HRT what percentage don't take it?

[Allshallbewell2021]

I never took HRT & menopause started a long time ago. I didn't think I needed it but now I get the sense that everyone seems to have it and I wonder if I would have benefitted. I was extremely busy at the time; I changed jobs and went back to working full time with a still young-ish family so I just didn't think to explore the idea.
It sounds like there are great benefits but maybe some women don't have HRT and are fine?

Also, to defend my ignorance - it used to be a near taboo subject whereas it's like talking about the weather now where I work.

Me. I thought I'd had an easy menopause - periods stopped, only one hot flush. But I hadn't realised the awful insomnia and anxiety I was suffering were also part of the menopause. I had a complete lack of confidence, constantly second guessed myself and had chest pains because I was so stressed. It wasn't until I went to a menopause network meeting at my workplace that the penny dropped. Next stop the GP, who was happy to prescribe patches. I felt a difference as soon as I started on them and have not looked back. I honestly don't think I could have got through the last year (big busy job, seriously ill parent and other life stresses and strains) without it.

I’m 34 and not menopausal so not taking it yet but I have low AMH so will likely hit peri menopause early so will definitely take it.

I’m late peri - feel like I’m quite near menopause and haven’t taken it - don’t intend to . I’m 50 .

Im not a routine taker of stuff though .. barely even take paracetamol and never used the pill

Xrays · Today 12:25
The thing is, there’s a huge lack of up to date knowledge about HRT - both amongst the general population and from GPs. So even though there’s been the “Davina effect” to some degree you only have to read posts here and in the many health forums I am in to know that actually many, many people still don’t understand how HRT works, and that old myths like you can’t have it if you have high blood pressure / risk of blood clots etc just don’t apply now. (And many doctors still wrongly advise this to be true)!

Yep @Xrays that’s me. I’ve had a previous provoked blood clot due to a leg fracture (so am no more likely than anyone else to have another DVT) and have terrible white coat syndrome so whenever a HCP takes my BP it’s elevated. So they’ve said no to HRT for me as it’s “a risk to their clinical registration”. Cheers!

It’s frustrating isn’t it. I have the same issue. Thankfully the consultant I saw at Newson health explained that you can absolutely have HRT if you have high blood pressure or / and clot issues as you’re more likely to have hbp due to menopausal issues and so the HRT should help to reduce it long term - which has been the case for me- and they also said that if that hadn’t been the case you can have medication to reduce the blood pressure and take HRT alongside that so you don’t miss out on HRT. I had to wait 2 years to see an nhs menopause specialist (during which time I saw the one at Newson health) and thankfully when I did see them they agreed with the Newson health doctor. So I was lucky. But I see soooooo many women getting told a blanket “no” from their doctor when they ask about HRT due to blood pressure issues and it’s just wrong now. It’s like the doctors haven’t kept up to date with new thinking around HRT at all. So many women with lupus (like me) think they can’t have HRT because the previous thinking used to be that it carried a risk of blood clots but with the newer forms of HRT (oestrogel and patches) that’s not the case at all.

I've been on HRT for 6 Years ...has taken a bit of trial and error to find the right one, but so far my current prescription seems to tick all the boxes . If I hadn't been prescribed it, I don't think I would be here. My depression and anxiety was off the scale . I used to loose it with my kids over the smallest thing, I was not rationale or tolerant of anyone else and I doubt my wonderful DH would still be around either . It's changed my life and it's made me confident, contented and happy again . I'm now 55 and will not come off it, ever 😁

Thank you all so much for your posts, it's given me a huge amount to think about - I really value all this experience.
I think working full time and having a family - I have put myself and my health absolutely last for years, also trying to establish myself in the workplace means I've been putting work first too. I think I've been mean to the family and tired and assumed all that was just working full time and having a family older.

I've never taken it, and my intention is that I never will. Menopause is not an illness and ageing is normal, so I see no reason to medicate for normal life events. All the fuss and time-consuming visits to doctors - no thanks! If some people feel they need it, that's fine for them, but a lot of this is "fashion", which you don't need to follow. I never want to be one of those women who bangs on about my health all the time, so I prefer to stay away from all things medical unless I am actually very ill.

After about 2 years of writing off my brain fog and lack of motivation and moods and rage and forgetfulness as either hating my job/being a single parent/my personality, gif me it was like a lightbulb went on and I suddenly realised these are ALL symptoms.
I went to the doctor for a blood test to rule out an iron deficiency as I was SO tired. Turns out my hormones are on the floor and I'm actually nearer to being menopausal than peri menopausal.
After two years of scoffing at friends going on and on and peri, I feel a bit of a fool now

Oh, the point of my post.......
I started HRT last weekend. Clearly it takes longer than a week to clear the brain fog

So you don’t agree with pain relief in child birth…? Wearing glasses if you are short sighted? Knee replacements because your knees give out as you get older…? All of those things are normal for many people and yet we readily accept help with them because we are lucky enough to have access to things that makes life better for us. If you sailed through the menopause then that’s fantastic and I’m genuinely happy for you but for many women it is hell on earth and even for those who haven’t really suffered with it there are a lot of benefits to replacing the oestrogen and other hormones your body becomes deficient in as you age. We are all living longer, women never used to live to 80 plus like we do now, if the average woman goes through menopause aged 52ish that’s a very long time to go without the hormones that help keep our bodies functioning.

