What age did you start HRT and what symptoms made you try it?

[ForLoveNotMoney]

And did it help?

I have a Drs appointment next Friday as part of me feels its time whilst another part is scared to start.

Currently have crippling anxiety and poor sleep that I just cant relieve with lifestyle or supplements. Definitely don't want to get fobbed off with antidepressants!

Did you have side effects? Did it help? I just want so sleep and to not feel in an adrenaline rush 24/7.

Anyone suffering with itchy ears, you can apply a small amount of Ovestin local oestrogen cream to the inside of your ears with a cotton bud. It really helps!

I started hrt last year at 44 as my periods changed and I started having hot flushes, but in retrospect I had been experiencing changes for years, including brain fog, joint pain, crushing fatigue. Also restless legs, and muscle twitching. And so emotional with ridiculous limerance! Hrt has helped all this although not a magic cure.

The biggest symptom was my mental health. Absolutely crushing anxiety! I feel at my best when I'm in the second half on my cycle and taking Utrogestan, it makes me feel so much better, probably because I sleep well. I am going to ask the GP if I can take it daily once I get a Mirena fitted at the end of the month for heavy bleeding.

Edited to add, I also swear by coconut oil as a daily intimate moisturiser!

First 2 pumps of oestrogel has been applied!

50. Constant hot flushes and was completely miserable all the time. Woke up feeling sad and full of despair every day. It's made me feel like myself again.

I was 54ish but should definitely have started sooner, the symptoms creep up on you.

45 I tried- got fobbed off with antidepressants. I knew he would, male GP.

My periods are still regular, but night sweats on occasion, hot flushes, weight gain, RAGE!
I didn’t realise you could buy them OTC if that helps anyone.

I'm 43 and about to start it tomorrow, symptoms started about two ago years now of anxiety, depressive moods, brain fog and just a general feeling of meh! First doctor said I was depressed and wanted to prescribe me ssri's. I said no thank you.

Two years on and still the same but adding periods going a bit awry and heavy, joint pain, getting warmer (not quite flushes) crying a lot and a lot of rage (though tbf I've always been a bit ragey) A different doc said lets try it for 3 months and see what happens, no harm.

Got Evorel Sequi patches to try, hopefully they offer some improvement otherwise I don't know what the hell I'll do

I’m in the same boat about to start those patches in the next few days just waiting for period

I have had 3 days of Oestrogel now. Still very much anxiety laden but I think there might have been a slight improvement. Rage has gone but I have just got my period so that will probably explain that. I know it is very early days but I am hopeful this is going to help.

I am not looking forward to the progesterone phase as have always hated the side effects from the POP so haven't taken that for years. I know it's a different type and bio identical so hopefully it wont be too bad.

50 because of extreme headaches before periods and lack of libido.

Looking back it also fixed a lot of symptoms I just hadn’t acknowledged as menopause and just attributed to being busy, old and tired - not finding the right word, sadness, saggy jowls, loss of looks and night sweats.

49 and about to start patches (I’ve had mirena for years)
God, I hope it’ll help. I’m a children’s social worker and really struggling with fatigue, no sleep and crippling joint pain in my feet. I already have an autoimmune disorder, chronic pain condition and ADHD so I have no idea how I’ve been managing.

At 53 I had almost every symptom on the list without realising. Went to GP repeatedly with my stiff back saying I was waking every night in pain at 3am and asked if HRT might help considering that stiff joints might be a symptom.

God every GP I saw about it was terrible until I happened to get an appointment with a locum, who referred me to the menopause clinic.

The absolute last straw was sitting on the sofa getting hot/cold flushes in 10 minute cycles. I couldn’t sit still, was taking off/putting on clothing constantly. Within a few days of starting patches, the sleep, joint and hot flush issues had resolved almost entirely.

I still have symptoms (no libido, no energy, existential dread lol) which remain despite tweaking doses and products. The Mirena was a huge improvement over Utrogestan. I’m grateful for the relief that HRT provides even if it isn’t perfect resolution.

I agree. I didn't realise that a lot of my aches and pains were HRT related. At 51 I could barely walk up the stairs, it was ridiculous. My knees, hips and back were so painful. I bought a new bed when I moved into my house (back in April) and I couldn't get comfy in it. I was blaming the bed, but it was actually my body.

And the sweats. Phew. Like you I was on and off with clothing. I started off getting the hot flushes from around 9pm and then all night long. It was cold in the bedroom and yet I still had the fan on pointed at me (not that it did anything). My poor partner couldn't sleep as he was frozen stiff - but you could have fried an egg on my left bum cheek. Then the sweating started earlier and earlier until it was pretty much all day.

