Has anyone NOT been on HRT? Has the menopause been ok if so?

[ForeverDelayedEpiphany]

I'm 44, and think my body has been in perimenopause since my youngest daughter was born in 2020.

Literally textbook symptoms, itchy ears, hot flushes, weird tingling, itchy skin, horrible palpitations and awful waves of anxiety, much worse migraines, dry eyes, thinner hair... it's not been too good, but it's been bearable.

The thing is, I am extremely sensitive to medication side effects, especially ones that affect the endocrine system. I have a medication induced neurological involuntary movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia that is like Tourette's and Parkinson's disease combined (and was caused by an off label antipsychotic). When I had to use some antifungal cream for thrush after breastfeeding once, it made my involuntary movements worse (as I think it is probably something that affects oestrogen and therefore dopamine receptors (.

Anyway, my rambling post is basically a way of saying I'm not sure about HRT but perimenopause symptoms aren't really great and seem to be getting worse.

Has anyone been through the menopause but not taken HRT? If so, how are you doing? Has it been ok?

Same here - no need for HRT

Was on it, for 2 years, then came off. Very sensitive here too.
I’m seeing a dietary therapist who has assessed my bloods and DNA. Shes prescribing me various supplements and a high protein/ low carb diet. Am also getting into weights -its been a slow process!
Feeling much better. Still have ups and downs, but much less mad than being on HRT.

I don't consider bioidentical hormones (estradiol gel, micronized progesterone) to be medication in that sense. I am simply replacing hormones that I've become deficient in, and which I need for long-term heart, bone, brain and muscle health. I'd be more wary of synthetic hormones, though.

I didn't take HRT but I didn't really have many symptoms, the occasional hot flush at night, that woke me up, but that was all. So I didn't need it.

A good thing too, because I was diagnosed with bc at 58. That's sorted now, I've gone back to normal, except now I take a hormone suppressant.

Was peri menopausal in my late 40s, hot flushes, flooding and night sweats were all annoying but easily manageable.

Then those symptoms died away and I went on having regular but light periods for about 10 more years (very annoying) then they stopped too and I feel fine (apart from the dreaded meno tummy fat!)

Never went to the doctors never had HRT, but I am osteopenic and am under treatment for that. I eat a good diet and exercise regularly.

No HRT here either. Minimal symptoms

I’m 54, no HRT - exercise four to five times a week, don’t drink and watch what I eat and avoid sugar I feel stronger than I ever have -I feel that the work to feeling well in your 50s and beyond menopause is about taking care of yourself - if you do that it’s amazing

I’m 58, 2 years since my final period. I didn’t realise I was perimenopausal tbh, I had periods until one day I didn’t. Looking back I was low mood but I hated my job and put it down to that at the time. I’ve had no HRT but I’m a big supporter of it for woman’s health, take it if you need to and power to you.

I didn’t take any HRT - my only problem was an insatiable appetite for sex!

Thanks very much, I had no idea! Just got ChatGPT to research a few options and looks as though my local Nuffield offers a standard DEXA so whilst annoying I have to pay approx £150 for it, at least if issues are identified, it will result in my GP addressing it via the NHS 🙏🏽

@ForeverDelayedEpiphany If you decide to look for a specialist, there is one who contributes to research on HRT at a high level- for the British Menopause Society (he's on their website with a bite-size video) and is a consultant in metabolic disorders/endocrinologist and HRT.

I can PM you his details or link to the video where he is discussing various aspects of menopause and for example, bone health.

Many of these consultants now work by video.

They are not hugely expensive as they only need doing every 3 years.

For a couple of years from 55-57, I was very tired, had hot flushes and restless legs.

I didn’t take HRT, partly because I couldn’t get a GP appointment and partly because it never got THAT bad.

Out the other end and haven’t felt or looked better for years!!

What! Where are you?

I'm 66, in England, have annual health checks at my GP, have been on blood pressure meds for 20 years, and have mammograms, smears, bowel cancer checks, shingles jabs, flu jabs, Covid jabs, etc. as and when.

