HRT - don't want to stop!

[higgle]

I more orless demanded HRT from my GP at sign of first hot flush, I felt unable to work and concentrate properly with all that going on too. A couple of years down the line I feel I will soon be under pressure to come off it and wonder if anyone else feels like me.

The benefits have been greater energy, enhanced libido, great skin and hair. I've lost a fair bit of weight on purpose and I've still got a waist unlike most of my friends who have turned into apples.

To protect against breast cancer I have lost weight, exercise lots and have given up alcohol altogether. I have been trying very hard to find something that will accurately deal with the risks continuing on HRT will present, but to no avail, and quite frankly I was very annoyed to get a lecture from the practice nurse about it when I'm sure many of the women she sees are overwieght, drink and probably smoke too.

So - does anyone know how to calculate the risks properly? and is there anyone else out there who is planning to go on taking it forever and can perhaps recommend an agreeable private consultant who is not so anti as most GPs seem to be?

Watching with interest.
Been on HRT for six months, started to well up a bit and gp, who looks about 25,said with a smile don't worry I'll have you off those in a year, that opened the flood gates.

Hi Higgle= happy for you to Pm me if you want for more info.

Isee a gynae privately- don't want to boast but he is top of the tree....

he says I can stay on HRT for 5 years at least- been on it 2.5 years now and feel great- fingers crossed.

Like you, I work out- my BMI is 19.5, I eat healthily and can't drink for other medical reasons anyway.

There was a very detailed prog on Woman's Hour about 2 months back when a dr who was very interested menopause etc said she thought 10 years was safe.

After 5 years the risk does rise but I have read that it is the same risk as a non HRT user who drinks 1 glass wine a day or is slightly overweight.

If your Gp says come off it after 2years I suggest you ask to see a gynae or ask for a referral to a menopause clinic- most GPs are sadly mis informed about HRT.

thanks for this, cabbageroses. My usual GP has just left the practice, so will just have to see how I get on with my new one.

Not myself but my Mum, she was on HRT for ten years. But that was in the 90's so I sort of assumed that was the norm.

I've been on it for almost 2 years. In last year have had to attend breast clinic 3 times to have cysts aspirated. Gynae there says not related and that I'll grow out of getting them as I get older! She did mention however that I should be thinking about stopping the HRT, but not urgently. Was going to speak to GP, but am interested in what is said here.

I'm so glad there are people in limbo just like me. I'd appreciate some rational chat. My story..1995-had Hysterectomy. Couldn't bear the sweats and moods etc so went on HRT. I had a bit of weight gain and my BP went up but my GP took me off it after the 2002-04 reports on increased Breast Cancer. Went through hell but everything settled after about a year-Yep a year of carrying my clamp-on electric fan around every desk I worked on. My husband got used to the background drone of the fan in the bedroom.Anyway, last March (2010)showed 6mm ovarian cyst. Rushed in to hospital and had 10CM cyst and both Ovaries removed in early Dec 2010. Life had been awful since.My previous sweats,moods, etc have nothing on these!! I went to my GP for help and possibly HRT (as had been suggested) and she flatly said that at 52 yrs I would be off it by 55yrs anyway so I might as well suffer now and get it over with. My sweats have caused problems with other conditions I have. I wear Morphine patches for my inoperable back condition. These are either being ''sweated'' off or are running out too soon. I have been told it's because my skin temperature is so high they are releasing too much at a time. I have RA and the concern is that I could also develop Osteoporsis.At my post op check with my Gynae she saw me ''in one of my states'' which lasted 30mins and recommended in a letter that I try a low dose HRT patch, if not to get rid of my symptoms but at least ease them. So it has been suggested by more than one doctor that it could benefit me. My husband had to come to my GP with me for moral support to again ask for something. I have spent a fortune on the'Menopausal Magnet'-no relief. Good though for sticking yourself to a shopping trolley or the Ironing Board.'The Well-being Creme'- no difference 'Flash fighters'(these made me quite ill)so after trying to say how awful I felt and a marathon argument with no rational discussion about the pro's and cons of HRT, the doctor has left me with the inference that should I develop Breast cancer, I have brought it on myself by having this HRT. I am using EVOREL 50 patches twice a week but have had no relief as yet. Is anyone out there using this? I feel so isolated and fearful after what my GP has said. I don't know why but I didn't seem to worry about being on it all those years ago (Premarin tabs) but perhaps age and the fact that I was soo relieved that the Cyst was benign I have a greater fear of the dreaded 'C'. Perhaps you can glean from this how desperate I feel and my willingness to try HRT even after what has recently happened......

wendav- any HRT that you took before you were aged 50 should not, IMO, be counted as your total time of HRT- anyone who takes HRT up to 50 is only putting back what should be there.

What was the diagnosis of your cysts?

Why did they remove your ovaries?

If that op was not cancer-related, why did they take such drastic action?

I think in yourcasee, I would want to by-pass my GP if they were being unhelpful and ask to see a gynae who specialises in the menopause, or ask for a referral to a menopause clinic.

Thanks Cabbageroses for the reply.
I had very bad ''Peri Menopausal' symptoms fro many years and the Hysterectomy just made things alot worse!..And of course I was only 35yrs old and everyone was talking about Osteoporosis then. The Cyst was benign and was very fast growing. It was starting to grow around my boweland was pushing on my bladder.They took the Ovary that it was attached to but my Gynae doc said the other was 'looking suspicious' and gave a 70% chance that i would have a cyst there in the very near future, so took that as well.
My GP seems to be old guard I'm afraid....It's the way she asked 'did I have a fan?' 'If I didn't work I could strip off in the house and cool down?' 'You've been married enough years(33yrs as it happens) for your husband to understand these sweats and moods'...I felt so degraded by her comments........

wendav- as you have unique circumstances, I'd push for a referral to a menopasue specisalist- your GP does not sound very helpful at all/

I've been on HRT for over 24 years (early meno aged 17).

