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Menopause

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Original poster

HRT. Do periods just carry on forever?

62 replies

blinder · 12/04/2022 09:14

I’ve been on HRT for a year now. My periods have settled back to pre-peri normality. Not heavy. Slight moodiness.
But, for those of you who have been on HRT for a while, do you still have periods or have they petered out now?

The thought of having periods in my nineties (assuming I make it that far!) is daunting!

OP posts:

34knockonthedoor · 12/04/2022 09:17

I came on here today to ask the same question! I'm in my 4th month of hrt and periods are regular again. I've got pmt again too! The hrt has eased the anxiety a and I'm sleeping better but I wasn't expecting it to alter my periods

YesILikeItToo · 12/04/2022 09:20

It hadn’t occurred to me that they would peter out. I’m 50 and I’ve taken HRT for about five years. They had pretty much stopped when I started and I have regular periods now in accordance with the cycle of pills in the pack.

SpiderVersed · 12/04/2022 09:21

Periods keep happening until they don’t. Which can be years and years.

sueelleker · 12/04/2022 09:28

After about 5 years my GP suggested I came off HRT, and my periods had finished naturally.

Original poster

blinder · 12/04/2022 09:34

@sueelleker did your menopause symptoms come back when you stopped the hormones?

OP posts:

sueelleker · 12/04/2022 09:38

[quote blinder]@sueelleker did your menopause symptoms come back when you stopped the hormones?[/quote]
No, thank goodness! The HRT just sort of smoothed over the transition.

Original poster

blinder · 12/04/2022 09:40

That gives me hope!

OP posts:

JinglingHellsBells · 12/04/2022 09:51

@blinder

I’ve been on HRT for a year now. My periods have settled back to pre-peri normality. Not heavy. Slight moodiness. But, for those of you who have been on HRT for a while, do you still have periods or have they petered out now?

The thought of having periods in my nineties (assuming I make it that far!) is daunting!

Presumably your GP didn't explain?

It's terrible how they don't as you are the 2nd poster in a few days asking this.

(It should also be explained on the leaflet in your HRT that you will have a withdrawal bleed.)

On some kinds of HRT you have a withdrawal bleed each month (just like on the Pill.)
It's not a period. HRT doesn't give you back fertility.

It mimics a natural cycle.

Once you have not had a natural period for 12 months you can use a n-bleed HRT.

That's continuous estrogen and progesterone every day.

Dilbertian · 12/04/2022 09:56

I have a Mirena so that I can take continuous oestrogen. Periods immediately went from monthly bloodbath to very light, and I had maybe 5 over the next couple of years. Nothing since.

Original poster

blinder · 12/04/2022 09:57

Thank you @JinglingHellsBells

This might be the stupidest question ever asked on Mumsnet, but, if HRT gives me a bleed that mimics a period, how will I know when my natural periods have stopped and I can change to a non-bleed regime?

OP posts:

Thanksforasking78 · 12/04/2022 10:07

Blinder thank you for asking the questions that have been going through my mind. I started hrt 6 weeks ago and it’s these bits I do not understand.

JinglingHellsBells · 12/04/2022 10:12

@blinder

Thank you *@JinglingHellsBells*

it's not stupid at all but it ought to be all explained by the person prescribing. Why are they not?

You won't know. The only way is to stop the HRT but that won't help much unless you stop for months, as in peri periods can be 6 months apart, or more.

You can either go by age (they say over 54) OR you can swap at any time. The downside is your own natural period might come along as the no bleed type of HRT doesn't always control natural periods enough.

Original poster

blinder · 12/04/2022 10:19

It’s definitely more complicated / unexplained than pregnancy was, or other womens health stuff in my life. I know way more about breast cysts than I do my HRT regime, honestly.

Thanks for taking the time @JinglingHellsBells. My overriding feeling is that I should book a review appointment. I was put on HRT originally to quickly manage a lot of horrible peri symptoms (which it did). I think maybe I wasn’t in the right place to ask the detailed questions (or retain the information I was given?) but I am now.

OP posts:

VeryMuchFlaggingMinty · 12/04/2022 10:23

@Dilbertian

I have a Mirena so that I can take continuous oestrogen. Periods immediately went from monthly bloodbath to very light, and I had maybe 5 over the next couple of years. Nothing since.

That's good to know as I was freaking out reading this!

