HRT patches are rarely available for my prescription, thinking of stopping them?

[IvyLovesWales]

I'm 51 and had a total hysterectomy when I was 46. I've been on HRT patches, oestrogen only as I've no ovaries.

For the first four years all was good, for the last year my prescription is always late, as the pharmacy can't get hold of the patches. They say it's an availability problem and they asked my GP to prescribe a generic version to make it easier. This hasn't worked, basically I sometimes end up waiting 10 days for it come in which makes me anxious and hot!

So I'm going speak to my GP to see about coming off them. I'm then going to go to Holland & Barrett and look at some alternatives to HRT.

Can anyone suggest anything natural that may help, and where to get them from, my usual symptoms are feeling anxious, insomnia, hot flushes and general tiredness. I'd prefer to take just one tablet but could live with taking a couple.

Has anyone any experience of coming off HRT patches, how did you cope. Thanks

Not a natural thing at all but what about oestrogel? You can get that prescribed much more easily than the patches and it doesn’t have nearly as many side effects either. You’re still quite young really. Most women are just starting HRT at your age, oestrogen is really important for our bones and heart health.

(I am 39 and in early menopause due to autoimmune conditions- I have 4 pumps of oestrogel a day and utrogestan at night as I need the progesterone part too).

If you are only 51 and have no ovaries I think you will a) find it very hard to go without any estrogen at all and b) it may not be sensible.

51 is the age of the average menopause, so what you used before won't 'count' in terms of risk anyway.

With no estrogen of your own, you will be at a higher risk now for many years from heart disease and osteoporosis, because your estrogen will not just be lower post menopause, but not there at all.
Many women carry on with HRT to 60 or older to get these benefits. I didn't start HRT till almost 53.

As PP says there are plenty of other options including gel, and also now a new spray of estrogen that's used on the arms.

Worth thinking about!