To ask if starting HRT ruined anything for you?

[CurdinHenry]

For example, did it reduce your ability to enjoy wine or coffee?

I am about to start (so excited for many reasons) but a couple of people have suddenly given me the fear. If it's no coffee I am just going to ride things out the medieval way (except with coffee).

My 2cm fibroid has grown to an Orange-sized 10cm since starting HRT 2.5 years ago. I’ve seen 2 consultants and both have said the oestrogen part of my HRT has ‘fed’ the fibroid. Now waiting for a hysterectomy. There have many positives from going on HRT but this large fibroid is having a significant negative impact.

For me it’s been overall a positive . Sleep is good, no aches in joints, energy levels up never had hot flushes. It’s helped with my anxiety a bit still have a bit but that’s always been me. One thing that made it worse was the progesterone oral tablets I felt drugged dizzy and anxiety went off the scale. Swapped tablet for mirena so far so good

Did the oestrogen gel for about a week which was fine. Then it was time for progesterone - took the dose and woke up with an abdomen that looked nine months pregnant and hideous cramps and nausea. Shoved the lot in a cupboard and haven't touched them since. (This is just recently). I don't know what to do now. I felt so sick I just can't face it again.

What did it do to your looks?

Can’t use saunas with a patch on. Otherwise all good. Suppose could take a patch off before and apply a new one after. When the glue heats up it causes a skin irritation. Gel didn’t work for me even on a high dose.

I found it really helped hot flushes, vaginal dryness and related urinary symptoms. Didn’t notice a change in taste. Unfortunately I was diagnosed with oestrogen and progesterone positive breast cancer about 8 months after starting it. It didn’t cause my cancer but the hormones fed it, so to speak. I now can’t have it any more. Gutted.

All positive. I take the tablets so no faffing about with patches or gels.

Saved my life. Was nearly suicidal…

I think it is an appetite thing mainly.

It has been brilliant for me. I’m not as irrationally angry at the drop of a hat. I have more energy. I sleep better. My periods are regular. I love it.

I was a bit worried about going on it as I really didn’t get on with the pill in my 20’s. It made me very emotional and I put on weight. I was worried HRT would do the same.

My Dr reassured me that hormone medication has come along way in the past 20 years and I likely had nothing to fear and she was right.

I have all the HRT going now!

My absorption wasn't great on the patches but I had no bother with them sticking.

I wish i had gone for it sooner in my early 40's.
I use Oesteogel now, Utrogestan vaginally as you already mentioned. Testosterone gel ( private prescription) vaginal pessary and external cream for vaginal atrophy. I was ignorant about vaginal atrophy and it crept up quickly and boy it is awful 😖 along with the skin soreness between outer and inner labia ffs.

I hate applying all this stuff but it has made a huge difference to me in the last 10 years (54)

Go for it x

Only positives for me thankfully. It definitely saved my sanity.

Nope. It helped me sleep properly after months of insomnia hell.

I gained 2 stone and was horrendously depressed. there were a whole host of other side effects I won't go into. I don't think I do well with progesterone. I weaned off of it in April and have already lost a stone of the extra weight. I have masses more energy and am far happier.

I mean I'm still probs gonna get a divorce because of 'the clarity' and 'fuckwittery intolerance', but coffee abd wine is all good. Seriously, try it.

I’ve been on it for 14 years and now late 50’s. My skin is not as wrinkled as my friends who aren’t on it thats for sure.

Can someone explain to me why women gain weight on HRT? I thought it would have the opposite effect, in that it would prevent ‘middle age spread’. I suspect I’m in peri, and I’m struggling to shift weight, even with WLI (and the usual calorie counting and exercising ofc). I was hoping HRT would help with this but some aspects of this thread seem to suggest the opposite.

I wondered if it might sometimes be because it lifts anxiety and lets you enjoy food more. I think everyone is different - some people gain weight on the Pill for example but not everyone.

For me, I put on weight with the micronised progesterone. I'm super sensitive to it and it was like having awful PMT for two weeks a month. Hideous.

As soon as I moved to the Mirena coil, I was fine again.

Interesting, thank you 🤔. Though I don’t feel like I need to enjoy food any more than I already do 😭. If it’s that, rather than metabolic changes, I feel like I could handle it (esp with the WLI).

Only improvement for me, stopped heart palpitations, no hot flush when drinking alcohol, maybe a bit less tired & hopefully it's stopped the downward spiral of weight gain. I've stayed the same weight for 12months, after putting on a few stones the years prior. To lose weight I need to put in the effort but I'm glad I've not continued to gain.

Two weeks of PMT sounds like hell! So once you were on the Mirena, the weight gain stopped being an issue? x

All HRT does is replace your natural hormones that you've had all your life. Sometimes you just may need to adjust the doses up or down. Make sure you're given the bio/body identical ones and not the synthetic ones.

Not only did HRT give me back my self, evidence shows it protects against osteoporosis, heart disease, dementia, diabetes, cancers etc etc.

I am really interested to find out how it protects women's brains in the long term too

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-90084-y

Re weight gain an progesterone. I felt really well with the oestrogen only patches with the sequential HRT and awful with the two weeks with the combined oestrogen and progesterone patches. I felt really sluggish, tired, depressed, had mood swings and had massively increased hunger cravings. This was just about manageable but I gained about a stone over seven years.

When the health care provider insisted on combined HRT (and this is necessary to protect your womb post menopause) it was a complete disaster. I had month long PMT and hained a further pound a month. The difference in energy as I weaned off was incredible. I appreciate I could have tried a different HRT but I am just not interested. I have put a lot of effort into diet and weight bearing exercise to compensate and I shall get my hormones tested later this year.