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

Me. I had an early menopause. I had hot flushes which tbh I didn’t even think might be menopause. Haven’t had any need to talk to my doctor about hrt nor have they spoken to me about it. Absolutely nothing to indicate need.
Sorry to hear about what you’re going through. Support and hope it all goes well.

@peachescariad

Had Merina coil fitted mid 40s when I was peri, due to out of control periods, then removed 5 years later and no periods since then. Nights sweats have been bad since mid 40s and still are (55 now). Anxiety worse at night but manageable overall. Sleep is pretty rubbish - wake up 10/12 times and have bouts of being awake usually around 3ish for an hour or so. Occasionally take the odd cod liver oil, turmeric, glucosamine but I'm crap at remembering to take them. Apart from that I'm fine. Luckily didn't experience the emotional roller-coaster but know many who did and HRT was brilliant for them .

When you say anxiety at night, can I ask you to describe it ? If I wake in the night my mind immediately switches on and I either have a song going round and round, or I have an argument with someone, or I start worrying about my health.

Me, I had a few symptoms, occasionally hot flush, possible grumpiness but no more than when I was due on, mentioned this to my female GP and that I hadn’t had any periods for 18 months and she said I had a very long way to go before HRT well here I am 5 years later done and dusted so it seems, no hot flushes and mood has definitely evened out.

I was a bit worried about stroke risk so no HRT and for me the heaviness and length of periods when I was peri were the worst part. Hot flushes are horrible, but brief and I have learned the value of easy remove layers.

However, my flushes are dry heat. During IVF I had hot sweats, drenching. I don’t know how well I would have coped with those for any length of time but if drugs are not an option, then strategies for coping can be planned - clothes that show it less, change of clothes in your bag, ice pack handy to grip or put on your wrists. Even now at night I have something cool by my bed to pop on whichever part is hotting up.

Good luck with your surgery.

[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]
You don't need progesterone with vaginal oestrogen (Vagifem/Vagirux).

@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 does help. With HRT your body is surviving with a hormone deficiency. Lack of those hormones can cause osteoporosis (I'm on HRT because my mother had osteoporosis and several fractures), type 2 diabetes, heart disease and dementia later in life. And of course there's all the urinary symptoms and vaginal atrophy that can develop down the line.

*Without HRT

For all the women posting here who had an early menopause but no symptoms and therefore no HRT please, please speak to your GP about a DEXA scan for your bones @HeronLanyon. Or if they won't agree, fund it yourself, if at all possible.

I know of too many women who had early menopause and in their late 50s and early 60s found they had spinal fractures, and are now on much stronger drugs often with side effects (compared to HRT.)

Osteoporosis doesn't get the press coverage of things like breast cancer but it kills more women every year (with complications in old age.)

Sadly, it's a very neglected disease and most women only discover they have it far too late.

I’ve gone through it without HRT, no real issues although I do sleep with a fan blowing on me. A bit of brain fog during peri menopause was probably the worst for me. I almost didn’t pass my probation at work.

@JinglingHellsBells

For all the women posting here who had an early menopause but no symptoms and therefore no HRT please, please speak to your GP about a DEXA scan for your bones *@HeronLanyon*. Or if they won't agree, fund it yourself, if at all possible.

I know of too many women who had early menopause and in their late 50s and early 60s found they had spinal fractures, and are now on much stronger drugs often with side effects (compared to HRT.)

Osteoporosis doesn't get the press coverage of things like breast cancer but it kills more women every year (with complications in old age.)

Sadly, it's a very neglected disease and most women only discover they have it far too late.

Completely agree - it's too late by the time you find out you have it. My mother's menopause was around 52. No HRT and diagnosed after a spinal fracture in her late 70s.

Anxiety was the worst symptom, as it came out of nowhere. We were going away and I was packing -children at school, husband at work -and I just froze and found myself incapable of doing anything/making decisions! Called my husband and asked him to ‘talk me down’, as I knew I was being irrational 😆 It was quite some time later that I started having hot flushes and realised this was peri menopause. Joint pain was also really hard to deal with. Took vit B12 and D3, had acupuncture and reflexology, which helped.
Definitely not against HRT, but have breast cancer and, although it’s not hormone related, doctors are reluctant to risk it ☹️
Had a DEXA scan and although okay chose to have 2-5 years of bisphosphonates for bones.
Menopause is doable, but I’d take HRT if I could.

jingling & batshit just seen advice. Noted. Will look into. Ta !

