Should women start HRT earlier in the UK?

[1ladybird]

I’d love to hear people’s experiences of HRT.

I’m 40. I have got a prescription for HRT soon to be ready to collect and try! What can I expect?!

Should HRT be something women are offered late 30s/ early 40s before menopause hits?

If you take it, how beneficial have you found it to be?

Main reasons for asking for it from my GP is huge dip in energy levels coupled with not sleeping well. Bloods all came back ok for other things.

Would love to hear other people’s experiences of pros, cons and if you wish you’d done it sooner!

My symptoms were heavy, irregular bleeding, brain fog, hair loss and incredibly painful joints - shoulder blades, hips, knees, fingers, and the soles of my feet were terrible. At 49-50, I’d hobble like an elderly woman when I woke every morning.

I’m on the lowest dose of the evorel conti patches and within weeks, almost all my joint pain had vanished. Not sure why but the soles of my feet took a little longer to be alleviated.

I’m now 53 and still on the lowest dose. Apart from a little irritation with the glue on the patches, I feel ok. My GP mentioned a 3 year limit on taking the HRT - not absolutely sure why, especially since reading that others are on it for years.

I agree that Women’s Health still has a long way to go - it’s scandalous that GP’s continue to fob so many of us off.

I also feel that there continues to be a degree of judgement from some women who advocate going down the ‘natural’ route - it’s certainly something I heard from female relatives when growing up. I often wonder what the source of this judgement was.

Some have no choice if they want to stay alive.

Countries with a worse cultural attitude to women are less likely to be positive to HRT compared to countries which have greater equality and less sexism in their society.

Who'd thought that? 🙄

So you don't actually need HRT then. Well done you.

Are we supposed to clap and applaud you?

I'm sorry but you have no idea about the impact it has on some women and how much of a difference it makes to their lives and what state they would be in without it.

Your total lack of ability to empathise and understand this is amazing. It's all about you. Well no it's not all about you and your choices.

The 75% includes those with manageable symptoms, which I imagine is a very large group.
I didn’t sail through, but I felt able to manage my symptoms. I had a personal threshold for seeking HRT (flooding or very close heavy periods).

@BringBackCatsEyes No it's not that percentage.
Roughly 25% of women have no symptoms, and of the 75% who do, the vast majority have moderate symptoms enough to use HRT and 25% have severe symptoms that can last for many years, and until their 80s.

The current issue with HRT is that many women do not link their symptoms to menopause. The live another 30 years with insomnia, loss of energy, aches and pains, anxiety, forgetfulness (brain fog), bladder issues and more and think it's all just 'old age'.

Heavy bleeding is not 'cured' by HRT. Women with heavy bleeding are offered the Mirena coil.

HRT alone ,without the Mirena as the progesterone part, won't control heavy periods- in fact may make it worse.

I've been looking into it more past few days (and months). If I was a generation older- even 15 years older- I can see why people would avoid it.

There was a very inaccurate study that scared a lot of people and has since been overridden. I am wary of new drugs so for me for example I wouldn’t take weight loss jabs to shed a couple of stone (unless it was like huge amounts I needed to shift - no judgement on people in that position).

However HRT has been on the go longer now. I suspect now lots of benefits are known with very minor risks many women my generation who are 40/ soon to turn 40 will take it.

I’ll report back on energy levels, sleep, achy joints in a few months!! Due to start it tomorrow 😊

Also, I suspect more women will turn to it over the coming years with retirement age being 68 and rising… it’s not so bad for anyone who can retire earlier.

I'm considering HRT at the moment. I'm 50, so I think putting everyone on from mid 30s would be far too early.

Tbf my symptoms have only come on in the last three months and are mostly hot flushes and lack of energy.

However when I first missed a period (turned out to be a one off) was about 2 years ago, and I went to the doctor about it (well managed to persuade the receptionist that the entire sky wouldn't fall down if I got a telephone call from a doctor), they immediately suggested HRT.

If HRT brings my energy back, and preferably helps me to lose weight, then that's great. However I'm a bit nervous that it will restart my periods. I've had 3 months without them now and it's bliss! Definitely worth hot flushes Can any users say if this is likely to be the case?

Why do you think women of 55+ would avoid it? That's a really odd thing to say.

I've several friends in their 60s and early 70s on HRT. And they have been on it for years- 15 to 20 years.

We are not the generation who were influenced by the old WHI research years and years ago.

If I can say so, you are young to start HRT. Average age of menopause is 52 and a lot of women just have some symptoms for a few years before that (yes, you will get posts here from women who started peri far sooner, I know that.)

I was early 50s and many of my friends were similar.
I was lucky to have no peri symptoms till my periods stopped.

