Lifting the Estrogen Veil: Starting MHT and Feeling Myself Again

Reflections on a Week of Hormone Therapy and the Difference It's Made

One week ago, I started HRT (now called Menopause Hormone Treatment or MHT), and it feels like I've been reborn.

After months of wondering what on earth was happening to me—collapsing into bed mid-afternoon, struggling to make dinner, drowning with overwhelm, missing work—I was sure something seriously wrong was going on. It wasn’t just physical. Mentally, I felt lost and exhausted. For those who’ve heard me talk about perimenopause and menopause recently, well, buckle up—this is about to get louder.

Over the past few months, I’ve been down the rabbit hole, been gaslit and tried to pinpoint whether my symptoms were just "normal" life stress or the onset of menopause. And it turns out I’m far from alone. I found a fantastic Facebook group for Australian women, professionally moderated and supported by organisations like WellFemme, which has been an absolute lifeline. They provide real answers for women like me who, often silenced or misled, are told their struggles are “all in their head.”

Sadly, medical gaslighting is all too common, and many health professionals aren’t fully trained or equipped to help us navigate this stage. They’re underresourced, and we don’t know what we’re asking for. That’s why finding my support network has been a total game-changer.

I took my first dose of MHT last week, and by the next morning, I noticed the world looked a lot more vibrant. I literally noticed the sky was brighter, and it’s like I put on high-definition glasses. I felt sharper, my mood was steadier, and the bone-deep fatigue that had weighed me down for months just lifted. I actually felt good again. That elephant parked on my chest had disappeared, and I could take deep breaths again. Each day since I’ve tracked my symptoms, and it’s been amazing to see that both the physical and cognitive “fog” have steadily cleared.

Within this short week, I’ve done more than I have in months—I even started my workouts again. It’s like the veil has been lifted. When I checked in with my support group to see if this rapid relief was normal, the responses were overwhelmingly positive:

“Yes, it’s amazing!”
“Same here!”
“I wanted to kiss strangers—I felt so good!”
“Life-changing for me, too!”
“Yep, mine was instantaneous too.”

For years, I’d been asking menopausal-aged friends for guidance, but the responses were vague and unhelpful like everyone was just fumbling through or out. Now, I’m sharing my journey with friends, hoping they won’t feel blindsided like I have when their time comes.

Did you know perimenopause can last up to 10 years? I didn’t. And looking back, it means I may have been in perimenopause for the last decade without even knowing it. For anyone feeling similarly confused, one thing that helped me was filling out the Australian Menopause Society scorecard to bring to my doctor. Just one glance at it, and she knew what was happening. She said I’d likely expect relief sooner than the scorecard’s 3-month check-in.

Yes, HRT/MHT has had its controversies, but I’ve done my research and made this choice with confidence, guided by my own health history and discussions with my medical team.

I’m just crossing my fingers that the symptom relief lasts, but I am hopeful that this result shows that it’s effective for my symptoms.

P.S. ADHD and Menopause: A Different Ballgame?

Did you know that if you have ADHD or suspect you do, it adds a whole new layer to the menopause experience? There isn’t a ton of information out there yet, but it’s growing as doctors and experts begin to recognise the connection. If you’re interested in hearing more about how ADHD intersects with menopause and perimenopause, let me know—I’d be happy to share my findings.