I was started on one pump of gel a day and a tablet at night, and within 3 days I was feeling great again. Unfortunately after 3 months the symptoms started to come back, so I have just upped it to two pumps of gel. I now feel happy again. I didn't realise that my moods had also dipped in the last few weeks and I was constantly sad and lethargic. I think things creep up on you, and you don't realise yourself until your dose changes and suddenly you start to see the sunshine again.

For me it was crippling anxiety. I have often been prone to anxiety anyway, but it really ramped up in my early forties. I would wake up with a start every morning- heart racing and an awful sense of doom. I felt I just couldn’t face the day- every day, even when I had the day off work or there was something nice planned.

The only physical symptom I had was stiff and achy hands. Sometimes one finger would get ‘stuck’ and I’d have to manually manipulate it to get it moving again.

HRT has worked amazingly well on the anxiety- I feel able to cope again and I don’t get that awful doom feeling in the morning. I do still get anxious and irritable too, but it’s so much better than it was. The hand stiffness has improved too- not perfect but much better.

Belladog1 I was lucky, I didn’t get sweaty flushes, more like sunburn: hot and cold and hot and cold in 10 minute cycles. I felt sick and emotional at the same time, it was more of a full body phenomenon than just feeling hot.

I was in a shop once and the woman working there was beetroot purple and mopping her dripping face with a hankie and the penny dropped that hot flushes (which I wasn’t yet having) weren’t just feeling a bit warm 🔥🥵🔥

@ForLoveNotMoney how are you getting on? My results came back ok from the blood tests do I have the prescription to start today 😬🙈

Hi, just wanted to ask if anyone has symptoms of feeling very unwell (flu like) but comes and goes, can be great one day then awful the next and has triggered my IBS like never before.

I was 52. I’d had one ovary removed, was still ovulating, but was a sweaty insomniac with tendonitis and painful joints. We took a long haul flight and my Achilles tendons were inflamed and rock hard. Plantar fasciitis. Weight gain. Anger! Dry vagina, no sensation in my clit. Libido on the floor.

started Oestrogen patches, then gel, progesterone, oestrogen vaginal cream and testosterone. Also made lifestyle changes- stopped drinking, took up more fulfilling pastimes, better exercise regimes which included more weights and resistance. Lost the extra weight, got strong and flexible again, wanted to shag DH again. Sleep improved. Skin, hair, mood all improved.

HRT will help with a lot of midlife crap, where it’s hormone-related, and I plan never to come off it. But it will not change your stroppy, school- rejecting adolescent spawn, your increasingly dependent parents or make you richer. You can probably cope better with these things though when your hormones aren’t through the floor!

I am feeling loads better!

My mood and sleep have improved. Nights sweats are better but still get them occasionally In the day. My anxiety feeling is still there but is improving.

Overall I feel better and I am 13 days in on oestrogel. Start he progesterone phase on Saturday and not looking forward to that

I was 53. I had been having hot flushes and irrational rage for about 4 months. GP gave me HRT combined tablets and I felt better within 3 days!

I'm day 12 and my peri brain has already got me mixed up as to which patch I'm putting on and when 😫

I do feel a bit calmer than usual, but the brain fog is somewhat present still 😂

My sleep has immediately improved. Even if I wake at 4am I can actually get back to sleep! Otherwise I feel quite crazy, I’m having horrendous mood swings, can anyone say if this is normal and will settle down? Help!

Love this post! SO true 😆

Just to update! The progesterone has been absolutely fine. No side effects at all. Slight tender boobs but that’s what I get anyway.

Anxiety is definitely improving but still there. It’s more in mild bursts now than constant. Sleeping fab, mood improved, energy increased so overall happy!

Glad you were doing some well, OP.

Any more updates?

The last few weeks have been hard. I’ve got an incredible amount of stress right now and my anxiety has been through the roof. The HRT has not touched it, but I’ve also survived. Not lost my temper, had the strength to carry on and been calm, so I’m hopeful it’s situational and will resolve when the stress eases as it was much better the first month.

My hot flushes, dizziness, brain fog etc have all resolved. Sleep is better but disturbed by the stress. I have lost another 3kg without tying since I lost 3stone. Got to my goal weight of 59kgs and been there months. Since starting HRT two months ago I am now 56kg without even trying! So that’s a win.

Hair loss hasn’t really improved but think my skin has.So overall it’s a big improvement. Should hopefully get answers to either relieve my stress or make it worse in the next couple of weeks.

Have considered asking for an increase in oestrogen dose but want to wait until I’m emotionally on an even keel before I make that decision.