hair friendly hrt

[tinpotcleopatra]

I've got hair that's been thinning on and off since my twenties. Now 48, wanted to start HRT, the GP prescribed Evorel Sequi. I'm 5 weeks in and my hair is thinning massively & I've read that one of the ingredients in the conti patches might be causing this (norethisterone). I want to change to something else & have read some HRT is "hair-friendly" but can't work out what. (My GP will just say "what would you like?" I think; that's what they said last time anyway. So think I need to do the research myself.) I also have fibroids so can't take anything that might make those bigger. Does anyone know? Or is there a menopause doctor you'd recommend in London who might be more knowledgeable?

Utrogestan, or Femoston (tablets) - less androgenic (male.)

However, maybe this is not the HRT as you will have only had 2 weeks of progestogen in the patch. This is not long enough to make your hair fall out, so it's more likely to be low estrogen which is the reason you went onto HRT n the first place.

You could swap but it might settle down anyway if you give it longer.

Thank you...this thread suggests utrogestan causes hair loss too though...I am very confused!
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/menopause/4448956-Utrogestan-Oestrogel-anyone-have-massive-hairloss-few-months-in#:~:text=Utrogestan%20is%20one%20of%20the,in%20men%20often%20%3D%20baldness.)

And I've been told to avoid femoston because it is dangerous if you have fibroids...
https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/a6714/femoston-estradiol-dydrogesterone/#:~:text=Femoston%20should%20be%20used%20with%20caution%20by&text=Women%20with%20fibroids%20in%20the,with%20a%20history%20of%20endometriosis.

There are only two types of progestogen that are not androgenic.
Utrogestan
Dydrogesterone (in Femoston.)

TBH just because some posters say they lost hair on something does not mean you will. Side effects are very individual.

There isn't one type of HRT that is 'worse' for fibroids.

Fibroids might grow when anyone uses HRT as it's the estrogen that makes them grow.

the only way to avoid that completely is to have a Mirena coil fitted. Is that something you might like?

@tinpotcleopatra That list on NetDoctor is a copy/paste of all side effects that are possible and it's included in the patient leaflet in every single type of HRT.

Thank you @JinglingSpringbells that's really helpful. I didn't know about the mirena and I also didn't know it was a copy paste.

I certainly didn't find a Mirena led to hair loss in my case. I used it with Oestrogel. They don't always get a good review on Mumsnet, but i know so many women, including me, who did well with them.

Sorry, ignore, I think I misread a previous post!

YY to give the HRT time.

Have you been having heavy periods, and if so, could you be anaemic/low ferritin?

My ferritin levels were supposedly "normal" but in the "low range". The normal range is based on men...no middle aged women. Have gone on an OTC dose of iron - abour 400mg a day and my hairloss reduced to normal (my teenager sheds more in the shower than me now).

I will find out about ferritin. I know my iron stores were always good until a few years ago. My hair has been thinning since my twenties (my mum’s too) so I think it’s genetic but I don’t want to add to the issue!