HRT - Care To Share Your Experiences?

[Ally T]

I am 49 in a couple of months. I’ve been experiencing a raft of peri-symptoms for at least 5 years & they are getting worse. Mentally I am perfectly fine & I don’t feel the need to rip out Mr T’s throat each time he breathes But physically I am falling apart. I won’t go into the whole hog, but to name a few: dry eyes, burning mouth syndrome, itchy skin, dry EVERYWHERE, hip joints burning, painful feet that hurt to walk on occasionally, meaning I have swapped running for walking & am gaining weight as a result, soaking wet bed probability once every 14 days……

Years ago my GP told me HRT wasn’t suitable for everyone & because my maternal grandmother died from breast cancer, my mother suffers from breast cysts (& I had a breast scare in 2021 which was thankfully fine), that I should steer clear. This is also the GP who told me when I started to suffer with thinning hair to go & buy organic veg colour & be kinder to it. Oh, she also told my neighbour, who had just resigned from her job & was sat crying in the Dr’s office due to peri-symptoms, to “pop to Holland & Barrett & ask the lovely staff for some herbal tea….” Yeah. She did put in a formal complaint about that & has since become a whole new woman after a different GP offered to start her on HRT last Sept.

Well I’m not feeling able anymore to cope physically & so it’s getting me down emotionally..

My mother had a hysterectomy at 50 & my oldest sister at almost 58 has a Mirena & has no idea if she’s through the other side, but has the dry eye & skin issues that she’s prepared to suffer because she’s an Organic Earth Mother & doesn’t believe in medicating. So I have no maternal menopause pattern to look back on.

Does anyone care to share their experiences of HRT, good & bad? I am seeing the nice GP in a few weeks after we are back from Easter Holidays & would love to hear what has worked / not worked for others. Mr T has offered to come with me to the appoint, as we’re on this journey together

 

[dk168]

I rode mine out without any HRT.

I took Menopace since my late 40s which I believe helped to reduce the symptoms.

I am still taking them now 10 years later.

Apart from the odd hot flushes, and brain fog, I have been fine.

It should be noted oral hormonal contraception did not agree with me, and I had IUDs all my life, switched to Mirena IUS from my late 40s as suggested by a gynaecologist, and they were great!

DK

 

[Slickk]

I had an oophorectomy in my 40’s (cysts and ovarian cancer in fam) and have taken HRT off and on since. I was finally off of them when Covid hit and I had to work with a mask in a non air conditioned classroom. The flashes came back in earnest so I began to take them again. I take the lowest dosage available and even cut them in half now. They help immensely! Dr is surprised that low of a dosage helps but it does for me.
When I was on full dosing, my breast Dr was not happy and found my breasts very dense (cystic), but now with the lower dosage/halved, she says my breasts are much clearer, so everyone is happy.
I hope this helps and wishing you much luck getting through this.

 

[missy]

@Ally T I am going to message you on FB with the group I highly recommend (I am biased because I mod that group but it is an excellent group despite that haha). Everything you ever wanted to know about BHRT and more. It's a great group.

 

[missy]

oes anyone care to share their experiences of HRT, good & bad?

I can share here that I 1. reversed my osteoporosis with BHRT and 2. It is SAFE. Bio identical HRT is SAFE and 3. critical for good health as we age...bone, brain, cardiovascular, urogenitary, etc. health.

 

[Slickk]

@Ally T I am going to message you on FB with the group I highly recommend (I am biased because I mod that group but it is an excellent group despite that haha). Everything you ever wanted to know about BHRT and more. It's a great group.

Would love to find this group of yours @missy

 

[missy]

Would love to find this group of yours @missy

@Slickk forgive me...I can't remember your FB handle...can you message me on FB and I will send you the link

 

[Slickk]

@Slickk forgive me...I can't remember your FB handle...can you message me on FB and I will send you the link

I don’t have your fb handle either, how about IG? Can I reach out there?

 

[missy]

I don’t have your fb handle either, how about IG? Can I reach out there?

LOL just realized I can email it to you. Doing that right now!

 

[missy]

I rode mine out without any HRT.

I took Menopace since my late 40s which I believe helped to reduce the symptoms.

