If you take HRT, then what happens when you stop ?

[Flossiefoo]

Do you experience all the menopausal symptoms when you come off HRT ? So, basically are you just prolonging the inevitable ?

[Bluerussian]

I was on HRT for a couple of years - years ago. I came off it and felt much better generally, for example I no longer had migraine, but the flushes returned after a couple of weeks. However they weren't too bad at all and it made me wonder why I'd bothered with HRT in the first place.

My cousin came off HRT and didn't have a return of hot flushes but she had been on it for many years.

[JinglingHellsBells]

@Flossiefoo There is no single answer to this. HRT doesn't delay menopause. No one goes through it twice.

What can happen is you will carry on having symptoms like flushes etc because you'd have had them (still) regardless of using HRT or not.

They might be less often or less severe.

HRT is supposed to help the transition stage when hormones are fluctuating but something like 10-20% of women have symptoms for 20 years and some never get rid of them ever- which is why it's now possible to use hrt for life. No one has to stop if they are getting the benefits.