HRT advice

Go to GP and insist on seeing an endocrinologist to discuss your symptoms and measure hormone levels. Say your concerned about osteoporosis.

For lovebooks

Human identical progesterone and estriol can be purchased from the USA. My sister used black cohosh, red clover, and had blood tests etc to determine how much of each hormone she needed and had it specially formulated. Cost, (Arms and legs) features strongly!

Got some beta-sitosterol recently for an older male friend who had chaps problems, and he finds it extremely effective. Turns out that that is also used for the menopause, high blood pressure, and cholesterol.

For bones, I take nearly 4 grams of fish oil capsules, two large turmeric capsules, and high dose vitamin D, daily. Plus magnesium and other minerals. DXA scans show no osteoporosis.

Menopause can be devastating for anyone, and those with jobs, careers etc can find it very difficult. It changed my life when I went on it. Back to normal. (Isn't normal nice.)

Not on it now as need for breast cancer surgery pre-empted it, and when I came off it, found I didn't need it. But there are better forms of HRT now, and to be honest, I'd take that risk again.

I have come of HRT twice in the past, now on again was prepared to argue with my GP but no problem I'm 71 now, have cut down on the dose of patches ,so now on 1/2 a patch twice per week now
Friend had breast cancer treatment last year post 9 months her Specialist told her she could go back on HRT, which she did.
Its quality of life now that's important to me

Espee, so well put, thank you. Mcrc, yes there is a real problem here in the UK with the manufacture of HRT and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight yet hence why some of us are travelling to Spain to buy supplies. Other drugs are affected as well. It’s not just that we can’t get it on the NHS, you can’t buy it privately either. Well, I can’t on the south coast and not on the internet either. I don’t know about other parts of the country.

Our choice of insurance here. Does it make a difference? Not sure but no offense, I do not to see it become all one big single payer. Our country is just too big. I know there are pros and cons to it all.

Wow, so glad I have it. In the US and no problems of shortages at all. Don't know why there is for you in UK. Anyway, I can't believe how much it has helped. I also have taken antidepressants for many years. Are we all just supposed to say it is not "natural" to have support and just deal with it? I know our previous generations would have also loved to have help.

@espee, I love what you have to say!

What do you expect from a naturopath? Of course they would say HRT is bad. Vaccines are bad, formula for babies is bad,sugar and meat will kill you. Most of us here have lived long enough to know that trusting yourself as well as medical science might be an ok route to follow. HRT has helpwd mw immensely in many ways. Feel better!

I’m 54 and not started the menopause yet but am wondering if the GP’s give this easily or do you have to battle for it? Reason I ask is that I have problems with my bones anyway and worried that when I do reach it,must be soon I would think, that my bones will be stiffer than they already are

It is natural for a woman to have oestrogen. That is what makes us women.
In the past, the end of our childbearing life was also pretty much the end of our lives.
Today we are told we can expect to live into our 90s. With an average age at menopause being around 50 that gives us about 40 years post menopause on average.
If someone is diabetic and deficient in insulin we automatically replace the insulin.
If a man is deficient in testosterone he is automatically put on HRT (though it is not referred to as that).
For some reason women are indoctrinated into believing that doing without oestrogen is natural when in fact it is the opposite. Having sufficient oestrogen is natural for women, being deficient is not.
As your oestrogen is depleted your bones start to suffer from osteoporosis, your vagina atrophies, you age dramatically compared to someone with enough oestrogen.
Modern medicine allows us now to correct this deficiency so that women can enjoy a more vibrant life and continue to contribute to society.
I will never stop taking my HRT. Twice a year I have a tiny pellet of an extremely low dose (compared to oral medication) estradiol inserted under my skin. The other 363 days of the year I can forget that I am "past it". No pills, no patches, no flushes, aches, no premature aging etc.
I will not suffer from delayed menopause because I will never stop replacing the hormone I lack.
It's been 30 years now, roll on the next 30. ?

Hotmama is correct. In the early days of HRT it was thought that if a woman took it for a certain amount of time it would protect her against the symptoms of the menopause and once she stopped so would the symptoms. We know that’s not the case and it’s very common to stop HRT and suddenly have the symptoms. It happened to me and after a period of trying to cope with the symptoms I went back onto HRT again. My GP has told me she is prepared to prescribe it for as long as I want providing my blood pressure is ok and I don’t have any other contraindications.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Will stay on HRT forever if I have my way! OP, can’t you just take a pro- biotic supplement, I do.

