Coming off HRT

[HRTpatch]

I'm 58 and been on HRT for 8 years.
Elleste duet..then went on conti as was sick of monthly bleed. I bled for 31 days on conti.
Back on Elleste duet then moved to patches last September. Started bleeding on them over Xmas.
I'm in a quandary. I'm sick of bleeding. I do not want bloating, cramps and bloody inconvenience.
I've made an appointment at my ( new) doctors next week.
I'm wondering whether it's time to come off HRT ...but am unsure what might happen

It's hard isn't it? I have been on HRT for 10 yrs and am a bit older than you. I have always used sequential except for a 3 week trial of conti when I spotted daily. You do know they say that bleeding with conti can last for 6 months?

Are you on sequi now?

There is no easy answer. I have a bleed but my consultant allows me to do a longer cycle so the bleed is once every 8 weeks. I couldn't stand monthly. I don't want conti as research shows it has the highest risk of breast cancer.

You could try the Mirena which would zap the bleeding and add in estrogen gel? Does that appeal? No easy solution- it's all a compromise.

That is for tell.
I really don't want a Mirena.My last Dr mentioned gel....but also mentioned vaginal dryness .
I'm on Elleste duet at the moment and had a miserable weekend feeling like I was 15.

My last Dr mentioned gel....but also mentioned vaginal dryness

I don't understand what you mean here...

Are you saying gel causes dry vaginas? Or do you mean estrogen cream can be used for vaginal dryness (but not gel)!

Oh sorry...yes that a side effect of using gel could be vaginal dryness.

Sorry but that is absolute nonsense. Really? he said that?! Estrogen gel is considered the gold standard form of HRT. It's absorbed better than pills and you don't get the sight of having a patch stuck to your bum.
How can using estrogen gel cause vaginal dryness? I think there is some confusion going on there.

She definitely said that.
That's what made me go as that's the last thing I want and made a point of telling her

well, you should go back and kindly tell her she is confusing it with something else. I think I would ask her very politely how exactly it causes vaginal atrophy. Get her to explain. She won't be able to.

I can't believe what some posters say their drs tell them. We had a poster here a while back who had been given estrogen gel to use in her vagina (instead of Ovestin or Vagifem.) GP was adamant it was the right product.

Oh I will.
I once had a Dr who had to Google what Tourettes was .