Is it the norm to be on HRT ?

[sweatyannie]

Managed to get through the menopause without too many issues. Exception being very heavy periods but got that sorted.

I never sought HRT or was offered it by GP but I am now struggling with weight issues especially around the tummy etc. that may be for a number of issues (calories in - calories out)

I seem to be surrounded by women friends , colleagues who are on HRT.

Am I the only one ?

I’m on it due to tiredness, brain fog and bladder symptoms so not the menopause symptoms you may initially consider. And indeed possibly not menopause related. I’ve only just started so will be interesting to see if it helps. But I also think the bone density protection and cardiac benefits are worth it.

I've had a hysterectomy but have my ovaries.

They'll likely have 5 years.

My GP has said they'll start me on HRT as soon as I show symptoms as it's a surgical menopause.

It didn't even occur to me to not take it!

My GP friend who specialises in Womens Health inc Menopause says that every woman over 45 would benefit from it and it should be the norm, given the additional benefits it brings. The breast cancer link has been debunked as the original case was overstated.

I can't make my mind up.

My GP has prescribed it for me and she has prescribed it preventatively.. I'm 50 but have little in the way of symptoms to date. I went to take it to prevent bone loss and also for the other benefits it can bring

No diet or supplement in the world can replace lost oestrogen and we need oestrogen. It's vital to us

But still I dither about it

I am 48 and have sailed through menopause without any symptoms. BUT I started perimenopause at 41 and dr insisted I should go on it to protect heart and bones so I was on it for 5 years I then came off the sequi type (the ones that give you a bleed) and transferred to a conti preparation, but I didn't like the side effects so I came off. 18 months on and I am post menopausal as haven't had a bleed since I came off.

However after watching Davinia and how much she was saying that everyone should be on it for protective purposes. I re started but on a continuous patch- lasted 3 weeks and the sore boobs, cramps and insomnia were horrendous. I ripped my patch off this morning and I am slowly beginning to feel normal again.

Yes there is evidence to say it protects you later in life and I honestly I believed I was doing the right thing but the last 3 weeks have been horrendous for me.

I have friends who say it is an absolute life saver and all their symptoms have disappeared but with me with no symptoms I am not willing to be on something that makes me feel ill when I felt totally well before,

It is not the answer for some. But many should be on it. What is the alternative? I was denied for years. In the end I complained. My bone density scan showed osteopenia. Which made me even more angry.

I do think its worth whole for every woman to get a DEXA scan between 45 and 50 to get a baseline for their bone density, if you discover you are oesteopenic or have osteoporosis thats other thing to bear in mind if considering HRT. Without the DEXA theres no way to know if theres a problem until you have a broken bone

I know a few women who aren’t on hrt for various reasons but would like to be. I at the grand old age of 40 have not long started hrt and the difference I feel is immense. My itchy skin, headaches and dizziness have gone. The brain fog has lifted which was particularly debilitating as I am studying and have looked a complete fool in front of my tutors sometimes. The aches and pains and difficulty concentrating have improved. The anxiety has lessened and even though I’m still getting hot flushes they weren’t the worst anyway. Oh and the pms such as painful boobs has gotten better too. It’s only been a few months and I feel so much more human. A friend who I haven’t seen since Easter even commented on it when I saw her before I told her I was on hrt.
it may not be right for everyone but for some women it definitely is. My mums periods stopped at 41 so whether that happens or not for me I feel this is the right choice for me.

@folly115 You do not have to be on a continuous regime. I appreciate that many GPs automatically switch women to it, but it's not mandatory.

There is some guidance to switch women to continuous, as it reduces the risk of endometrial cancer, (and women tend to prefer a no-bleed sort of HRT.

But very few if any GPs mention that continuous HRT also has a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. It's in the research papers. (I was told this many years ago by my consultant.)

I've been on HRT for many years and although I tried a continuous regime a long time ago, I lasted 3 weeks on it and stopped, and went back to sequential.

It's not ideal- very few treatments for anything are - but I work around it.

I've replied to some of your other posts and would say again that if you don't get any answers to your problems, then see an expert.

Also, Elleste is not listed as an HRT out of stock so wonder why you can't get it?

Didn't realise it's some kind of competition? "I managed to get through menopause without HRT"??