So if you look at my post (the one that started this thread) the whole point of it was asking about starting it earlier later 30s/ early 40s.

When people currently in their 50s and 60s were early 40s there was research (which has since been disproved) that suggested there were negative side effects such as it causing breast cancer etc when in reality to risk is tiny.

I’m not suggesting that women in their 50s/ 60s plus will be put off taking it now!! They may have been 20 years ago…

According to Google: The negative hormone replacement therapy (HRT) study results were announced in 2002.

Google also: The 2002 Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study was not "disproved" by a single event, but rather gradually corrected and re-evaluated through subsequent data analyses between 2007 and 2017.

Half of UK women on HRT stopped taking HRT in 2002.

So I can understand women in late 30s/ early 40s (and all ages) being put off taking it in 2002.

The subject of my thread is specifically about starting it late 30s into early 40s if you have symptoms rather than delaying til mid 50s onwards.

gradually corrected and re-evaluated through subsequent data analyses between 2007 and 2017.

Exactly but much was evident before 2017.
Many women were unnecessarily frightened in 2002 but it became clear that the type of HRT used , the age of the women in the US, and their health when they started HRT was far from optimum. That skewed the results.

Going back to your first point

Should HRT be something women are offered late 30s/ early 40s before menopause hits?

Do you mean 'menopause ' (end of periods? Or peri menopause - the years when hormones start to fall.

If you're saying women with severe peri symptoms that come early (and late 30s is early) the answer is YES. They may be suffering from early menopause (periods stopping before 45.) HRT has been prescribed for early menopause for a long time.

They do not have to wait till post menopause, (their last period) if that's what you mean.

But if you mean should ALL women be offered HRT from their late 30s regardless of symptoms, NO.

This is because there is still a small risk of breast cancer (and different types have different risks it appears from limited research.)

HRT is not prescribed as a 'prevention' for symptoms that may never occur.

No exactly it’s not prescribed as a preventative and that’s one of the points of my thread. Should it be when any early signs appear…discuss.

So yes perimenopause technically but it’s all part of the process of menopause.

Also interested mostly in hearing people’s experiences who have taken it. Thats my main motive of my thread.

Have you tried HRT and how did you find it?

This may sound daft as I am only one year from no periods at all. I am now 60. Should I have been or should I be taking something?

It's something to discuss with your GP.
Most women don't.

No exactly it’s not prescribed as a preventative and that’s one of the points of my thread. Should it be when any early signs appear…discuss.

There is no 'should' about it.

It's a matter of choice.

Some women are anti HRT (mainly as they worry about the risks, which is fair enough), some women take it when they have a few niggling symptoms, some take it when their quality of life is terrible without it.

It's recommended for women who are post menopausal before 45, to protect bones, heart and brain, up to age 51 at least.

Yes, I'm using HRT.

Diolch ☺️

Yes of course it’s choice nothing is forced or ever should be. There are recommendations though just as there are for kids to have their vaccinations etc.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in future years it’s recommended/ advised not long after first signs. Never forced though.

How have you found it? Pros and cons? Did it ease any symptoms. Sleep and energy levels are the main thing I’m hoping for it to improve and am interested in finding out people’s experiences on.

You don’t have to but it’s worth researching as it may be of benefit to you. Further up someone recommended channel 4s Davina McCalls 2 programs from a couple of years ago about the menopause and HRT. Great starting point and interesting watch. I found it useful.

Then you can research it before seeing GP if you wish to try HRT. X

100% vaginal oestrogen. I think every woman should be using that to prevent issues such as atrophy and UTIs

It helped a lot with sleep. My energy was fine. Sleep and regular hourly hot flushes were the issues.

It’s so individual though isn’t it? I was lucky I think as I got the Mirena when I was 42 due to heavy periods after DC2. I had no perimenopausal symptoms till 50, night sweats and dry fanny. Started the oestrogen gel and voila I’m normal again in about a week. Whereas my BF was fully menopausal by 42.

Glad it helped you. I’m really hoping it helps my sleep and energy 🤞! Even if it just helps my sleep that in turn should hopefully mean I’m more rested!

I think it can also depend on what age people start their period too. If people started age 10/11 then more likely to start signs of menopause early.

I’m in this category and I had loads of bloods run before prescription and no other issues came up so 🤞🤞.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in future years it’s recommended/ advised not long after first signs.

It's balance of risks and benefits and always has been. HRT is to relieve symptoms. Not all women have symptoms that warrant it.

The advice at the moment is that HRT started within 10 years of a final period reduces the risks of CVD.

There was also some new research out last week (on Woman's Hour) showing a possible reduction in dementia, based on new data ( up til now the jury has been out.)

However, all drugs have side effects and downsides, so it will never be promoted in the way you think IMO.