Has anyone successfully come off of HRT?

[SheIsMenopausal]

I’ve been on HRT for a few years and wondered if I might be over the symptoms so I stopped it; everything seemed to be going ok for a about a month then the hot flushes came back and waking up every 3 hours in the night. Brain fog hadn’t come back though and aches and pains weren’t so bad; anyway I’ve gone back on it again…but I’m wondering if you reach a point where you stop taking it and be symptoms free?

Hi There, we're no medical experts but wanted to bump your thread - there's sure to be someone else in the same position who has some advice for you....

Apparently it varies by woman. Some women stop HRT and their symptoms don’t return. Others they do eg hot flush.
My understanding is the new guidance is that you can stay on it until you die. A Cancer diagnosis can change that though.

I keep trying but all the symptoms come back after about 3 weeks.

I cut it down to one tablet every 3rd day last year, which works well. Two months approx ago I cut down to one tablet every 4th day, but all my symptoms came back, so I'm back up to every 3rd day again. I've been doing this since April/May 2025, so I think I'm going to be on it forever.

How long have you been on it for in total if you don't mind me asking? I was actually thinking about reducing my dose next to see if that would work.

Yes. I still have periodic hot flushes- maybe one a day- but otherwise, no symptoms. No aches or pains, no brain fog or not much anyway.
I am planning to get a DEXA scan soon for my bone health.

That's encouraging to know, thank you How long were you on it for in total?

Why would anyone want to come off it? You will never get back to a pre menopausal hormonal state.

I'll need vaginal oestrogen forever and I'm assuming I'll keep putting on patches and having my coil changed for many many years to come.

I've been on it for 4yrs and at 48 I can't ever imagine a time where I'll want to go back to night sweats.

Yes, why would anyone want to come off it?

The preventative health benefits are massive and evidence-based. The guidance now is you stay on it for life. The risk is not about taking HRT, it's about NOT taking HRT.

About 2.5 years.

Not if you’ve been advised to come off it due to atypical ductal hyperplasia or worse - an estrogen receptive cancer diagnosis.

I guess I'd just rather not put it in my body if the reasons that I went on it for are no longer present.

The side effects, the spotting and wanting to avoid dealing with HCPs.

I've been on it for 13 years.

@SillyG yes I suppose if it doesn't suit you then I can understand! (and obvs to the pp Re cancer obviously I can imagine choosing to come off it in that scenario though I think I'd fight to stay on it as I was in a very bad way pre HRT).

For me I can only see benefits, once I'd got rid of the utrogestan and swapped to a coil, there were no side effects.

High libido due to testosterone
No night sweats anymore
Sleep through the night again
Don't wee all the time thanks to estriol cream

I wouldn't give any of these things up in a hurry. My mum had no HRT and still doesn't sleep properly 40yrs post meno.

I have no labido, despite being on testosterone.
Hot flushes/insomnia despite 3mg of Elleste Solo.
Progesterone intolerant so on Slynd, spotting for 4 months so far.

I started HRT due to premature menopause but in all honesty I don't care about the benefits or risks, I just want to be able to function.

But HRT is body identical hormones - exactly the same natural hormones that your body produces all it's life. It's when they stop that everything starts to go wrong.

Oestrogen is anti-inflammatory. Preventative benefits against Osteoporosis, heart disease, dementia, autoimmune diseases, diabete, cancers etc.

It is licensed for the treatment of Osteoporosis. Evidence shows that it is better than statins or BP meds at reducing the risk of cardiac disease & events. This is why the advice is to stay on it.

Visit the Balance website/ apps. Have a listen to some of the podcasts and read the information leaflets etc.

Yes I'm also intolerant to progesterone, hence the switch to mirena which doesn't affect me systemically. I was suicidal on utrogestan.

Have you tried a patch instead of a tablet for your oestrogen? which might absorb better?

Are you having regular blood tests to make sure your testosterone levels are actually going up? I have mine tested every six months by GP. My last test showed unidentifiable levels again so I'm increasing the amount I use for a while.

Thank you for this @herbetta.

I'm now going to stay on a low dose forever if they'll let me. My mum had osteoporosis and I've already had 2 hip replacements so I need strong bones to support the metal stems of those!

I started off on oral HRT, Femoston, then Estrogel, then Estradot patches, then Everol patches, then Lenzetto spray finally was prescribed Elleste Solo a few years ago now on 3mg.
Also use an Estring and Ovestin.

Been on testosterone about 8 yrs, all bloods within range.

My long term relationship ended 7 yrs agp due to not wanting sex and been celibate ever since.

HRT isn't a miracle medication for all women.

@thenightsky You might want to pursue a private DEXA scan. £200 ish and needs doing every 3 years or less if it's all ok.

Assume your hip replacements are for arthritis not a fracture?

You might get a DEXA on the NHS because of a hereditary risk but that's not a given.

The missing link with women's health is bone monitoring. Yet osteoporosis causes more deaths from complications than female cancers. A third of women who break a hip die within a year.

HRT is not prescribed for libido. Testosterone is an 'extra' some women want to pursue but HRT is mainly for symptoms like flushes, brain fog, etc and for the prevention of osteoporosis in some women.

@SheIsMenopausal It's completely valid to reassess if you need HRT. My consultant suggests stopping for 3 months to see if symptoms are still there.

There is no time limit on use (there never was actually, it was just some vague 'guidance' about 2 or 5 years that was never based on anything scientific, and consultants didn't prescribe within that.)

However, although body identical HRT appears to have lower breast cancer risks, the evidence is limited. There are no real long term trials (and never will be) so the stats are observational.

There are some vocal (media) doctors who will say 'No risk at all' but that's not the case.

It's a case of weighing up your personal risk against the small (and unknown ) risks of HRT long term. Most consultants say the risks outweigh the benefits for most women.

You need to consider your risk of heart disease, perhaps dementia, and bone health.

It's a real shame that the NHS still refuses a national screening for bone health for women over 50 which would save for more lives than for example smear tests. If you can afford a private bone density scan it's worth it and will help you decide where to go with HRT.

Yes, my hip replacements are due to osteoarthritis.

In scotland, any woman over 50 who breaks a bone is given a dexa scan, mine showed that I had oesteopenia, but apparently the majority of women over 50 may have Oesteopenia, so i was advised to go on HRT just to help maintain my bone health

England doesn't offer that automatically.
The ROS has and is campaigning for a joined-up Fracture Liaison Service which is exactly what you've had.

Osteopenia is on a 'scale'. Most women have some bone loss but it depends how much.