Menopause without HRT?

[twoheaped]

Is it possible to go through the menopause without HRT?

I have never taken the contraceptive pill, or used a chemical device as I just didn't really fancy the idea of taking hormones.
Now I guess the menopause will be coming in the next few years and I have found little information on going it alone, as such.
Can it be done? I'm still not keen on the thought of taking hormones.

Oh thank you for the info!
I grind the flaxseed most of the time but don't much like the taste although it is better for you that way, I know. Must do next batch.

I see my Promensil is about about £6 a month expensive than HRT on the NHS, i.e, £18 more over three months. I'm not sure this cost benefit would be enough to sway me, not that it should be down to cost only, of course.

Abra1d so you're one of those people for whom grinding them doesn't change their, er, 'digestive action'.

I didn't say that anyone had to eat tonnes of red clover or flaxseeds confused.

I listed the main vitamins and minerals that the makers of Macca say the supplement provides. Most of them - B vits, iron and calcium, can be easily obtained through food.

If there is a magic ingredient in Macca apart from the above, what is it?

No idea what is in Macca (apart from what it says on the side, ie some root plant from Peru), but what I do know is that a workmate recommended it to me when I was having terrible flushes, I took it (and it is foul tasting too) and after around a week of taking it regularly my flushes stopped.

Maca did the same for me wordy17, still is !

@Abra1d - yes, double prescription charge, so £17.20 for three months HRT on the NHS (well, of the type I take). That applies even if (as with mine) the progesterone and oestrogen are in a single pill!

Thanks for your reply Polly. I suppose you have worried me a little with pelvic atrophy and brittle bones. I have a lot of symotoms on and off and if I am actually doing my body harm long-term by resisting hrt then maybe we are healthier just taking it to preserve our health in later life iyswim.

Hello again, Polly, and thank you for advice and previous links to NICE guidance.

I'm now finally on the right HRT for me and feeling a lot better.

I am taking hrt despite having no menopausal symptoms (apart from no periods!) because I'm 43 and it's advised to protect against osteoporosis.

The double prescription charge is bloody annoying but if you get a prepayment certificate for 3 months you can get a prescription at the start and at the end of the three months, then let it lapse for 3 months until you need the next one. It'll save a bit, even if you don't need any other prescriptions in the meantime.
I'm not getting withdrawal bleeds thankfully, the best bit about menopause is not having periods!

Liney what are you using?

Evorel sequi patches, now.

(I had to retype that a dozen times because of bizarre autocorrects).

i started having hot flushes aged 45, also aches and pains which i put down to age. I've been treated for depression since my early 20's so can't say that i thought low mood was part of meno. I was concerned about my increasingly bad temper, again put it down to age.

I started elleste duet 3 weeks ago and I can say the difference in me is almost miraculous. The sweats are few and far between. I don't ache as much. Friends and family have said I'm glowing and I have more energy. I initially thought I felt different, and then realised I don't feel different, I feel like I did in my 30's, like the old FFS.

Not everyone will see such a difference, but I would say try it and see, and change brands if necessary before writing hrt off.

I vowed that I wouldn't take it, I'm so glad to be eating my words now.

I am still taking ad's and will continue to do so, but hopefully will taper off the dose in time to see how i go on.

Also got a free pret coffee the other day, which I'm putting down to the hrt

insurmountable 😀

I suppose it does resolve another common menopausal issue, though!

That's a great result Ferfukz!

That's a great result Ferfukz!

Ferfuk. Your words really resonated with me when you said you realised you felt how you used to. That was the same for me.

It's like that simmering/boiled frog allegory. I was definitely a slowly simmered frog until HRT. If all my syptoms had appeared at once overnight I would have recognised much earlier what was going on.

I went to see GP today. One outcome is good - she has referred me to the menopause clinic to discuss HRT options. She was reluctant to prescribe HRT straight off (hence referral) because my mother died of breast cancer in late 50's and my dad of stroke, early 60's. She did suggest sertraline, an a/d, as something that would help with the exhaustion but I'm already on citalopram so she suggested doubling that dose from 20 to 40 mg rather than changing to the sertraline. I'm a little confused as I don't have low mood as one of my symptoms (if only because I am on a/ds already), its the fatigue that is really getting to me. Anyway, I've picked up a prescription for the higher dose and I'll see how I get on.

It certainly is abra. It's really made me think about the effect (affect?) that hormones, or lack of, can have on a persons quality of life. I really feel that a fog has lifted. I have 2 friends who have made appointments with their gp on the basis of the results I've had.

The pill didn't suit me, but hrt seems to. Life is beautiful again

My GP tried to get me on ADs instead of HRT, when I didn't need them. She said no GP would ever prescribe me HRT because of a previous (acute, one-off) DVT.

That turned out to be not quite the case, and thanks to this place, and Polly's very clear grasp of NICE guidelines, I'm now doing well without ADs and on the right HRT (took a bit of experimenting tbh).

Rolf, im on 40mg citalopram and still felt a bit crap tbh. I put it down to the ad making me feel foggy, but I don't think that was the case. I have to admit that I started a low carb diet and walking more just prior to starting hrt and that will have also helped energy wise, but if hrt is safe for you then you probably will feel better.

I suspect I needed the ADs originally, a few years ago, because menopausal symptoms were starting. I did feel very unhinged at the time, so that could have been the menopause rather than to do with my previous history of depression. Will look forward to going to the clinic.

Ferfuk - good to hear that HRT is working for you. I have been trying to be healthier - and that does help to some extent, but I've noticed recently that even moderate exercise just makes me knackered. Even last year I was much more active and fit.

I think stepping up exercise levels is very helpful whichever route you go in menopause. Good for the bone density, too.

But yes, there are some days when even fairly moderate exercise classes seem tough.

Rolf that is a goodish outcome.

Don't want to worry you but I do know of a poster from another forum who used to go to an NHS meno clinic and they spouted rubbish- not allowing this 'n that.
Be warned that many of them are not experts they just happen to work in the meno clinic. Obviously not all are like that but this poster had to fight to get HRT over 60, whereas my consultant didn't bat an eyelid once I reached the big 60!

From what I understand, your dad's stroke won't be an issue. Transdermal HRT does not affect clotting compared with not using HRT at all.

Your mum's cancer- sorry to hear of this btw- well, there is no knowing. Cancer can be random, it can be hereditary. HRT does not cause cancer - read Dr Currie's blog on Menopause Matters - but it may promote the growth of an existing cancer that was going to grow anyway. The best route is to avoid using synthetic progestogens daily (so no conti HRT) and maybe use Utrogestan (a few research papers show it is neutral re. cancer. This is all in the IMS meno report ( I linked to earlier today.)