OP if the symptoms are such that they can be 'medicated' with the help of HRT and it's available and it's suitable and safe to take, why not take them?

Why get worked up about it?

You may have had a relatively mild experience but I can assure you that many people don't and that many are therefore incredibly grateful for the medial advances that provide for HRT.

Or is this the middle-aged equivalent of boasting about getting through childbirth with minimal pain relief??

A lot of my friends prefer not to take it but I have complex PTSD and I really think I would have committed suicide without it due to the much higher levels of anxiety. My mental health really took a bashing. It really helped to rein all that in. I would have preferred to take herbal remedies but I was really losing it and had started to have hallucinations and hear voices.

Am I the only one that just googled this question?
About 1 million women in UK on HRT.
If there are 12.5 million UK women age 45+.
Vast majority not on HRT.

What’s with the attitude? Nowhere has the OP or anyone boasted about sailing through menopause, nor is she getting “worked up” about it, she is asking a very valid and interesting question and others are relaying their lived experiences with menopause and the use of HRT. This is the menopause section, not AIBU.

As far as I can see through my research HRT is not just about symptom relief but also prevention/reducing the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and dementia all of which can be silent until they're not so to speak. I've been following Dr Louise Newsome and if my GP tries to take me off HRT I'll go to her clinic privately. My sister didn't take HRT because she thought it wasn't natural and has ended up with heart disease despite being slim, never having smoked and doesn't drink. Anecdotal I know but I'd rather try and prevent that.

@MmeMeursault get over yourself !

I feel I would have benefitted most, looking back, when I was perimenopausal, but, believe it or not, I didn't know perimenopause was a thing.
Now I'm post menopause I don't see a reason to start now. SSRI's for anxiety have been my go to.

There are huge physical and mental benefits to be had from HRT.

The press coverage has been skewed towards negative aspects, most of which have now been disproved.

But the old myths live on in public opinion.

No one here is competing 🤷🏻‍♀️ just describing experiences.

Fwiw I had 3 labours and births on just gas and air but no way I would go through peri menopause without Hrt so not equivalent just people doing what's right for them in each individual circumstance.

I finally started on HRT just before my 64th birthday. I gather that the body identical forms of HRT (the ones I'm using) carry a much lower risk than the other, older types.

If you start within 10 years of menopause, the risk is very low and there are many benefits. I greatly regret that I didn't know the effects of the loss of oestrogen at menopause nor the benefits of HRT until I was 13 years post-menopause.

If I can, I now intend to remain on HRT for life.

Very good advice.

I am not on it. I am 57 and think I have been menopausal for about a year. Haven't seen a doctor and no intention of doing so, and thus obviously won't be taking HRT. Menopause is not an illness it is a normal stage of life, so if you feel that you are fine then why would you bother with HRT? It is entirely optional, so whether you take it or don't take it is completely up to you.

My understanding is that HRT in your 50s can guard against all cause mortality - heart disase,. stroke etc plus osteoperosis without raising cancer risk. The link with breast cancer is an issue when given to older women. Here's an article (2016).. So yes, I am on it and telling friends about it too. It has made my life very much easier - less anxiety,. returned my self confidence, much more even tempered. Plan is to review it every 3 years as suggested on Menopause Matters website. It's up to individuals, of course, but if you are under 60, and on HRT for five years or less, there isn't a significantly higher breast cancer risk.

@margegunderson could I pm you? I’m 47 & having fairly severe bladder and genital symptoms which I think are Peri-Meno. Finding it difficult to access info though. It’s only because I’m a Nurse myself that I’ve got a little awareness. Strong FH Breast CA, so on a WL to see specialist HRT clinic. No idea how long that’s going to take..

Do. But local oestrogen is safe (as very localised) even with BC history and is enough for many women. There's a helpful book by Jane Lewis, called Me And My Menopausal Vagina which has loads of info.

I work full time in a mentally demanding job. There is no way I could do it without HRT. I know women who had to leave their job because of the menopause who were not on HRT. It’s all very well saying women coped in the past, they did not have to work full time until the age of 67!
People survived many things without medical science including childbirth. There are lots of symptoms which you will not realise are caused by the menopause including brain fog. I see it all the time in menopausal women.