HRT - what would you do?

[Allfurcoatandnoknickers]

I'm 50 and I've been on oestrogen only patches with mirena for progesterone for about 5 years now and
Generally ok. Although recently I've had more nightsweats again and joint aches.
I've just had a health scare and had a biopsy for calcification in my breast which thankfully is benign. The consultant said he thought it would be better to come off HRT.
I watch the Kirsty Wark documentary which was really interesting, and the Dr on there said HRT was a very low risk for breast cancer. Im reluctant to come off
HRT as my symptoms are still there and I think they'd be terrible if I didn't take it at all! Also, presumably is have to have the mirena removed? That terrifies me as when my last one came out I bled really badly....any thoughts or advice?

I'm just about through the menopause, luckily with symptoms I could deal with and no hrt. It would worry me if I were you, that a doctor had advised me to come off it.

Does it work that you could come off it and see how you get on?

Ask for Oestrogel. You rub a gel into your skin. It is a much lower, more controllable dose.

I think what the consultant was saying was that he prefers women generally not be on it rather than in
my particular case. I've had other health issues this year and don't really feel able to cope with full blown menopause. I have tried cutting my patch down to 25 from 50 and that was bad enough. Just wondered what the latest thoughts were on HRT and breast cancer, as from what the programme implied and from other forums it seems to be a negligible risk?

Yes I used oestrogel once before but then went onto a higher dose patch at the time.
I've been menopausal for about 8/9
Years- my symptoms have been pretty manageable the last two years but for some reason are awful at the moment

The thing to remember is that everything in life has risks - my consultant tells me there are as many risks NOT using as HRT as there are using it!

It's quality of life. The risks of breast cancer are tiny and if you did into the actual stats, they are highest with women using continuous progestogens. You need to make up your own mind over what risks/ benefits you are happy to live with.

The chairman of the BMS Dr Heather Currie has some very good advice on BC and HRT on the blog on Menopause Matters. She says and this is the same as my consultant that HRT does not cause BC. The research seems to show it may promote the growth of cells already there that would become cancerous anyway in time.

Obviously you are worried over the calcification that was found. My understanding of this is the calcium deposits are normal but they look more carefully at clusters of calcium to ensure they are calcium deposits. They are not cancer.

To give you another point of view, my consultant says some oncologists are allowing women with BC to use HRT using the Oestrogel/Utrogestan regime. This is one option for you if you want to get away from the Mirena.

But being overweight, drinking regularly, not exercising and eating unhealthily have HIGHER risks of BC.

What Polly says.

My DH was concerned about the health risks of HRT. Until I pointed out that drinkng wine and not taking enough exercise were higher risk.

It's all about balance.

Thank you Polly that's kind of the impression I'd formed from watching the programme and what I've read on the Menopause Matters forum. I may well try another type of HRT as mine is definitely not working at the moment! I'm recovering from a nasty bout of pneumonia at Christmas and need all the sleep I can get!

The other ting to consider- which your consultant isn't!- is that using HRT from 45 -50 doesn't even bring you into the 'at risk' period.

HRT before the average age of menopause ( 51-52) doesn't count as a risk.

You'd only start counting 'risk' from age 51-52.

Hope this helps.

Yes thanks that helps me enormously- thanks so much for your advice!

What Polly says! She is spot on as always.