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

Me too @rattymol I just went with the way the hormones did and am now out the other side with no hormone or any other specific treatment.

Mind you, I always remember a dear, now deceased, friend of mine saying that it wasn't her that went through the menopause but the rest of her family!

The ONS shows women's life expectancy in 1900 as 47 years, rising to 60 in the 1920-30s. In 1945 it was around 63.

I'm 52 but due to endometriosis i'll stay on the pill until 55.
Frankly I'm worried about weight gain when - and if - I go on HRT.

I’ve tried it twice and put on weight both times.
it is a faff to take around if I’m away or on holiday.
I haven’t had supply issues but friends have had real problems and had to stop/start due to this.
there is an escalated risk of breast and womb cancer from combined HRT.

I’m 54, 6 years post menapause. Only symptoms I had during the menapause was hot flushes. Put up with them, now 6 years later, I feel better than I did the whole of my reproductive years.

I’ve never had it, apart from a very brief spell of add-back HRT during a course of hormone-blocking injections for major endometriosis that put me into a chemical menopause. I had to stop even that low-dose HRT because I’m just so ridiculously sensitive to oestrogen, it was causing me more problems than it solved. I was mid- 40s then and reckoned that was probably it for me with HRT.

That was 20 years ago now and I haven’t felt especially worried about not having it. I do get spells of being stiff and achy but I’m not sure that’s related to my hormones.

I'm in my 50s, having normal menopause symptoms, nothing terrible.
I'm not on any medication and don't want to be, although reading this, it seems there are health benefits (like reducing risk of certain cancers and osteoporosis) am I understanding that correctly? If so, would all women benefit from taking HRT? The fact it's only available on prescription suggests care should be taken with it?

That 47 is skewed by the huge number of girls who died age 0-5 years old. Most of the increase in life expectancy during the twentieth century came from revolutions in infant mortality.

Please don't forget osteoporosis - it is a misery. Anything to prevent it is good.

I was through menopause but my sleep wasn’t brilliant and I was getting up 6 times a night for a wee so decided to give it a try. I just feel better on it and more like my old self so for me it’s worth it. I’m holding down a job and have coped with lots of quite major life complications in the last year or two and I don’t think I’d have been able to do either without it.

I had to stop taking it when diagnosed with Breast Cancer , I was on HRT for three years it was great helped greatly with Meno symptoms and in fact when I was diagnosed with BC at a routine mammogram I was feeling great
Now on medication to stop Estrogen and of course symptoms came back but SSRi helps a bit with flushes and i exercise as much as I can to try and help my bones

I’m struggling with the idea it will make me put on weight, I can’t cope with that. I’m not skinny but I can keep my weight steady.

Ive had 2 periods this year so far, my PMT has ramped up but it’s the only symptom. I’ve always had PMT hot flushes at night and it’s just the same.

imho, if HRT is not helping you, then you should go off it so that there is a bit more supply for any of the women who do find it does help.

I'm on the fence /skeptical about a lot of the supposed benefits from taking HRT re CVD, dementia, osteoporosis, etc. These claims are based on relatively indirect evidence, and there are much more important modifiable risk factors for all of them : factors that MNers rarely mention & certainly don't repeatedly encourage. Irk.

If avoiding osteoporosis (or whatever X condition) is so important and doable, then let's have a big ol' thread on each of those objectives, repeatedly. With all the options discussed & encouraged at great length.

I'm sorry that was your experience. Im the other way. Since starting hrt I've lost 3 stone. I can focus on healthy eating and moving whereas before hrt I was surviving on crisps and wine because I couldn't think straight.

Is it true that taking it just kicks the can down the road? I didn't realise this. I suppose it's one thing to be dealing with brain fog, confusion, poor sleep, hot flushes etc when still working full time...

Not paying out financially (if you pay for prescriptions)

For me I decided to try natural remedies and so far those have worked for me. I quit dairy, take folic acid and magnesium and turmeric capsules. Don’t smoke, drink or eat red meat. I have no symptoms now.

@itsokiwasawake You have just given me hope - I’ve put on so much weight in the last couple of years, but am starting HRT this month and am desperately hoping that sleeping properly and not aching are what I need to be healthier.

This doesn't contradict the idea that once through childhood and childbearing most women survived week past menopause.

My mum had that. I take hrt because I want and need to avoid at all costs.

I’ve been on Gel/Utragestan for 18 months. I am having a 4 month HRT holiday as early benefit has dwindled and I’ve struggled with bloating and breast pain oh breakthrough bleeding (55 with a regular period). I just can’t get my balance right, my nurse practitioner wasn’t very clued up and I couldn’t get blood tests to even estimate my hormone levels. I’m tired of guessing so I’ve stopped, I’ll take the consequences of that just to feel in control of my body and my cycle again. Depending on what happens I’ll revisit at the end of the year with a different approach if needs be.

I have found my weight is stable since I started HRT. No gain - except for on holiday and I definitely cannot blame HRT for that.

I do use patches as I do several long haul flights each year - NZ to UK - and there is supposed to be less risk of DVT with patches. Not sure if the patches are better for stable weight compared to tablets though.

@rattymol how long after your last period are you ? I'm two years after my last period and just wondering when I can feel that sense of - that's done with now.

@Daisy54 do you do any wellness things like diet / exercise etc ?

It was and us a complete game changer for me..Helped me no end.