What happens if you don't take HRT?

[Loverofoxbowlakes]

So it appears I am very deep in the throes of peri, with symptoms that I have been mostly putting down to a sudden and awful bereavement last year, work stress, a chronic illness, but should now be easing off, but they're not (plus periods now all over the place).

Hesitant to get GP advice just yet (as they've been not great up to now, but not rejecting it at all) but what happens if you don't take HRT? Does the fog, the sweats, the forgetfulness, the insomnia (ye gods the insomnia) stay forever? Do you just get used to it? My mum and grandmothers never had any drugs to cope but we never spoke of dealing with such things - are my symptoms here to stay indefinitely otherwise?

Your symptoms may or may not stay indefinitely but there are so many other symptoms that could come with peri-menopause/menopause. HRT however will help protect you from Osteoporosis, Alzheimer's and may help protect you from heart disease. The benefits far outweigh the cons IMO. It will definitely help with many of the "joys" (not) that menopause brings like hot flushes, brain fog, anxiety etc.

It is however a very personal decision to make and you need to speak with a GP that is up on meno issues or a meno specialist. HRT needs time and possibly tweaking but for me to take it is the best decision I made. HTH

It goes eventually but I have had to take lots of steps to balance my hormones and reduce the impact of menopause. For instance, I have changed my diet so that I eat far fewer carbs and more protein to reduce blood sugar swings (see Michael Mosely) which also helps balance hormones and reduce brain fog. I have regular massages/reflexology to reduce anxiety. I do weight bearing exercise and resistance to reduce risk of osteoporosis and high blood pressure.

That's just because I didn't like the idea of synthetic hormones or being on long term medication if it wasn't essential. I can understand why other people would prefer the protective, mitigating effects of HRT though. It's a purely personal decision. It might be worth doing a bit of research and trying other ways like have, though, to see if they help you.

I don't really think its helpful thinking about what our mothers and grandmothers had, or did not have. If you can manage without taking HRT then fine, that's what's right for you and there are other things you can do such as mindfulness, or taking vitamins, or exercise. But choosing to explore HRT doesn't make you a worse or weaker person. Personally i think a lot of women did suffer enormously "with their nerves" and just didn't talk about it.

In my case the symptoms were all gone by 54, after my last period. I had two years of hot flashes though.
The positive is that I am no more ruled by a 28 day cycle of hormones, the way I feel is really me.
I didn't take her but in hindsight I would have because I didn't know about the protective effect on bones.

A friend told me that HRT stopped her sec drive altogether, which sounded alarming. She’s very young though so perhaps it’s related to her other issues? I’d be interested to hear from people who do use it as in all honesty I can’t see people knowingly opting for that.

I had hot sweats on and off for a couple of months and then they just went again. It was the first thing that made me think I was perimenopausal (48). I've found the whole thing very bizarre but can't be bothered with HRT. My skin and hair have got drier but I've always been forgetful and always gone through phases of sleeping well and not sleeping well so it's hard to tell whats what.

My mum hasn't taken HRT and doesn't feel like menopause was a big deal, she was just happy not to have periods anymore - I can't wait!

If you can get the right doses of HRT then it is a total game changer. I know some women really struggle to get the right doses but I quite quickly got it right and you would have to prise my oestrogel out of my cold dead hands to get me to give it up.

My view is that if there is a proven, reliable treatment then why not use it?

My mum didn’t use it. She had symptoms for about 3 years which stopped after menopause. All my friends are now at the peri menopause stage and only one has chosen to take it as she’s had quite severe symptoms. I thought I read something that said most women didn’t use hrt for menopause but maybe I’m wrong.

I had hot flushes, night sweats and very low mood. The first two gradually tailed off after a couple of years, but the low mood continued for several more years.

I finally started HRT at the age of 64. I wish I had been made aware of its benefits when I was in my early 50s, when I could have protected my bones and my heart to the fullest extent. As it is, I now have advanced osteoporosis and the best that the HRT can do (I hope) is to keep me from losing too much more bone, fracturing my spine, losing height and displacing my abdominal organs. I'm very short-waisted as it is, there would be nowhere else for my organs to go, my ribs would be grinding against my pelvis!

So, I would advise all women of menopause age to consider taking HRT for the benefit of their future health and wellbeing.

I am on hrt for symptom relief, but also because I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. I am only mid fifties so I am hoping it will improve things or at least prevent more bone loss.

I wonder the same thing. I’m 50 and have many peri symptoms but unfortunately have also suffered from decades long IBS (which has been so much worse since peri).
I can’t find a hrt which doesn’t exacerbate my gut issues so think I’m going to have to go through peri without but am concerned because my poor mum has a heart issues which means she has a pacemaker, is bent over with osteoporosis and has Alzheimer’s - all three things which hrt is supposed to help prevent. I’m not sure what to do.

Not on HRT as I reacted to it badly but wasn't offered different doses, types etc.

The awful anxiety where I felt suicidal has diminished a lot. General anxiety is getting better.
The brain fog where I thought I was going senile has gone.
The overwhelming exhaustion has calmed down.
Still have phases of hot flushing but I also run a lot warmer than I used to.
Still have the insomnia, or maybe it's just disturbed sleep due to needing a wee 🙄

Luckily there are loads of other things you can do to reduce the risk of all 3 (and reduce risk is all HRT does, it makes no promises! And the jury is out on whether it helps with Alzheimers). Particularly around diet and exercise.

