If you don’t/didn’t take HRT

[Fuwari]

Did you feel better once your periods actually stopped? I’ve been in peri I would say for about 3-4 years (I’m 53). My periods were regular up until maybe earlier this year, and now I’ve only had one in the past nearly 5 months. So I’m hoping it won’t be too much longer! But will things like the hot flushes etc go away? Does sleep improve? That kind of thing. I know everyone’s different but in general?

You are the only person who will know how you will go with this.
Everyone is different. No one knows until it happens or for how long! You will only know with hindsight.

You will find posters who said they 'sailed through it all' but they are the rare 25%.
There are others who are struggling on and don't want HRT, or can't use it, and others who like you wonder when they will be 'through it'.

I can describe my own experience which was practically no peri symptoms, then once I missed a couple of periods close to 53, I started to have flushes. These were hourly and I had bad insomnia. For various reasons (work, family etc) I went onto HRT pretty quickly. I've been on it now for many years.

I stopped for a month to see if I was ok and I wasn't (although my consultant says 3 months to test it .)
My mother has had flushes and night sweats and insomnia from age 52-ish right through to her 80s.

Maybe if you get poor quality of life without HRT you should try it, and see how you feel and then experiment stopping it (although now it can be used for life is you choose to.)

Thanks for your response. I suppose I am a bit stubborn about HRT and not even really sure why! It feels like I managed so long without it that if I end up taking it I will wonder why I didn't do so from the start. I suppose I dont want to accept I may have suffered for no reason.

I've been unlucky. Both my mum and my (younger) sisters periods just stopped one day, they never had another again and never had any symptoms. But it means I don't have them to talk to about it as they never went through any of the things I'm going through.

I'm mainly fed up of the flushes. I spend every night switching between covers off and on where I get hot then cold then hot all night long. Its driving me mad.

You've got to live in the present @Fuwari. Deal with what you have now. You can't tell except with hindsight if this is going to carry on for months or 20 years. You wouldn't put up with migraines(or any illness that could be helped by medication) on the basis you had 'weathered it' for a while?

My mum had symptoms for decades. At 60 she asked for HRT but then ( years and years ago) her GP said she was too old.

It's also worth thinking about the benefits to your heart and bones that HRT gives which gets less (the heart benefits) if you start HRT much later down the line.

Latest research shows that estrogen+ Utrogestan has no risks for at least 5 years. You can stop HRT and re-start whenever - your choice.

@Fuwari - you sound exactly the same as me. I am the same age as you and probably at the same peri / menopause place - and have occasional hot flushes and insomnia.

I don’t take HRT and again (no idea why) am sort of trying to do it without - but I did research supplements and I take sage leaves and soya isoflavones whether that helps or not I don’t know.

I’d also like to know if there are women who take no HRT at all and come out the other side with no issues.

I have recently met a new partner and sex is on the cards again and enjoyable - so one of my worries is vaginal atrophy and dryness etc - and I’d be interested to know if you can avoid this without HRT or is HRT an absolute essential ?
At the moment I’m fine in that area but I’m probably more peri menopausal than post menopausal at the minute.

I’m thinking possibly if I need some medical assistance at some point specifically in that area then maybe the topical route so cream or pessaires might be the way to go.

My periods stopped dead at about 51 and when I stopped my HRT at 55 all my symptoms returned, hot flushes, joint pain, brain fog etc. I restarted pretty quickly and intend to be on it for years if not for the rest of my life. BTW vaginal oestrogen prescribed for vaginal atrophy/dryness isn't counted as HRT. I'm finding mine is helping with the leakage when sneezing/coughing along with making everything more comfortable.

I’d also like to know if there are women who take no HRT at all and come out the other side with no issues.

Yes, of course there are.

But it's not a case of coming out the other other side. The 'other side' is the end of peri. It's not the end of menopause.

Loss of estrogen is there for the rest of your life. Some women's symptoms only start when periods stop and continue to get worse as the years go by.