@TooMuchPaper

I have gone through menopause with no issues at all. No HRT either.

Me too.

I'm post menopause now, had menopause around 50, no HRT as I have high blood pressure.
It wasn't fun, night sweats and brain fog were the worst. Also putting on weight, but too tired to do much exercise after work. Stupidly had started new career when brain fog was at it's worst and I hadn't come to terms with it - now I know I won't remember stuff so write down and store info on my phone. But I'd do things like forgetting I'd planned a lesson when I'd done it weeks in advance, and then panicking. I keep really strict records now and have a good diary system, I know I can't rely on holding everything in my head.
Looking back, I had no support with the emotional side at all, so if you can line that up it would be helpful.

@Georgie8 Out of interest, why are you using bisphosphonates with no need? I'm curious as I have regular dexa scans and want to avoid bisphs at all costs as they can have quite serious side effects (the jury is still out on some serious ones.)

I was told specifically that bisphos are only for women over 60 (usually) with established osteoporosis. For women under 60, with no risk factors, and who have bone loss, HRT is available as a treatment.

(There are also many more women who have had hormone-driven BC using HRT now too. Some of them are interviewed on the website of Dr Louise Newson.)

@DelphiniumBlue Again, you may be another example of incorrect prescribing, although I apologise if there is more to this than you have said.

HRT is given to women with high BP as long as it's being controlled with either medication and / or lifestyle and diet. It's set out very clearly in the medical guidance that high BP is not a no-no in itself.

Transdermal hrt doesn't raise BP any more than it is already. It's far far safer than The Pill but some drs seem to equate the risks of each.

I was unable to have HRT for medical reasons also and so have gone through the menopause without it. I mainly suffered from nighttime hot flushes, and sometimes during the day. However, overall, it’s been fine. I have taken evening primrose oil in the past.

I had dexa scans following breast cancer and ended up on biphosphonates. I do now have slight osteoporosis in base of my spine (early 50s). They are very commonly prescribed apparently.

Didn’t have HRT or many problems other than hot flushes. Running around like a spring chicken and sexually OK in my early 60s

Me.

Never saw the point. I don't take hrt for the same reason I don't dye my hair. But a lot of women seem to make visiting the GP a hobby in their later years.

Me. I couldn’t take hrt for medical reasons. A few night sweats for a few months and broken nights but nothing too awful.

@DENNYCRANE

Me.

Never saw the point. I don't take hrt for the same reason I don't dye my hair. But a lot of women seem to make visiting the GP a hobby in their later years.

Ahem.

You are very lucky considering that 75-80% of women have severe symptoms, bad enough to seek help.

You might like to read the article in today's Telegraph by Bryony Gordon as she is in peri meno. It lasts up to 10 years and then post meno symptoms kick in.
As she says, until the 1920s, most women didn't have a menopause. They died before 50.

Hi @jinglinghellsbells
It’s not a licenced use of bisphosphonates, but it has been shown to reduce the risk metastatic breast cancer recurrence in the bones and this is why my oncologist recommended I think about it. I’ll have twice yearly infusions rather than daily tablets.

Interesting comments lately here.

What is interesting is that only around 15% of women use hrt often because their GPs give them antidepressants instead because they are still holding onto the flawed data of HRT from 22 years ago.

The Davina TV programme recently laid out all of this in amazing detail.

@Georgie8

Hi *@jinglinghellsbells* It’s not a licenced use of bisphosphonates, but it has been shown to reduce the risk metastatic breast cancer recurrence in the bones and this is why my oncologist recommended I think about it. I’ll have twice yearly infusions rather than daily tablets.

Ah that's very different. I am aware of its use to prevent and treat bone cancer. I hope you continue to stay well.

I’m finding this interesting. About 2 years ago I started getting heart palpitations and anxiety ( was definitely hormone related ) . Also have brain fog, terrible skin and occasional night sweats . Went to see the doctor ( and cried to him ) was told it was my age and hormonal.
Never prescribed anything but I found evening primrose helped . Just lately I’ve found things have calmed down significantly although my periods are still relatively regular.
Can things just settle this quickly ?