Page 2 | Referred for scan, told to stop HRT

PressPauseontheMenopause · 2024-09-14T20:47:22+00:00

Can anyone help me with some advice? 🙏🏻 I've been told by GP to stop HRT for at least 6 weeks prior to scan. Scan is because of 2 consecutive months of very heavy bleeding after usual 10 days of 200mg/day progesterone. Two days in and I am weepy and forgetful - it's a return to pre-HRT symptoms and I'm feeling so anxious about how to manage my job in particular. I'm a therapist and really need to be able to concentrate snd process information. Would be grateful for any experience or advice as to whether my GP is correct. Thanks so much.

Original poster

PressPauseontheMenopause · 17/09/2024 20:38

@JinglingSpringBells
Sorry, can't seem to reply directly to you. Thank-you for this information...something to think about. It's certainly sounding like I may not be getting enough progesterone. Don't know why I was on a 10 day regime - maybe because I started on 25 patch and it hasn't been updated. I don't respond well to progesterone (tired, groggy) so my heart sinks a bit at the thought of more. Maybe 100 mg daily wd affect me less, I don't know.

OP posts:

Imalongtimepostingmum · 18/09/2024 08:36

OP or try the mirena. I also felt horrific on progesterone, like I was walking through treacle all day the next day after taking it (even when I took it on an empty stomach as I got into bed each night). I was the same using it vaginally.

Mirena has been much better for me and I also sleep amazingly since having it fitted.

Doggymummar · 18/09/2024 08:56

I had a scan recently and they found fibroids which I am now waiting for a hysterectomy to remove. I was advised HRT feeds them and helps them grow so it was up to me if I stopped it or not. I stopped for a week and I could barely speak, word fog, stuttering I was a mess. Started again as on balance hrt is better than being a zombie and probably losing my job. Waiting list is 73 weeks for hysterectomy.

lljkk · 18/09/2024 09:04

I am curious about what happens to help with the heavy bleeding. Would you be willing to update about that? Might help others. It sounds exhausting. Is it just when you have periods or have you been bleeding heavily daily for months without pause?

PepperSauce · 18/09/2024 09:10

JinglingSpringbells · 17/09/2024 09:35

It's unfortunate that GPs don't explain this properly.

Their 'starting point' is that they push women to use progesterone every day once they are post-meno. This is 12 months with no natural period or aged 54+ because very few women are having periods after 54. The logic behind this is it's a lower risk for endometrial cancer than sequential. But what GPs never tell women is the risks of breast cancer are slightly higher with daily progesterone.

The downside of using combined continuous HRT too early is bleeding (rather than a predictable withdrawal bleed.) And that means investigations to sort out the cause - which could be the HRT or not.

It's actually a choice to use combined continuous not mandatory. I know a friend aged 70+ who is still on sequential and I am too, many years post meno.

GPs should inform women it's a choice but most are simply following 'guidance' which is after 54 put women on combined continuous.

Show quote history

I’m a bit worried that my progesterone has been doubled to 200 every night even though I’m only on 2 pumps of orstrogel. It’s to stop the spotting I was experiencing. The hysteroscopy revealed a small polyp which was removed and my lining was thickened to 5mm. Am I now at higher risk of breast cancer o wonder?

Original poster

PressPauseontheMenopause · 18/09/2024 09:27

Imalongtimepostingmum · 18/09/2024 08:36

OP or try the mirena. I also felt horrific on progesterone, like I was walking through treacle all day the next day after taking it (even when I took it on an empty stomach as I got into bed each night). I was the same using it vaginally.

Mirena has been much better for me and I also sleep amazingly since having it fitted.

Ah that's great that it's helped...I am tempted, but I had a Mirena in my 30s and my skin was horrific - congested and spotty, like a teenager, so I'm a bit reluctant. There's no easy answer, is there?!
Thx for your experience x

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Original poster

PressPauseontheMenopause · 18/09/2024 09:28

Doggymummar · 18/09/2024 08:56

I had a scan recently and they found fibroids which I am now waiting for a hysterectomy to remove. I was advised HRT feeds them and helps them grow so it was up to me if I stopped it or not. I stopped for a week and I could barely speak, word fog, stuttering I was a mess. Started again as on balance hrt is better than being a zombie and probably losing my job. Waiting list is 73 weeks for hysterectomy.

Ah I'd be the same - life has to go on and you need to function. 73 weeks 😩 Wishing you all the best with it c

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Original poster

PressPauseontheMenopause · 18/09/2024 09:30

lljkk · 18/09/2024 09:04

I am curious about what happens to help with the heavy bleeding. Would you be willing to update about that? Might help others. It sounds exhausting. Is it just when you have periods or have you been bleeding heavily daily for months without pause?

I only had 2 months of it and it was at the time of my normal withdrawal bleed. It seems the most likely explanation is that my progesterone is too low, so I'll maybe try the continuous and if that doesn't work for me, I'll consider the Mirena. The GP said (another piece of arbitrary age-related info) that they can only fit the Mirena at the surgery until the age of 55 (which is next May for me), after that it's done in hospital. X

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