Alternatives to HRT?

[Winniethepooer]

Are there any real alternatives to HRT?

I hate the thought of being on it for years only in my early 40's.

2 packs in & I'm hating it!

What side effects are you getting? If the sort you have is not suiting you, you need to try another type. The right type of HRT is brilliant- you ought to feel great on it.

Premature menopause (under 45) is a deficiency disease and you need estrogen. Without it, you are at a much higher risk of osteoporosis and heart disease in your 50s and 60s. There is nothing that acts as an alternative to it for those things.

If what you have is not suiting you, then you need to try another type. Lots of women lie Femoston, or Oestrogel plus Utrogestan (for the progesterone part.)

Whatever you do, don't give it up. You don't want to end up with spinal fractures or heart disease in your 50s.

Hi Winnie, I’m 48 3/4 & on my 4th week of Femoston 5/20mg ( i think that’s it!). My hot flushes have rescued from about a 12/10 to 7/10. And that’s the ones I’m noticing, was previously having been burn ones at least 10-15 x a day.
I don’t think I had any other symptoms - perhaps a discharge free vagina which is now starting to be a bit more lubricated! I’m hoping it’ll increase or give me a libido soon too!

What symptoms where you having which made you want to take HRT?

I am on Femoston 1/10mg. I am only taking it as I'm really worried about osteoporosis & heart disease.

My GP said i needed it as my FSH was 126 & 140. I am 42. I had no idea i was peri menopausal. I missed a period in May & in September.

All the symptons were/are similar to an underactive thyroid so i presumed my tbyroxine needed adjusting.

I do feel less hot bit i didn't have real hot flushes thats been a positive but no difference otherwise.

Tbe side effects are severe PMT, heavy bleeding (11 days), cramps, weight gain, severe dry eyes (the corners have split on one eye) & a dry mouth. I feel really flat.

So i feel worse on HRT!
I'm barely able to function.

I don't think i can carry on doing this for months until i find something suitable but then I'm risking osteoporosis & heart disease.

That doesn’t sound good. Are those symptoms listed on the leaflet? Are you sure they are from the HRT?
Have the Dr’s re-tested your thyroid levels because they sound like something else to me - not that I’m a dr.
I don’t know what my fsh levels are as they were checked just over 2 years ago. My last period was Sept & went straight into these flushes, spoke to ly gp who prescribed what I’m on now.
I’m thinking of asking for my testosterone levels to be checked but that’s a whole other thread!

Yes they are listed.

My thyroid was checked in September. Well within the range.

Checked for Sjogrens too. Thankfully all clear.

It's quite unusual to feel so bad on Femoston as the progestogen in it is very similar to our own.

If you are in peri, it's not really possible to distinguish between your own peri symptoms and any side effects of HRT. I know that may sound hard to believe, but it's possible in peri that you are still ovulating some months and producing your own estrogen. This could account for the heavier bleed OR you could be shedding a thick lining which has built up from your previous missed periods (the lining still builds but doesn't come away.)

If it doesn't get better after 3-6 months, you could try Oestrogel and Norethisterone (12 days a month) or Oestrogel plus Utrogestan.

I know you feel awful but all the symptoms you describe are ALSO all the symptoms of loss of estrogen, so it could be that your own levels are simply not high enough yet due to only being on HRT for such a short time. It's not always a quick fix, it can take weeks or months for enough hormone to stay in your system.

Winnie i was on Femoson 1/10mg for 3 full months and i thought things were taking time to change, was told/advised that the levels of oestrogens were still far too low for my already oestogen depleted body (was peri since 42 and only started HRTat 50), so i followed the advice of a very clued up lady on this Menopause thread, changed and upped my regime and after 6 weeks and Oestrogel and Utrogestan things improved dramatically ie dry bits, dry eyes, dry ears (!) , my hair was falling out and stopped when i upped the dose, don't rubbish it just yet, why don't you increase de dosage ? Many ladies do and find their symptoms improve immensely. Oestrogen definitely should help with dryness within your body, it is proven anyway.

Thanks Polly.

Disco.my GP won't increase my dose or make any changes til January. I jad,an appointment last week & asked if i could do something/anything to feel better

Polly is that a gel? GP daid i couldnt use amy gels or patches as i have severe psoriasis.

