If you tried HRT, what was your experience? Any negative effects?

[porridgeisbae]

Hi all, I'm going to try HRT.
There seem to be a fair few potential side effects listed.
What was your experience?

I don't want to get more bleeding, that would be annoying.

That's bad luck @RedRosesPinkLilies , praying for your speedy recovery. A couple of friend of mine have had ovarian cancer and they didn't have any risk factors either- it's just one of those things sometimes.

The cancer risk from HRT is so low that charities for women with cancer-connected genes push for them to be able to have equal access to it.

positives: fanny sorted, periods not as close together, depression gone, most flushes gone (until utro time and they come back abit).

negatives: aura migraine developed, increased anxiety, heavier periods.

am on 1.5mg sandrena per day so am thinking I'm possibly taking too much oestrogen and will be trialling 1mg, but worried I'll lose some of the positives I've had!

@RedRosesPinkLilies I’m so sorry

Like @RedRosesPinkLilies I also ended up with cancer with no other risk factors, endometrial in my case, I think because I wasn't absorbing the progesterone, but nobody really seemed very interested. When I looked into it in a bit more detail, the fact that I had struggled on hormonal contraception and had period issues all of my life might have been a warning that HRT might not have been the best for me, but nobody asked me about this, and I didn't know at the time. I wish I'd never taken it, but I got caught up in all the hype and hoped that it would help prevent a different medical condition that I had from getting worse. I've had a hysterectomy now so surgical menopause, and actually I feel fine.

I dont think you need that.

@SierraSapphire Sorry to hear that. Yes I never got on with hormones so maybe it wouldn'tve been a good idea anyway. Glad you're doing ok. x

@ButterflyLeaf78 ?

I'm on Evorel Conti.
My periods were around 6 months apart before I started the patches.
I went on hrt for hot flushes really. No other symptoms apart from achy hips
I've only been on them 3 months but the flushes have calmed right down and I had one light period 9 weeks in. That's it
Feel fine

I bled constantly, horrendous pmt symptoms and the worst of all it triggered vertigo, feels like I'm on a boat and it's been over 2 years since I came off it but the vertigo has never gone away, it's obviously manageable now as my brain has adjusted but when I'm tired or stressed it's horrendous.

Not for me. Skin was aggrevated boils etc. Doctor agreed not suited to all. My sleep didnt really improve gave it few months

@BluebellShmoobell That sounds awful.

I’m on Evorel Conti. For the past year exactly. At first it was great, all my menopause symptoms which I’d been struggling to sort with natural remedies (vitamins and supplements) went. Then last and this month I got spotting, which can indicate cancer or issues in womb area. As a friend was diagnosed and is being treated for uterine cancer last summer I went to the doctor today who’s referred me for an urgent scan and suggested I pause HRT.

My close friend was on same patch for a year and came off it last autumn and says she’s fine, no adverse symptoms.

We were both finding brain fog, lack of sleep and other factors to be killers but since I’ve taken Tescos menopause support supplement (small purple top packaging, asda do a similar one) I’ve found this works way better than the more expensive menopause supplements like Menopace Max etc and sage tablets. I do take vitamin D and magnesium citrate though for sleep.

Not sure what I’ll do if I can’t take HRT again or if I should just stop it or restart it. It just delays the inevitable menopause anyway.

I got spots, not awful ones but definitely hormonal ones. Sleep improved at first and was quite good. I also got severe anxiety bad enough for me to see doctor, about 9 months in, never sure if this was HRT or not as hadn’t had that for years (anxiety).

Re moods. I used to get horrendous PMT which doctors didn’t or couldn’t treat, but could’ve been underactive thyroid related too! Moods actually much better and more even on Evorel Conti which was such a relief! I didn’t gain weight on it either, just had peri/menopausal weight gain and actually lost almost a stone just 4 months after starting Evorel Conti but with weightwatchers.

I would say, it’s important either way to see a good female doctor. When I was peri I saw one but she was younger and sympathetic but not brilliant with advice, the male doctors on the whole again sympathetic but not brilliant, can’t recall if it was a male doctor or not who started me on Evorel Conti. Saw a female doctor today who’s my age or older and was the first one in ages who actually explained my thyroid levels, TSH so I could understand and a womb etc scan properly! When I asked a male doctor about thyroid issues he either glossed over it or made it too complex to get understand! And if I mentioned eg incontinence (actually caused by levothyroxine speeding up metabolism which a male doctor did explain to me) or menopause the male doctors aren’t that good! This is a good GP practice too!

Can I ask how old you are OP?

I was on the same tablet as you were planning to take, if it is the same as mine, it is quite a high dose 2mg oest/ 1mg progest?) . I changed onto this one when I changed from sequential to continuous, and although the dose of oestrogen was the same, the progesterone was too high.

I am on a lower dose patch now, first week so still in trial phase.

For when you do think about starting again, have a look at the levels in the dosage, and start out on the minimum and work up if need be.

Hi, good call. The boots doctor did say she would start me on a lower dose- I think 1mg rather than 2.

I'm 47 so my fatigue probably is caused by the other things that are going on rather than the change. My mum did need to go on HRT at 46/47 though.

Also Kilofem is continuous and not sequential. Are you not still having normal periods for more than a year?

I didn't know it was possible to self medicate on hrt to be honest.

I was on HRT for 22 years. It was great, no side effects and it enabled me to work professionally past retirement age. It sorted my horrible hot flushes, brain fog, memory lapses, incontinence and joint pains. My hair and skin have been good. I have had to stop for other medical reasons at 73, I wish I was still on it as the hot flushes have returned.

HRT has been amazing for me. Been two years, mirena coil, Evorel 50 patch. Feel human again and no weight gain. Good luck.

Hi everyone

I started evorel conti in December but was gaining weight when I was actively trying to lose it.
No other side effects.
However, I didn't notice any improvement in how I felt either.

I spoke to my GP, who changed me over to Femseven Conti.
I've only just changed, and I feel absolutely horrendous.
Feel like I've got a little lump in my throat and my heart is beating quite fast.
Anxiety is crazy too. I can't settle.
Is this normal?
I'm wondering whether to rip the patch off and just put up with symptoms, because I feel so rubbish!

I'm coming back as a man! They've got it so easy compared to us females!

Change again. Ask if you can try estrogel and utrogestan. I felt crap on patches but I feel great on this combination.

@ladygindiva thanks so much. I'll ask my GP tomorrow!

Meh…

Tried patches and progesterone tablets for 3 months but really hated swallowing the tablets every night and generally hated the regime. I struggled to pick up the prescription and gave it up completely when the time came to get another GP appointment for a new prescription. I work long hours and it’s hard to find time for yet another “task” . Maybe I don’t need it enough yet as the benefits were not very obvious. Helped with joint ache but so would daily yoga/exercise. Slept better the first month but no difference after that. Got very frequent bleeding which was annoying. I think for me I would react better to a healthier diet and more exercise, and that is what I keep meaning to try to do :)

Only positives for me. More energy which means fitness levels up and healthier lifestyle. Not one negative.