HRT combined patch help

[Jellyytots]

I’m over 50. I need to come off the pill. My GP wants me to go straight onto HRT.

She wants me to try the combined patch. She said this is the most recommended one to start with. It’s easy to use. She wants me to try it for three months and see how I get on with it.

Feeling very overwhelmed and worried about what might happen coming off my pill that I’ve pretty much been on since I was 16 years old without break apart from when I tried depot injection where I put lots of weight on and came off it after nine months

I’m worried about side effects, worried about my sleep worried about my hormones being all over the place. I’m even worried I’ll get spots because I did when I changed my pill. I had to go back to a different pill that was in the same group as the previous pill I had so the hormones were the same so I wouldn’t break out in spots.

got an awful lot going on in my life, nows not really a good time but I don’t think I’ll get another prescription for the pill. I’ve managed to put it off twice. I think I’m at crunch time I need to decide if I’m going to go on it or not.

I also do not want to put any weight on at all and I keep reading that people put on weight with HRT which I never did with the pill but did with Depo injection

once I stop taking the pill, I will be now going back on it and I’m worried if I made the jump to HRT and it doesn’t suit me. I’ll end up on nothing.

I don’t even know where to start looking at all of this

I stated the combined patch a month ago. (I’m 47) i still get periods and started it day 1 of my cycle,I had a heavy five day bleed about two weeks after starting.

I’ve not gained weight but my sleep and night sweats have improved slightly.

Does your currently pill stop you periods? And you don't need contraception? Why o you have to stop taking it?
Menopausal Not Mad is a great sourse of info around hrt.
Perimenopause tends to cause weight gain, not hrt.

I run three packs together, and yes, I don’t have a period when I have a break. I’m over 50 and the risk is too high for me to continue on the pill. They wanted me to stop last year but I had too much going on and was undertoo much stress to do it. They agreed I could carry on taking it as long as I was aware of the increased risk of blood clots, etc with me being over 50. You are not supposed to take the combined pill after age 50. To be honest, it’s probably out of date but you know what the NHS is like.

I don’t have a bleed when I have a break on my pill. I haven’t for about 12 months, maybe 18 months or so. not good that you had a heavy 5 day bleed two weeks after starting it. I hope that doesn’t happen to me because I haven’t been bleeding when I’ve been on a break.
I don’t get the night sweat so much only when I’m on my pill free days. I get hot during the day, flushes during the day.

There's quite a bit that not clear here @Jellyytots
The Pill is for contraception- do you still need that? (Basically, at 50 you do unless you've had no period for 2 years.)
The cut off the the combined pill is 50, but not the mini pill.

Why does your GP want you to use HRT?

Your GPs not accurate to be honest about the patch being 'most recommended'.

The default now is estrogen as gel or a patch, and micronised progesterone ( a tablet) for the progesterone part of HRT. Transdermal estrogen and micronised progesterone are body-identical (same hormones as our own) whereas the patch isn't.

If by combined patch she means both hormones every day, that is for women over 54 or who've not had a period for over 2 years. if it's started too soon you can get spotting and breakthrough bleeds.

No, I don’t need anything for contraception. I’m on the combined pill and they want me to move onto HRT. She wants me to go from the pill to HRT because I’m having peri menopausal symptoms not much but I was told the pill would mask most of them. Early menopause runs through the family so they don’t want me to come off the pill and slam into a lot of symptoms.

I can’t remember what she said now it’s a while since I had the appointment, about 12 months ago maybe a bit longer. Something about I put the patch on once a week but I take it off for a week or something like that I can’t remember.. She wants me to start off with this combined patch and not try the gel and other options unless this doesn’t work you’ve confused me with your last two paragraphs because I don’t know enough about it like I said I’m overwhelmed with it all. I don’t know where to start.

Early menopause runs through the family

Early menopause is before age 45 so you're not going to have that now- you're over 50.

so they don’t want me to come off the pill and slam into a lot of symptoms.

It's not what' they' want - it about your choices.

It's also your choice what form of HRT you use. Patches are one option but there are others.

Yes, my mum was about 34 and her mum was young as well. So they think I’ve already probably gone through it or I’m still perimenopausal which is why they want to put me on HRT and not just come off the pill.

I don’t know what I want to do. I just don’t want to stop the pill and slam into a load of symptoms.

they are advising I go onto HRT

I am completely confused as to what the options are to be honest

I'm not surprised you're confused as none of it makes any sense to me.

But no one here knows your medical history and maybe your GP has a compelling reason to suggest HRT. eg if you've had children, if you've ever been off the Pill, or had natural periods since you were 16.

It's unusual to be pressurised into using HRT for symptoms that are (so far) mild.
If your GP is worried about loss of your bone density ( a risk with early menopause) and thinks you could have had an early menopause, they should arrange a DEXA scan.

It would seem more sensible for you to come off the Pill and see how you feel for a few months and if you have a period.

Your GP can suggest HRT for your symptoms, but if they aren't really bothering you much at the moment, it's your choice what you do.

She said about going straight onto HRT because I need to come off the pill and because I am having some symptoms of which the pill should mask everything and it isn’t doing she suggested I go straight onto HRT rather than take the risk of having lots of symptoms starting

You are saying I’m only having mild symptoms but that’s because the pill is masking everything

Nothing has been mentioned to me about a DEXA scan

I was just trying to work out which option would be best I’ve been told the combined patch or

• Oestrogen Gel, progesterone as tablet daily
• Oestrogen patches, progesterone as tablet daily
• Oestrogen spray, progesterone as tablet daily

I’m not sure which option would be best or where to even go to look

It's bit odd because your GP seems to be pushing you onto HRT rather than allowing you a few months not on anything, and seeing how you go.

Is there more to this than you've said? For example have you had emotional /psychological issues and she's trying to keep you stable?

And if she assumes you've had a premature menopause (which your Mum had a at 34) that should be investigated separately, by looking at your bone density and doing a blood test a few months after stopping the Pill- to look at your FSH level.

The type of HRT is up to you. Some women can't bear the idea of patch stuck on their bums, find it irritates etc. Others find that applying gel every day is a 'faff'.

It's whatever you feel works best.

I have the option to see how I go, but I don’t want to take it because I’ve got a lot going on in my life and now he’s not the time to be upsetting the Apple cart. I’m only making the jump because I know they won’t give me any more contraceptive pill next time if I ask again I’m about to turn 51 and they’ll say they’ve already extended it a year and the last time she told me next time I have to go on HRT.

to be honest, I’m trying to keep me stable like I said I have a lot going on at the moment and I don’t want to be upsetting the Apple cart because either way changing your hormones can cause all sorts of problems

I being told the blood test for fsh isn’t reliable

I think I’ll probably try the combined patch and just see what happens. Had a bit of a look on the Internet last night and there’s no real way of working out what’s going to work for you unless you just try something. So it’s going to be a bit like changing pills again and I always used to hate that because something goes wrong every time so I don’t really need this to be honest at this time, but there’s not a lot I can do.

I'm on the combined patch after a surgical hysterectomy.

My menopause symptoms are non existent and I'm plodding along nicely.

I was previously on a combined pill and the headaches were horrific.

It's worked out nicely for me.

That sounds good
I’m glad that’s working out for you 😊