I am still taking them now 10 years later.

Apart from the odd hot flushes, and brain fog, I have been fine.

It should be noted oral hormonal contraception did not agree with me, and I had IUDs all my life, switched to Mirena IUS from my late 40s as suggested by a gynaecologist, and they were great!

DK

@dk168 forgive me for chiming in but bio identical cannot be compared to non bio identical. Non bio doesn't match our hormones that we create naturally whereas bio does and I could NEVER tolerate bc pills aka non bio identical whereas bio identical is a completely different animal. Bio-identical hormones (category 2 and also category 3 below) exactly match the hormones that our body natural produces. If you took a molecule from the bio identical hormones and took a molecule from our body and put them under a microscope, they match exactly. Bio identical HRT benefits our brain health, bone health, cardiovascular health, moods, memory, urogenitary health etc. Just FYI

 

[dk168]

@dk168 forgive me for chiming in but bio identical cannot be compared to non bio identical. Non bio doesn't match our hormones that we create naturally whereas bio does and I could NEVER tolerate bc pills aka non bio identical whereas bio identical is a completely different animal. Bio-identical hormones (category 2 and also category 3 below) exactly match the hormones that our body natural produces. If you took a molecule from the bio identical hormones and took a molecule from our body and put them under a microscope, they match exactly. Bio identical HRT benefits our brain health, bone health, cardiovascular health, moods, memory, urogenitary health etc. Just FYI

I appreciate the plant version is not bio equivalent or similar to naturally produced version. I work in the pharma industry and am au fait with the terms bio similar/equivalent/identical etc...

However, I did not wish to go down the route of taking HRT, hence I decided to take the plant supplement instead. I am unlikely to be alone in not wanting to take HRT, otherwise, there won't be such a big market out there for plant based supplements for menopause.

DK

 

[missy]

I appreciate the plant version is not bio equivalent or similar to naturally produced version. I work in the pharma industry and am au fait with the terms bio similar/equivalent/identical etc...

However, I did not wish to go down the route of taking HRT, hence I decided to take the plant supplement instead. I am unlikely to be alone in not wanting to take HRT, otherwise, there won't be such a big market out there for plant based supplements for menopause.

DK

I just want to say there’s so much misinformation out there about bhrt due to the faulty proven wrong WHI study from 2002. I respect your decision but will just say make it a fully informed one. Because unfortunately many people including physicians are going by misinformation from a very flawed study from over 20 years ago. It’s done much damage to hundreds of thousands of women (probably more) and is the reason osteoporosis is on the rise. For one thing. Alzheimer’s another. So many benefits to bio identical hormones

 

[lissyflo]

I bloody love hrt. Been on it coming up for 9 months now and I took a while but I feel like I’ve been plugged back in to life. And that’s from someone who started taking it for the physical symptoms, not realising how flat I’d become mentally because it happened over a protracted period. Minimal side effects for about a month (really, really sore breasts) but nothing subsequently.

I believe the risk of breast cancer is reduced to virtually zero if you take bio-identical progesterone. The studies were based on the old synthetic progesterones. I’m sure I read recently that hrt may actually have a protective effect but don’t quote me on that.

I have energy to actually want to exercise again, I’m mentally sharper, I feel better, my periods are now manageable as opposed to life-limitingly heavy. My sleep isn’t great again but it’s better than it was.

I take oestrogen gel (soon to swap to patches), progesterone tablets and testosterone gel. The testosterone I think is only available on private prescription in the U.K., not via the nhs, but again I may be wrong - I’ve stuck with an online private clinic as they seem more able to get the medicines despite the shortages in the U.K. at present. If your gp won’t help, I’m happy to pass on details of the clinic - I think you’re U.K. based too?

Edited to add:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

There’s some great information on this site if you don’t already follow Louise Newson. All linked to scientific studies.

 

[missy]

I bloody love hrt. Been on it coming up for 9 months now and I took a while but I feel like I’ve been plugged back in to life. And that’s from someone who started taking it for the physical symptoms, not realising how flat I’d become mentally because it happened over a protracted period. Minimal side effects for about a month (really, really sore breasts) but nothing subsequently.

