The contraceptive pill instead of HRT

[theblackradiator]

Hi. im late 40s and definitely in fully swing of peri menopause, I currently have every symptom except hot flushes. im not on HRT and nurse at my gp would not prescribe it until I have started with the hot flushes. im suffering with awful PMT since peri which is causing awful anxiety, I really feel the change in myself at this time each month and it is awful to cope with.
Would taking the contraceptive pill help with peri symptoms? Can it be used as a replacement for HRT?
Apparently HRT and the pill cannot be taken together so what are women using for contraception at this time, or is it just condoms as its recommended women still use contraception to prevent pregnancy up until 51.

I would say you need to go back to the GP (or another one in the practice) and ask again for HRT with the NICE guidance in hand.
(Sorry to hear you are feeling rotten).

I agree, go to a different GP or go private. Your logic is right, you could go on the combined pill but the hormone levels are very high in the pill compared to HRT, so HRT would be much safer. A combination of slynd and estrogen would give you contraception, so would the mirena coil + estrogen. But you need to speak to a professional that takes peri-menopause and menopause seriously, and who will discuss your options based on your circumstances. Good luck and persist!

That nurse is wrong. Not everyone has hot flushes. I’ve only just started having them and I’m 55 and been on HRT for a while. I have a Mirena coil for progesterone and estrogen gel which I’ve had since I was 48. . There are lots of other options.

I use the combined pill for HRT reasons. It works brilliantly for me. However you can only oy take it till you are 50 and I am already panicking with 2 years to go what to go on when I reach that age! I tried traditional HRT and it really didnt agree with me, especially the progesterone part. But the combined pill, no side effects at all.

Yes, see the GP not the nurse. Nurses are brilliant for so many things but you want a GP for this, ideally one with a special interest in menopause. Going with the NICE guidance is good advice, even just on your phone so you can bone up before you go in.

Our Nurse Practitioner is the person at our surgery prescribing HRT. Though she wouldn't have resisted prescribing it in the OP's situation.

Thank you all for your replies.
I'm actually quite nervous about going on HRT. my mum had to stop taking it about 20 years ago after a she developed a few breast cysts then she developed the early stages of breast cancer that required surgery she wasn't allowed to take it after that.
Makes me wary of taking it myself as you can imagine.

Your mum would probably have been on a form of HRT probably not prescribed now. Modern forms are safer.

The pill is a synthetic form of hormones and HRT is the body identical safer forms. I don’t understand why people are happy to be on the pill for 20 years and then refuse to take HRT because they don’t think it’s safe.

I understand if HRT doesn’t agree with you. But the levels of hormones are much higher in the pill and HRT can also be transdermal which is safer.

All the studies with regards to breast cancer risk were done on the older, synthetic forms of HRT (which are like the pill….).

Just tell her the hot flushes have started.

Hot flushes were the last symptom for me - once I was through Peri and my periods had stopped. I guess by that point my oestrogen was in the floor and I’d suffered other symptoms for years.

Doctors are so uneducated in this area. Just say you are having hot flushes if that’s what they really need to hear.

I could've writen this myself, except I'm 4 years until 50. I did try HRT the femoston conti pills. They were absolutely awful for me, brain fog, huge wright gain in 4 weeks, the most painful breasts I've ever experienced... I can honestly say I really wouldn't ever want to try them again.

I was prescribed the pill at 50 instead of HRT. It did nothing for my symptoms.

The combined pill is riskier than the modern forms of HRT in terms of blood clots, cancer risks etc. It’s bizarre your healthcare provider doesn’t realise this. If you have menopausal symptoms NICE guidelines state you should be offered HRT. That’s the bottom line.

I would strongly recommend that if you can you go private for a blood test … the NHS will only prescribe oestrogen and progesterone combined HRT. Ofen in perimenopause all the symptoms such as low mood, energy, itchy skin, muscle soreness etc is down to low progesterone. Often not picked up by a standard menopause blood test that only looks at oestrogen. The pill uses synthetic hormones which do not treat menopause symptoms such as low mood anxiety etc. only the bioidentical hormones in HRT can do that. Also synthetic hormones in the pill can come with disable risk of blood clots etc which is why most GPs don’t like women to have the combined pill into late 40s. This risk is not the case with bioidentical hormones. Furthermore bioidentical hormones will protect you in the same way your natural hormones do (ie against heart disease, dementia etc). The NHS does prescribe these but only once facing menopause and in the form of oestrogen and progesterone. You can have a copper coil fitted for contraception, or if you end up only needing progesterone you can take these mini-pill as well as progesterone HRT. I recommend the London Hormone Clinic - not going to lie first appointment is expensive to get bloods done, but cost of medication thereafter is reasonable.