[quote bobsgirl]@JinglingHellsBells Thanks for the reply, very interesting re vaginal use of progesterone
A friend of mine was under Nick Panay for PMDD so I have heard a lot about him, very highly regarded
As you clearly know a lot about this, do you have a view on post-menopausal women with no symptoms now feeling concerned about not being on HRT? I was chatting with friends last week and a couple mentioned this concern, they do not really want to start medication even though the risks are very low as they have no symptoms but are frightened by some practitioners suggesting HRT is essential for long term health[/quote]
@bobsgirl Interesting points - I'll answer and hope it won't get too mixed up with the progesterone question here.
to answer your questions...I think it 'depends'.
It's interesting that some of your friends have very pro-HRT GPs as so many women here can't get it for love nor money from their GP.
The best drs take an individualised approach looking at each woman's risk of other diseases and family history, so it's not one size fits all.
Women who have an early-ish menopause ( some drs consider 47 and younger as early) should (IMO) definitely use it for some time. Other women...it depends. It certainly reduces the risk of bone loss (which affects 1 in 2 women aged over 50), heart disease and bowel cancer and they think it protects against dementia.
So if I had parents/grandparent with any of those at a young age, or who'd died early from one of them, I'd be probably be taking it.
A bone density scan in your early 50s to see the base line for bone health can help make a decision around that.
I think it's important not to think of modern HRT as medication as the clue is in the name 'Replacement'. And a lot of women who don't or won't use HRT end up on medication with much worse risks and side effects - ADs, drugs for osteoporosis, high BP, heart disease etc.
In an interview, Nick Panay is asked if he would prescribe HRT for women with no symptoms who wanted it for long term health and he says 'Yes' having told them of the small risks.
There are lots of Youtube interviews with him where some of this is discussed and a podcast on Liz Earle Wellbeing site where she talks to him on it all.