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Menopause

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Alternative to HRT

10 replies

Selok · 10/11/2022 21:39

I am 48, and recently started HRT with patches then last month changed to gel which was helping me with brain fog and especially that horrible rage I was feeling. Until I had a bad chest pain last week, and ambulance took me to A&E, tested for blood cloth etc all negative I am due to see a cardiologist next week but my GP stopped by HRT until I see the specialist. As you can imagine I am devastated since then. Although with my HRT gels I was still struggling with a good night's sleep though. My job is stressful , I work from home with three screens in front of me and with this shit brain of mine, I have to look across the screens million times to make sure I am not making a mistake. So, I ordered menopace original tablets from vitobiotics. I must say my sleep has improved massively but my brain, lost with words etc - I was wondering if any of you have tried herbal alternatives to HRT? Are you happy, what do you recommend?
TIA

OP posts:
JinglingXmasbells · 11/11/2022 13:56

HRT doesn't cause heart problems and is in fact heart protective. I assume the person who told you to stop doesn't know about HRT and the no-risk of transdermal estrogen? In the past, some of the old types of tablets were thought to have small risk of clots but even then, the data was flawed, the women were older (in their 60s) and mainly overweight.

What else are you taking along with gel? Which progesterone?

I can imagine how scary it must have been though to have pain so bad it needed A&E!

The chest pain may have been caused by stress- your work sounds incredibly stressful.

Sorry but I don't think herbs are the answer. More appropriate to talk to a meno consultant.

Dollyblue123 · 11/11/2022 14:04

I take menopace together with Sage tablets, however my husband says I may as well shove them up my backside as they aren't improving my moods 😀

Selok · 11/11/2022 17:19

Thank you for your responses, yes I also take progesterone alongside gel, I must say I think menopace maybe helped with sleep but I am getting moodier, I know the deep rage is coming to haunt me again. I will ask the cardiologist specialist, hopefully he will disregard the GP and I can ask her to resume my prescription. Are you using patches or gel? I think I might want to go back to patches - the only reason I wanted to change was because I kept losing them and finding them on the floor! but I think since the gels, I lost my all night sleep - maybe it was a stage I do not know. I have been searching internet regarding herbal alternatives but I agree I did not find much solid evidence that they are the sole answer.

OP posts:
lljkk · 13/11/2022 18:37

Davina McColl has done videos about other things you can do as self-help in menopause. Obviously she likes HRT, but she also talks about positive thinking and fitness as hugely helpful to overall health & mental health especially.

JinglingXmasbells · 13/11/2022 19:29

Davina gets her info from medics so it's far better to source the actual medics rather than a 3rd hand account. Some of her info is also slightly inaccurate.

The Royal College of Gynaecologists did a survey around 2015 of all supplements etc and found no effective one that worked for all women.

The British Menopause Society has this to say...

thebms.org.uk/publications/consensus-statements/non-hormonal-based-treatments-menopausal-symptoms/

British Menopause Society

Summary consensus statement

Non-hormonal-based treatments for menopausal symptoms

Summary practice points
As clinicians we must be familiar with alternative therapies, to help inform and guide women as to which options are most likely to be beneficial to them.

Few complementary and alternative treatment options have proven evidence of effectiveness, but although many options do not stand up to scrutiny from a robust and evidence
based perspective there will be individual women who will benefit from some of these treatments.

Placebo effect is not inconsiderable and in menopausal studies will play a part in individual experience and reported benefits.

@Selok On CVD

thebms.org.uk/publications/consensus-statements/primary-prevention-of-coronary-heart-disease-in-women/

Primary prevention of coronary heart disease in women

Summary
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death in women. Observational studies have consistently shown oestrogen to help prevent CHD in postmenopausal women.

The large randomized controlled Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial initially did not confirm these observational findings. However, further analyses of the WHI study as well as metaanalyses of randomised clinical trials of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and of the observational Nurses’ Health Study have now found that the timing of onset of HRT use is important and that oestrogen may have an important protective role in CHD, particularly in women initiating treatment below age 60 years.

This consensus statement will examine the evidence regarding HRT and non-oestrogen therapies (lipid lowering agents, aspirin, antihypertensives, antidiabetic medications, SERMs) as well as diet, lifestyle and smoking cessation in the primary prevention of CHD in women.

Summary practice points
oestrogen may have a protective role in CHD prevention especially if initiated in women below age 60 years or within 10 years of onset of menopause
women with a premature menopause should take oestrogen to reduce the risk of CHD

lipid-lowering agents are probably beneficial in primary prevention
aspirin cannot be recommended for primary prevention of CHD, but may protect against stroke

treating hypertension reduces the risk of CHD

in diabetics, prevention of CHD is based on management of established cardiovascular risk factors through both lifestyle measures and pharmacotherapy

in metabolic syndrome, prevention of CHD is based on management of established cardiovascular risk factors through both lifestyle measures and pharmacotherapy

stopping smoking, reducing obesity, improving diet and undertaking regular exercise are key lifestyle measures

Selok · 13/11/2022 19:36

@JinglingXmasbells thank you ever so much, this is very helpful and in fact very relieving

OP posts:
lljkk · 13/11/2022 20:19

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

JinglingXmasbells · 13/11/2022 21:06

Selok · 13/11/2022 19:36

@JinglingXmasbells thank you ever so much, this is very helpful and in fact very relieving

Glad it helps.

You can always copy/paste or use those links from the BMS and the RCOG when you see the cardio dr.

The BMS has masses of really good info, which is what I tend to use, although their website is a bit hard to navigate at times.

As far as I know, (from what drs have told me) the only actual contraindications to HRT re. CVD are a recently diagnosed blood clot, stroke, heart attack etc or one of the rare clotting diseases.

Hope you get on ok!

Selok · 14/11/2022 20:52

@JinglingXmasbells thanks a lot! I have seen the cardiologist and he said I can carry on with my HRT, no reason not to! So relieved to hear that, rubbed my gel straight away Grin

OP posts:
JinglingXmasbells · 15/11/2022 08:04

Great @Selok !

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