Would you start HRT?

[spottedinthewilds]

Any advice welcome please? I find the whole HRT thing a bit overwhelming.

I'm 47, the only meno symptoms I have are -
Sleeplessness - waking at 4am and not getting back to sleep
Erratic periods, sometimes 3 weeks apart and very heavy and sometimes 5 weeks and medium flow.

The sleeping thing is really getting me down, but I don't want to start something unnecessarily.

Is HRT something I can start and stop? I'm also useless at remembering to take meds.

I would highly recommend HRT. I started 6 months ago - it took a good 8 weeks to settle down but feeling so much better now, and it has had a huge positive impact on my sleep. There are long term benefits too, reduced risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. The current advice is to start taking it early rather than waiting

If you start it, you can stop any time, but need to give it at least 3 months. You can set up reminders in your phone so that you take tabs / change your patch when you need to

I'd be surprised if you had no other symptoms, OP. I was amazed at the things that went away when I started hrt. I'd put a lot down to general ageing, and there were other things I didn't realise could be symptoms.

Hrt is oestrogen and progestogen. The standard offered/prescribed is body identical, which simply means it's chemically the exact same as what your own body produces. Oestrogen normally comes as patches you change twice a week, or gel you apply daily, though there are tablets too. Body identical progesterone comes as a capsule you can swallow or use vaginally, and in peri you usually take these in a 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off cycle. You can also get a combined patch (not body identical progesterone) or tablet (not body identical progesterone either) or an alternative to body identical progesterone like the Mirena coil or a separate tablet.

If you forget to use gel or change your patch, your body will soon let you know. If you forget a progesterone capsule or two you might have breakthrough bleeding or a heavier period or it might come early. Progesterone stops the womb lining from building up too much and stabilises it. Not taking it at all can lead to cancer developing so that's why if you have a womb it has to be taken. Many women absolutely love it as it can give a great night's sleep, so lying there awake would be a sign you'd forgotten!

Thanks so much for your help and advice, it's very helpful. I will arrange to see my GP.

I'm kind of in the same boat, I've been prescribed it my the doctor- patches - I'm 44 but I'm so nervous about starting it, I'm worried about side effects etc. I only have another day left to get it stuck on me bum before I have to wait another month.... ahhhhh it's just so hard to know what to do for the best....

@spottedinthewilds you might find the Menopause Matters site and forum helpful www.menopausematters.co.uk

Do it! No negative side effects at all for me. Loads of positives

Help, I think I'm going crazy!!
64 and thought I'd done and dusted with the menopause! In fact I never had symptoms
But now....jeez, the last few years symptoms just got worse. Crashing fatigue, no energy or motivation, depressed, anxious, weak, wobbly, faint, dizzy/tinnitus??
Is it just me...I feel like death most days now..pretty scared too. Thinking I have something else which is making me even more anxious?

I just stuck mine on.... wish me luck 🙏
Just out of interest... where's the best place to stick it? I put it on my thigh but it's less sticky than I thought it would be?