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

'It's a mistake to think that all private drs just take £300 and hand out HRT. Many have all kinds of other ideas and information around how to alleviate symptoms, far more than GPs'

That's really interesting, I didnt realise they offered free advice. There does need to be more info available, I remember 'well women' clinics at practices but don't seem to see them anymore.

I did watch the Davina programme but was disappointed tbh. A more balanced for and against discussion would have been useful.

Is it just the lack of quality research and evidence that is the issue and if so why? Why aren't big pharma companies sponsoring loads of large scale trials to actually give us the stats needed?

What symptoms do you have (yet?) @JaniieJones?
How are you coping?

I didn't say menopause gynaecologists gave free advice. I said that if a woman goes to see one for help with menopause, they would set out the options, including the lifestyle ones that may help, supplements, etc. They would leave the ultimate choice up to the woman, whether she wants to try lifestyle measures first, or already has, and needs something else which could be hrt or other prescribed drugs.

The Davina prog included a lot of air time for Nick Panay who is one of the best gynaes in the UK (and also NHS) so on balance I felt it was a balanced programme.

What did you choose to help yourself or has meno not happened yet?

I’ve not taken HRT, never been to gp about menopause. Periods stopped nearly 7 years ago. Had hot flushes occasionally and exercise twice a day keeps my sleep pattern much better

Why don't big companies sponsor large scale studies though do you think jingling? Surely it would be in their financial interests to do so. Or is the income from lucrative privately generated prescriptions all they're interested in. It all seems such a cloudy topic.

I'm coping fine thanks. I've had a serious health issue a while ago (not hormone related) so as I said previously I'm very keen to avoid further prescriptions and reviews etc where possible. Exercise, diet, hydration, positive mindset and perspective seems to be working for me.

I'm not sure I understand exactly, but assume you mean more research into hrt? Or menopause?
TBH the companies making most out of women are those making/selling vitamins etc. Look at the info on Vitabiotics.

There have been a lot of studies worldwide into hrt but not sure if that's what you mean.

There are other drugs being developed that may offer what hrt does but without the side effects and risks. Nick Panay discusses this on youtube videos and on the Liz Earle Wellbeing site.

But major studies take a huge length of time and a lot of money. The profit for pharma from women's health is very low indeed. They make their money from other drugs used by both genders. HRT is dirt cheap relative to some drugs.

Private prescriptions do not provide pharma with much money at all. I pay for my hrt at RRP (and that includes the mark up from the pharmacy and the dispensing fee) and it's barely more than the cost of an NHS prescription, per month.

If hrt was so importent for osteoporosis,why do the UK and USa osteoporosis societies not recommend all women to take it?
They basically only say early menopause and women at risk ie Eating disorders which have affected periods.
Not every women have disabling menopausal symptoms,some of us just have the odd hot flush and thats it and a good set of friends to compare notes also helps

@bruffin

If hrt was so importent for osteoporosis,why do the UK and USa osteoporosis societies not recommend all women to take it? They basically only say early menopause and women at risk ie Eating disorders which have affected periods. Not every women have disabling menopausal symptoms,some of us just have the odd hot flush and thats it and a good set of friends to compare notes also helps

They are talking about it 👍

'If hrt was so importent for osteoporosis,why do the UK and USa osteoporosis societies not recommend all women to take it?'

Yes this. Treatment of fractures costs the nhs billions why aren't we told to take it to protect us if it is proven the risk of bc etc is worth the benefit of bone health. I would guess orthopaedic costs far outweighs BC treatment costs. Or would it tip the other way if we all started taking it!

The terminology is all so airy fairy. 'Risks and benefits' must be weighed up, well how can we when there is so much conflicting info.

We have to be very careful saying things like ‘I sailed through the menopause’

Women seem to think it’s a year of the odd hot flush and then done. What’s really happening is our hormones fluctuate and change/fall for the rest of our lives. So it’s not done and dusted in one go.

We need to keep an eye and monitor heart/bone health as these, among other things, are impacted by changing hormones.

We need to change the language around this and with it, women’s understanding of what’s happening

@beguilingeyes

People keep sayt that they 'got through' the menopause. It's not something you get through is it? It's the lack of a vital hormone (s) for life. That oestrogen isn't coming back.

Yes beguiling!

More women need to understand this.

If women don’t want to take hrt then of course fine but we/they need to do a lot to help counter the effects of falling oestrogen - or at the very least read up on it to understand what’s going on.

This thread has move on so far from the OP's post :)
I joined in after a few pages only to alert women who'd had an early menopause to have their bones checked.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society has a lot of info on their website.

HRT is prescribed as prevention and treatment for women under 60 with osteoporosis or the risk of having it.

It is not given as routine, or put in the water, because of course like ALL drugs for anything, there are some risks, albeit small.