Plus I'm post menopausal, never had HRT (despite asking for it) and just got Vagifem (topical estrogen). Luckily, as far as I can tell, I have very obliging hormones and my periods just slowed down and then stopped. My hair defnitely thinned, <sniff>. Good luck, all. Being an aging female is NOT an illness. 👌

Yes, I was cranky but am now fine. I use topical estrogen and generally feel great. Same for lots of 50 and 60 something women I know.

I’m going it unassisted because frankly I can’t get a doctors appointment.

Periods stopped at 50 and within 4 months everything fell apart. Every joint ached , skin and hair terrible and I aged overnight. I even thought I was having a heart attack but A &E said it was probably menopause related.
4 years later I take it easier. I’m a bit hunched and stiff but thd pains mostly gone . I don’t care that I look old anymore now the aches have ( mistly) gone.

Sorry to hear that, that's rubbish. A non-traumatic fracture like that should definitely trigger investigations. I agree with JinglingSpringbells that a private DEXA scan is a good idea if you can afford it. Otherwise, can you get your GP to try again, perhaps at a different hospital? The Royal Osteoporosis Society has some great resources and I would also recommend Margaret Martin (Melioguide) and Brick House Bones for advice on exercising to maintain and even build bone density.

Thank you thats v helpful advice.

Yes, I have an emergency savings fund so will dip onto that rather than wait several weeks again. What’s worse is that I’ve already wasted about 6m waiting. I regularly rang my GP reception for updates on what’s happening and receptionist kept saying you’re still on the DEXA referral waiting list to be seen so I thought I was approved! However, I mentioned it to my GP at a face to face appointment that I’d been on the waiting list forever and they then went into the hospitals own database and said ‘oh, they’ve rejected it’ and apparently they’d decided that months ago but not thought to inform my GP 🤦🏻‍♀️.

Im 62, had last period at 49. Never took hrt. I had awful symptoms in perimenopause, vicious migraines that were very debilitating. I ended up going to a Chinese doctor and had a 6 week course of herbs, acupressure and acupuncture which gave me a whole new lease of life. After that, I carried on with a monthly acupuncture top up. For the hot flashes I used sage drops which reduced them by about 90%. I was finished with symptoms by about age 53 or 54. Apparently regular acupuncture speeds up the process. My diet for years has mostly been organic, whole food, nothing processed or sugary, which I think is really important. I also found cutting out alcohol and coffee helped massively. At one stage I was drinking a cocktail of pineapple juice, flax seed oil and soy lecithin (recommended by that american dr, Christa something?) which seemed to stabilise me emotionally, but I stopped when I read something about flax oil affecting the thyroid. It's worth researching natural remedies and trying a few to see how they work for you personally. Or consult a herbalist, if you have concerns about possible reactions. Good luck!

I would speak to a specialist if you can....I thought I would struggle on HRT as I ALWAYS had a torrid time on the pill so thought I was very sensitive. However, that was absolutely not the case and I love love love my hrt. Still a bit itchy at times but I feel myself again, night sweats completely gone, mood better by far and libido has returned. I feel like me again which is worth its weight in gold to me. Good luck OP.

My periods stopped when I was 40, im 49 now and fine. I did go on HRT for a year or so early on but I put on a stone I couldn’t shift so stopped it. Came off, stone dropped off and I’m fine now.

you can have HRT but you can also have meds to tackle the symptoms of peri/meno as well. eg propranolol for palpitations, venlafaxine for hot flushes I think amongst other things.

Speak to a knowledgeable doctor who can give you all your options.

Im currently managing through lifestyle changes which definitely help (because if I don’t follow them religiously I do know about it). Good quality sleep is a must (magnesium cream, window open, spare room works for me), exercise (rage outlet mainly), Pilates, avoiding people I don’t like as much as I can, writing things down and reducing commitments. I also have the coil fitted (which I hate) to reduce the flooding.

The trouble is you don’t know how bad it’s going to be and how long it’s going to last.

Good luck.

No HRT. Other than maybe 2 or 3 sudden floods and a few night flushes I didn’t even notice menopause. Oddly, I had my last monthly period at 50 and then one 12 months later and nothing since. No mood swings or odd pains at all. I know I’m very lucky.

I'm 66 and never had HRT because there was no reason to consider it. Other than feeling hot a few times I had no other symptoms at all.

I’ve never had HRT. Meno had some very mild brief hot flushes but that’s all and I just ignored them