Am I about to be hit like a truck!

[Ginghamtablecloth]

So I’m 51. I have regular periods not massively heavy or light. Have minor PMT symptoms nothing out of the ordinary. I have a bit of muscle aches etc tennis elbow but again nothing I can’t cope with. I sleep well. Don’t have hot sweats etc. am a little anxious at times but again all manageable.

I was at lunch today with life long girl friends. 5 of us. The other 4 are all struggling. All on HRT. All reporting it helps etc. they reckon I’m putting my future health at risk by not taking it. I don’t take the pill or anything either and they think I’m heading for a big shock and it’s all going to hit me
like a truck!

my question is, has anyone gone through this to this stage and not needed HRT? Am I about to get the shock of my life? All advice and experiences welcome. Thanks x

I'm 52 and my periods are very irregular now (haven't had one since Feb). I'm not on HRT and I don't feel the need for it. I'm not completely symptomless - I get hot flushes and a bit of brain fog - but nothing too bad. Fingers crossed it will be ok for you OP.

I’m similar but I recommend Menopause Max for getting rid of the hot flushes.

@PygmyOwlwhen did they become irregular and when did flushes start? Also wondered are you worried about not being on HRT?

I couldn't take HRT as my mum died from advanced breast cancer. However, I pretty much sailed through it anyway, and wouldn't have needed it.

Hot flushes were pretty much dealt with by taking a supplement - Boots Menolieve (don't know if it exists any more!) which is based on black cohosh. My GP also recommended black cohosh.

I suppose the only 'symptom' I have now (some 14-15 years later) is that I don't sleep brilliantly. But as I'm retired and no longer have to worry about waking up early to go to work, I've just accepted that.

My GP who has a special interest in women’s health issues told me it would be better to my long term heath to go on HRT. I think when I started it I had
actually gone through the menopause. I have never had a hot flush or any other other obvious symptoms apart from no periods.

As with every part of a woman's life, experiences vary. I've been fine, period stopped at 50, hot flushes were so intense and frequent but that only lasted a handful of months. I've enjoyed the steadier hormones since menopause. Peri was much harder for me. Everything was inconsistent and intense and my skin, hair and nails changed massively such that I had to learn from scratch how to look after them. But it varies from person to person. I have two friends who had hot flushed for a decade each.

My mum sailed through. Hit me like a truck. Everyone's different. I would focus on bone health and increasing calcium

I’m 52 and I’m not on it. Like you I’m the only one in my friendship group who isn’t on HRT. I don’t know if menopause will hot at a billion miles an hour but I’m not taking HRT as a precaution. Is that even something that people do?

I think there are some women who start taking it to prevent any problems?

I'm not sure where I am, possibly early with period still close together

My older sister said some of it was hard in terms of motivation but that was it really.

Our mum didn't have any trouble, was relieved it was over, I don't feel obliged to take it

If I have any problems, then I might take it

I would rather wait till things happen, than take it as a preventative

I do weight training anyway, had a bone scan once and everything looks fine. They said it it's probably worth having one after menopause. But I don't know when that's gonna be yet.

I think there's a type of person who likes to say "you will have a terrible time because I did" and it's not fair really. I mean some women have a good health pregnancy and others don't.

I was rather annoyed when people said to me that you should take HRT just because they knew I had turned 50. I'll be in charge of my own health, thanks.

I’d just check you’ve had a mammogram before going on hrt.

I was still having periods and no sign of menopause. Then had my mammogram at 53 and found breast cancer. Mine was hormone receptive so explained why I wasn’t showing any signs of menopause.

After surgery and radiotherapy, I wasn’t given an estrogen inhibitor so went straight into menopause. Hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia was all awful. Obviously, couldn’t take hrt. I’m out the other side now though.

I’m not trying to scare you and I’m sure most women take hrt fine.

I've been in menopause for about 5 years and I've never had a hot flush or problems sleeping. It's not inevitable that you'll have a bad time with it.

I must be a freak of nature. I had a couple of hot sweats, and I mean two or three, then periods stopped just like that at 52, and then nothing, no symptoms of anything. I remember thinking at the time - well for a year or so that something will hit me like a train soon, but it never did.

I am a good bit older now, never needed HRT, but I do use Estriol cream just on the bits down there. Great for keeping UTIs at bay and helps so much with urgency and frequency wee wise.

The menopause years are not bad news for everyone.

Well I use HRT at 48 since 44. Horrendous bleeding, night sweats, moods a total disaster.

But I don't 'take' anything. Mirena coil for progesterone, oestrogen patch, testosterone gel and vaginal oestrogen.

Its amazing stuff.

My vaginal is now pink and healthy. I have a marvellous libido again, no more night sweats and I sleep like I did in my 20s.

@Anewuseroh my goodness! How awful for you. I hope you are ok now! I’ve had a call for screening I’m defo going to make an appointment now!

You might be mainly fine OP. I never needed HRT.

That’s brilliant to hear from you all thank you. I’m a bit more reassured I might get through unscathed.

58 and never taken HRT. Had hot flushes for about 12 months, unpleasant but got through it. Have regular bone scans and lift heavy weights. Take vitamin D and melatonin.
I appreciate everyone is different, but living in a country where only a minority take HRT, I find it hard to go along with the popular opinion in the UK that you are missing out if you don't take it.
Great if you need it and it suits you, but it's not obligatory once you hit a certain age.

Watch me be back here in 6 months with worse symptoms ever 😅😅😅

Plenty of women have few and manageable outward symptoms. HRT still offers protection against invisible ones like bone and muscle loss, but there are other things that can help with that if you prefer. It's all a balance of risk and benefit.

No, you're not necessarily going to! I was hit very hard, but I have 2 friends who have had no symptoms at all and are now 60, 2 other friends who had symptoms for a year or so but didn't take HRT and now don't have any problems.

Me? Without HRT I'd be dead or in prison.

They've been very irregular for about a year now (before that they were getting less predictable but still more or less regular). The hot flushes started a few months ago but they just don't bother me much - I get a wave of heat sweeping over me and then then it's fine. They are so brief that it doesn't matter if I'm in a work meeting or anything - I don't think anyone notices. I'm not worried about not being on HRT. My mum never needed it either and she's doing really well at 84.

I started taking it for the protective element of it - have never had any symptoms beyond a bit of getting hot though

I made it through without HRT. Did need tranexamic acid a couple of times in the final yr for heavy periods but otherwise no real symptoms.

My periods just stopped at 51. No HRT. No symptoms. I had had a few bouts of insomnia leading up to it, but that stopped too. Literally zero impact.

Even without uncomfortable symptoms, HRT has benefits for bone and heart health.
Worth discussing with your health care provider. You can wait no real rush.