I'm only starting my research so won't give advice but there is promising information out there about intermittent fasting and fish oil supplements just for example. You can definitely improve your chances of a healthy old age if you can't find HRT that works for you.

I had an absolutely dreadful time for 3-4 years. (Had my last baby at 45 and went straight into peri). Severe depression, anxiety, multiple physical health issues - all the usual. Was prescribed ADs which helped a bit and I learned to live with the rest as my periods gradually stopped. At a routine GP appointment she asked me about menopause and suggested HRT would be a good idea, so I tried it, but it was like going back in time tbh! I felt better in some ways (more energy, etc) but I felt like I was constantly pre-menstrual, angry and bloated. I came off the patches after 6 months and I've felt so much better since. I do use vaginal oestrogen which has helped enormously with itchiness, dryness, and consequently my libido, and other natural supplements. The other menopausal symptoms have eased over the years, and at 53 (after 40 years of debilitating periods and mood disorders) I genuinely feel better than I ever have.

I didn't take hrt and am now edging to 61. Don't sleep as well as I used too but other than that just achy joints when too sedentary or when it's damp but I have always been a bit like that. I work full time in a stressful role and seem to be coping ok though I would happily retire.

I went onto HRT at 44 (now tweaked to Lenzetto spray (awesome stuff) and progesterone capsules (the latter for 12 days a month 2 capsules a day).

I started it following drenching night sweats. However I did not realise how much it would tackle/solve all these other symptoms I did not realise were menopause symptoms:

Hair falling out
Petechiae
Dry skin
Increased skin allergies particularly to the sun.
Tinnitus
Extreme trouble falling asleep
Being shattered.
Anxiety and overthinking
Loathing my husband (I now realise it was me not him and I now find him hilarious)
Poor libido
General lack of patience and feeling down/low mood. This one is hard as it just feels like the world is against you.
Driving anxiety
Joint pain, esp neck and shoulder (spent loads at the physio and now on HRT no more neck pain)
Headaches
IBS
Recurrent thrush
Low energy
Sore eyes
Horrendous dental pain
Palpitations

I subscribe to the Dr Louise Newsom podcast and it's really excellent for education around the menopause.

One thing I will add is to counter a previous poster being concerned about putting synthetic hormones into her body. The majority of prescribed HRT now is body identical plant based. Moreover, topical oestrogen has no risk of blood clot.

It's not a panacea, healthy diet, exercise, mindfulness, all good extras but I would advocate for using HRT rather than spend loads on 'natural' supplements that are often not subject to rigorous review and research.

Erratic periods for about 6 years leading up to stoppingvat 49🥳

Sorry posted too soon, apart from that I remember a year or two of hot flushes but nothing I couldn't manage, just didn't need a duvet and achey knees. Mid 60s now and no problems at all.

I too am struggling with the decision. My periods stopped at 54. Two years on I'm feeling great - but realise now that i was probably peri menopausal from about 45. However i was dealing with a lot of stress at the time so blamed anxiety, mood swings, fatigue and occasional insomnia on that.

Now, feel way better bar the occasional hot flush but my libido has just died. I adore my husband and we had a very happy sex life, and now i can't bring myself to have sex. He's being golden about it, and we laugh slightly ruefully about it. I soothe him by telling him there is absolutely no one I'd get my kit off for! Not even (insert hottie film star name of choice) We're currently blaming the heat as well as rapidly declining hormones, but i really miss feeling desire for my lovely DH.

So that is what will possibly get me scuttling off to talk to someone about HRT, as well as it hopefully preventing my bones crumbling to dust etc, but symptom wise so far it's genuinely only the lack of lust that bothers me.

I fear taking something that could send my MH back to how it was, as the pill did.

I plan to try and get through without it through diet, weightlifting etc. I don't like the thought that I'm supposed to take it.

I didn't bother, because by the time I hit menopause, my symptoms had pretty much ceased. All my symptoms - and they were severe - were in peri. I had no idea you could take HRT in peri. I just didn't know and no one talked about it. I went to the GP again and again with crippling exhaustion, brain fog, deep bone ache, low mood over a period of ten years. Was never once offered HRT from 45-55 years of age. Just offered anti-depressants.

If you have symptoms in peri, try HRT if you feel it is safe. Don't suffer. You could lose 10 years of your life.

@TotalOverhaul i wonder if we're a similar age. Peri wasn't talked about to nearly the same degree. I wasn't on anti depressants but had a lot of counselling which helped me through.
If I could go back in time knowing what we know now I'd be requesting it for sure!

I’m in peri and not feeling too bad so haven’t bothered trying to take anything. I am a Pepsi max addict though, so I’m guessing I should wean myself off it to help my bones. (Desperately hoping a doctor will on to tell me that it’s fine!)

The biggest risks I think are osteoporosis - if you aren't at risk then that's probably OK. And vaginal atrophy - which topical hrt helps with.

I do take HRT and it's helped immensely with brain fog, anxiety, night sweats etc etc and THE RAGE has pretty much gone. I was a basket case in Peri - with lots of crap going on at work and home too - but I think I'd have coped better if I'd got HRT sorted sooner.

@Allthestories i could have written your post. Similar age, few symptoms except zero libido. DH is also being very kind about it but I do feel guilty forcing him into a celibate life at his age. He’s still an attractive man, I can see that objectively, I just don’t want to jump his bones … or Tom Hardy’s 🤷🏼‍♀️

I might have to do something about it though.