What are the benefits of NOT taking HRT?

[AlpacaThePicnic]

We obviously are wall to wall with the benefits of taking HRT

I just wondered if there are any benefits of not taking it as I weigh it up in my mind whether I wish to continue with it

How long have you been on it?

The only benefit is that after 5 years' use there is a very small risk of breast cancer with some types (fewer than 4 more cases per 1000 women over 5 years ) but that has to be weighed up against the possible loss of bone density, heart disease, and a possible link with dementia.

[[https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/WHC-UnderstandingRisksofBreastCancer-MARCH2017.pdf

The medical viewpoint is that for women aged under 60, benefits outweigh risks, 60-70 benefits v risk= equal, after 70 slight increase in risk with some types (mainly oral.)

I won’t take it - although they say stats are low for cancer I am fearful of cancer linked to uptake in oestrogen - I suffer with hot flushes at 55 - which I will put up with !

The main benefit is not having to source prescriptions and take/apply meds. I'm currently not on it despite being peri for 4-5 years so far

It's completely your call Tilly, but if you look at the link to the stats, estrogen-only HRT actually lowers the risk compared to women not using HRT. The hormone that is the risky one is progestogen when used (mainly) every day with estrogen which it has to be in women with a womb.)

I had to stop taking it. I haven't found any benefit at all.

By which I mean I loved it and I hate not being on it.

Why medicate a natural stage of life?
The main benefit is not having to source prescriptions and take/apply meds.

It did not agree with me as it made me put on weight. When I stopped taking it the weight gain stopped.

I'm 54, I've been peri for 6 years and started HRT 3 weeks ago.

I was reluctant to take it because I was managing without it, but then my poor memory and cloudy thinking, was really affecting my performance at work, not to mention lack of energy and muscle pains.

I'm starting to slowly feel the benefit now but I still feel I'm just kicking the can down the road.

Having said that, further down the road I'll be retired and won't have a work performance to worry about.

Sourcing prescriptions is easy enough for me as I have an underactive thyroid, so my HRT prescription just gets added to my NHS phone app along with my levothyroxine.

I think HRT is a very individual decision.

I had very few meno symptoms and have quite a few risk factors so felt I would be anxious taking it.

If I had had more severe symptoms and fewer risks my risk/benefit ratio might have led me to a different decision

Unless you take it for life, you have to come off sometime. I have seen friends take hrt for years, come off it, and then get all the symptoms anyway as they adjust to their changed hormones.
Personally I don't take medication for life unless essential

For me, because my anxiety went crazy to the point I couldn't make it through the day without panic attacks. I was waking up from a dead sleep having a panic attack. Nightmares. Hot flushes that were not only uncomfortable but embarrassing (going bright red mid conversation at work). I started getting acne. I had no interest in sex. I'm only 44.

I started HRT and it all pretty much disappeared within a few weeks. No vague downside to it from my point of view.

I looked at my symptoms and then found supplements to help each individual one.
Stopping alcohol stopped night sweats. Luckily I don’t get hot flushes.

So I decided not to kick the can down the road and just go with it. Out the other side now and glad it's all over.

My three friends not on it have been offered anti depressants.

Why medicate a natural stage of life?

Women historically didn't live long past childbearing age. Now we live much longer, many women want to stave off things osteoporosis for as long as possible whilst they enjoy a longer life. Just because it's natural doesn't mean we should want to experience it. (No judgement on your personal position)

Not true. Once you lived past childhood and childbirth in the past, most women made it well past menopause.

What particular period in history are you referring to?!

Well I started it earlier this year and it's made not one bit of difference

I'm 51 and I'm not sure what symptoms I was having which I know sounds weird! Sleep wasn't great, I'm a bit stiff sometimes and I can feel a bit lacklustre sometimes. Oh and annoying slight stress incontinence stuff. Still having periods alt though they're going a bit haywire

But since taking it .. I feel no different really.

And I'm just not comfortable with it sometimes. I'm the sort of person who wants to know facts and I want to feel really confident in something that I'm taking / using every single day - and I don't feel confident

I feel a bit blindsided as it's a very recent explosion of fanatical HRT promo which I know is a really good thing but I'm just not sure if I'm there yet with having complete confidence in taking it

Am 56, periods stopped at age 50 and have never taken HRT. I did have some hot flushes at peri but Holy Basil leaf sorted that. I need to take thyroid medication as I had my thyroid removed, I just didn't want to add medications/hormones that could confuse the issue and am glad I didn't as I feel great.

I think if you need to ask then you don't need it.

If it’s working then you’ll definitely know.

I wouldn't keep taking it if there was no difference.

I'm late 60s and my periods stopped in my early 40s. I didn't have any symptoms which were recognised at the time as being connected to the menopause - well at least I didn't recognise them. I did suffer from brain foggy type symptoms but I just thought it was me. I got a bit hot at night. I didn't go to my GP about any of this because I thought it was just one of those things - and nobody ever suggested HRT to me. I often wonder how much better I might have been had I taken it.