I'm on Elleste duet 1mg and had my first bleed in months.Feeling absolutely wiped out Just completed a month's course and felt great on the white pills initially so thought 'yippee' back to my normal,jovial and bouncy self but alas no.Anyone else on Elleste duet?

I think the choice over gel or patches should be yours. if your psoriasis is really bad- all over- then you might struggle with absorption. But it depends. The amount is less than half a teaspoon per day, which you spread gently on your upper arms or your inner thighs. if you have some clear skin, it ought to be fine.

Inner thighs are quite good at moment.
At the first consultations the GP suggested the Mirena plus patches or gel but my skin was really bad. She never suggested my inner thigh though.

Will suggest it in January.

I've never hated my own body tbe way i do now. I hate this & really am struggling with it all.

Sorry for feeling so bad...hating your body doesn't help. You see your body as an enemy and that causes a lot of stress, psychologically and physically. I strongly believe that the dose of your estrogen is too low. Take care! 💐

Probably Emerald but the side affects are awful, hopefully they will improve.

I will try not to over think it as its too consuming & irritating.

I think thats the thing with the menopause. Its so pointless. As women we go through many changes but there's a positive at the end of those changes.
With the menopause, there's nothing!

Sorry as in if the dose is increased, i presume the side affects will increase too losing all my abities!!

I think what people are saying is that the symptoms you have now are exactly that- peri symptoms- and not connected to HRT. By increasing estrogen you are likely to feel better.
Dry eyes, dry skin, weight gain, and heavy bleeding are signs of peri. Once your body adjusts to HRT and your cycles follow a pattern, you should feel better. Oestrogen is a feel good hormone. You need to give it time to work.

Maybe the side effects will increase too, maybe not. When you find the HRT and the dose that's suits you, you ll feel more normal. For me menopause is more a disease, a hormonal imbalance that we can fight, especially when we are young. Menopause is more a choice nowdays. We just replace the hormones we don't have. There are cases of girls who takes hrt during their puberty or after a hysterectomy at a very young age. We have a natural early menopause and we have to handle it.

Thanks for the replies buy i am convinced the symptons are being caused by the HRT. It was just luck i met a locum that requested the first FSH test. I had no idea & was TTC.

I've only had symptons for 4/5 weeks.

I will ask for the HRT to be increased & hopefully things will improve.

I don't think menopause is a choice. HRT is really the only way to avoid the long term health risks. I don't feel like I've any choices in this!

GP said i couldnt use amy gels or patches as i have severe psoriasis

That actually really hacked me off reading that. I'm on patches and my psoriasis has been a lot better since I started settling in to using them and finding the right dose (50). If you have clear skin available, as you say you do, go for it.

. It was just luck i met a locum that requested the first FSH test. I had no idea & was TTC.

You do realsie that any tests in peri are very unreliable? That's why they don't offer them now for women over 45- NICE advice is to treat as if menopause and offer HRT.

You have had a 1-off test and result. It's quite possible that this result would be different another day. YOur hormones will be all over the place so any blood test is a snapshot of your hormones on one day only.

That's why I have kept stressing that you could well be still having cycles and producing your own hormones which would have given you the heavier period. Am sure you know that the amount of bleeding is directly linked to the amount of estrogen in your system; so if you did ovulate one month AND added in HRT, you'd get a heavier bleed.

Have you made a note of when you feel worse? It's always the progestogen that causes the PMS symptoms, so if HRT is to blame, you should only feel rough from the middle of the pack when you start the progestogens.

Bear in mind you are in peri- your own hormones are still there so you will feel very up and down, regardless of HRT.

Sorry- pressed too soon.

I know this is contradicting my previous posts - !- but to be honest, thinking about this, if you have only missed 2 periods, you could well find you don't miss any more for ages. Your period might not end for another few years. Peri can go on for 10 years.

The risks of an early menopause are highest if your periods stop altogether before 45-47. (Average age in UK for meno is 51.)

You are not going to be at a huge risk if you are still having periods at 42, even if you miss the odd one now and then.

I think your locum has overreacted in a way. When I read your first post I thought your periods had more or less stopped.

You could if you want to, stop HRT and see how your cycles are. If you miss more than 6, then you would seem to be well into peri, but if you have a few months of normal cycles and just miss one now and then, that's not really a risk.

Thanks Polly. Appreciate your advice.