So...hrt for ever?

[Emerald13]

I finally found a gyn who knows more about hrt after spending a lot of my energy, time and money asking for treatment for my early menopause. When I asked him about the duration, he answered that it's up to me. I asked about how my body will adjust later when I ll decide to stop hrt and he said that it isn't something we can know. "So is hrt a treatment forever", I asked..." I think that it's very possible" he said smiling. I'd like to hear your views...it's a rather philosophical question I think...for me personally menopause is a disease more than a natural process.

It is up to you!
Everyone has to weigh up the pros and cons for them.

There are some risks with some types of HRT (some being the important word) which increase a little as we age, but not all HRT is the same.

What I think is important are personal risk factors NOT using HRT (such as low bone density, heart disease and pelvic floor deterioration) and any risk factors that may be increased by HRT.

My dr says there are risks not using HRT, and small risks for some women in using it.

I think we need to remember that it's only relatively recently that women have spent a third or more of their lives post-menopause, compared to a couple of centuries ago. You either died in childbirth or from the plague or from a woolly mammoth.

Women who are now working into their late 60s and older are a lot 'younger' than women were in previous generations when a lot gave up on life post meno and suffered from 'nerves' - now seen as a post meno / loss of estrogen symptom.

Thanks Polly. My doc seems to believe the same, that are risks for not using hrt especially at young ages. As for the types of hrt he thinks that it's more safe to use some "old" progestins or progesterone, cause we know better their profile than the new one. He insists on cyclacur ( cyclo progynova in uk) and he thinks that hrt doesn't cause cancer, promote an excisting one.

It’s an interesting question isn’t it @Emerald13

Traditionally older women were written out of history, or included as ‘crone’

I think this new attitude is quite revolutionary and ground breaking.

Early menopause is one very good reason to be on hrt. My sil was 35when her periods started, and she was in the Daisy network. She got a lot of support there.

When I get to 55 I’ll think again about what kind of hrt to take, but until then I’m doing a sequential programme.

I think the earlier you start hrt the fewer the risks, whereas if people start taking it as older women there are marginally increased risks of cancer.

Of course there are risks of not taking it.

@Pollyperky, I’ve always wondered what “nerves” was...... duh! Never thought it could be meno related. Just goes to show how little meno is talked about: “women’s troubles” were always brushed under the carpet weren’t they... until now that is!!

Hurray for this section of MN

Sorry, that should say she was 35 when her menopause started.

The daisy network were brilliant for her as she could talk to others who were experiencing a similar situation.

The thing about post meno and 'nerves'. I've lost count of the number of women I knew of- my mum's friends who are either now dead or would be in their 90s- who suffered from 'nerves' from 50s on. Usually it meant they had anxiety, or insomnia or both. One I know of was on beta blockers and sleeping pills and possibly ADs for 40 years. No connection ever to loss of estrogen. Died from heart disease., early 80s. Another had anxiety and then developed osteoporosis so was disabled in the end and died from heart disease.

All of these (bar anxiety) are lifestyle diseases and linked to loss of estrogen.

My mum - touch wood- has been okay (ish) but she is the exception. She never drove, walked everywhere carrying shopping from town 2-3 times a week, has a massive garden, so is still digging it at 90, and is active and has been very careful with her weight due to her own family having a history of heart disease.

She has though suffered from hot flushes for decades- even now she swears she has them, and terrible insomnia. She asked for HRT at around 60 but her then GP said 'too old'. Now they'd possibly let her have started on a low dose as long as within 10 years of last period.

Times, and expectations of quality of life, change.

I have been on HRT for 4 months now and do not intend to reduce or stop for as long as i can get my hands on it. Unfortunately it has not sorted everything out and my main concern is the terrible aches and pains all over my bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments i experience each day and is worsening each month, however i know HRT has completely alleviated psychological issues i was experiencing ie tension, anxiety, insomnia, dark thoughts/moods and thanks to this, it helps me each day to cope with joint pains as i feel so happy, rested and at ease emotionally, so HRT for me might not be the 'cure all' treatment in my case but my excellent mental wellbeing has been an absolute miracle so i am staying on it !

Thanks for your replies! I think that when you start hormones it will be very difficult to stop hrt later, your body will age immediately. It will be a shock to your body and to your brain! So I think that's very hard later to stop and to have your body adjust to an estrogen deprivation later in life.

Hang on in there Disco the pains and cramps are finally easing firvje after six months on patches I think it needs to build up in your system

The nurse at my doctor's who put me on hrt told me that she has eighty year olds coming in and telling her that she's not allowed to take it away from them. So I'm encouraged by this, I can't see how I could stop it.

As an aside, I was talking to a group of female colleagues about the menopause and I mentioned my hrt patches and how good they were.
One woman exclaimed that I would get cancer from them.

I told her in no uncertain terms that if I didn't have the patches, I wouldn't be around to get cancer.

I'd been so down before getting them, they really saved me from walking off a cliff.

I wonder what I’m missing out on, 60 menopausal for nearly 10 years. Hot flashes faded to nothing, occasional insomnia, nothing nervy in my life.
Last time I twisted my ankle my bones looked amazing?

You are one of the lucky one OldWitch! Many of us have hot flushes for decades, terrible insomnia and all kinds of other issues without HRT. Your ankle- you had a DEXA scan as part of the assessment? That's the only way they would be able to assess the density of your bones because they look at the hips and spine.

Infinitesheldon, i am hanging on to your words !