How did HRT help you?

[kirinm]

I’ve just been in touch with my GP as I’m struggling with constant tiredness, achy body, lack of energy and low mood - along with periods starting to go a bit haywire.

I’m worried about the potential for HRT to make me gain even more weight - I’m struggling to lose at it is - but I’m hoping I’ll find some energy.

How did HRT help you and how long did it take?

It took about 6 months of tinkering with the prescription (patches and progesterone), but it worked wonders for me. I no longer wanted to throw myself off the roof of my house anymore, night sweats are few and far between, and I was mentally sound enough to shift 2 stone over 3 months (which I've kept off for 6 months now with ease). I turned 50 this year and I'm happier, fitter, slimmer and healthier than I've been for years.

It meant I could hold an intelligent conversation with people again and could exercise without excessive pain.
The joint pain eased within days. The brain fog took longer and was very gradual, maybe a couple of months, but it had been really hammering my confidence and I'd started to feel anxious.
The weird thing was the random stuff that it fixed - dry eyes, dry mouth, balance and quite a few things which I forget now, but it was unexpected at the time.
Edited to add insomnia, I used to wake up at 3am and struggle to get back to sleep, but it stopped quite quickly once I was on HRT.

This all sounds hugely positive. I think if I could get rid of the low energy, I’d be able to find some motivation to get back to exercising at least. I’m fortunate not to have insomnia or night sweats yet.

i’m also not depressed but just basically indifferent / lacking enthusiasm. My anxiety has been crazy though.

I have better sleep (no night sweats, no night time wees as I use vaginal oestrogen).

My skin looks better. People tell me it does.

My libido has improved. (testosterone).

Its does wonders for that too. My anxiety was through the roof. Heart palpitations, all sorts.

Is testosterone given as standard. That area of my life could do with seeing a vast improvement too!

It doesn't seem to be, from everything I read on here. Very much depends on the GP!

But you can buy it from superdrug or get a private consult and often GP will then take over the prescribing.

Not on the NHS, no. Private prescription is the way to go for that.

Pre hrt I was having hot flushes, night sweats, rage!, sore joints, insomnia, tired and pretty flat mood.
post hrt - I’m completely back to my normal self.

now I take testosterone too which has helped with libido. You won’t get testosterone until you are stable on the estrogen/progesterone. Some Gp prescribe it and some refer you to the menopause clinic.

Stopped my two periods a month and stopped my pmt that made me want to leave my husband and made me feel the only way to ease the pressure in my head was to hit it against the wall.

No weight gain.

Why would it make you bigger, out of interest?

And how much does it cost to go private? I think I need to also see my GP but anticipating an eye roll and a "try evening primrose oil" response.

I’ve just read that some people experience weight gain. I’m not sure that’s a known side effect but it’s one I could do without.

No idea about private costs I’m afraid. In 47 nearly 48 and I’m hoping I don’t get the brush off.

For me, HRT (2 pumps of gel + 2 utrogestan 12 days a month) -

Allowed me to sleep normally
Stopped my anxiety and depression (which was recent)
Restored my energy levels to those of 5 years ago
Resolved long-standing aches, pains and injuries

What it did not do:

Thicken my hair back up (booo)
Make me lose / or gain weight
Make any difference to sex drive

However, now I've added Mounjaro to the mix as well I am the lightest I have been in a decade. A super-combo!

I would not be without HRT. MH & sleep stuff resolved within DAYS, energy and long standing injuries within a month or two.

Did they recommend weight loss jabs for you too?

No I recommended them to myself! Though my GP was very positive about it.

I am praying for this. My life is close to imploding because of the MH issues and if I could just get on top of those I can wrestle most of the rest ofnit under control and cope with the things I can't, but right now I'm a mess.

Sorry for hijacking.
Im 42 and on day 3 of 50mg patches and 100mg continuous utrogestan. GP was really on board with it, but then ive been in and out for months with the same things and they tried contraceptive pill and anti depressants and beta blockers, none of which fixed.

