How long did you try HRT before it worked or you gave up?

[SoTiredArgh]

I started HRT (cyclical) in December. So far it's done absolutely nothing for me. My sleep is no better at all. The days when I'm taking Utrogestan are marginally better than the other days (as I think the progesterone helps my sleep) but there's been no impact on anything else at all.

I feel totally disillusioned because so many people it seems to work so quickly but it's genuinely doing nothing for me and in fact may actually be making me feel worse.

My main symptoms were crushing fatigue that came out of nowhere plus dreadful sleep (being disturbed in the night then waking up feeling like you haven't slept).

Getting the right levels of HRT is a long process - they say to give it 3 months at a time. I would not give up without talking to the GP about increasing your dose. You could also look at magnesium glycinate for sleep.

I’m finding that my size is rocketing. I am generally more cheerful though; before I started on it, I had a constant feeling of impending doom. I just wish I could sort out the weight issue.

Sorry to report that it was about 4 days.

I was well into late peri ( a period every 3-4 months) and early 50s.

My sleep was shot to bits and within 4 days I was back to sleeping well.

What my consultant did do was suggest estrogen only for 12 weeks to get the dose right, then add in progesterone. (This wasn't Utrogestan as it wasn't being used then as much- I swapped to it later.)

What I was also advised is that although HRT is great, usually, there's also a lot to be said for focusing on everything else, like a healthy diet, especially with pulses and beans, wholegrains, loads of fresh fruit and veg, hardly any sugar, and plenty of exercise (Hrt can't do it all.)

Sorry but almost immediate. Did have to go up from 25mcg patches to now 100 but the effect was straight away.

Everyone I know who has struggled is on cyclical HRT though. Continuous seems easier to get right.

Thanks it's good to know it worked quickly for others!

I'm a healthy weight, fit, eat well and tbh not much more I can (or want to) do on that front.

Magnesium worked for one night but then nothing.

I guess I'll give it to 3 months and then chuck it in if there's no improvement.

I lasted a month, it made me so anxious and down that I felt I had no choice but to stop taking it. It didn’t really help much with my symptoms but it did stop the hot/cold sweats at night. I decided I would rather live with the sweats and not the anxiety.

Thanks @Lovemusic82 yes I totally get it. It's so hard making myself continue when it's doing nothing. I'm also a normally happy and cheerful person and it's definitely taken the edge off that!

9 months. Utrogestan made me suicidal for the first 4 months, then increased oestrogen again and had the mirena coil fitted.

Coil gave me awful exhaustion. I felt like I was walking through treacle for weeks.

Then I added testosterone in month 8 and within a month I was on top of the world.

My relationships are better etc. I will say that I don't like the quality of the sleep, I don't get the refreshing dreams, it's like I'm comatose for 6hrs.

But I can't have everything!

It’s worth sticking with it and then think about changing dose and / or hrt type

I was on utrogestan and gel but the benefits were minimal and side effects were awful from the utrogestan. I’ve changed to patches and it’s much better. Sleep and joints (my worst symptoms) are so much better, i’m generally less ragey

(weight is an issue, mainly because i can’t stop mindlessly snacking..)

I started on 2 pumps of gel which did nothing so increased on advice of the GP to 4 - spoke to GP 3m later and told her I was ready to throw myself under a bus and she said to stop the hrt immediately. Probably a bit dim, but I really didn't realise it was linked. Had a few months off then started patches - took probably 4 months but then felt better than I had in a long time.
Weight also an issue though, piled it on when unwell before my hysterectomy and cannot lose it, am not happy about it at all.

That’s exactly how I felt. I was worried about my mental health if I continued. I might give the patches a go at some point as I might not have the same reaction.

It's very hard when you are constantly hearing about what a miracle it is for a lot of women (and I'm not doubting that it is) but it doesn't seem to be working in the way you had hoped for. I started two years ago. I'm early 50s now. I had a coil already so started with oestrogen patches. It helped with sleep but not anything else and my moods became very dark and I felt like I was walking through treacle a lot of the time. What little energy or motivation I had was greatly reduced (and there wasn't much there to start with). I tried upping the dose 3 months at a time but the higher the dose the worse I felt. I switched to gel about 6 months ago and slowly tried upping the dose but it's the same. The more I take the worse I feel. I've gone down to one pump now and seriously wondering if I should just come off it. But I worry about losing the future benefits in terms of bone health, heart health etc. I need to go back to my GP really. Maybe I am just one of the unlucky ones that can't tolerate it for whatever reason. What gives me hope is that I have periods of time now when I don't feel as bad as I used (when I don't have periods). So, I'm hoping I'm in menopause, so to speak and there might be light at the end of the tunnel.

To me, HRT seems like a real dark art. No one really knows what works and what doesn't. It's all so personal to the individual. People who can access private specialists often seem to be able to hit upon a concoction that works for them? Testosterone seems to be key too? Perhaps this is the way forward? But really, until there is a lot more research on it I think for many of us this trial and error approach and the GP lottery of HRT knowledge is all we have.

Sorry, hope not too depressing...

No not depressing at all @RainyLife, I think we have to be realistic

Oestrogen also feels to me that it is sapping my energy. I am on day 5 of the time when I'm only taking oestrogen and I'm not sure if I can do another week or so to get to the 12th day of my cycle. I wake up feeling worse every day. When I add back the progesterone, it takes about 5 days for my energy to pick up again and I'm starting from a severely low base anyway!

I'm back at the specialist on the 7th Feb so will see what she says but I don't think I can do another month of this.

Maybe testosterone will help.

As you say, for some it works extremely well and for others it just doesn't!

18 months of fiddling with the levels, oestrogel and Utragestan cyclically. I came off it as I just felt bloated and heavy all the time and frankly out of control of my own body. I was having breakthrough bleeding and I got fed up if the guess work-you’re right, it is a dark art. I came off it in the summer and feel better for it. I am 55 and have returned to having natural cycle. I’m not ruling it out in the future but before I go back on it I want to know that my oestrogen is dropping because I feel very oestrogen dominant and I’m done with guessing.

You don't necessarily need to get it working immediately, or chuck it, would you be up for trying some things first? If there's any way you can access a private specialist, would 100% recommend, GPs are so incredibly hit and miss and unless you're lucky you'll know as much/more than them. If not there is lots of info online, so you can inform yourself.

Testosterone also a game changer here as per PP. I would absolutely say stick with it and see if you can get into a groove, it has been literally life changing for me and I can't believe I felt as bad as I did and thought that was it forever.

OP, last January about this time, I posted wondering if I would ever stop crying. I'd been on HRT for a month.

It took a further 4 months to realise utrogestan was making me cry and have suicidal thoughts. (I'd been feeling that like cynically for a few years, I thought it was me and I was depressed), and that I needed a LOT more oestrogen.

It is really early days for you. Look on it

as a journey and keep a diary of how you feel and when.

Also, FWIW I think the term 'tweak' is misleading. You sometimes need to make big deliberate changes to see differences.