Does anyone else feel mis-sold where HRT is concerned?

[HRTeetotal]

I got to 56 without HRT and then went on it last year. Having read all the eulogising from Davina et al, it sounded like this was the answer to everything and I was utterly sick of the hot flushes, joint pain, loss of libido etc.

Anyway, I just feel totally let down by it. I started on oestrogen gel with utrogestan tablets. After 3 months I couldn’t stand the bloating they caused so switched to using vaginally (without discussing with my GP). After few weeks of this I had some bleeding so I switched to combined patches (femseven conti). Two weeks in and the bloody things keep coming off so I’m going through them at quite a rate, and I can feel
my stomach bloating again already. I just don’t get on with progesterone I think.

i just feel like crying with it all. It feels like the amount of trial and error we need to go through is crazy and it seems to be accepted that several months of awful side effects are needed before the right solution can be found (if it ever is).

in addition to all the above, the hardening and bloating of my stomach just makes me feel fat.

Is It just me?

I went on omega 3 for joints, which I found much better than cod liver oil.

I definitely bought the hype.
HRT just made me put on stacks of weight!
I think I’m progesterone intolerant cos I can’t tolerate the coil at all, probably have enough progesterone if my own.
so yes, for me personally, it felt like a ‘must have’ hard sell.
i don’t need it. Menopace, Omega 3 and magnesium sort everything well enough.

Coil here too & gel.

Never got on with the pill, so surprised coil is fine. Much happier on hrt. Brain fog lifted as soon as my very out of date coil was replaced. Other physical issues have improved slowly but steadily.

I was talking to a pelvic physio tho & she was saying it's better to start earlier.

Coil is different for everyone, was warned it might not suit & impossible to tell beforehand.

OP, one thing stood out to me and that's when you mentioned the 'hardening and bloating' of your stomach.

Symptoms like this need to be checked out. Even if you do suffer with bloating, the stomach should still feel quite soft when palpated (lying down)

I was bloated a lot, and so had a CA125 blood test and a scan just to rule anything untoward out.

Sorry if you've already had this done. I read through your posts twice and couldn't see any mention.

Davina is only interested in promoting herself. Obviously, she has a platform and a media presence. She also has a long history of other health issues.

What annoys me is that with these 'slebs' you only get one side of the story. And it's not always balanced.

Not all women get on with HRT a) at all or b) straight away.

It's very much trial and error. And finding a dr who knows about HRT and can offer options.

No HRT is 'perfect' and it's not realistic to expect that.

If you use it sequentially, you will get a withdrawal bleed but if that means you feel fine for 5 or 6 weeks ( or longer on a 3-month cycle) and have a few days of a bleed, maybe that's the compromise?

It depends how bad you feel not on HRT and your other longer term risk factors like heart and bone health.

Davina has the luxury of a private menopause specialist. The good ones are amazing, ive met one. Really amazing but £295 a consultation.

A menopause specialist did initiate the prescription but my G.Ps we’re happy to prescribe. I believe on the NHS website re HRT it mentions a 3 month estrogen regime, it doesn’t mention the name of the medication, but it’s Tridestra. Is there another G.P at the surgery that you can get a second opinion with? There’s nothing special about Tridestra apart from it’s regime, I didn’t mention before, the estrogen is in tablet form, but I’m fine with this. Anything not to have progesterone in my life every bloody day or every month 😵‍💫

I even priced up a hysterectomy privately, but at 9k and wanting a new kitchen that ain’t happening 🤣

Stand your ground and don’t let them fob you off. A lot of G.Ps still aren’t up to speed with HRT, it’s shameful.

As for the libido, ask your G.P if they can do a blood test. This is required anyway before starting treatment. As a rule they go by is if your libido hasn’t improved after 6 months on HRT then testosterone can be introduced. My blood test showed I was 90% deficient 😳, no wonder I was knackered and had no libido at all!

After just two weeks of Tostran it was as if a switch had been flicked on, bloody amazing. What was amazing for me is that I’ve taken Tramadol for years for M.S pain, maximum 8 a day, my neurologist kept banging on at cutting it down, but it’s the only medication that I can tolerate for neurological pain. After the two weeks on testosterone my pain levels dropped and I reduced my dosage to 4 a day, I’m gob smacked.

If you’re as progesterone intolerant as we are it’s really not easy. I’ve told loads of ladies I know about Tridestra, it’s probably not the cheapest HRT for the NHS but we deserve it for a better quality of life!

@RainbowZebraWarrior thank you for highlighting this. I did actually have a scan/ blood tests a couple of years ago when was still on the mini pill and was experiencing stomach problems. That was all clear, but it was only when I stopped taking the pill that the symptoms disappeared and bit of googling made me realise the progesterone was the likely culprit. Also, I had a month’s gap between HRT regimes before starting the patches and I went completely back to normal.

i’ve found the comments on the three month cycle really interesting and plan to look into this a bit more, as well as the Tridestra option. I might also try a different GP for the review next time.

The points about all drugs having side effects is spot on and if I was experiencing them when taking medication I knew to be life saving (or similar) that would a different balance. However for HRT for people whose menopause symptoms are fairly standard it feels like a choice between hot flushes/joint pain/lack of libido and brain fog versus bloating/weight gain/bleeding and potential serious mood deterioration. Decisions, decisions!

If you can afford it @HRTeetotal I'd recommend you go to a specialist privately. I have private menopause care and the difference between most GPs and specialists is vast. Yes, you might have to pay £300 and then a reduced fee for a 2nd appt to review, but what price is your health?

The other option is to read, read, read and go to your GP armed with your wish list of what to try.

