Bleeding after 3 months continuous HRT

[Londondreamer]

Hi all,

I have been on Hrt for about 18 months and was originally put on continuous HRT due to my age (I was 53 at the time) but still having regular periods.

I stuck to it for a few months but was having breakthrough bleeding and PMT, so deduced I probably wasn't ready for continuous so changed to sequential.

All was fine for a while but started to feel really ill on the progesterone withdrawal phase, joint pain, headache and really depressive, so now I'm 54, I thought I'd try continuous again , as I really missed the progesterone.

I have been going great with this but noticed some symptoms coming back, so thought, wrongly it would seem, that I needed more Estrogen. Tried that for a couple of weeks and it really didn't suit me, more joint pains and water retention, just felt awful.
I am now back on the lower dose and feel better but I have started bleeding, ot heavily but it has been going on for two weeks now and is quite frankly, really annoying!

I know that it can take up to 6 months when starting conti for things to settle down and there may be breakthrough bleeding during this time but just thought, could it be that for that period when i upped the estrogen dose it has caused a build up, as it was obviously too high a dose for my body?

I really don't want to go back on sequential as I feel so much better on the progesterone everyday. Just wondered, do you think this bleeding will eventually settle down and I should just grin and bare it for the time being? Apart from the bleeding, I'm feeling so much better. ☹

Any insights would be great

Hi there yes it will settle down as when I changed to continuous had lots of spotting and more periods in the first few months but now haven't had a period for months, am 55 and was still have periods until changed to continuous and they were so heavy with flooding so bad first few days. I also had ablation which has helped as could not deal with heavy periods. Stick with it as I feel so much better as hormones more balanced on continuous. Only thing that is a negative is bloating. Wishing you well and it will settle.

I feel your pain. I never did sequential, as like you I was a bit older, but I was properly postmenopausal starting HRT at 58.

Continuous suited me perfectly at first, but 18 months in I started bleeding. I experimented with the oestrogen dose but couldn't get the balance right. My GP referred me to a gynaecologist to get checked.

The gynaecologist found nothing of concern but suggested a Mirena coil. I was sceptical as I'd had mine removed at 53 and thought at 59 I was too old for another one. Apparently not! I had my second Mirena put in a couple of months ago, and thankfully the bleeding has stopped and I feel really good again. It was a solution I hadn't expected but it's worked.

Thanks for your replies.

I'll carry on as I am for now and hopefully it will settle. As I said, I feel so much better on continuous, I really like the Progesterone which believe me, is not something I would have ever dreamed I'd say when I first started! It really is a rollercoaster.