(I’m 50) so GP wants to stop my HRT in winter

[Unobtainable]

Ive been on it since 2015 now after horrendous night sweats and fatigue.

Ive been on Femiston 1/10 and its been brilliant but now both GPs at my practice have said they want to transition me off by the time I’m 51 as there’ll be ‘no need for me to be on it.’

Can anyone help me formulate an argument against this (NICE guidelines are unhelpful and focus too much on cancer). I live in the arse end of nowhere so doubt theres a menopause clinic within 100 miles.

Sympathies unobtainable that’s just complete ignorance on your GPs behalf. Print off the relevant NICE section & show it to them. The benefits outweigh the risks, I need this & repeat & repeat.

OK, thanks. Will do. It’s depressing isnt it. I had to fight so hard to get on it and to get them to prescribe the right type too. I took the MIMS book in with me last time before last and the GP had no clue about menopause treatments and said ‘cant you just push through it?’ I explained that after a year of being woken up sweating a dozen times a night I was unable to push through anything. I really wish they’d spend a week on this in GP training college and force mandatory menopause CPD days every year as well.

unobtainable I had a consultation yesterday to discuss going on hrt post hysterectomy and the consultant said if he on it till 51 as that’s the national average for natural menopause. I didn’t question it as that’s so far off, I’m sure lay in my 30s but your post made me wonder. I suppose none of us is going to willingly come off it it but we can’t take it indefinitely can we? What is your ultimate goal, to take it for a set amount of time more or just keep refusing to be taken off it? I’d there ever a good time to come off it?

I'm 52 and have recently started on Femiston 1/10. My GP said I don't need to even think about stopping it for years/decades. She said they only try and persuade women to stop if they are still taking it in their mid-70s. She said 50s is often a time when women are very busy with work/DC/teens/elderly parents and are floored by symptoms that impact on sleep etc.

My doctor (not my GP, but a menopause expert I see as a private patient) has said that I can stay on my HRT "until death". The advice that HRT should be given at as small a dose as possible for as short a time as possible came off the back of the Million Women study. The interpretation of the Million Women data in some respects has been discredited and more recent studies involving more than 80 000 women in France have shown there is no added risk of cancers in women taking HRT long-term.

GPs are notoriously badly-informed and untrained in menopause, and for most it is a low-priority issue. The Royal College however is starting to make some moves towards better training and it is to be hoped that things will improve.

Hell bent according to my consultant I can take it until I die. AsBerta said people quote outdated studies.

@unobtainable

You need to see another GP.

The use of HRT is no longer limited by age; your GP hasn't read the NICE guidelines where this is stated clearly.

In any case, the average age of menopause is 51-52 so you aren''t even there yet!

There is plenty of evidence online which you can read yourself and print off to take to a GP- read Menopause Matters, the NICE guidelines on menopause, the BMS fact sheets and the website of Dr Louise Newson.

I am another one seeing a private gynae Like (Alberta) and been told there is no time limit on use of HRT as long as there are no medical reasons to stop- women in their 80s and 90s use it.

You can use it for life. All your dr has to do is remind you of the small risks and make sure you are not at high risk of these.

I hope to carry on for life.

Place marking

(NICE guidelines are unhelpful and focus too much on cancer)

Not really. which part are you looking at?

Try this from Dr Louise Newson

menopausedoctor.co.uk/what-is-the-menopause/long-can-woman-take-hrt/

I’d also look at ‘hrt pubmed’ which will give you cutting edge stuff some of which the nhs won’t have caught up with yet

The NHS is notoriously behind with most advice; they still promote a high carb/ low fat diet for diabetes, which all the diabetes experts and charities say is ridiculous and the wrong approach.

Wow. So much good advice and great links too. Thanks. Yes, the diet advice is one of many issues I see and shake my head at.

I plan to stay on HRT forever. The women in my family have all had severe osteoporosis when they get older, and I'm desperate to avoid this, so do everything I can with diet and exercise too. My GP is fine with this.