Thinking of stopping HRT - worried it may affect sex

[lightnesspixie]

I’ve been on the combined patch for four years. It helped control some of the symptoms such as sweats and anxiety while I was working. I am now retired and have been thinking of stopping it. I have gained weight on it. My main worry though is would it mean that sex with my partner becomes more difficult? We still have a healthy sex life and this worries me. I am 59. I would love to hear ppls stories of them stopping and effects it had.

You could still have vaginal oestrogen (ie Ovestin or estriol cream) if you stopped the systemic HRT and that should help with dryness etc. For me personally (as someone who’s come on and off HRT many times for medical reasons) coming off the HRT makes me less inclined to want to have sex, but the actual physical dynamics of it aren’t affected as long as I keep the vaginal oestrogen up.

Does this need prescribing by GP?

It can be prescribed, yes but I think you can also buy it from some pharmacies or something called Gina which is very similar (have a google; I may be wrong). If you can get it prescribed though I would do that.