Has anyone gone through menopause without hrt

[Jakc]

I’m due to get radical hysterectomy but for medical reasons won’t be able to take HRT afterwards and due to the op will obviously be thrown straight in to menopause. Really scared to be honest about how I’ll cope with that

@beguilingeyes

It's not just the symptoms of the menopause though is it? HRT helps prevent osteoporosis and heart disease.amongst other things.

If there's a medical reason why you can't take it, fair enough, but it's beneficial otherrwise.

Absolutely this. It makes no odds if you don't suffer, your bones, heart, skin, hair and body will!

I had surgical menopause due to ovarian cancer treatment full hysterectomy and ovaries removed then no HRT allowed due to the cancer.

Honestly it has been hard but there are things that help

A good sleep routine, with enough sleep, but I think the routine just as important bed at ten daily really helps me.

For me I noted that any argh life moments from missing homework to run out of milk would flare an instantaneous hot flush so I did the following

Lower stress creating responsibilities (lower grade job in fact).

Citalopram to lower anxiety and therefore associated WTF moments and therefore hot flushes.

Standing in the garden at random times in the evening to cool down (wonders if this is why so many women my age start gardening 🤔)

Less coffee also helped but I felt a step too far!

I notice I am talking past tense 😬 this is good, it’s been 4.5 years since the op. It’s mostly gone.

Not necessarily. Not over 30-40 years. If you have an early menopause and will be without benefit of menstrusl hormones for 50, 60 or even 70 years, that’s different. But for a normal woman who hits the menopause at a normal age and has a normal life span, HRT is not beneficial in that way

Are you sure that is true? Literally everything I have read and every one I have heard speak (talking about medics and researchers here) says HRT does help with osteoperosis etc.

@sortingout

Not necessarily. Not over 30-40 years. If you have an early menopause and will be without benefit of menstrusl hormones for 50, 60 or even 70 years, that’s different. But for a normal woman who hits the menopause at a normal age and has a normal life span, HRT is not beneficial in that way

Are you sure that is true? Literally everything I have read and every one I have heard speak (talking about medics and researchers here) says HRT does help with osteoperosis etc.

Yes, it really does.

Me. It's been about 18 months since my last period so I'm in full menopause. Hot flushes, particularly at night, and times when I can't remember my own name, let alone anyone else's, but fine other than that.

Best thing is that I no longer get monthly crippling migraines - yay!

@beguilingeyes

It's not just the symptoms of the menopause though is it? HRT helps prevent osteoporosis and heart disease.amongst other things.

If there's a medical reason why you can't take it, fair enough, but it's beneficial otherrwise.

HRT does provide these benefits but not without also providing increased risks for several types of cancer. So each woman has to look at her individual risk profile. So a woman with family history of heart disease and osteoporosis but no family history of breast, ovarian or uterine cancer is more likely to reap maximum benefit at minimal risk. But a normal weight, fit woman with family history of these cancers, the BRAC gene, but no family history of heart disease and osteoporosis is more likely to not get any added benefit while increasing her already high risk for cancer types that don’t have the best long term survival rates.

Well, I maybe it was for my own particular circumstances I was better off without it then. But I’ve never wanted it or needed it either

@Maskedrevenger

Me, no need for HRT during my natural menopause though I wasn’t against the idea. I had no real symptoms at all apart from vaginal atrophy ( sounds worse than it is) so the GP prescribed localised vaginal estrogen treatments which helped. No hot flushes, night sweats at all, well past my menopause now.

I've just been prescribed those, but for thrush. I know the leaflets always list a lot of side effects which I usually ignore, but they slightly worried me.

The GP mentioned that oestrogen treatments needed progesterone to balance the potential effects, including thickening. But the consultant said there weren't really any risks or side effects. Did your GP by any chance discuss this with you, or are they sufficiently low dose and topical that I don't need to worry?

perimenopause heavy frequent periods (got anaemic needed iron tablets for about a year) mood swings (which I use to have before periods anyway so not much difference) some mild flushes & night sweats but not severe.
Than suddenly -periods stopped & plain sailing after that.
I would say we eat a fair amount of soya & lentils (not vegetarian but we don't eat much meat &, all meat we do eat is British which might mean less other hormones? )which I have heard have naturally occurring female hormones -so maybe they helped
Luck maybe?