I'm having a Mirena fitted tomorrow and oestrogen spray.

Had Mirena for 10 years previously and no periods but was able to have tubes tied so got rid.

One of the main reasons I'm having it again is that my periods are completely random and I'd rather not have them at all!

Didiplanthis · 12/04/2022 10:44

If it is cyclical HRT which is should be if you are still having periods you will have a withdrawal bleed to keep the endometrium.from being over stimulated all the time you are on cyclical progesterone. After 54 you can go on no bleed continuous combined HRT. All the time you are on cyclical HRT you won't know if your periods have stopped so can't safely switch to no bleed without stopping it to know you are bleed free for a year until you are 54. Most people take it for 2-5 years then try without to see if still needed.

Motherdare · 12/04/2022 10:50

Don’t your periods continue until you’ve run out of eggs? We have a finite amount don’t we?

Dilbertian · 12/04/2022 10:53

One of the main reasons I'm having it again is that my periods are completely random and I'd rather not have them at all!

Best warn you then that my periods were even more random in the first couple of years with Mirena than before. But they were much fewer and much lighter - pantyliner light. Before Mirena I rarely got caught out because I recognised my body signals. But with Mirena I'd come on with no warning, or I'd get the body signals but not come on. But because they were so light it wasn't like being caught out in earlier years.

Original poster

blinder · 12/04/2022 11:24

@Didiplanthis - brilliant thank you! I’m 49 this year so may do another year and then see what happens if I withdraw off it for a bit

OP posts:

Freshprincess · 12/04/2022 11:34

I’m 50 been on HRT for 6 months and was wondering the same, so thank you for posting.
I’ve gone from regular but a bit unpredictable, to being able to so regular, I can practically predict it down to the hour.

The GP gave me the wrong info on how to take the Utrogestan so definitely didn’t explain this.

It’s woeful how uninformed we are about this.

JinglingHellsBells · 12/04/2022 12:01

I really do despair at how little GPs communicate.

It's such basic stuff that they need to tell women.

Two types of HRT for women with periods/ without.
1st type will give a withdrawal bleed. 2nd type won't.

2nd type for women aged 54 or over (as this assumes 80% of women will be post meno by then)

2nd type can be used by younger women but not if their periods are still coming , unless they fancy trying it. But the downside is there may be erratic bleeding and spotting as the amount of progestin in this type isn't enough (always) to control a 'fertile' cycle.

It's taken me less than 5 mins to type this (and I'm slow) so why can't GPs just SAY IT!

VeryMuchFlaggingMinty · 12/04/2022 12:45

@Dilbertian

Oh blimey!

I'm basing that assumption on having one period post insertion previously and then nothing for 10 years.

I've had about 5 periods in the last year...can go anything from 3 to 11/12 weeks in between.

That said I only have the one ovary and at a recent scan was told it was so withered and shrivelled they could barely find it so fingers crossed!

Dilbertian · 12/04/2022 15:28

If you've had the Mirena before, and it stopped your periods completely, maybe it will do the same again. Fingers crossed!

I'd never had it before, so I've no idea whether it would have affected me differently without HRT.

Original poster

blinder · 12/04/2022 17:06

Totally agree @JinglingHellsBells

Very glad others have this question, though, as I was feeling I’d missed an important memo!

OP posts:

Chocolatestain · 12/04/2022 18:52

You’re not alone, OP. I’ve been on HRT for six months and was wondering the same thing. Like you, my brain fog was so bad before starting HRT that I couldn’t think of the relevant questions at my GP appointment (I fully intended to go in armed with a check list of what I wanted to ask, but due to aforementioned brain fog I completely forgot to write it!)

The other thing I’ve learned from Mumsnet, rather than my GP, is that your HRT cycle doesn’t have to be exactly 28 days. I was really struggling with working out and remembering which days to take the Utrogestan until I read on here that it’s fine to pick a convenient day (such as the first of the month) and start taking it on that day each month. This has been an absolute game-changer for me.

Apileofballyhoo · 12/04/2022 19:36

I think you can take Utrogestan continuously after 6-12 months of being on it regardless of age. I suppose if you were doing that and you had no withdrawal bleeding it might be the case that periods are over.

Body identical Utrogestan has some whole body benefits not provided by other forms. The website below and app have loads of information.

www.balance-menopause.com/subject/hrt/

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