What was the reasoning for continuous rather than sequential utrogestan @Backinthedress ?

(not a medic so not suggesting it's wrong)

I was taking the progesterone only mini pill continuously, for a start, so that was a similar approach. I have ADHD, so anything to reduce complicating medication timetables was a second reason. Finally the mood thing - want to try and keep hormones as stable as possible to reduce mood swings.

Talked all options through v thoroughly with my GP

@Backinthedress ah I see - makes sense. My GP has now offered me continuous, but I love the 2 pills together as they make me super sleepy, right at the time of the month when my sleep typically worsens.

I had awful low moods and sometimes a rage inside, and just didn't feel at all like me. It has helped with that enormously.
I was losing a lot of hair, it's also helped with that.
My brain fog was really bad, and it has improved.
The quality of my sleep was awful and I was constantly tired. It has definitely helped with my sleep.
I'm struggling with menopausal weight gain and working hard to lose it. I don't think I would have been in the right mind frame to do it before HRT.

The first improvement i noticed was that i could take my dd in to a chlorinated swimming pool without my vagina burning up. I hadn't realised quite how uncomfortable taking her swimming was until the symptom had resolved.

It took 18 months to get me on a high enough dose, and i am still struggling to get my very low testosterone levels up at all (I'm under endocrinology as it might not just be straightforward early menopause). But i can now sleep (yeh!), rarely have night sweats or hot flushes, itching (pubic mons and ears) is mostly under control but does still flare up now and then, still struggle with fatigue (but this is likely due to wider endocrine problems), can wear contact lenses again when i need them (which is handy), brain fog (in the form of not being able to recall names) is much improved but still frustratingly present, anxiety has improved.

I started with oestrogen/progesterone - gave me back my life, really. Sleep improved; tiredness went; mood picked up. Etc.
A year later I added testosterone, when tiredness licked in and libido plunged.
Back to feeling myself now.

There is no specific weight gain with HRT - as ever it is mostly about what you eat. Metabolism does slow down in peri/menopause - so this is why women start growing tires around our midriff.

HRT helps me have energy and motivation to both eat less and exercise.

Helped with anxiety, night sweats and the feeling of wanting to throw a frying pan at my husband when he queried something of no consequence at all. The Rage.

Also helped with sleep.

I started HRT in early 40s - and went on to the Mirena for the progesterone part when the pills with progesterone were making me unbelievably depressed for a large part of the month. The Mirena doesn't do that.

I stopped HRT in early 50s and apart from the odd hot flush and not sleeping - I feel OK off it. I'd like to still be on it for various health reasons (dementia and heat protection) but on balance due to some breast tissue changes it's probably better I'm not on it.

I was on testosterone for a while as well - prescribed by the hospital gynae - and that worked well!

I probably put on a bit of weight but it's hard to know whether I would have anyway ... but it was better to be a bit heaview and have the symptoms allieviated.

Hi op. I'm 42 and have been prescribed 2 pumps of estrogen gel each day and progesterone tablets for 2 weeks each month (due to start taking the latter for the first time tomorrow) so, early days I realise.

Very quickly, I've been sleeping much better and my sweating, low energy and anxiety have improved. I have yet to see how the progesterone affects me.

Definitely give it a go if you want to.

HRT (patches and coil) helped enormously, for me it was brain fog, anxiety (which I'd never had until I got menopause) and insomnia that was the most debilitating, I started to feel better within hours of starting (could have been a placebo effect, I don't care! I felt so much better). I've had the patch does increased since I started which helped again.

One thing I would recommend when going to the doctors is to ask for the menopause specialist rather than just a doctors appointment, also, go in with a list of your symptoms, written down if it helps. My nurse took 1 look at my age, 1 look at my list and took me seriously, she outlined all the options open to me and was really helpful, I also know how lucky I was.