To want to know your HRT stories

[Muffster]

Am 48 and deeply peri menopausal, periods faded out aged 45 and now I have maybe one every ten months.
Have managed without HRT so far but the flashes and flushes, aching joints, sore boobs, gloom and irritability, crap sleep and desiccated fanjo are pissing me right off, so now I want to know your happy HRT stories.

Have been on a thyroid supplement for about a year which has helped with hair loss and I use Vagifem but it is not enough and think I need HRT.

I’m fit and strong and until October was training several times a week but my athletic training is being seriously impacted now by my aching body and collapsing energy levels. Suddenly I feel old. I have an 8 year old so not ready to feel like this.

Please encourage me with your stories. Thank you 😊

I went on it because I couldn't stop crying intermittently. I stayed on it because of protective effect against osteoporosis and because I feel great again. The odd joint ache but now I have the energy to exercise. I just have oestrogen patches because I don't have a womb post partial hysterectomy.

Vagifem pessaries are localised HRT. Super low dose, I think a whole year using them is the equivalent to 2-3 days HRT in terms of the amount of hormone you get.

They keep everything down below supple and prevent the miserable menopausal symptoms many women suffer silently with.

If you are not on HRT I'd consider asking about them. I was advised by my consultant that all women should be in these from the peri menopause for the rest of their lives.

I feel much much better on it. Less anxiety, planned short bleeds, I sleep better and night sweats and hot flushes are very infrequent.

I feel like the old me. In fact a bit better as I've developed a bit of 'I don't give a damn, my dear' which is proving helpful.

Sorry, I didn't read your post properly!

You can up the dose of vagifem if needed.

I take half dose HRT and full dose vagifem. This mimics how I felt before menopause.

Thank you so much this is all very encouraging. I didn’t know I could up the localized pessary Vagifem, will ask OBGYN about that tomorrow and am thinking about asking for patches. Are patches/creams easier than tablets? And can you swim with them? Do they fall off/wear off if you perspire? (I live overseas in hot humid place so spend all day in tank top, yoga bra and shorts or swimsuit so wondering where I could actually place a patch )