’t happen. I’m 26 and so desperately have I been wanting to feel “normal” again and like a girl my age should without the irregular mood swings, period issues, feeling like I’m in pain all the time and losing hair.