What are the pros and cons of hrt?

[Staggers]

Purple has given me the name of a gynie, (thanks).

I sort of want someone bossy to come along and tell me exactly what to do and then I will blame them when it all goes wrong.

Thanks in advance everybody and I guess I will be around here for some time.

[purplepeony]

LOL!

If you look at his website you will see that he likes to do everything in agreement with you.

Without HRT your bones will crumble- possibly. You lose a massive amount of bone within 3 years of menopause which puts you at risk for problems in your 50s onwards. You should have a bone denisty scan now to get a baseline reading then you can decide what to do.

Do you have menopausal symptoms -or not?

[purplepeony]

The pros are that short term you will avoid the terrors of the menopause- flushes, sweats, dodgy lady bits etc etc.

It can also build up your bones/stop the rot at least to a level where you can then use lifestyle measures to keep them dense.

Before the age of 50 the risks are minimal for cancer and other side effets, as your body should have oestrogen til it's 50-ish anyway. After 50 the risks are the same as if you were having a "normal" menopause. The risk of breast cancer taking HRT for 10 years ( after age 50 not before) is 19 extra cases per 1000 women, according to the million women study though some drs think the study is flawed.

It's a case of balancing risk v quality of life- only you can know the answer to that.

How much are you suffering now?

[Staggers]

Horrific hot flushes and night sweats or about 4 years. No irritability. No periods except 2 for many years, but I put that down to the coil.

I have just rung your gynie. He is on holiday but free on Friday April 23rd and I expect we will see him then. I didn't ask how much it cost.

Much appreciated.

[veryconfusedandupset]

I'd like to revive this thread as I'm 53 and have been on HRT for just over a year now. I had hot flushes, which were bearable, but accompanied by such a horrible feeling I can only describe as "someone walking on my grave" sort of shuddery and a bit frightened that I really couldn't put up with it. Soince I've been on HRT I've felt so much better in general terms, have more energy and an enhanced libido too, so I would like to carry on indefinately, which is no longer thought to be a good thing.

To minimise the risks I have lost 3 stone, got my blood pressure down to the mid-normal range and stopped drinking alcohol on all but the most important of social occasions. I have never smoked and exercise lots.

Are there any statistics I can access to weigh up the risks properly? it seems to be very difficult to find figures about the increased risk that each separate activity e.g. drinking, being overweight, HRT brings ro developing breast cancer.

[purplepeony]

Hi
First of all can I say that I saw my lovely specialist gynae only this week to discuss my bits and HRT.

I thought he might try to persuade me to try coming off HRT after 2 years on it- I had tried reducing the dose but the night sweats kicked in again. He said keep on the normal dose for me- it's gel so it's different to tablets in that I can adjust the dose to get just the right amount to control symptoms. He says I am well within the 5 year period when I will need to re-assess. His view is that up to 5 years' use does not increase your risks.

If you see my previous post from MArch it gives the stats.
However, I was reading online that the 2 biggest studies which showed risks are now considered flawed.

Something I read recently showed that being on HRT had roughly the same risk- after 5 years- as one of the other risk factors, drinking, being overweight and not exrcising, but even that's not very precise, is it?

Have you done a calculation of your breast cancer risk by putting in your lifestyle risks, such as age of first period, menopause age, age when first child born, etc etc?
when I di mine it was slightly lower than average risk- so I reckoned that HRT would bring it up to average.

one other point- the TYPE of HRT you take is a facotr. They now believe that it is not oestrogen that causes cancer but progesterone, as women who take just oestrogen if they have had a hysterectomy have very few extra cases of breast cancer.

My dr has me on a 3-monthly long cycle HRT which means I only take progestins once every 3 months ( and have a period every 3 months) rather than for 14 days a month, or daily as some HRT does.

It's still worrying but we take risks every day when we drive our cars, far greater than the risks of HRT. I am not blase about HRT and the risks, but for me my quality of life is so much better. I also had low bone density, verging on osteoporosis, so although the HRT is not primarily for that, it will help.

I think you have to weigh up your own preferences and risk factors then take a chance.

[purplepeony]

veryconfused- don't know if you have been back to read this, but if you are then there is a table on //www.menopausematters.co.uk ( might be .com) which gives risks and risks in relation to other risk factors- go to HRT risks in menu.

