Thinking of stopping HRT

[Biomic]

I started sequential HRT three years ago. I’m 50 now. Although it helped almost immediately with joint pain, insomnia, hot flushes etc.. I’ve experienced periods of intense brain fog, anxiety, bloating, sore breasts, weight gain and night sweats which have led to me now being on highest estrogen dose, as well as progesterone. Tried daily progesterone and felt dreadful. Also tried testosterone and didn’t get on with it.
There is no meno specialist GP at my surgery and whilst the GPs I have seen have been helpful, it is always in regard to tinkering with dosage.
Ive been looking at symptoms of high HRT estrogen/progesterone and all of my “fluctuations”leading to increased dosage could be explained by either or both. I’m seriously considering just coming off it all.
Anyone else had success this way? I’m fed up trying to get the dose right and ending up feeling worse a few months down the line.
I wish there was a positive post menopause forum, as any online information is mostly doom and gloom about peri/menopause and how you need HRT. I’m starting to think maybe I just don’t.

I am 58, post menopausal for about 10 years. I’ve not taken HRT as didn’t find my symptoms outweighed the albeit low risks. Apart from night sweats and flushes, I haven’t really experienced any other issues. I did take menopace for a while but didn’t really find any difference. So it is doable by managing symptoms.. though I appreciate everyone has different experiences.

Thanks for responding, I don’t have many people to ask about post menopause. Everyone I know is very pro-HRT, which I was too. I’m going to look in to alternatives and coming off it. I’m almost scared to do it, as there seems to be a very pro HRT message in MSM at the moment. There certainly was when I started.

I’ve experienced periods of intense brain fog, anxiety, bloating, sore breasts, weight gain and night sweats which have led to me now being on highest estrogen dose, as well as progesterone. Tried daily progesterone and felt dreadful. Also tried testosterone and didn’t get on with it.

What type are you on and what dose?

It's not always as simple as upping the dose.
You need to consider the type (pills, patches, gel) and all 4 different available types of progesterone.

Maybe the best thing is to stop and then restart if you have symptoms. My consultant suggests a break to see if symptoms are still there.

You did start HRT relatively young - I was in my early 50s and almost post meno before I started it. I've tried stopping a couple of times (or reducing the dose to next to nothing) and my symptoms were still there, 15 years on, so I've carried on.

I have had no side effects at all, just the end of night sweats, insomnia and flushes. I started on a very low dose and worked up over around 6 months.

You can just try and see how you go. If you feel you need to try it again it may be worth seeing someone privately if you can afford to, as many GPs don't know all the options.

Im not anti HRT and if I felt it would have been a benefit to me, I would have looked into it. but having weighed it up decided going through what you have with the side effects and trying to balance the dose wasn’t worth it. I still have the same energy, a reasonably big job which I manage fine and no joint pain etc. I do exercise more with weights and eat more carefully as I can put weight on by looking at food now.. but apart from that and wearing clothes in layers , I haven’t made any other changes. If you do come off it and find yourself better on it, you can always start again. . I hope you soon find what suits you best and have a better quality of life without the hormonal symptoms.

Thanks both. I’ve tried lots of options and feel overloaded with HRT currently. I’m on Evorel patches 100 and 12 days Uttogestan tablets. Have been on various doses of patches and gels over the past three years. It’s comforting to think that I could come off it all and that there is always an option to restart in the future if symptoms become unmanageable.

I took Femoston conti at the lowest dose from being around 47, periods had stopped but had terrible hot flushes, night sweats, brain fog etc. I was on it for about 7-8 years and came of 2 years ago as GP suggested the benefits of continuing might not outweigh risks, or I might find I don’t need it anymore. I’ve been fine without it, still have the odd hot flush and sleep could be better but nothing unmanageable. Plenty of exercise and general healthy eating keeps weight generally under control (though always a challenge)