Thank you both for your thoughts!
I have had lots of blood work done, including thyroid, adrenals, zinc, B12, D, testosterone in its various forms, estrogen, etc. Everything is normal, except that my androgen levels are on the low side, and my estrogen level tends to bounce around a lot. Even on this patch dose, I had one estrogen test that was 44 in late July, and then it was 150 in September. I suspect my bad sheds triggered by the particularly low dips in my estrogen level.
I have one ovary, and it seems that it's no longer functioning, except when I add some HRT, it kicks into gear and makes some estrogen. That's one theory my specialists have suggested, anyway.
I am going to my old reproductive endocrinologist tomorrow, and I'm trying a new person next week, and I was going to ask them both about vaginal progesterone use. I had one endocrinologist that I trusted a great deal tell me to "take as much progesterone as you can handle", to protect myself against cancers. But of course, nobody I've seen so far
really knows how to handle Premature Ovarian Failure patients. So perhaps I am taking too much progesterone.
This has been such a confusing journey! I feel tired sometimes. I just want my body to feel like it's more balanced. I have weird bleeding episodes every few months, and intermittent breast pain. Things feel off. I eat really well and exercise daily. But this last 3 years of hormone confusion has been a real bummer. I know I don't have to explain that to others here!
Annie, I'm sorry you've had so much stress over your hair loss, too. I know that acceptance can be key to peace with hair loss. I was advised by a scalp pathologist to give minoxidil at least a year, so I'm attempting to do that. But it is not for everyone, and it really may not be working for me. In which case, I'll have to look at other ways to deal with hair loss.
X-posted with Stellajane, edited to add:
I've heard of frontal fibrosing alopecia. It's not what I have, I don't think, but it sounds challenging. I'm sorry you've got it! Do you still have your uterus? There's a lot of fear among my various doctors of ever giving patients estrogen alone if they still have a uterus. I feel like the doctors in the UK have more tools in their toolbox for menopause. I never even had one doc (of many) propose cyclical HRT to me--only continuous. I don't know why, but I'm going to ask.
My eyebrows and eyelashes have thinned a little, but my other worst-hit area is another body hair area... which seems like it'd be helpful since women spend time trying to remove some of that hair? But it feels quite strange.