What they don’t tell you Juniper is that for SOME women menopause symptoms never stop. I struggled for 12 years with horrible symptoms thinking I would just try and see it through. But there were no signs of it ever stopping and I had no quality of life. If it had all been over and done with in say five to ten years as they tell you then fair enough but for some (and I stress, some,) it carries on to the grave. My GP confirmed this as well. My sister is 82 and still gets hot flushes.

SusieQ, you should be able to buy your HRT in Spain at the pharmacy. Just take a copy of your prescription with you. It will cost but a small price to pay for the benefits it gives you. I got my patches in Tenerife, no problem and will go out there again if needs be.

After a hysterectomy and my ovaries removed at the age of 46 I was put on HRT. After 10 years my GP decided to take me off them. My menopause started with a bang after that and after some research I decided to try soy products. I used soya milk on my cereal and took a soy isoflavones tablet every morning. These are available from an excellent online Health Care company based in Guernsey. I’d really recommend trying soy. I’m off them now but don’t have any symptoms left. Good Luck.

I have been back on for 6 weeks and honestly l am never coming off again. I came off HRT due to having 2 operations other wise I would never know how much better life is with HRT.

In the end you will probably have to deal with menopause symptoms. I elected to do so while I was younger, 52, and never regretted it.
Now 69 and joints etc all fine.

Jillyblom59,totally agree was on it from age 42 for osteoporosis Doc said id be in a wheelchair at 60 if I didn’t take it?and stayed on it Untill I was 60, then Doctor took me off it ?six years of hell,Untill I begged her to go back on it
It’s like a miracle,want to stay on it Untill I die,I’ve always though that living over 70 is a bonus anyway I’m 72 and feel great,People are always surprised when I tell them my age,so another bonus.

You could try Kefir to replace the good bacteria in your gut. And alkalising your diet would be helpful. Glucosamine might take away the pain, as would turmeric. Good luck.

I am a qualified nurse, midwife and sexual health practitioner, so I am one of those people that needs to have all the most up to date evidence based research, before me before I’ll take anything. There is a lot of really good evidence out there regarding HRT and the findings of the benefits of long term use. I intend to stay on it until the day I die and funnily enough my GP says that she feels the same. Why suffer and be miserable if there is something you can do to alleviate it. I would love to be one of the women who sail through the menopause with only the odd hot flush or irregular cycle, but I’m not, so it’s HRT for me.
If you really want honest unbiased medical advice about HRT then I highly recommend looking at this website. www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/

I had a hysterectomy at the age of 28 and they left most of one ovary which lasted me until I was 48 when my doctor put me on HRT patches. Aged 52 I was diagnosed with breast cancer so had to come off immediately . My DDs are not allowed by their doctors to take HRT because of this although no hereditary genes were involved. 23 years later the BC is back in another form. But if you can take it why not. There are risks everywhere in life.

Tried HRT 25 years ago and found I was going about everything at record speed do stopped and never tried again. By the sounds of all the withdrawal affects folk have when stopping makes you think in by gone days those folk would be dead being unable to more or less move a limb. Don't have any mobility issues, don't go to pilates, I do though walk about, climb stairs avoiding lifts when I can, gardening, decorating, enjoy outings with GC. Seems to be working so far. Imagine what I could do if on the marvellous HRT.

Cp43 I too have been on HRT for many years (on and off for about 30yrs) and feel dreadful within two weeks of coming off with various symptoms, (and my husband begging me to). My doc and I have discussed the possibility of breast cancer (my daughter has had a mastectomy) and I check my breasts in the shower, every day. Of course, I’m absolutely terrified of getting breast cancer but the benefits outweigh the risks. I’ve tried coming off several times only to go back to my doc begging to be given it again. I’m finding it almost impossible to get my HRT because I’m taking one of the ones that has a shortage. I’m going to Spain for 3 1/2 months at the end of the year and need to restock, but where?!

Never had it, never wanted it. Just let things take their natural course. A positive outlook is far better than drugs f any kind. I have MS and only take VitaminD neurologist is amazed at my inner strength. Long may it continue