Starting HRT at 60

[dancinginthekitchen]

Potted history - last period eight years ago; awful hot flushes and night sweats; started to improve then 18 months ago started sporadic very light bleeding. Scans and tests showed cysts on one ovary. Affected ovary and both Fallopian tubes removed end 2016. Bleeding has continued as before - very light, usually only a smear on wiping (tmi sorry). Hot flushes and night sweats increasing in frequency and intensity again.
Saw the Gynae a couple of weeks ago - having all the relevant scans and tests again but she thinks the remaining ovary has ‘re-awoken’ so I am effectively going through the menopause again as it starts to shut down. She is recommending HRT.
But I am nearly 60 and most articles I read say to stop HRT at 60. On the other hand anything to improve this would be welcome!!
Any advice?

I think you ought to see another gynae. Ovaries awake after 8 years and at 60? Really odd diagnosis. If you have bleeding which is not identifed, that is a bit worrying. If your ovaries awake they should find active follicles and see these in a scan. was it an internal scan? have you had a endometrial biopsy to rule out cancer of the uterus? Or a hysteroscopy?

The bleeding could be vaginal atrophy- when the tissues become really fragile they can bleed a little.

HRT is used if you are 60+ and within 10 years of last period. But it has to be transdermal and a small dose. This is in the Nice guidelines.

Just to add- women in their 60s do get sweats and flushes not due to their ovaries but because they lack estrogen. some women still get them in their 80s and my dr says some women have them forever. I know specialists who have women in their 90s on HRT for this reason.

I don’t think that your ovaries start to function again after 10 years from your meno.
Your symptoms are likely due to the lack of estrogen and your bleeding need more investigation.
Regarding hrt, it is not usual to start at 60 but if your symptoms are too severe , your quality of life is influenced and there are no contradictions, you can give it a try. As queen said maybe transdermal type and low dose.

Thank you for your replies.
To be fair the doctor has explained her thoughts very clearly to me and yes, I am having the full range of tests and examinations again. I had them all when the cysts were diagnosed and that ovary removed at the end of 2016 as well.
The hot flushes and sweats are debilitating. A flush leaves me nauseous, shaky, flushed and with sweat trickling down my body. The night sweats mean I am awake in the night and need to change my nightie and use a towel.
The doctor suggested I consider HRT and it was only my age that was worrying me. I will ask her about transdermal HRT at my next appointment.
Thank you again

When ovaries have no more eggs they can't start to produce more. Ifi t's 2 years since your scans etc then this is the first thing to do. Any post menopausal bleeding is fast tracked with an appt within 2 weeks and scans / biopsies asap after that. Is she pushing this through? You shouldn't need to ask her for transdermal HRT; if she knows her stuff she will prescribe. it's all in the Nice guidelines. Good luck and I hope you get sorted.

Yes, I have been fast tracked - only slowed by the fact that I work away a lot but the hospital have been very good a fitting appointments around when I am unavoidably away. I had abdominal and internal scans yesterday which will be followed by a hysteroscopy at the beginning of June (away with work fir the next 2.5 weeks) and then my next consultant appointment. The sonography said she couldn’t see anything untoward it concerning on the scans so I am reassured by that.
Thank you for your reply