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Menopause

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Increasing HRT dose?

6 replies

Y0gamummy · 20/10/2025 19:32

Is this something that you need to do after a certain amount of time? As you get deeper into the trenches of peri? I started HRT 18 months ago, aged 45, after suffering a whole range of symptoms for a few years. Noticed a positive difference within a week and have generally had a very good experience. My worst symptom was the rage and low mood for anything up to 10 days before my period. HRT really helped but I feel like that particular symptom has worsened again. At my sister's wedding last week I was in tears and on the verge of telling her and my DH that my own marriage was over. Fast forward a week and sanity has returned. I'm on two pumps of oestragel, then progesterone tablets for 14 days of my cycle. Is it likely that will need to be increased at any point? Wondering if worsening of symptoms would be the reason for that. Only other change is that my periods have become super short and light in last few months so I feel like maybe I'm moving a little closer to menopause itself. For context, my mum went through menopause early-ish, all done with by 47.

OP posts:
Bearsinmotion · 21/10/2025 03:39

I can't answer this but I am in the same position, hence being awake at 3am! I was having panic attacks and feeling very low as well as very poor sleep. I am not as bad as I was before HRT but not as good as when I started...

LeftHandedPopcornScooper · 22/10/2025 15:38

I've no idea, I'm only 5 months in and requested a follow up GP appointment but I've been fobbed off with seeing the pharmacist instead of the women's specialist GP who was the one that asked me to make the appointment in the first place. My sleep is back to pre-HRT shittiness and I'm easily irritated again, and although I'm on combi patches my periods appear to have stopped. I can't imagine that's within the expertise of a pharmacist though.

Beentooworriedtospeak · 22/10/2025 16:23

Yes, I have 'moved up' strength once and found it improved the horrible symptoms that were returning after approx a year and a half. Currently being reviewed as I have requested another move up due to symptoms returning again after another year. Both times (starting and going up) symptoms were massively relieved so I am very much hoping the current review agrees with me that I need to go up.

JinglingSpringbells · 22/10/2025 16:36

It's very normal to have to increase the dose @Y0gamummy
You're quite young to start with and it's more usual that younger women need a little more to top-up compared to older women in their 60s etc.

You are supposed to have an annual review with your GP- the onus is on them to call you in- and some women have 6-monthly reviews for HRT.

Maybe make an appt? It's also ok to up the dose yourself by half or 1 pump to start with- the leaflet says the dose is 1 - 4 pumps and 2 is 'medium' and your GP ought to have told you that you can increase it if necessary.

If you get to very high doses, like 4 pumps, you may need a little more progesterone so something else to talk to your GP about.

Y0gamummy · 24/10/2025 13:02

Thanks all! I didn't realise I could just amend the number of pumps myself so I'll try that this month, increasing from 2 to 3, see how it feels.

OP posts:
EEMAW · 05/11/2025 10:00

I’m 1 week in on on 1 pump a night (with a Mirena coil) but I’m still hot flushing, my GP is going to review me in a month, but can I go ahead and up the dose myself? Or is one week too early to tell? X

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