I toughed it out and suffered quite a few hot flushes which were a nuisance at the time but came through it. Life without periods is much better and I feel healthier, on the whole.

Me - had full hysterectomy about 9 years ago and my surgeon wanted to put me on HRT straight after the op but I wanted to wait (not overly keen on any drugs tbh!). I researched diet and menopause and changed to soya milk, yoghurt etc, increased seeds....whether it was anything to do with this I don't know, but I didn't really suffer at all!

At my 6 week check up, surgeon had her prescription pad out for the HRT but agreed that I didn't need it.

I wouldn't have refused If I'd had any difficulties (and I've maintained the dietary changes just in case! 🤣)

I had one ovary out in November but have had peri symptoms since I was 36 (now 44.) When they opened me up I was riddled with endometriosis so I am having to go through it all minus HRT... We go through it early in our family anyway so seeing as having an ovary removed brings menopause forward by about five years I reckon I'm well into it now

Waking three times a night? Check. Drenched in sweat necessitating a change of nightwear? Check. Gallbladder pain? Check. Brain fog...lethargy...memory loss... it's all there....and there's nothing I can do about it because of the endo. What fun :(

I really recommend the recent Davina McCall documentary on the menopause. Channel 4...it'll still be on All4.

So many women (myself included) are prescribed anti-depressants for menopausal symptoms.

Me , I had very heavy periods but had so much other much worse shit going on at the time that menopause didn't even register

HRT when it works, is great, apparently.

My own mother was sneery about, 'eternal youth' but then, she was sneery about most things !

I had a total hysterectomy and ovaries removed, so straight into full menopause. The hot flushes were bad at first, but settled down and I actually felt better than I had in years once I recovered from the surgery. My weight, skin and hair are all great, several years down the line, so try not to worry too much, it wasn't as bad as I'd thought it was going to be, and a million times better than the fluctuating hormones of peri. I hope all goes well for you.

My mum didn't use HRT at all, although hers was a natural rather than surgical menopause, so symptoms started more gradually. She's very active, and usually eats healthily with not much sugar, and apparently these two things both help with symptoms. Low alcohol consumption is also beneficial.

@zyx12 My GP never suggested progesterone treatment at the same time. I was prescribed the Pessaries which I used as prescribed intensively to start off and then less frequently at a maintenance level. I was happy to use them at the lowest dose needed for the shortest run of time. I found them very effective for dryness and discomfort and they also helped when weeing. I had no side effects.

I’m 57, no periods for about 4 years and very sporadic for a couple of years before that. I’m still having hot flushes at night, but not as intense as in the early years. That has really been the only symptom apart from occasional tetchiness (no worse than PMT in my case).

All along I’Ve thought “this is bearable and won’t last much longer”, so haven’t sought HRT. I must say that disturbed sleep has been the main issue, but I’m lucky to have worked part time throughout. If I had a full time, stressful job it would have been too difficult to manage I think.

My friend had a full hysterectomy 3 years ago for medical reasons and she has been fine, she’s barely had any symptoms.

[quote Maskedrevenger]@zyx12 My GP never suggested progesterone treatment at the same time. I was prescribed the Pessaries which I used as prescribed intensively to start off and then less frequently at a maintenance level. I was happy to use them at the lowest dose needed for the shortest run of time. I found them very effective for dryness and discomfort and they also helped when weeing. I had no side effects.[/quote]
Thank you!

my menoipause came naturally early 50s but I ruled out HRT as there ifs a family history of breast cancer but not of osteoporosis and heart problems. I am now 74 and do not remember any particular angst at the time of the menopause but I was busy working and being a single parent. But then I am not in favour of medicalising everything personally. If I can get through whatever it is by keeping active , eating healthily - that is what I do.

Ot it

@mrsrobin

Me! It does seem everyone is on HRT these days, but being someone who does not to have to reply on meds (unless it is essential), I did not go down that road. Yes, I have had some symptoms but have learnt to live with them. Everyone is different, some people can live OK without HRT, some can't at all and need it to help them live their life. Best wishes OP x

Me too! I had warm flushes over a few years (rarely got very hot and sweaty) and just coped with it all. I wasn't ever offered HRT so just got on with it. Surely HRT just delays the symptoms?