Pill vs hrt

[honeyandbutterontoast]

Seven years ago I started having massively heavy periods every two weeks. GP at the time said it was start of peri menopause (41) and suggested rather than hrt I went on the combined pill. She said it was perfectly safe to take at my age and I could continue through till age 50 by which time menopause would be over and done with and I could stop taking it.

Which seemed good advice at the time?

But I don’t know anybody who is doing this and I’m starting to doubt if this is the best idea. I’m having symptoms which I think could be breakthrough menopause symptoms (joints aching, insomnia, weight gain, flushes etc) but obviously I can’t take hrt as well as the pill for this.

Also presumably the pill doesn’t offer the same dementia/bone/heart protection as hrt? Or does it? Found very little on google to help with this so hoping someone on here is also following this path.

OP I have no answers, but similar questions so bumping in case anyone knows!

I'm on the pill, and am certain I'm in peri- hair loss for 3 years which the doctor said was 'hormonal' after a blood test.
Night sweats, dry skin, insomnia. Low libido.
And the most awful mood swings and depression in my non pill (bleed) week.

Had a phone consult with doc and tried to ask about HRT instead and they said I was too young (43) and I should just run my pill packs together so I only get the awfulness every 2 months.
Except that then my period lasts 3-4 weeks.
Which is crap.

I'm another one in a similar position. Still taking the pill at 53 (doctor's advice) and since I don't have periods it's hard to know if i'm menopausal though I have had night sweats and suffer from insomnia.

I really should see a doctor to discuss hrt but it's hard to get an appointment and I have so much stuff going on with my parents/DC that it just pales into insignificance.

I am the same except I'm on the mini pill, I'm 45.

Well I have completed an e-consult form for my doctor, and was very descriptive in my symptoms- probably far more than it had been a conversation tbh.

So I wait to hear what they say.

I’m glad I’m not the only one!

Interesting to hear if you get help from the dr poshme.

My pill free week is normally awful, mega depression and anxiety so I’ve been running my packs together for the last 3 months to avoid it.

I'm 44 on cerezette pill so no bleed but getting peri symptoms I think, not sure what to do. Starting supplement as advised from another thread.

@honeyandbutterontoast. Why don’t you try the mini pill and HRT? The mini pill is safer than combined as we get older and it all but stops monthly bleeding. I take that and combined sequential patches for HRT, although I am currently changing the patches over to just-estrogen patches and micronised progesterone so I can increase the dose.
I have light spotting but nothing more. Tellingly before starting HRT last year I came off the mini pill for a few months to try and gauge how peri-menopausal I was. I had 3 months of nothing followed by 2 monthly periods so bad I could barely leave the house. The mini pill is very good for suppressing awful periods!

I have just found an interesting guidance article.

www.fsrh.org/documents/fsrh-guidance-contraception-for-women-aged-over-40-years-2017/fsrh-guideline-contraception-aged-over-40-sep-2019.pdf.

Which has detailed stuff about pill/HRT

Still ploughing through it..

I came off the mini pill (cerelle) 4 weeks ago & started hrt. I was coping ok with the odd sympton such as night sweats. What seemed to ramp up was the lack of sleep, anxiety, weepyness, extreme tiredness & lack of motivation. 4 weeks in & I'm beginning to feel normal again. I take progesterone ( it's a lower dose than the pill) & hrt gel. I think you'll know when to swop over from just the pill.