[deaddei]

I have been on HRT for a year now, and noticed the difference within 3 days,.
The hot flushes were ruining my life, made me lack confidence....and I can honestly say, I feel a different person.
It's quality of life for me- I was on the Pill for about 25 years, and didn't worry about that.
I am slim, fit, have a healthy lifestyle, and have no qualms taking hrt.

[purplepeony]

deaddei- have you been advised how long and when you should stop?
I think my dr will leave it up to me- well, I know he will.

[deaddei]

Not really- I'm not planning on being on it for years- a friend did it for three years and hasn't had too many problems since.
But honestly, I feel like a new woman.

[without]

I've been in HRT for over 3 yrs. Started just before I was 40 - so very early.

I'm on a 2mg dose and really couldn't manage without it. It's been a life saver - especially as I'm a single mum so an early menopause was ruining more than my life!

I can honestly say that I have no intention of stopping at 50 - maybe go to a reduced dose but it's amazing and have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone. I know there are risks, but there are with anything.

[purplepeony]

If you are having a prem meno Without then HRT is essential otherwise you are at greater risk of osetoporosis and heart disease.

[chelseamorning]

Hurrah for feeling like a new woman deaddei! I could do with some of that!

Is it really the case, purple, that you're at greater risk of osteoporosis and heart disease? Is it not possible to take supplements, ensure your nutrition is appropriate and adopt a more active lifestyle (as per the National Osteoporosis Society)?

I'm curious because I'm just beginning this journey and you seem to be well read/informed on the subject. Osteoporosis and breast cancer run in my family so I need to tread carefully.

[purplepeony]

Hi Chelsea- the stats I was referring to re. heart disease and osteoprosis were found (I think!!) on the website menopasue matters wher they talk about the risks of HRT- ther eis a set of scales on the page.

If you take HRT either before the age of 50 ( early or prem meno) then you have no extra rsik- if you take it for 5 years as soon as you reach meno then you have no/hardly any extra risk.

You can do a lot with lifestyle- I had a bone density scan at 47-ish and found I was almost osteoporotic in my hips- T score -2.1 and osteo is -2.5. I had no risk factors except for being small ( weigh under 8 st) and had been dairy free for a while due to skin problems.

I had taken calcium.
I mad e a lot of lifestyle changes- exercise etc- the right kind- and diet and my bones are getting better. They are alos being helped by HRT but at my last bone scan I had only been on HRT for a few months- too soon to make changes to my bones- so lifestyle changes must have worked.

[purplepeony]

www.menopausematters.co.uk/balance.php
Info for anyone here.

[chelseamorning]

I keep reading that HRT only 'protects' you from risk of osteoporosis while you're on it. When you stop taking it, your bones etc will gradually go back to a pre-HRT state. purple, it states this in the book you recommend, written by your gynae (which I started reading last night and is a very good read!!).

So what I just can't get my head around is what are the benefits of taking HRT if bone protection is your priority? Isn't it best to adopt a more broad spectrum (diet, exercise, lifestyle...), long-term approach now to see you through the menopause and beyond?

[purplepeony]

Chelsea that's fair comment. However, what is does do is build bone during the early meno years.

My bones were not normal when I went into meno- they were like the bones of a 60/70 year old almost.

I am making big steps ( ha!) forward with lifestyle changes etc which I think account for th e improvement in my bone density at last scan, as it was too soon for the HRT to have had any effect.

what it WILL do though is put me back where I should be for my age so that when I stop I can continue with lifestyle etc and maintain the increase.

Think of it as filling the tank before a 500 mile trip. If it's almost empty to start with then you are in trouble- if you fill up first then you won't run out before everyone else.

Also, I am not tkaing it primarily for bones.

[jaysea]

Hi was interested to read your messge a while ago. I am 54 and just started HRT. Am having flushes, dizzyness, light headed, sweats, anxiety, mood swings.. Let me know how you getting on and which one are you on.

[purplepeony]

jaysea- who are you asking?

I use oestrogen gel and am on a long cycle, 3-monthly HRT regime. This means I use oestrogen gel every day and take progestins for 10 days every 3 months which gives me a bleed once every 3 months, like a period.

The usual route is tablets but my dr believes that topical use such as patches and gels have fewer side effects and you need less of the product for it to work.

[delilah61]

hi is anyone on kilovance ive just started hrt 3 days ago wondered how it was and how long it took to start working