How will I know when I've hit menopause on HRT?

[Thatsajokeright]

I've been trying to find an answer to this for some time.

Is it possible?

I want to know this too and have asked it on another meno thread on here. I think the general consensus was that the only way you could really know was by coming off your HRT for a while. I asked the Practice Nurse when I had my HRT review and she didn’t seem to know. She waffled a lot but didn’t really answer the question 😂

I was tempted to have an appointment with the Newson clinic just to find out!😂 But I'd worry I'd get a waffler too!

I suspect that's the case! I just realllllly don't want to come off HRT just to find out... Equally, I'm only 38 and reckon I've been peri since I was 33 so it feels important to know... 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Thatsajokeright @Waitingfordoggo (love your name!)

The only way to find out is to stop your HRT and see if your periods come back.

But as post meno is 12 months after your last ever period, you could wait a long time to find out. Some women go 10 to 11 months then one comes out of the blue and they start counting again.

There is no point paying almost £300 just to be told this.
You could have a blood test @Thatsajokeright because you sound as if you're having a premature menopause (peri in your early 30s.) But they aren't always accurate at all.

And for your health you should be on HRT to 51/52 anyway.
What's the reason for wanting to find out? Can you not just carry on with HRT and accept that's how it is?

Wait, does hrt stop your periods? Why has mine not?!

If you have had no periods for 2 years (under 50) or one year (over 50) and you don't have the coil I think that's meno regardless of hrt. Hrt isn't enough to stop periods. It's not as strong as the pill. But if you're on cyclical hrt I think you could be getting withdrawal bleeds much like the type you get with the pill, not real periods though.

Are you using sequential HRT? (Also called 'cyclical')
Your dr should have explained.

On sequential HRT the 2 hormones over the month create a cycle and the bleed each month is a withdrawal bleed. Just like the contraceptive pill. It's not a real period because the chances are you're not ovulating every month.

If you are on HRT post-meno, you can choose to go to a no-bleed sort.

My reason for wanting to know is that I would much prefer not to be having periods if i don’t have to! If they aren’t true periods but being caused by the HRT, I’d rather let them stop, or switch to continuous HRT.

I've been wanting to know this too. I've only been on HRT for about 5 months. Periods were regular as clockwork and still are while taking it.
The lack of a bleed is something I'm really looking forward to. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know until the other day that the monthly bleed I get isn't a proper period.

I need to be on HRT...I was unbearable before I started it, but I just want my periods to stop.....sob! 😭

I’m 55 and I haven’t had a period this year so I’m getting close to be being in menopause. I’ve been on HRT since I was about 48.

It depends on why you want to know.
If you are wondering about fertility/contraception there is no need to use contraception at 55.
If it is for curiosity it is harder. If you are on sequential HRT and stop bleeding that is suggestive but far from a guarantee.Hot flushes go on for some women for years after their last period so if symptoms are your guideline then it is a question of just seeing if you choose to stop HRT.

I'm on the patch and pill I didn't know there were ones to stop a period. I'm 51 and beleive I've been menopausal since I was 42. I didn't know they were false periods

Yes, the bleed is a withdrawal bleed, so what the OP and I want to know is: how do you know when your periods have stopped/you’ve stopped ovulating, because when you get a bleed, you don’t know if it’s a real period or not. Mine were very irregular before I went on HRT and I had been several months without one. Now I’m on HRT, I obviously have a bleed every month.

If you have been on sequential HRT for a couple of years you could try continuous. You might bleed erratic or a month or two but it might stop. If it doesn't stop go back to sequential for another year or two and try again .

Probably still periods and not withdrawal bleeds.

I've not read all the comments, but I asked my doctor this question. I have a bleed at the end of my patch cycle. Doctor said they will lessen and disappear as I go through the menopause properly

What do you mean by 'end of patch cycle'? I change my patch twice a week so it's an ongoing thing without an end to the cycle. (I also take progesterone tablets for 14 days.)

See my first post :)

You don't unless you stop HRT, etc etc .

If you use sequential HRT you will have a withdrawal bleed forever.
The estrogen builds up the lining.

There are women using sequential from choice in their 60s and 70s who have withdrawal bleeds.

Are you just on patches? Or patches+pills?
Its the pills that regulate periods from what i gather.
Those not on pills dont seem to get periods

Menopause Matters website has good consultant-written info on HRT, the types and when to use continuous HRT.

The key message on that website is -

over age 54
no natural periods for 12 months

If you start too soon, you're likely to get irregular bleeding. This is because your own estrogen PLUS the HRT estrogen builds the lining and the amount of progesterone you'd use isn't enough .

You will almost always have a withdrawal bleed on sequential no matter how long you use it. I've friends in their 70s who have bleeds as they are intolerant to progesterone every day.

Your other option is the Mirena coil as the progesterone part of your HRT. It stops bleeding in most women.

At 38 it's highly unlikely a dr would prescribe continuous HRT.

Any type of HRT causes a bleed (the cyclical types) unless you're using the Mirena coil as the progestin with your estrogen.

I was on patches alone and I bleed monthly. Or more.