Did HRT improve your hair or make it worse?

[ALaughAMinute]

I was recently prescribed Elleste Duet 1 mg by my GP as I have been suffering from some very unpleasant peri menopausal symptoms including hair loss. I have been taking these for 12 days and so far feel fantastic! However, having done some research on HRT and hair loss I am concerned to learn that some progesterone-based pills, including those containing levonorgestrel, norgestrel and norethisterone, as well as tibolone, may induce or worsen hair loss and as the Elleste Duet progesterone tablets contain norethisterone I have decided that I don't want to risk taking them.

I have just phoned my GP and am waiting for her to call me back. I hope that she might be offer me Femoston as an alternative as it contains dygesterone which is the least testosterone derived.

So as someone who has been suffering from from hair loss even before taking HRT I am hoping that HRT is going to improve it.

I would be interested to hear about your experiences. Did HRT improve your hair? Did you see an improvement in texture and volume or did it fall out? if so which HRT were you taking?

Some progesterone is testosterone derived which I understand has an androgenic effect which can lead to or exacerbate hair loss.

Progestogens which can be used cyclically are of 3 main types:

Testosterone derived - Norgestrel, Norethisterone acetate and Levonorgestrel.
Less testosterone related - Medroxyprogesterone acetate(MPA).
Least testosterone related - Dydrogesterone and Micronised progesterone (Utrogestan).

www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/a8714/utovlan-norethisterone/
factmed.com/report-DYDROGESTERONE%20TAB-causing-ALOPECIA.php
menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php

Interesting thread, I have been on Oestrogel and Utrogeston tablets for 5 months now and seem to have lost half my hair in shedding😩

I am really struggling with my hair, I have lost a lot of volume and it just keeps breaking off around the hairline and temples, it is limp and lifeless and so frizzy. Im also wondering if to go on hrt, I think along with the type of hrt treatment I also think you have to get the dosage right as if the progesterone gets too low you can have an eostrogen dominance and that can cause hair loss, that is what I have read anyway. Is there anyone who has had success on progynova and ultrogestan and if so what dosage per day of ultrogestan were you on?

Hi I'm new to this forum. I'm also losing hair due to peri menopause. I'm struggling with my hair loss.

Ladies, If you want to try progesterone with hrt please use nothing less than 400mg/day, you will get Oestrogen Dominance if you opt for less. If low amounts of progesterone are used it will be converted into the androgens, and then they are converted into oestrogen.
I have been diagnosed with androgenic alopecia, it’s not genetic but more to do with age (peri menopause) the dermatologist prescribed me with spironolactone it’s an off licensed drug for hair loss, too early to tell if it’s making a difference, I’ve only been on it 2 months and it can take 6 months before you start seeing results.

Hi Cookie45, I'm a bit confused. Ì thought progesterone was the reason for my hair loss.

I have just started the patches and ugestreone oral/vignal tablets.

A dermatologist also have me spiratone tablets 50mg. Ì don't know whether I should take them along side the hrt.

How are feeling about your hair loss?

Hi Meera8
From what I’ve read you need to get the balance of progesterone right, have a look at this link here
www.progesteronetherapy.com/hair-loss-chronic-fatigue-and-spironolactone-are-killing-me.html

I did ask about Hrt and my dr wouldn’t put me on it for hair loss alone, and also with the risks involved with taking it he didn’t think it was worth it and just stay on what your dermatologist has prescribed gir you. I started off on 50mg spironolactone for a month to check for side affects but then increased the dosage to 100mg as anything less wouldn’t be enough to work for hair loss. I am using Waterman’s grow me shampoo/conditioner and I do think my hair has grown as before it just didn’t grow at all since the hair loss. It’s early days and spironolactone can take a while before you start seeing results from 6 or even 12 months.

Hi Cookie45, thank you so much for the website you sent, I read all of it. The women in there are trying to get off spiro, so I'm re-thinking whether I should start.

I've just started my hrt 2 weeks ago with the estrodot patches, and will start the ugesterone tablets today, but it's only a 100mg. After reading the website you gave, I think ì will try with what I've been given, then push for higher progesterone.

I've to get that burning scalp and hair loss, and I saw many in that website did too.

I would speak to your dermatologist for advice but I would strongly recommend you take 400mg to start with. I was speaking to a lady who already had hair loss then went onto hrt, before she started on it she asked the dr if it would exacerbate her hair loss and the dr said no but it did and she wishes she never took it. Doctors only prescribe the minimum dose of progesterone for hrt and that’s why lots of women experience hair loss when on it. Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Got hair loss on Femoston 2/10 and now on estrogel and utrogestan. Never had hair loss before tzking hrt.

[quote Dorje]@eirene I did two separate full blood tests for the diagnosis. My FSH levels were through the roof and the oestrogen was low throughout the month.

I also went to meopausematters.co.uk site to list my symptoms on their symptom checker.

I armed myself with this information for my GP visit and coupled it with my own research and experience of the contraceptive pill and what chemicals suited me to get the prescription for hrt that was perfect for me.

I have yearly utterine and ovarian scans.

Hth[/quote]
Hello, could you explain your need for yearly uterine/ovarian scans?
As I have never been offered this, ever!

@Cookie45

I would speak to your dermatologist for advice but I would strongly recommend you take 400mg to start with. I was speaking to a lady who already had hair loss then went onto hrt, before she started on it she asked the dr if it would exacerbate her hair loss and the dr said no but it did and she wishes she never took it. Doctors only prescribe the minimum dose of progesterone for hrt and that’s why lots of women experience hair loss when on it. Good luck and let me know how you get on.

Hello, is the 400mg dose for progesterone? Thanks.

HRT EstroGel does cause hair loss in some.
It is listed as a common side effect, whilst others list it as a rare one. I wasn’t suffering from any hair loss when I began my low dose HRT gel 2 pumps per day on arm) and 1 progesterone capsule) I began this treatment for hot flushes and fatigue more than 2 years after menopause.
My hair at all different lengths started shedding about 4 weeks later at an alarming rate. It was everywhere as though I was undergoing chemo. My doctor and I ceased the medication and the hair loss began to slow down after about a month but was still more so than should be (about 200 a day instead of about 300 strands) . Once it felt manageable we tried me on the low dose Vagifem just twice a week, now guess what, my hair is falling heavily again after 4 weeks.
It’s very distressing that it’s not more publicised, as losing my hair was much worse than the menopausal symptoms I was attempting to treat, but I should not have been surprised given the conflict of interest pharmaceutical companies negotiate through with side effects all the time and their well known issues with transparency and denial. You only have to dig a little deeper into previous class actions, payouts and court documents to see how much they actually get away with. I really hope I get my hair back. I’ll let you all know how it’s going in a couple of months

Can anyone please tell me if there is a better brand I can look into that’s worked for them ?

Thank you

I take Femoston and my hair grows like a weed!! In my mid 50s now, never had so much hair!! This might suit you, OP.

Hi @ALaughAMinute not read all the replies but has anyone mentioned getting iron levels checked? This peri /menopause doctors mentions hair loss and iron levels here about 20 mins in

www.instagram.com/tv/CYFEePvo9ky/?utm_medium=copy_link

I experienced hair loss when on HRT, it started to shed after approximately three weeks in - I just couldn't risk continuing as I would've been bald! I then tried vagifem for dryness and unfortunately, despite being told it wasn't possible, my hair began the shed when on that too. I was told that because it was locally delivered, directly into the vagina, it wouldn't get into the bloodstream. Once again, like many women, I wasn't believed.