continuous HRT

[wink1970]

Hello All

I went back on HRT in January. I'd been on patches for about 9 months then went 'cold turkey' for 6 months when they became hard to get hold of. Eventually the symptoms same back too strong and I saw the DR. I am peri-menopausal: I have had a period in the last 12m (In November)

This time she has put me on continuous HRT, with no gaps. I use gel on a morning and a tablet on a night, but I am sure I should be taking a break from the tablets? My reason for wondering is my boobs have grown really big and very tender, which is not a symptom I had before.

I'm trying the surgery but it's shut and can't get through on the phone.

Any collective wisdom appreciated....

Continuous is if you have not had a period for 12 months simply because your own periods may not have stopped until you have had at least a 12 month gap. so conti may not work- you can get your own period while using it.

If you use conti, you can take it daily or 25 days a month when in the 3 days without Utrogestan you might get a tiny light period.

If your boobs are sore it's best to wait for 12 weeks if you can to see if it settles down.

If not, you can go back to 12 days a month- you don't have to use a continuous type at any age / stage.

My breasts hurt for the first three or four months on utrogestan (not all the time, just roughly every four or five weeks). I'm nine months in to a Oestrogel/utrogestan regime now, and they don't hurt any longer. It seemed to settle down a lot.

Thanks Both

I did quite a bit of reading, and as I have still been getting periods, my usage shouldn't be continuous. The Dr should have suggested either 2 pills a day with a break for 14 days in each month, or 1 pill a day with a break for 4 days in each month.

So I gave myself a 4 day break and - lo! - the aches have gone, my swollen boobs are normal again, and I feel a lot better! I'm going to stick to this regime, and let the Dr know.

Does HRT help with weight loss gained through Menopause? Just wondering if I should ask the doctor as I have out on 2 stone and fed up with lack of energy and brain fog and general feeling of rubbish! Any advice would be great thank you x😘

@DJB1968Bar

Does HRT help with weight loss gained through Menopause? Just wondering if I should ask the doctor as I have out on 2 stone and fed up with lack of energy and brain fog and general feeling of rubbish! Any advice would be great thank you x😘

It is worth noting that as we age, our metabolism slows down. You will need to consume around 300 fewer calories a day. If you are still eating the way you did in your 30s, you will gain weight. Additionally, as we age, weight gain settles differently too.

If you decide to take the HRT route, it should help with your lack of energy, brain fog and general sense of feeling rubbish. Although HRT will help balance your hormones which in turn will help with weight loss, it is not the magic bullet - you will still need to eat a fewer amount of calories due to a slower metabolism. This is the most essential thing - eat less.

HTH

Many thanks for your reply. Yes I get that and maybe that’s why but I don’t eat eat a lot to be fair. Not to justify 2 stone. I guess this is where the metabolism is low now and before I could eat what I wanted and stay a size 10 3 years ago! Size 16 now and unrecognisable. Sigh ☹️

@DJB1968Bar , I lost 15kg after starting hrt, though I agree with pp that I do not think its hrt per se but the fact it gives you more energy to make better choices!

Thanks for your comments. That’s great you lost all that weight and I do know where you’re coming from. Thank you