Peri/HRT Advice

[cluelessneedhelp]

So im confident that what ive been dealing with is peri, ive got a Doctors appointment next month but feel like I need to get clued up before I go.

Is there any good books that can help me understand what I need, give me plenty of advice so I have some knowledge before going to my Doctor.

Also with HRT do you just take it to get through menopause or should you stay on it forever? I know of a few older people who didnt take it and now suffer with weak bones and know this can be an issue, so want to make sure given a family history of weak bones, I dont have this.

There’s some good advice here about speaking to your GP to request it.
I was put on HRT post hysterectomy (but should have been on it a lot earlier!) and the Dr said It would be prescribed until age 55. I really hope they don’t cut me off and I hope I will be able to stay on it permanently. The mood swings/anxiety pre HRT were horrendous and I know there are a few studies saying it may help prevent dementia. Both my DGM & now DF had/have dementia.

www.themenopausecharity.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/How-to-ask-your-GP-for-help-rev.pdf

I was put on HRT post hysterectomy (but should have been on it a lot earlier!) and the Dr said It would be prescribed until age 55. I really hope they don’t cut me off and I hope I will be able to stay on it permanently

If your GP is saying this @OhhYoureSpikey they are completely wrong.
HRT can be used for many years and there is no cut-off point.
Many women don't even start till age 55!

Looking at the timing of your post, I'm wondering if you're in the UK? Because there is no cut off point by age here any more and never was, for that matter.

The risks of estrogen only HRT which you must be using are tiny and appear to reduce the risk of breast cancer compared to women not on it.

Dr Louise Newson has a great free app called Balance which has a ton of info. You can also use it to record symptoms, periods, sleep, exercise and other lifestyle stuff, to help you to build up a picture of what's going on in your body

HRT can reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis and heart disease by 50%. As said above, there's no upper age limit and I plan to stay on it forever. It's good stuff!

g@JinglingSpringbells my hysterectomy was only 4.5 years ago and, believe me, I will be arguing if they ever try to stop it! Yes, I’m in the U.K. I’ve no idea what his reasoning behind this was when he told me, but I am not planning on letting them stop it and will go armed full of facts if they ever try to!

You'd be better off changing your GP!

I can't believe and GP in 2024 is saying this. Where are they getting their info from?

'I can't believe and GP in 2024 is saying this. Where are they getting their info from?'

It's truly incredible how ignorant some GPs are about something that half the population will go through. I'm in a peri support group on FB and the utter shite that women get told by some healthcare professionals is just disgraceful

Thank you for the advice so far. I am apparently seeing a younger female GP with a special interest in womens and reproductive health, so im really hoping she knows what she is doing. However ive heard stories of women not being listened to, and having health issues over the years ive had to advocate for myself and fight my own corner so much that I feel like I have to go in armed with as much information as possible.

Menopause is something I know far too little about so I have a couple weeks to get myself a bit more clued up, so appreciate any advice.

I will definitely check out the app mentioned, sounds necessary for me at the moment to be able to monitor everything.

no clue but I did just Google the local women’s hospital in a large city near us and it does say about stopping after x amount of years if given after total hysterectomy, so their info is clearly very wrong too then?