What prompted you to go on HRT?

[CremeDeSudo]

Hi all I had a hysterectomy but kept my ovaries 3 yrs ago, aged 37. I'm expecting to start menopause early and have started to have mild perimenopause symptoms and am wondering about starting HRT.

My main complaints are fuzzy headedness/brain fog/feeling stressed (am already on sertraline for stress) but I also experience varying levels of night sweats and have started to get mild hot flushes I think. I also regularly wake up with tingling/numb fingers when this has never been an issue before. I've also now got dry skin, get breast pain occasionally, and sometimes get sore knuckles.

I know these are all perimenopause symptoms but many can also be explained away by 'life' generally.

I don't know whether to wait until things get more unmanageable? But then I also wonder why I should wait!

As I don't have a womb I believe I only need oestrogen and as I understand it there aren't any risks so should I just try it and see if it helps? Hoping someone might be able to share some thoughts/experiences..

Not sleeping through the night for five years, accompanied by occasional cold sweats in the middle of the night (sweaty enough for me to have to get about if bed to let it evaporate).

Wish I'd gone on it years ago, it worked within three days

Mainly two years of waking every night at 2 or 3 am and not being able to go back to sleep , other things were far less significant. Now after 6 weeks I have been sleeping until 5 or 6 am on a daily basis . ( Also helped that I had a doctor who actually listened, unlike the first time I mentioned it about a year prior to that ).

Hi I've just gone on topical HRT for vaginal dryness (amazing) and am considering my options for other HRT after a useful discussion with GP. Took me three attempts over a 12 month period to get a decent GP who would listen mind. For me the overheating at night/ disturbed sleep is a killer but I'm a bit worried I am sensitive to progesterone so mulling over whether to go down the mirena coil route or not.

I have an appointment with my GP this week. I’m so over the dyspnea. It reduced LOADS with the antiD/A meds he prescribed. But after my second round of Covid I had an extra “surprise” period, and they’ve stopped. The dyspnea is racking it so I think there is a connection. I just want to breathe.

I decided to go on it for the hot flushes and night sweats. But then being on it made my libido return, stopped dry eyes, massively helped with aching joints. I love it.

40 is very early and you kept your ovaries that contain all your hormones so why would not having a womb cause this?

The hot flushes and the shockingly poor memory, HRT resolved both of those things for me.

When I became too anxious to leave the house.

I had a hysterectomy (leaving ovaries) at the age of 37 too and was told that it may cause a slightly earlier menopause. For reference my mum had her menopause at age 56 and I started to get obvious hot flushes and night sweats at 51, so approx 5 years earlier than I would have expected. I have so far avoided HRT and I am now 53. However I would think that you are still rather young to be going through menopause even though you've had a hysterectomy and so I would suggest a GP visit to discuss your symptoms and possible alternative causes to them.

When my DH and closest friends told me that I was bad tempered all the time and I realised that I ran the risk of driving everyone away.

Wow thanks for all the responses everyone!

Ok, so I've had lots of differing advice/opinions from various medical professionals on when I can expect to start, ranging from 2-3yrs post op, to 10 yrs to around 5yrs earlier than my mother was. She was late 40s, I'm almost 41. It's really frustrating to have such varying opinions! My most recent experience was with menopause specialist we had in work who agreed it was possible and recommended I try it as 'why suffer'. She said 'why wait until it gets really bad?'

I forgot dry eyes! This has been really bad for about a year now.

I keep thinking it should be really bad before I do anything about it but is that sensible? Are there any downsides?

I'm going to call the Dr tomorrow for another chat. I've had my fsh levels checked twice now and they've gone up but not high, but then I think they should be prescribed based on symptoms anyway, not blood results?

I’m 44 and had really bad brain fog and fatigue that couldn’t be explained by repeated blood tests. My GP suggested trialling HRT and within 2 days I felt better. It’s worth trying it to see if it makes a difference.