This is a view by an NHS/ private gynae who discusses the loss of estrogen and also vaginal issues.

www.drmortons.co.uk/blog/menopause-does-not-have-to-be-like-this/

Some women have no hot flushes etc but then 10 years down the line find they have osteoporosis. I have a few friends who 'sailed through the menopause' with nothing at all, but they have had fractures in their late 50s and have osteoporosis.

@JinglingHellsBells - thank you - I will read that blog - yes I am trying to research a lot and it may be that it’s taking HRT as a preventative for the future.

I have been looking online today about Japanese women and that they don’t suffer so much with menopause - the suggestion being it may be down to high levels of soy in the diet.

I think the thing is I don’t take medication for anything else such as blood pressure/thyroid etc - but watched a YouTube clip today and the woman gynaecologist was explains that menopause is like diabetes - so if you’re diabetic (type 1) you have to take insulin as your body doesn’t produce it and you wouldn’t question that , and menopause is your body no longer producing oestrogen so HRT replaces that . I do sort of get that - so may end up leaning that way - I’m thinking maybe however healthy I can be - exercise, diet, weight - maybe HRT is a given because I can never replace the oestrogen and I just have to accept that.

I never had peri symptoms, probably am zero help, although nice to hear OP's mum/sister had same experience, seems not so unusual (only unusual on MN). My periods may have stopped. No difference before/after in my physical or mental state.

I’m 53 and still have regular periods and no hot flushes. However my energy levels are low and rates are high! Going to bite the bullet and contact my GP later in the week about starting HRT.

I went through the menopause at 42,had had really heavy painful periods since I was 11,so thinking of it as a positive thing. I wasn't going to take HRT,hate taking any medication. Visit to GP, blood tests,he said because I was young, slight, with 2 fractures,I must take it for the osteoporosis protection. I did have every classic system,hot flushes, night sweats,brain fog, dreadful joint pain. Was on it for 17 years,then we moved!! New GP wouldn't prescribe it at my age. I tried soya,red clover,cohosh, went to a naturapath,it was hugely expensive and none of it worked. I have had hot flushes and night sweats for the past 11 years, sometimes I cry,am sick of them. Some people have said on here,if you take HRT and stop,you have stopped the menopause and you go through it again, which is rubbish, because it means "cessation of menses" they don't re start. Because of my age, I was also taking the contraceptive pill at the same time till I was 50

@nannybeach Find another GP! Women can start HRT over 60 and there is no issue at all carrying on with it for life. My consultant has women on HRT who are in their 90s (and one even started at that age!)

How old are you now?

You need to read the BMS guidance - which is no arbitrary time limit for HRT and no age limit.

My periods may have stopped. No difference before/after in my physical or mental state

I have two friends whose periods stopped before 50, they had no meno symptoms, and they both have had fractures due to osteoporosis, in their 50s.

1:2 women develop osteoporosis. I hope you are fine, of course, but no one should assume that no flushes etc means they are not going to get long term lack of estrogen diseases.

I changed my view on HRT hugely after watching the Davina documentaries - doctors must curse them ... - which say that NOT taking HRT can cause degradation in brain function that you may not even notice but will be cumulative. (I am sure someone will correct me if I'm paraphrasing incorrectly.)

I didn't think I had that many menopausal issues. Was having a good amount of flushes, mostly at night so causing poor sleep, but I thought that was about it. However, two weeks on HRT and it was clear that although I thought I was stiff and creaky because I was fat and unfit, that was obviously also menopausal and lifted very quickly.

I am now having rare very minor flushes, have no aches and pains, and am a complete evangelist.

I've avoided hrt so far and take a few supplements religiously which I'm guessing help in some way?

I'm 51 and had a hysterectomy a few years ago, so no periods but definitely menopausal!

I do get brain fog, my joints ache sometimes but generally I'm ok.
I occasionally get very sad for no reason but don't suffer with hot flushes and still sleep well so I don't feel like I need hrt?

Honestly no 2 women have the same menopause. I had flooding periods for about a year that were so bad. They only last 2-3 days but during that time I had to change maximum size tampons every 20 mins and have a maternity night-time pad as well. I still leaked a bit on occasions. I did not get too bad hot flushes. Then once menopause came all my period issues disappeared and I was so relieved. I tried talking HRT but it made me put on weight, so I stopped taking it. I have found I am more tired now though and often snooze in the evenings. My energy levels are lower. My skin and hair is dryer too. I forget stuff.