I believe the risk of breast cancer is reduced to virtually zero if you take bio-identical progesterone. The studies were based on the old synthetic progesterones. I’m sure I read recently that hrt may actually have a protective effect but don’t quote me on that.

I have energy to actually want to exercise again, I’m mentally sharper, I feel better, my periods are now manageable as opposed to life-limitingly heavy. My sleep isn’t great again but it’s better than it was.

I take oestrogen gel (soon to swap to patches), progesterone tablets and testosterone gel. The testosterone I think is only available on private prescription in the U.K., not via the nhs, but again I may be wrong - I’ve stuck with an online private clinic as they seem more able to get the medicines despite the shortages in the U.K. at present. If your gp won’t help, I’m happy to pass on details of the clinic - I think you’re U.K. based too?

You’re correct. The risk with bio is zero. If you have e positive cancer it might make it grow faster but it doesn’t cause cancer. And you would just treat earlier and be in good shape. Also you are correct e and p can be protective against certain cancers. Especially p. In fact some are now using it for breast cancer but thats another topic

 

[stepcutnut]

@missy I would love to know more about this FB group of yours, can I message you on IG to get the link?

 

[Ally T]

I bloody love hrt. Been on it coming up for 9 months now and I took a while but I feel like I’ve been plugged back in to life. And that’s from someone who started taking it for the physical symptoms, not realising how flat I’d become mentally because it happened over a protracted period. Minimal side effects for about a month (really, really sore breasts) but nothing subsequently.

I believe the risk of breast cancer is reduced to virtually zero if you take bio-identical progesterone. The studies were based on the old synthetic progesterones. I’m sure I read recently that hrt may actually have a protective effect but don’t quote me on that.

I have energy to actually want to exercise again, I’m mentally sharper, I feel better, my periods are now manageable as opposed to life-limitingly heavy. My sleep isn’t great again but it’s better than it was.

I take oestrogen gel (soon to swap to patches), progesterone tablets and testosterone gel. The testosterone I think is only available on private prescription in the U.K., not via the nhs, but again I may be wrong - I’ve stuck with an online private clinic as they seem more able to get the medicines despite the shortages in the U.K. at present. If your gp won’t help, I’m happy to pass on details of the clinic - I think you’re U.K. based too?

Edited to add:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

There’s some great information on this site if you don’t already follow Louise Newson. All linked to scientific studies.

Thanks for all of this & you are correct - I am in England. I watch Louise Newson on This Morning if she is ever on & have downloaded her Balance app to track my symptoms. It was this tracker that made me realise I am brushing off an AWFUL lot of things that can be attributed to my hormones & I need to think about taking action.

@missy Thank you for your message. I’m just catching up on a quick break but will have a proper look when I get home from school.

@Slickk Thank you for sharing. I cannot tolerate BC either & dipped in & out over the years due to it causing hideously sore boobs, bad moods & hair shedding. This is why I’m wary of HRT, but a chat with the GP can’t hurt.

@dk168 Thanks for chiming in for the other side. I have always tried not to take medicines unless absolutely necessary & have been taking supplements for years, but I am finding they no longer work as my symptoms become more severe. I will continue to take them for now & see where I go with the GP.

 

[missy]

@missy I would love to know more about this FB group of yours, can I message you on IG to get the link?

Of course. Thanks for letting me know. I’m hardly ever on IG anymore

 

[missy]

Thanks for all of this & you are correct - I am in England. I watch Louise Newson on This Morning if she is ever on & have downloaded her Balance app to track my symptoms. It was this tracker that made me realise I am brushing off an AWFUL lot of things that can be attributed to my hormones & I need to think about taking action.

@missy Thank you for your message. I’m just catching up on a quick break but will have a proper look when I get home from school.

@Slickk Thank you for sharing. I cannot tolerate BC either & dipped in & out over the years due to it causing hideously sore boobs, bad moods & hair shedding. This is why I’m wary of HRT, but a chat with the GP can’t hurt.

@dk168 Thanks for chiming in for the other side. I have always tried not to take medicines unless absolutely necessary & have been taking supplements for years, but I am finding they no longer work as my symptoms become more severe. I will continue to take them for now & see where I go with the GP.

