How have you decided to have or not have hrt ? What made up your mind ?

[Perimeopausepip]

Just wondering about people’s though process as to weather to take hrt or not ?

im tempted but worried

I haven't taken the leap but am going to find out my options. I'm concerned it will make me put on weight. Got enough struggles there already. If I knew it would fix my worst symptoms, I'd have to seriously consider it. If it can only be taken for five years (some say that, some seem to stay on it for way longer) then eventually I'll have to go through it anyway, right? I don't like the idea of needing a medicine where I'll be in trouble if there are shortages. All these things I'm going to discuss with my doctor. Maybe I can try it for a month. I know it can take longer but it should give me an idea.

I had terrible night sweats and also really bad mood swings. It's stopped both of those. I'm mid 40s, but started my periods young which apparently can be a factor in earlier peri. Dr was supportive so that made things easier!

I wanted to keep my hair on my head and not grow a beard basically. So far so good.

Those worried about weight gain I have put on weight and my breasts are honestly humongous now but I don’t think that’s the case for everyone.

Thèse have changed my life for brainfog. I recommend them so often I should have shared in the company. I take 2 at breakfast I can feel them wearing off by about 5pm.

I asked for it due to incapacitating hot flushes. Due to a misunderstanding as to how the dates worked with a repeat prescription (in France), I was on it less than 6 months. No problems since. Strangely, whenever I've had a mammogram they've asked and said 'good' when I've said only 6 months.
Not sure why.

I've decided not to take it, I had a bone density scan recently and my bones were described as 'excellent' so that alleviated my main worry.

I take menopace religiously and also vegan omega 3 and although I've no idea if they work I generally feel pretty good!

I had the brain fog and the night sweats and awful PMT for a few years (am about to turn 45), but what really did it was the vaginal atrophy that I didn't know I had, which was causing urinary incontinence and the lack of estrogen had contributed to a prolapse and the worsening of a previous prolapse.

So I'm now on estrogen patches, progesterone pills and vaginal topical estrogen.

And for what it's worth I exercise a lot including weights for over 10yrs, eat really well and drink very little.

But my body had other ideas.

I can't see any risks just benefits.

When the time comes I plan on taking it for sure. A crumbling skeleton and vaginal atrophy don't sound fun to me. Even if my symptoms aren't too awful the benefits outweigh the risks I think.

😅 Sounds like a good enough reason!

@Perimeopausepip Bone strength and dementia prevention are listed as possible positives of HRT.

Also, I thought the breast cancer link had been debunked but it seems to have stuck. Though the worry, as with other threads, is when some GPs use that as an excuse not to prescribe it.

It’s a no brainer for me. I want to put back what’s missing.

I don’t want osteoporosis nor to increase my risk of dementia, heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

I don’t want to diminish collagen production nor to have an atrophied vagina. I don’t want to lose my sex drive nor ability to orgasm.

Not interest in hot flushes, poor sleep, bone aches, low mood, impaired cognitive function etc..

We shouldn’t be putting up with any of the above or seeing the menopause as just part of getting old. There’s a reason it used to be referred to as ‘the end of joy’.

Have mirena coil already & I started the gel last week because the night sweats were getting bad & impacting my day to day energy.
I feel better already..

I don't have it yet (I'm in peri I think, in fact certain). My only reservation is whether it will 'fuel' my endometriosis, which is the easiest it's been in years at the moment, as I'd rather cope with menopause than that.

I keep putting off making an appointment.

the insomnia and brain fog was making life very difficult and I was miserable

I had taken and given time for them to work a number of natural remedies there was a slight improvement but that is also down to looking after myself better

within a week of using the patch I was getting a good nights sleep and the brain fog improved and mood improved

@pathlesstravelled if you take both estrogen and progesterone your endometriosis should be controlled.

I have had a full hysterectomy due to endo, adeno and ovarian cysts. So to avoid the crashing symptoms of a surgical menopause I am on HRT.

HRT when taken in patch form doesn't in and of itself cause breast cancer. You are way more likely to get breast cancer if you are overweight, if you don't exercise and/or you drink alcohol regularly.

Looking back I suffered symptoms like depression and brain fog but it was skin itching that propelled me to the GP. Took HRT for a while (it worked) but have now stopped. Symptoms haven't returned and I feel better than during my rollercoaster PMS years.

Never wanted to be on hormonal contraception and not keen on this mass long-term medication of women, especially with the rise of gynae / reproductive cancers (many variables, no doubt). Like the pill, I see the clamour for HRT as a mixed blessing for women. We are the first generation of healthy women, many of whom have been medicated through decades of continuous synthetic hormone use (pill followed by HRT). It's a big old experiment. FW

I'm likely to continue with vaginal oestrogen as I had a succession of UTIs when I was last sexually active (though absolutely no issues during sex).

I'm 56.

I felt so awful, literally dragging myself through life, hot flushing, not sleeping, brain fog, depressed, so irritable.
quite a few friends had had good results so I thought it was worth a try. After 8 weeks I started to feel normal again. All symptoms improved, in fact I haven’t had a hot flush since I started on it. Life changing

Same here, plus loss of libido and dryness.

I think it used to be seen as a badge of honour not to have taken HRT, to have battled through and come out the other side unaided. But that attitude seems to be dying out.

I had been considering HRT after a couple of UTIs (1st time ever), increasing general rage and lack of libido but the deciding factor was realising the 'normal' level of bone mass loss associated with menopause coupled with the cardio protective and dementia factors. Opted for tablet version which seems quite rare, most women seem to be on oestrogen gel or patches which I thought seemed more hassle than taking a tablet each evening

Absolutely not. I had a hysterectomy at the age of 42 so it was tough for about a year. But it is so much better now 15 years later; no more mood swings, skin is clearer, hair less greasy and generally I feel so much better. My menopause was not natural but I got through it and certainly would not want artificial hormones. Who knows what the long term damage is.

I agree.

I have a colleague who’s in her early 60s. Several times I have heard her say, with pride, she ‘managed without’ HRT (whilst detailing all of her awful symptoms). Her mum had severe, disabling, osteoporosis and I can see my colleague is becoming stooped at 61.

I’m so pleased this ‘put up/shut up’ attitude is dying out.

I had brain fog so bad I literally couldn't do my job, plus aches and pain, loss of libido, hair loss, and my general mood was so flat that I would go to bed every night thinking, well, if I go tonight in my sleep I've had a decent run. (No kids, I hasten to add.) HRT sorted nearly all of that out within a month. I forgot to put my patch on for a few days last week - because you get used to feeling 'normal' again - and felt the difference in my joints after an average gym class almost immediately. I also had a massive meltdown with DH about almost nothing

I'm conscious of the risks, as my DM had breast cancer, but I balanced those against similar risks from obesity, drinking, smoking, etc. I've stopped drinking, and am tackling my weight as I near 50. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and do strength training as well as cardio. My 48 is very different to my mum's 48, and a whole world away from my DGMs.

I decided I'd give it a go, see if if helped. You can always stop again if it doesn't help. It has helped, so I'm staying on it.

I haven't yet because all the pressure to go on it is putting me off! Exercise and sage tablets are working for me at the moment and Ovestin sorted out the UTIs. But I may change my mind.