What is it like to start hrt?

[NeonSigns]

Hello I'm interested in hearing other women's experiences with getting started as I've got the prescription (sequential - patches for oestrogen and tablets for progesterone, lowest doses) but finding it hard to actually make myself start.

I have a lot going on at the end of the month and I'm fearful of being destabilised by side effects etc. I could leave it until after but then I'd probably have to start mid-cycle. My GP said that's ok but there must be a reason you're advised to start between days 1 and 5?. My cycle is all over the place. Next period could be in 25 days, 100 days or anything in between.

I'm lucky that crazy cycle is my only symptom, although that interacts badly with a longstanding migraine problem so I do want the hrt in order to bring some predictability to life. Also for long term bone health etc.

I'd be so grateful to hear other people's experiences of getting started?

I take contraceptibe pill to prevent my hideous periods. I continued with those plus what sounds like the same medication you described. Only side effects I had were a few twinge period pains for a couple of days but no period and ever so slightly tender boobs for about 5 days. The positives outway the negatives.

I was on Trisequens for 3 yrs. They stopped most of my symptoms but made my migraines worse. Since been put on patches and whilst I still get Migraine, they've reduced massively.

Started 6 weeks ago.

No side effects at all.

Aches and pains slightly better which is why I'm on it.

I had no side effects at all, but I was also on the minipill at the time, which suppressed many cycle-related symptoms. My HRT started working within a couple of weeks , especially for night sweats and aching joints/muscles. Best of luck with it!

I would start with your natural cycle. I didn't ( I started as soon as prescribed as I felt utterly rubbish) but I do think my own natural cycle "fought" with the HRT for quite a while and that didn't help getting used to it.

I also use the progesterone vaginally as I found taking it by mouth really didn't agree with me (caused terrible feelings doom and anxiety) but absolutely fine vaginally.

In many other countries (eg France) it's much more common to use it vaginally and I know others of my friends who do this on specialist advice (I just read up a lot and told my GP I planned to do that and she said okay - although I'm not sure it is within NICE Guidelines currently) .

So just worth knowing about in case the progesterone doesn't agree with you orally.

OP, I have migraine and have done for 20 years - every single period and some between. Since starting progesterone almost 18 mo the ago, I have only had one or two, and they haven't been anything like they used to be. You've really got nothing to lose by trying!

@TennisWithDeborah can I ask how old you are? I am waking with a racing heart but I'm 38.
Im also completely wiped out energy wise.

Just dipping in but why are you not on a continuous progesterone to stop period all together if the cycles are causing migraines?

There is no need to have breaks on HRT.

No side reflects. Remember it's called HRT for a reason; it's replacing something you had but have lost.

Thanks I'm finding it so reassuring to read all these experiences. On balance everyone seems to feel some benefit, and only some people have an adjustment period.

A really good point re the continuous progesterone. Perhaps that's where I'll end up.... I am reminded though that I eventually gave up on the mini pill (a decade ago) because whilst it solved the migraines it also killed libido and made me feel kind of flat in a way which I didn't appreciate until I came off it and felt so much more alive! I really don't want to have to banish good sex along with migraines.

I had no idea about taking progesterone vaginally.....is that a special pill or just the regular one....?!

Regarding cycles: I started HRT at the point when I was only intermittently menstruating. Doc told me to take my hormones daily and if I started to bleed then to pause for 5 days. But I haven’t needed to do that for several months.

Some posters have mentioned libido. I have absolutely zero, but it was like that before HRT as well. A bit unfortunate for DP. 😔

For reassurance I had a really bad time on the mini pill- I went crazy! And I am absolutely fine on tablet progesterone. It’s body identical so I think that helps versus the synthetic contraceptive pills. But yes if you don’t get in with it vaginal progesterone is an option.

Sometimes there can be quite a bit of tweaking with HRT but it’s worth persisting for all the health benefits.

Amazing....felt better within days. A bit emotional for the first month, but that settled.

No negative side effects here. My hot flushes stopped which was a huge relief.

I’m trying testosterone for libido… there are a few glimmers but it has been MIA for about 10 years so I’m not that hopeful!

I got my life back within about 2 weeks. It was extraordinary. But I had peri with a worsening cycle of dreadful symptoms.

I've been referred to the menopause clinic at my nearest big hospital for this - fingers crossed! My GP increased my oestrogen (I have a mirena for progesterone) in the meantime while I wait. Libido and focus, for me. I have high hopes!

If you got a Mirena your periods would go away altogether. It's brilliant not having them any more.

Started it several months ago at 56 whilst still having increasingly erratic periods. Oestrogen gel 1mg and progesterone sequential but this month had what felt like a normal period again before stopping the progesterone.
It is amazing it switched off my anxiety and bad sleep in a matter of days. My boobs have got bigger which I could have done without TBH. However I feel so much better

I've heard horror stories about the mirena coil migrating and being hideously painful on insertion. Is this not the case? I'd ruled it out before but am not rethinking!

Never had a side effect

Oh gosh no! It's magic. I have my third one in right now, and the insertion of this last one was defintely uncomfortable, and I felt unwell afterwards for about 20 minutes. Usually it has been roughly twice as uncomfortable as a smear, and like a smear or taking blood, it does depend on the person inserting it keeping you chatting and distracted. So it's definitely not something you'd do for entertainment on a quiet afternoon, but then you get 5 years off the hook for periods, so 100% worth it to me!

It's ridiculous that you need to go to a hospital for it.

My GP prescribed it as soon as my oestrogen was stable after 6months.

My libido is brilliant now.

Really? Oh! I thought I had to be referred, because it's not strictly licensed for this purpose.

Oh well. Still, I do consider myself lucky that I was given HRT in the first place based on a phone consultation and the GP trusting me to know my own body. I started it 24 hours after asking, which is not everybody's experience.

There are weird gaps in my (large, and generally excellent) GP practice - they've stopped doing Mirena insertion, for instance.

Hi! I am 52.