It feels like I managed so long without it that if I end up taking it I will wonder why I didn't do so from the start. I suppose I don't want to accept I may have suffered for no reason.

This is one of the silliest things I've ever read about menopause and HRT. OP, for goodness sake, why continue to suffer, possibly for years, just because you've struggled on so far? That makes zero sense.

Only you can decide if the symptoms are bad enough to warrant starting HRT, but I can tell you this - there are no medals for suffering through menopause without it. And HRT doesn't just stop night sweats, hot flushes, poor insomnia, etc, etc, it also prevents you getting osteoporosis and it helps to protect your heart.

Please at least go and talk to your GP, practice nurse or Well Woman Clinic about your symptoms, but unless there is a health reason for not taking HRT (such as a hormone-driven cancer in a close female relative), I don't understand women who are opposed to taking HRT. It can help you, it can drastically improve your quality of life and it's the same stuff that your body produced naturally until recently. Modern HRT is often derived from yams! It's not a nasty drug that you really don't want to be on - quite the opposite.

I think I will start seriously thinking about it. I would love to improve my sleep if I can. It’s so poor right now I am constantly tired. I have to go to bed with the window wide open as I’m so hot, but then wake up shivering as I’m really cold! I also do get a lot of aches and pains. I guess I could say trial it for a few months and see?

I'm peri and would love to take HRT but unfortunately, when I tried it my hair started falling out. As I had suffered hair loss previously, I couldn't risk this happening again. It's a shame as I'd like to know how it would benefit me.

@Fuwari Don't underestimate the health risks of lack of sleep.
My consultant told me that lack of sleep is a real issue and can lead to all sorts of other serious illnesses (you can find this online.)

Poor sleep is implicated in the development of diabetes as it messes up insulin levels, and also heart disease.

Many women just accept poor sleep as part of peri and post meno, but it's actually a real health risk.

JinglingHellsBells, I will be kind and add it up for you,I'm 71. Have had 3, different GPs since,they all say the same. Ironically, I did have some weird side effects in the HRT,my vaginal secretion made me sore externally. Kept getting thrush,and was unable to use any kind of bath/shower products. I now have Lichen Sclerosis,so have to use intravaginal pessaries, but they don't do anything for hot flushes!

I'm 67 and the menopause is history now - no more periods is absolute bliss. I got quite a few hot flushes for around 18 months or so and then none at all. It can be hard to tell though if you're naturally the hot and bothered type. Sleep is back to normal.

I suffered a polyp so had a lot of spotting until it was removed, touch wood, no problems since. Menstrual headaches were bad for a while.

I toughed it out as I didn't want to take HRT because the type which was typically available then was produced in a way which was cruel to animals. The experience really wasn't so bad - I've been through far worse.

Full menopause at 53. Mild level of hot flushes for a year or so either side, bit of brain fog. 56 now. Absolutely normal for the last couple of years, definitely don't miss periods or PMT. Maybe being vegan helps idk.

Yes, @Fuwari you could definitely try it for a few months and see if it helps. You'll probably be recommended to try it for 3 or 6 months and some women need to try different types/doses to get the right level of relief, but being permanently tired is horrible and not just risky for your health, it's actually dangerous for you to drive if you're seriously sleep-deprived.

@nannybeach Yeah, I reckoned you were 70-ish.

You need a specialist consultant or a more enlightened GP.

There are youtube videos out there with Prof Nick Panay (he runs the meno clinic at the Chelsea & Westminster Hosp for women with severe and complicated menopause issues as well as his own private clinics) and he's talking on the videos and podcasts about how his patients in his 80s are still on HRT.

Have a google if you want some evidence for a GP.

Low dose, transdermal is the way to go as advised by the BMS.

When I was working, I debated going private, It would have meant going to London to see a specialist, which is 140 miles round trip,plus her fees and £200 pm, for the script, regular trips for the blood tests.I decided that once I retired that wouldn't be feasible.