HRT Advice

[Applejack87]

Hi , I’ve been menopausal for a couple of years now , I’m keen to take HRT I have done some research & would like something as body identical as possible so was thinking estrogen gel & progesterone, I am on blood pressure tablets .
The last time I spoke to my Dr she advised having my routine mammogram and coming back to her but she did say Gp’s aren’t really trained in HRT
My mammogram was fine so I’m wondering should I ask for a referral to the menopause clinic ? Is there a back log due to covid and what sort of questions should I ask regarding hrt
Any advice please ?

Sorry, I thought the gels could be increased/decreased @JinglingHellsBells after having watched the amazing hour long Dr Newsom you tube video, I must have misunderstood.

Yes, you can increase gel but not willy-nilly, day to day. I was advised to give the dose a few weeks to see how I felt. I used 1 pump for a few weeks and it controlled daytime flushes but not night sweats so I upped it to 2.

@JinglingHellsBells and @Rina66 - thank you both for your responses - really helpful.
I've got another appointment with my dr on Friday and I feel better informed about what to ask for. I also get migraines and was prescribed migraine meds at the same time as the HRT tablets which I've since read I shouldn't be taking. Gah!

My doctor has suggested patches but I still have periods so after reading this thread is that right as it would be same dosage everyday.

The patches will boost your estrogen to the required levels @Queenie24 so don't worry that you're still having periods, I was too. Some doctors seem to like the gel which you rub in every day, some like the patches because it's less of a faff as you change them twice a week - my Doctor told me to change them on lottery days to remember, so Wednesdays and Saturdays 🙂
@Frumpypigskin my Doctor was fairly dismissive of the HRT in tablet form that my GP had prescribed, he said as I have high cholesterol I absolutely shouldn't be taking them as they have to go through the liver whereas the gels and patches do not. He also said that the gels, patches and ultrogestan were more body identical, so there would be less reaction to them.

@Rina66

The patches will boost your estrogen to the required levels *@Queenie24* so don't worry that you're still having periods, I was too. Some doctors seem to like the gel which you rub in every day, some like the patches because it's less of a faff as you change them twice a week - my Doctor told me to change them on lottery days to remember, so Wednesdays and Saturdays 🙂 *@Frumpypigskin* my Doctor was fairly dismissive of the HRT in tablet form that my GP had prescribed, he said as I have high cholesterol I absolutely shouldn't be taking them as they have to go through the liver whereas the gels and patches do not. He also said that the gels, patches and ultrogestan were more body identical, so there would be less reaction to them.

Thank you for helping me understand. My doctor mentioned the tablets can cause head aches so best to try patches.