I took it about 5 months, felt great at first but gradually went back to feeling like i did before taking it.
I didn't want to increase my dose incase i felt great at first again then not as before. I didn't have loads of symptoms so i decided to stop taking it as i just wasn't convinced it was doing me lots of good. I also started having sore boobs and rhe feeling like periods again and certainly didn't want all that starting again after years of nothing.

I love that it’s become like talking about the weather! It was taboo for so long and is still so misunderstood.

I have friends with low mood, anxiety etc and has no idea that it might be peri. One left her job. I’m so pleased we are all talking about this now

I did but now I don't took it in c early meno. But it led to a thinning of my lining, and bleeding. I hitch led to two painful investigations. And generally muddied the cancer investigation waters.
I now just take pessaries to combat dryness so I can have sex. And there's no longer any post coital bleeding.
I manage other symptoms as best I can by trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Wow @Hbh17 smug much
If we were talking about botox or fillers I might agree, but this is HRT to treat severe and debilitating symptoms.

Yes I'd absolutely have agreed with you 12months ago.. As I turned 44.

And then I had to have regular visits with a womens health physio to manage my prolapse and urinary incontinence.

Uro-gynae appt to discuss my prolapse and urinary incontinence.

Multiple GP visits for pessary, estrogen cream and then HRT to all manage the impact of my peri menopausal caused prolapses and vaginal atrophy. Which I didn't even have on my radar as a peri menopausal symptom.

Oh and GP visit plus multiple blood tests to manage my fainting which was caused by low iron which was caused by... Yep, hormonal deficiency making my periods flood and at one point I had three of these flooding periods in 6 weeks.

So I am now on HRT, don't need to wee all the time, breasts not saggy and sensationless any more, iron levels restored, periods much lighter.

And hopefully at some point my mood will improve too.

Plus heart health, protection against osteoporosis, possibly alzheimers.

Definitely not doing this because it's fashionable. And I haven't even see the davina programme.

I’m 56 and despite a variety of peri and meno symptoms didn’t take it. About 5 months ago bad night sweats and dead libido plus possible health benefits made me decide to have a go. No side effects and sweats all gone and libido back.

I went through menopause about 12 years ago . I genuinely never thought about HRT and was lucky enough not to have too many symptoms. No sweats but in hindsight I definitely starting getting brain fog which I still have but don’t regret not taking it TBH .

I am on it, just been moved to tablets but am very worried if it's the right thing. My night sweats have retuned didn't have them in patches) and so have my pins and needles.
I have had lots of symptoms though and was finding it hard to manage.

I never took it, mainly due to the type if breast cancer I had, although I did take some evening primrose oil. Suffered from warm (not hot) flushes at night, and my overall core body temperature increased (always used to feel the cold, not so much now).

I was told that how your mother fared (my never took hrt ) will indicate how you will will fare.

In retrospect, also went through a long period where I was more anxious in certain situations.

My periods slowly fizzled out and to be honest I didn't really know peri menopause was a thing at the time. I honestly thought I was getting through it with a decent diet and exercise until I started to wake every single night with sweats and was permanently tired. I think the Davina programme did highlight HRT as an option which I thought I should try. I've been on it about 18 months now and I feel great. I don't think I realised how increasingly rough I was feeling until I started feeling normal again.

I take it, in perimenopause and it's been transformational. I've been able to go back to work, my mood and my sleep is better, anxiety and aches have gone and I'm no longer in agony down below, it's all back to normal. If you take body identical HRT it's natural and protective. It saved Mum's bones as she had osteoporosis due to low estrogen meaning she wasn't absorbing calcium.

I’m 43 and have a Mirena + oestrogen patches. My periods became very infrequent about 3 years ago, it took me 2 years to cotton on that my restless legs, word finding difficulty and GU symptoms could be perimenopause. Night sweats were the trigger to pay for a private gyn appointment, my GP didn’t feel comfortable starting HRT because of my age, fair enough I suppose. It’s made a huge difference to my quality of life.
The ‘Davina effect’ should ensure women who have troubling symptoms can access treatment, that’s a good thing IMO. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to prescription numbers over time

I'm 43. I had a phone consultation with the GP yesterday. I told her that I had some symptoms and that I wondered if it could be perimenopause, so could I go through them with her? I went through the list of symptoms and she agreed it sounded like perimenopause. I have a blood test next week, then a phone consultation the following week. If the blood test doesn't reveal any issues, then the GP will prescribe HRT.