I have spoken to various GPs on different occasions over the years, and they advised that the benefits to me far outweigh the risks. Not just osteoporosis, but also an increased risk of cervical cancer apparently.

wendav I also think you should ask for a referral, your GP sounds very unsympathetic and unhelpful.

Ophelia- there is absolutly no doubt that someoen age 17 needs HRT. You should keep going until the age of your normal meno- 50-52- just like anyone who can't produce insulin, or has a thyroid condition- it's not a choice in your case.

I began this thread (prior to a name change) ages ago because I was concerned that I couldn't find anything that enabled me to make an objective choice about HRT on the basis of the risk of alcohol and obesity ( in otherwords I was doing so well on HRT that I was hoping that keeping slim, exercising and totally giving up alcohol might make the risks involved more acceptable.) I have now found this - whilst doing some research on another matter - that spells it all out very clearly, it is from NICEwebsite

"Established risk factors for breast cancer include older age, early
onset of menstruation, late menopause and greater age at first
completed pregnancy.10 In addition, increased risk is associated with
some forms of benign breast disease and with exposure of
developing breast tissue to radiation.7 Women who use products
which contain oestrogen and progestogen ? either oral contraceptives
or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) ? are at increased risk, but
the effects are not large and disappear within a decade of giving up
hormone use.11 10 years? use of HRT appears to lead to six extra
breast cancers per thousand women, increasing the individual risk
over 20 years (age 50 to 70) from one in 22 to one in 19.12

The risk of breast cancer is affected by lifestyle. Obesity is associated
with a two-fold increase in risk among post-menopausal women; this
has been linked with high intake of meat and dairy fat, but the
precise nature of these relationships are still unclear.7,13 Regular
alcohol consumption (two or more drinks per day) increases risk by
about 40%.
As with many other forms of cancer, eating more vegetables can
reduce risk. Physical activity also seems to reduces risk (in premenopausal
women, at least), and more intensive activity may
produce greater benefits, although this is not yet certain. It seems,
therefore, that there is scope for primary prevention, and intervention
studies are in progress."

I have searched for this information on web sites, through cancer advice services - even the info section at our own local hospital and people have told me the information is not available - and there it is sitting on the NICE site - do they not want us to know?

There has been quite a bit in the news about this over the months- say ing that a drink a day can increase your sisk of breast cancer just as much as taking HRT for 5-10 years. Same for post meno women being overweight- even by just half a stone.

I take issue with their figures though- my gynae's book shows the million women study showed that there were 19 more cases of b cancer per 1000 women after 10+ years use- and the lower figure of 5-6 : 1000 applied to oestrogen only HRT.

It is hard to find figures and some of them do contradict each other, but I do think NICE is a fairly reliable source - what I found very concerning was that the practice nurse at my GPs couldn't cite any evidence for her balnket assertion that I shouldn't be taking it because it would give me cancer.

I have friends who are still taking the pill into their 50's (and a cousin who is over 60) as a way of staving off menopausal symptoms.

No idea if there is a health risk with that, but they all say that when they finally come off the pill they hope to be 'done' with menopause so that they miss it entirely.

Is that possible? Is that wise?

Fwiw, they get very prickly when someone suggests they might want to stop taking the pill. They like avoiding menopause symptoms, but they also want to have the younger body/face that comes with still taking the pill/having a period.

OP HRT was the direct cause of my mum oestrogen fed cancer, it killed her after five years battling for her life, I would avoid HRT

hugely that's very sad for you, and I don't want to underestimate your loss.

but you have to take on board that everyone's risk is different. There will be some women for whom HRT leads to BC sure- but the women who take it- including me- are doing so for quality of life and being able to work etc without all the meno symptoms.

I am aware of the risks- and yes I may regret taking it. who knows.
It's not certain that anyone taking HRT will get BC- every woman has a 1:8 lifetime chance anyway.

The latest stats say that up to 5 yrs use is safe-ish and after that time the risks increase.

If I was you then I would avoid it as family history is important.

It's a personal choice and I do everything i can to avoid adding to my risk factors by not drinking, smoking, being the right weight, eating well etc etc.

Ultimately it's about pros and cons and nothing in life is risk free- not even driving your car.

Hi only found this site today.Just started hrt Kliofem. Although having side effects hypersensitivity and itching, really not sure whether to come off and try another brand, wish there was some kind doctor who can give me good advice.
The pain from the hyper is horrendous, not sleeping, do not know where to turn, scared to come off cold turkey, as i need the oestrogen as my levels are very low.

any suggestions appreciated, dr only have 10 mins with you what sort of time is that when in an emotional crisis and at your wits end.

happybear if you can afford to see a gynae consultant privately, mine is great- you'd need to be able to get to London, or South West.
He accepts self-referrals and is a meno expert.

However, I know he always suggests allowing 3 months on any HRT to see if it suits you.

My mum is going through menopause and she cut down on her coffee and started adding linseeds to her bread and says she has got rid of all her symptoms. Could you look at diet? Mum went to a herbalist for advice about her seeds.

Diet can help some people but not all- and not enough on its own.

I don't drink tea, coffee or alcohol- for other health reasons- and have a very natural diet- no junk etc etc.

I was sure that I would not take HRT but my dr agreed that no one could have a better lifestyle/diet which he always suggests as the first step- but it wasn't enough for me.

it is worth trying though- cut out carbs and sugar, spicy foods, and caffeine/alcohol.