Stupid q? Pill & HRT

[SlinkyMalinki23]

I've been on the combined pill for years - it suits me really well. However I think I'm peri now and want to try HRT to deal with anxiety, insomnia and total lack of sex drive. Will I have to come off the pill? I did have the GP tell me a year ago that I didn't need HRT if I'm on the pill but I've since heard that's rubbish as the oral oestrogen isn't nearly as strong.
I have an appt next week - any advice in the meantime so I can prepare?

I’d look at getting the Mirena for contraception, that would be your progesterone, with oestrogen gel.

You may have difficulty in getting your GP to prescribe HRT with those symptoms. What age are you?

I'm 48. I really don't want a Mirena - have some post birth trauma and struggle badly even with smear tests

They aren't the only Sx but the anxiety is really new and a shock having always been very resilient. Also have had some flushes, brain fog etc

Hi op,

The reasons forswitching from the pill to HRT are based on the fact the pill is synthetic hormone where most HRT now is bio identical hormones, so technically lowers the risks.

But if the pill works for you I've had a few friends who've used it for the whole peri stage with no issues.

Moving to HRT maybe a bit of a shock to the system so prepare for a few bumpy months, I'm a big advocate of patches over gel, it's more controlled and stops daily hormone spikes. I'm also someone who doesn't suit the coil so take the progesterone as a tablet daily with no breaks.

Good luck with the GP if you want to switch tell them you get hot flushes, it's pretty much the only symptom they acknowledge.

GPS sometimes seem to be baffled about pill and HRT in combo. So it’s worth asking another if you don’t get good advice. It’s not that hard - I’ve been on both for ages (progesterone only pill) as I’ve taken it forever and as it stops periods, want to be 100pc sure before stopping. Perimenopause to menopause is not a cliff edge. Ask about moving to a progesterone pill, or what your options are.

It's a bit more complicated than some of the above posts.

You can't take the CCP and HRT.

You can take the mini pill in a dose that's also part of HRT.

You'd probably need to see a consultant privately for that as a GP is likely not to know about it. The dose is roughly 3 mini pills a day (I only know this as it was an option offered to me not for contraception.)

For younger women who are on the Pill, there are 2 brands that are more natural (the estrogen in them) called Qlaira and Zoely. Some women use these which aren't exactly HRT but are better than the older pills and closer to the estrogen in HRT. The estrogen in the Pill is actually stronger than HRT but it's not body identical.

Unlike a PP here, I prefer gel to patches. The bonus is that you can adjust the dose from a very low dose - even just half a pump- to as much as you need up to 4 pumps a day with little medical supervision - ie getting an appt with a GP, a new prescription for a different patch etc- and you don't have a visible patch stuck on your bum.

You don't actually get daily 'spikes' as the absorption is over 24 hours once you've applied it

It takes up to 3 months for estrogen levels to fall once you stop HRT which shows it's not like filling an empty glass every day (or getting a spike.)

Thanks for the retailer responses- seems much more complicated than I thought

You can take the mini pill for belt and braces contraception but also take hrt plus extra progesterone. You can get this from your gp.

I should have clarified, yes that’s correct you can’t take combined pill and HRT.

Just an update - saw Gp today and she's happy to move me onto the mini pill and give me progesterone capsules plus oestrogen gel. I've still got 3 weeks of combined pill left and she said that's fine, to start the capsule and gel anyway then move over to the mini pill in three weeks