AIBU to think that any woman who can should take HRT?

[HRTevangelist]

It's fucking brilliant and has turned my life around. I have more energy, I can concentrate, I've lost a stone without trying, I've been promoted at work and my facial hair has completely gone. I am unstoppable!

This is truly amazing stuff. It should be considered for all peri women as routine before looking at alternatives as necessary.

@Sallycinnamum I have oestradiol gel that I rub onto my arms in the morning. My GP prescribed it in gel form because it's less at risk of shortages and also you can vary the dose more easily to suit. Eg you can literally just do an extra pump of the gel (it comes out in measured doses) if your gp feels you need to.

I think that would do me good. I've got frequent migraines, sore joints and lack of energy but can't even get an appointment with a G.P.. They're only taking emergencies

Took me 2 years to get it, and another year to get the right combo for me. still annoyed I was left for so long to struggle.

@PaperMonster I guess it's different for everyone. I knew I needed something because I wasn't coping with the effects of the mirena on my mood. And I needed the mirena to manage my periods.

But actually there are so many benefits to hrt anyway that I'm glad I was in the position where I considered it iyswim.

Women's health is all tied up with our hormones. When our female hormones decline it affects us systemically. We become more prone to dementia and osteoporosis, our hearts work less efficiently, we can develop problems with our blood pressure. So even if you don't "need" it like I did, prolonging the beneficial effects of your female hormones is a good thing.

My GP gave me it without me asking.
I went in for an ear infection, he asked about my general health, periods etc. and wrote me a prescription for HRT saying it would " give me another flush of youth".
I had no desire for that- I was feeling perfectly well, energetic, not sure why I was given them.

@HRTevangelist what one are you taking? I have requested some from my doctor. She made me get blood tests first. Am keeping a list of all my symptoms. I really want to try it!

HRTevangelist I don't see the crone state of womanhood as a disease needing to be cured or prevented.
It is possible to keep fit and healthy post menopause without medication.

And what did you say to persuade them to let you try it?!
I just KNOW I'm peri & have so many symptoms.
Frankly it's lucky I haven't murdered anyone yet 🙈

If you had said "should have the option" then I would have absolutely agreed with you...but I don't think women should do anything unless they want to.

@HRTevangelist my gynae didn’t want me to have the coil - dunno why now, can’t remember. So I had a pill - this was to deal with the effects of my periods (regular as clockwork, not particularly heavy but would cause disassociation so I needed something as that caused problems, particularly with work). Have been on them for 4 years and I stopped taking them two weeks ago when I ran out of them because I won’t be working for a while. Thought it would be interesting to see if I was menopausal (am 52) - anyway, am no wiser!!!

@AmIPeriOrAreYouJustAnnoying I have oestradiol gel. I was in a pretty bad place mentally tbh when I went to the GP, but I didn't need to say much beyond that the mirena was driving me crazy. She briefly asked if I thought it was some kind of mood disorder and then very quickly agreed that given my age it was unlikely and prescribed the gel. She also talked through all the physical benefits and how you can't compensate for the drop in oestrogen with herbal supplements etc. Compared to other friends' experiences though she is quite unusual in her approach. A lot of women just get sleeping pills or antidepressants. Which yeah will alter your mood bit will definitely not tackle the very real physical reasons behind your mood changes ie that your female hormones have dropped.

I'm 51 and have been on HRT for 2 months. It seems to be starting to help. I really wish I'd started 2 years ago when I had my first hot flash

*but

I'm on my third month of taking it and I'm back to my old sleep patterns already. No uncomfortable hot nights and no horrible panicky feelings that I used to get. The only thing is my boobs hurt a bit, but I'm hoping that will ease off.

OP I'm on Mirena and oestrogen gel like you but am worried that the combo raises my cancer risk. Am going to make an appt with the GP to discuss.

Did your GP say the two together made for an increased risk of breast cancer?

(I don't know that it does but I read somewhere that it did, so want to check).

I was not going to take it until I saw how many elderly ladies break their bones with minor knocks/falls and how much agony so many are in with osteoporotic spinal fractures in their late 70s and early 80s. Given our life expectancy is mid 80s I want to prevent as much ill health as possible .

I was on it for 5 years but people kept saying menopause symptoms would return as soon as l came off it ....stopped taking it during lockdown and thankfully they didn't but l have a bone density scan every 5 years just to make sure all ok

I agree. My mum had a hysterectomy about 20 years ago, and really she ‘shouldn’t’ need HRT anymore as she’s past the normal menopause age.

Luckily she has a great doctor who still prescribes it for her as she hates the way she feels without it.

@speakout I get you and until I needed it I would have thought the same. But as a result of needing it I've got more information about the protective health benefits it has and now I'm so glad to have them. Eg my own DM and dmil both have osteoporosis, struggle with blood pressure etc, like lots of women their age. These physical effects are most times caused by declining female hormones. Women until menopause are way healthier than men, in general, because we have these. And then they go and we are left dealing with the consequences, for decades. Hrt bridges that gap and helps us stay healthier and more active for longer. I'm really glad of it. And I feel really sad that women are not made aware of the long term consequences of unmediated menopause or of the options available to them when they're in the long and often difficult peri phase.

My perimenopause so far has consisted of 2 years of slightly more frequent periods followed by only 2 periods since last August. I get the odd hot flush of a night over in minutes. That's it - no brain fog, no hair thinning, none of that. So I don't need HRT. All the women in my family have easy perimenopause. I'd hand over my share of the HRT to someone else if I could.

@HRTevangelist if my GP wont let me try it I'm going to ask for a second opinion & will go private if they refuse. I have so many symptoms & I'm 45.

Also with any other organ failure we don't put up with low hormones causing us to be hypothyroid , diabetic - we take replacement hormones- thyroxine, insulin etc.
So why should we put up with failing ovaries and the consequences of no oestrogen?

@motogogo

I personally don't want too because of the increased cancer risk. Exh is a cancer researcher and didn't want me to take the pill either, I trust him on this one. I'm managing ok at the moment on non hormonal interventions and an amazing dp

For those with a premature menopause it is merely replacing hormones that should be there anyway for their age, and it does not increase the risk of cancer any more than the natural hormones it is replacing.

You are one of the lucky ones if you are managing ok at the moment. Many people have years of horrendous symptoms.

@HRTevangalist I'm hoping for results like you. I had the mirena fitted about a month ago and I'm on the gel. I don't honestly feel much difference yet, but I am also bleeding and spotting every day.. please tell me it gets better!! 🤞🤞

@AmIPeriOrAreYouJustAnnoying you might be pleasantly surprised!

If you do meet resistance, going on what my friends tell me, it could be worth pointing out

• not experienced such symptoms previously
• symptoms coincide with age that oestrogen levels decline
• impact on life/work/family etc
• symptoms have significant impact and are likely to have a physical cause which can be alleviated by physical intervention ie synthetic hormones