Not ALL women need it but the tragedy is that we do not screen women at 50-55 for bone density. Therefore many have or develop osteoporosis. 1:2 or 1:3 (depends which stats you read) have it, over the age of 50.

You could use the same argument over statins; some drs think everyone over 50 should be on them, others say not as they can have bad side effects in some people.

@JaniieJones Have you looked at the Risk and Benefits graph on the Women's Health Concern site and also it's on Menopause Matters (under hrt risks/ benefits)?

It's the one that Davina used with the coloured balls showing risks of hrt versus other lifestyle risks.

The info is out there - really- if you do some reading and investigating.

I'm not sure what you want to know. Each woman has to weigh up her own medical history and family history, her lifestyle, her aims, her preferences, and decide what to do during and after menopause.

@JinglingHellsBells why on Earth would you put oestrogen in the water!

@JaniieJones you can buy topical hrt over the counter. But my point was we need to stop thinking about it as a chemically manufactured dangerous drug when it's as close to a natural supplement as we can get it and it's a replacement of something we all once had in abundance.

I'm a runner and I eat nery healthily. Neither of these things has made a blind bit of difference to my anxiety. Not everything can be solved by diet and exercise.

'You could use the same argument over statins; some drs think everyone over 50 should be on them, others say not as they can have bad side effects in some people.'

I don't know any Dr who would say this. Age is only one element. Cholesterol, bmi, BP other more important issues. qrisk.org/three/index.php - risk is calculated, statins can indeed have horrible side effects taking it because you're 50 would be ridiculous.

'I'm not sure what you want to know. '

I want definitive evidence. Clearly never going to get it but the maybe this and maybe that about taking medication for something that isn't an illness doesn't convince me.

I'm very late to this thread but I'm another postmenopausal woman who's gone through it all without feeling the need for HRT. I could've taken it if I wanted, but I've been just fine without.

I was lucky in that my symptoms were relatively mild and I was able to manage them with supplements. Several years post menopause everything has settled down, no more flushes, brain fog etc.

I have, however, been using topical oestrogen for vaginal dryness for years now. That's an absolute necessity for me to stay comfortable.

Yes, no HRT

Me. Menopause itself was fine ime. Perimeno was bloody horrible.

Recommendations: Eat supplements! You will really notice the difference to your energy levels if you take iron, Vit D, B-complex etc or a special meno supplement.

Do weight bearing exercise. Body weight or weight training circuits will hugely improve your bone density and make you feel alive and strong.

Slow down. Get rid of anything in your life you don't have to do. So for now, ditch charity and volunteer work. You can go back to it. But you might well feel shattered. Teach DC to do their own laundry, pick up after themselves, cook once a week (if you have any and they are over 10)

I'm massively enjoying menopause. Apart from the hot hot flush (don;t realy suffer from these though friends have) I love the new, post oestrogen personality. I genuinely don't give a toss what anyone thinks of me and what I do. It is so liberating! I'm fitter now than I've ever been since my twenties.

@JaniieJones Maybe read the article in The Times today about statins. There may well be a time when everyone over 50 is offered them. That's what the article is discussing.

You are clearly anti HRT or wanting very black and white answers about research and stats. There is a huge amount of evidence out there, some very definitive, some not. If you spend a few weeks reading everything produced by the BMS and the International Menopause Society, it may answer some of your questions.

When women recommend lifestyle changes do they think other women aren't doing all of that?

Women who try HRT have already tried all of that. I certainly had in bucket loads.

@DramaAlpaca

I'm very late to this thread but I'm another postmenopausal woman who's gone through it all without feeling the need for HRT. I could've taken it if I wanted, but I've been just fine without.

I was lucky in that my symptoms were relatively mild and I was able to manage them with supplements. Several years post menopause everything has settled down, no more flushes, brain fog etc.

I have, however, been using topical oestrogen for vaginal dryness for years now. That's an absolute necessity for me to stay comfortable.

Topical oestrogen is HRT

'You are clearly anti HRT or wanting very black and white answers about research and stats.'

Apologies if it comes across that way, I've said a few times I am pro choice but yes I do like definitive answers and stats. Not just 'overweight people have a bigger risk'.

This board has become more a hrt board than a menopause board and I think hrt free menopause is worth sharing too, look at all the positive stories on this thread!

I think the advice I would give the op is, like puberty or pregnancy your body goes through changes but if you optimise everything from mental health to physical health it isn't something that needs medicating. Imo. Of course I expect others have tried natural remedies, perhaps it comes down to expectations and perspective.

'Topical oestrogen is HRT'

It isn't classed as hrt as it isn't systemic and has no associated risks.

I'm now 60 and didn't want to try HRT - partly because my mother had breast cancer.

Just to say, even though your mother has breast cancer, does not mean that HRT is off limits for you (should you have wanted to try it) Transdermal HRT is deemed an option for women with more complicated medical histories (myself included). There are always options out there now, whatever your history/situation.