Stopped HRT a month ago - hot flush hell

[Silvercatowner]

I have taken HRT (Elleste Duet) for 5 years - I'm mid 50s. Prior to that my hot flushes were unbearable - every 30 minutes day and night and I wasn't coping. I stopped at the beginning of January in the advice on my doctor - my BP is raised. The flushes have returned with a vengeance - I am waking every 90 minutes during the night and struggle to get back to sleep. My job involves public speaking and I struggle to maintain composure when in full flush in front of a large audience.

Has anyone got any advice as to what might happen? Do I need to ride out these flushes? My doctor did suggest I could go back on HRT, possibly with BP medication, but surely I'm going to be on it for the rest of my life!? I'm honestly not sure I can carry on working with such disturbed nights.
Thanks

1 You don't need to come off HRT because of a) 5 years or b) high BP.
2 You DO need to have your BP under control either through lifestyle ( losing weight, altering diet, taking lots of exercise) and / or medication.
3 If you stop HRT at any time it has to be phased out- over 6 months.
4 If you want to come off it you need to stop gradually , give it 3-6 months to see how you are off it, then go back on if you still have symptoms.

Thank-you, although much of this is contrary to the advice my doctor has given me.

Your dr needs to be better informed.
I'm repeating what my consultant gynae/ leading expert on menopause has told me ( though I don't have high BP).

like you I was taken off HRT immediately after a scan at the hospital, its not great not sleeping, hot flushes night and day. Any one have any advice on natural HRT as soya milk etc not working and due to complications after heart surgery can not take Black cohosh.

A scan for what?

OP, I have loads of sympathy. Hot flushes and night sweats are horrible. When I came off HRT after 10 years one GP told me to come off it gradually so I went down to one every two days, then one every three days. It sort of worked in that I do get hot flushes, but they are fairly mild and infrequent. So maybe go back on and then come off gradually?

As to whether you would be on it for the rest of your life - well, at some point the menopause symptoms are supposed to end! They say now the average is 7 years though to be honest I know women who have had symptoms for 20 years (not helpful, I know).

From what I've read OP, people are most successful coming off HRT gradually, cutting down very very slowly on the meds. It's the sudden cessation that made things dreadful. What I would do, anyway, is go back on the regular meds for 4-6 weeks at previous dose & then with doctor devise a plan how to cut down slowly over 6-9 months to no meds. Cutting pills in half, half pill every other day etc. Some people say 18 months is even better weaning period to minimise symptom return.

Update - the BP is now medicated and at a level that my GP was OK to restart HRT. Little did he realise I was considering chaining myself to his desk until I got the prescription. The hot flushes were getting more more intolerable. 5 days in to my prescription for Elleste Conti they are finally beginning to be less frequent, I am really hoping they will have gone completely by the middle of next week.