Confused as to whether I should be taking HRT

[Raglansleeve]

Possibly nearing end of perimenopause - last period in December and only had about 3 periods last year. Went through a period of hot flushes last year, but only seemed to last about 2 months - they've come back now, but not too bad. Only other symptom is tiredness. Spoke to docs and she gave me a prescription for HRT which I didn't fill because she did suggest it would cause weight gain and I'm about 4 stone overweight as it is!

Practice nurse suggested centrum multi vits which I have been taking for about a month, and I actually feel less like an old crone when I get up in the morning (don't know if this is down to the vitamins or not).

I'm concerned about joint and bone issues though - have arthritis and osteoporosis in the family - would HRT help this, or is there something else that would help?

I appear to be getting off fairly lightly, at least at the moment, and don't want to rock the boat.

How's your lifestyle generally? I found that in peri, making some healthy changes really helped. I've cut out sugar to almost nil, don't drink and try to get 6-7 veg/ fruit a day. Exercise every day also really helped me.
Your weight won't help things. Did your GP suggest support around that to help you lose some? Osteoarthritis is wear and tear, and weight is a key cause. Vitamins don't give energy unless your Vit D is low. NHS advice is everyone supplements that. I'd not think HRT will help your tiredness because what will help is being more active. There is a much higher risk of cancer (breast cancer) with weight issues after menopause and the tiny risks with HRT would add to that so in your case, I'd not use it until I'd got my weight down.

Queen, thanks - yes, the weight thing is a nuisance - I lost 4.5 stone about 4-5 years ago, felt fantastic, was going to the gym, then put it all back on again. I am so cross with myself about that. The problem I'm finding, trying to lose weight again, is that my head's not in the right place. Something just 'clicked' last time and it was easy - not so much now!

Will try and up the exercise and cut down on the wine - we eat pretty well, lots of veg/salad.

The opposite happens! Hrt helps to loss weight cause the body doesn't struggle to find estrogen producing more fat cells.
I think that you can try hrt, it makes a huge difference at sleep, energy and tiredness.
Of course you have to try to change your daily habits, to exercise daily and to reduce your stress.

I do feel better on low-dose HRT. I resisted for a long time, and have more than 4 stone to lose, so not sure if I would even be offered it, but I felt like such a menopausal murderous old bag it seemed worth a try. Although anecdotally people gain weight, once I started to feel better, it has seemed easier to eat better, and I am starting to lose weight again.

If you are under 51 HRT is recommended as a primary prevention strategy for osteoporosis. I feel so much better on it too.

And it has given me the energy to exercise and improve my diet.

Righty-ho, I'll get the prescription filled and give it a go. Thanks for your input. We'll see what happens .

I'm not there yet, at 51 no symptoms yet, but I was thinking about it for the future, and talking to a couple of slightly older friends. Two of them had been on HRT for about 10 years, and recently come off due to other health issues. Both said they wished they had never started, as coming of the HRT was hell. They both wished they had known they would have to go through "the menopause" again, once you come off HRT. I had never heard of this, and they weren't aware either, which I thought was interesting food for thought.

Being on HRT does not ‘store up’ symptoms so that they come back with a vengeance when you come off it

I think around peri metabolism slows which may lead to weight gain. This has nothing to do with hrt. Diet & exercise have to be adjusted acccordinly.

Agree with PP.

You don't 'go through the menopause again' after HRT. This is another HRT myth. When your eggs are gone, they are gone.

On HRT you avoid symptoms. Off HRT you have the symptoms it was controlling. Not the same as going through meno twice. Which is why some women go back to it forever if they still have symptoms after stopping.

Menopause is not only about the symptoms. It's about the disease that occur as a consequence of estrogen loss: Heart attack, Osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's.
Stopping hrt is not an easy decision and I think that we all want to have a symptom free life the longer possible. I don't just want to think the possibility of coming off.

RaglansleeveHRT will help your bones so if there is osteoporosis in your family it is definitely beneficial.

Re weight gain - when I told my menopause consultant last week that I was hungry all the time and although was careful I had put on weight (basically can't shift the weight gain) he said that the downside of HRT

Nelleyphants The menopausal su=ymptoms may not get 'stored' but when I first took HRT I was in my early 50s and was told by the consultant then that when I stopped taking it I would get menopausal symptoms. I dismissed what he said but stopped taking it 3 years ago. I then began suffering dreadful hot flushes, depression and I had a complete lack of energy (this I discovered is a little known menopause symptom!) and some days could barely drag myself around. I went back onto HRT and will now stay on it for as long as I can.