I am 52 my only symptom hot flushes not enough to warrant being on HRT in my opinion

At 49, I was having palpitations, fatigue like I'd been steamrollered, brain fog that actually prevented me from applying for the job I've got now, and instead of hot flushes I was having panic attacks every 20 minutes.

GP was amazing, put me straight on HRT and also did blood tests to rule out thyroid, diabetes, anaemia. All was fine. Blood pressure fine too. She told me latest evidence suggests women should go on it earlier and stay on it longer. I agree, why suffer. It makes such a positive difference in my life.

Panic attacks are 99.99% gone, the other things are also greatly improved.

Same operation as you and all the same symptoms plus suddenly couldn't stop crying at work. Oestrogel 4 pumps keeps all that at bay for me and also gives me the energy to exercise again which really helps too. Cutting alcohol and sugar (sadly) also really helped.

Crippling and multiple existential crises, worsening anxiety, very dark days which i had never experienced before, suicidal ideation, very irregular periods which were becoming increasingly heavy and/or gristly 😬 Some days no blood, just chunks of flesh coming out of me 👀flushes and mild night sweats. GP put me on oestrogen gel and utrogestan sequentially at 44. Coming up to 6 months on hrt now and feel lots better. The existential crises and very dark thoughts have effed off now, no night sweats. Vag wasn't particularly dry but i can tell you it's much improved now🤩

This is literally me. 45 and just started Estradot and Utrogestan after a month of crippling, constant anxiety and panic. Periods also lasting 10 days with massive floods and clots. Felt more relaxed within 24h of putting my first patch on! So angry that women have to put up with this sh*t (and don’t know more about it).

There are quite a few Dr's on TikTok that specialise in menopause and womens health. British and American. They are say not to wait and go on as soon as you feel any symptoms. The thinking is now that overall, hrt is better for a woman's health.

I've always been told it might happen no more than 2 years before it was supposed to.

Excellent description "Crippling and multiple existential crises" - I had this, plus the crying at work, but I was only 40, was going through a divorce I did not want, and had 2 dc, one with suspected special needs, so I couldn't tell apart what I "truly" felt from what my hormones were doing to me.

Once I started getting hot flushes I realised it was perimenopause. I believe - though don't know - that I'm progesterone sensitive, and once my oestrogen dropped it had a greater influence and caused what was basically extreme endless pmt.

I'm now on oestrogen gel and have just discovered thanks to this website and menopausematters, that I can take progesterone only half the month, and vaginally, which should not affect my mood so much. Trying that in 2 weeks so fingers crossed!

The final deciding factor was the crippling anxiety. Getting to the stage where I could barely leave the house except for work.
Been a great help.

Brain fog. I was struggling to understand things that were necessary for my job. HRT fixed this.

About10lbstogo I'm progesterone sensitive too and thats exactly what i do. Utogestan makes me sleep like a log so i usually look forward to taking it actually. Best of luck, glad you are getting the benefits of ot too :)

@CremeDeSudo What is of more concern than the 'minor ' symptoms are the real risks of low estrogen from 40. These are loss of bone density and heart disease. You are right to 'expect' an early menopause as it's shown that in most women the ovaries fail within 3 years of a hysterectomy.
Loss of estrogen is cumulative so it will have started now.

As you need only estrogen and it's replacing your own, there are no downsides. The main risks with HRT that worry women apply to women under 50, and also estrogen-only is extremely safe.

I don't see the point in waiting till you are really suffering because even full menopause before 45 is called 'early', compared to the average age of 51.

If I had your list of symptoms I'd definitely be going on HRT. I recently decided to give it a try and I 'only' have mild low mood, fatigue and a bit of brain fog. I had a week of night sweats (I thinknsue to a virus not hornones) but experiencing the hideousness of that was enough to trigger me to going to GP for HRT. She was fab, was totally in favour of me starting patches. As it happens she did do a range of blood tests and my FSH level was almost at menopause levels...so I felt validated!