Couple of questions about HRT if you don't mind...

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Briefly
I'm 57 . I have 2 DC
Periods stopped about 9-10 years ago.

I think I'm pretty well menopausal rather than peri.
I've had the hot flushes .

What;s making me consider HRT now
Weight gain, I cannot b;oody shift my middle . Even cutting out chocolate (I don't smoke or drink) it hangs on my belly and hips like a flabby tyre

Aches , pains , muscle and jpint

Memory lapses , I read something , I forget it . I'm struggling to bring to mind things like names ,Brain fog

Knackered . (I work 4 days )

I lost a lot of hair after being ill last year ( IBS flare up , I think I was aneamic)

There's my bones to think about too .

No history of cancer in myself or family .

Will HRT help?
Have I left it too late ?
Will I get periods again? (Not keen there )

TIA

well for starters if your menses stopped 9-10 years ago you are post-menopausal.
i'm of the impression there is no end date so if you find a dr who is agreeable you should be able to try it and see if it is helpful.
Hormone replacement therapy and menopause: What you need to know about HRT - BBC News

I started HRT a year ago, aged 58. I'm not sure when my final period would've been as I had a Mirena coil from the age of 46 and hadn't had a period since, but GP and I took a guess that I'd probably have stopped naturally around 51 as that's the average. You're meant to start HRT within ten years of your last period - but if you have a Mirena which takes you through the menopause you don't always know when that is

I use Oestrogel, with Utrogestan for the progesterone component which I take every day as I am postmenopausal. I don't bleed on this regime at all.

I felt better within a few days, literally. Achy joints felt better, I had more energy, slept better and the brain fog improved. The vaginal atrophy for which I'd been taking Vagifem improved enough that I don't need to use Vagifem now.

Unfortunately, I still have the dreaded meno midriff but that's as much down to greed as anything else!

TL/DR version:

It's not too late to start HRT - it wasn't for me
Yes, you almost certainly will feel better
On continuous combined HRT prescribed for postmenopausal women you shouldn't get periods

Some ppl are convinced taking HRT made them gain weight. You can't guarantee which benefits you'll get or not.

@ Yes you can start it and in effect you had a fairly early menopause - last period at 47. (some drs now consider this 'early' and would have suggested HRT for 4-5 years as the average age is 51. )

It's not too late, but the window for the best protection for your heart is 10 years after your last period. But you can start it at any time, even in your 80s!

You should ask for a bone density scan. I know 2 women who were post meno at 47 and they both have osteoporosis/ fractures in their mid 50s.

Go and see your GP.