One thing no one has mentioned is that progestogens seem to cause more side effects when they estrogen dose is too low. So you may need more estrogen

Also, as a PP pointed out, long term bloating needs to be checked out to be sure it's not a sign of ovarian cancer. Bloating with HRT usually settles down after 3 months and is usually water retention. You'll also tend to get more with both hormones daily, compared to sequential types.

@snippet, sorry to come back again, but did you experience any breakthrough bleeding with Tridestra? I’ve been reading up on it and think I could manage the 3 monthly cycle, but I was wondering if the lack of progesterone at other times means bleeding becomes more likely?

I suspect I might need to push for a secondary referral and have them initiate the prescribing with the GP picking it up thereafter.

I was on a 3-month cycle for around 6 years - this was using Oestrogel and Norethisterone. (This is through a consultant gynae.) I changed after that to Utrogestan (and gel.)

I have gradually reduced the 3 month cycle to less (again, this is with guidance from my consultant) as a bleed after 3 months was quite heavy.

This is very individual and some women have much lighter withdrawal bleeds.

It's hard for anyone to predict if you would have erratic bleeding on a 3 monthly cycle. In theory, it's promoted as an option for women in peri or late peri, who will still have some ovarian activity and some of their own progesterone.
However, it is also used by women post meno, who can't tolerate progesterone.

Another thing to think about is how long you want to use HRT.

The synthetic progestogens like Norethisterone, MPA (in Tridestra) and the Mirena coil are linked to higher risk of breast cancer, whereas Utrogestan appears to have a lower risk.

You have to be prepared for some trialling and seeing how it goes.

It's very unlikely you will get a referral for this quickly as it's not urgent. If you can afford to see a private specialist, which is worth its weight in gold if you find a good one, that would be worthwhile.

I don’t get any breakthrough bleeding and when I do have a bleed it isn’t particularly heavy. Like I said earlier it’s the only way I can tolerate the progesterone, I forfeit 3 weeks of my life every 3 months 🤦‍♀️. My husband is prepared for it and has seen much worse, UTROGESTAN was god awful, he was seriously worried for me.

Do you have an NHS menopause clinic that you can access? Ours was closed down in 2019 due to funding cuts, I informed my M.P about this, disgusting. Ours used to be incorporated with the sexual health clinic. That’s where I ended up initially, I hadn’t a clue that what was happening to my Vagina, even though I’d had an examination by my G.P. The Dr I saw at the clinic had been in charge of the menopause department and diagnosed vaginal atrophy straight away, that bugger was very painful 😣

I’d also mentioned to the same G.P that I had no libido at all, I’d look at my husband who is still gorgeous and I felt nothing. She suggested a romantic meal with a bottle of wine, 😵‍💫😱for one I don’t drink and WTF!!

Thankfully the menopause Dr set up her own clinic and that’s who I eventually went to, my G.Ps just weren’t up to speed. My testosterone treatment is magical, and ironically two of my G.Ps have asked for my experience and dosage and are now prescribing to other ladies. That’s really good, because not everyone can afford private treatment, and menopause isn’t covered by my insurance, another blow for women.

Don’t give up and keep pushing for what you need. I’m a determined bugger if I need something, I won’t give in if I know I’m being mid advised 🤗

It's not just you
After 2 years trial and error I'm having a break.
Yoga, swimming, collagen, vitamin D, calcium & low carbing.
I'm seriously so fed up of the weight gain & I ache anyway

I think this is me too. I've tried all sorts. I'm feeling ok with stopping now. The oestrogen gives me palpitations as well as weight gain. It's horrible.

It's unfair to compare what your gp knows and can offer to what a menopause specialist does... they do this all day every day.. do you also expect your GP to do a triple bipass for heart disease ? There should be a reasonable basic knowledge and understanding, but not an in depth knowledge of everything menopause.. also menopause specialists often prescribe off licence.. not an option for GPs. What there SHOULD be is access to good quality NHS menopause services, that GPs can refer patients to, and get advice from.

I don’t feel missold. I feel hrt has been miraculous. I do feel that most of the health professionals I’ve met have no idea about it which is worrying.

I’m thankful for the tv davinas etc for making GPs up their game

It's the randomness that upsets me. "Trial and error, you have to persist, this works for some but not for others". Because women's health is neither worth researching nor taking seriously.

Unless there is money to be made marketing any old shite at us cos we're desperate.

It’s not much different to finding the right antidepressants though, trial and error until you get the right one.

Did anyone else have a really hard time going on to Tostran testosterone? My brain feels like a block of wood and I am exhausted. Wondering if it settles after a few weeks so whether to push through or call it a day.

I’ve had no issues with Tostran, after 2 weeks it was as though a switch had turned on. My libido and energy really picked up.

what is your dosage? I started on 4 pumps one week and 3 the second, prescribed by a specialist. I now have 2 pumps per week over two days, I had to calm my libido down it was off the scale.

Have you tried Femoston Conti? Dydrogesterone is the best for bleeding issues.

None of that provides the health benefits of replacing deficient oestrogen though. It's important women understand all the angles.

Thank you - I have started on a tiny amount of Tostran but feel awful.
I take 5 pumps of Oestrogel a day too - over the recommended amount but allowed as I do not have a womb anymore.

Utrogestan gave me the most awful headaches for 11 of the 12 days every month that I was taking it. Dr swapped me to Evorel Sequi and now conti, to help with low iron levels (no periods should keep iron higher).
But, Bern in conti 2 months and am having a period (6th day now). And they don't prescribe testosterone at all until I've seen a menopause specialist, despite no libido, bladder pain and minus or aches.
HRT has been amazing for getting rid of palpitations and anxiety. But it's certainly not fixed everything.