Ally I couldn’t ever tolerate bc pills. They made me crazy depressed and just feeling awful. Synthetic ( non bio identical) is completely different than the hormones we make naturally and bhrt ( bio identical and synthesized in a lab) is just like what we made in our own bodies.

 

[stepcutnut]

@Ally T Wishing you the best of luck on this journey, I hope you find a great Dr to help you navigate this next chapter.

 

[AprilBaby]

I could not do HRT because my mom died of breast cancer young. My dr put me on Effexor XR and I feel great!

 

[Bonfire]

Ally since you take Cyklokapron for blood clotting disorder, HRT (of any type) would in a contraindication I believe. Talk with your doctor.

 

[Matata]

The potential for breast cancer or cysts is something you need to give a solid amount of consideration. That said, have you ever watched a Godzilla movie where she's stomping cities into rubble? That was me prior to HRT so I am, understandably, an advocate if there are no health issues that would be exacerbated by the treatment.

 

[Austina]

I have no personal experience of HRT @Ally T, but my best friend tried several different types and just couldn’t get along with any of them. I started getting horrendous hot flushes at age 50, and tried all the ‘natural’ supplements that did nothing for me. The only thing I found that worked is Maca, which I’ve been taking ever since (nearly 14 years now). It’s an organic Peruvian root and apparently Peruvian women don’t get menopausal symptoms. I’m not recommending it, because I can only go on my own experiences, but I don’t have any of the other symptoms that you’re going through. I have plenty of energy, no brain fog, I’m strong and the last time I saw a Dr was years ago.

 

[Arcadian]

So I'm just going to say this:
I've had cancer twice before BHRT
However I do partake. I'm still young enough that I work daily and menopause symptoms sucked. I did not and do not want to have those symptoms anymore and I refuse to suffer. And I suffered greatly.

With that, do I get checked out? Yes. I'd be dumb not to. But BHRT is something I will not be without. If anything its keeping me going and keeping me healthy. It allows me to work and still feel like a functional human instead of a miserable lump.

I urge all women to really explore all the options, and in this, you have to be your own advocate because too many physicians who we actually depend on, don't really advocate for us. And I've had more than one tell me some very untrue crazy isht.

 

[MoxiRoxi]

I am almost 52, and started having terrible night sweats, brain fog and weight gain about 2 years ago and just last summer I started using and HRT patch and every other month I take 12 days of progesterone Which I was taking since 2019.

The patch worked wonders with all the symptoms except weight gain. It’s been a blessing for me as I work in a really intense corp environment and the brain fog and lack of good sleep was affecting my performance.

I would like to see about coming off or weaning down as I am not a fan of staying on any medication where the risks may outweigh the rewards. But im also in no hurry to be as miserable as I was a couple years ago.

Now if I could just get this weight off….

~M~

 

[RunningwithScissors]

I am on HRT and I will never go back. Totally agree with @missy that all of the evidence-based research clearly shows that not only do they improve quality of life, but they also support longevity by keep our bones strong, or lean tissue from deteriorating as rapidly, and our brains healthy.

That being said, it took time for me to find the right method for the hormones as there are a variety of doses and a variety of ways to take them. That old saying that if at first you don't succeed, try, try again is 100% accurate for HRT.

For me what works is:

1. Estrogen patch (its like a tiny, clear round bandaid that you change twice a week.)

2. Progesterone pill before bed (it makes you sleep like a baby, seriously the best sleep I've ever gotten, and you wake up completely refreshed.)

3. Testosterone creme (its just like hand creme but spiked with testosterone and you apply it to either your thighs or your inner arms once a day.)

When I started HRT, my doctor had me taking the testosterone pellets. They are the size of a grain of rice and are injected about every three months under your skin. They were waaaaayyyy too strong for me, even at the lowest dosage. Plus I'm very thin and they caused too much damage to the injection site because they went into the muscle which they aren't supposed to do (I don't have the fat layer needed for them to rest in). So I switched to a testosterone creme which is compounded specifically for me (its made by a pharmacist at any dosage your doctor thinks you should have). That way I was able to get the one that was exactly right for me, one that helps my bones and brain, but doesn't cause acne like higher doses do.

My bones, my muscles, my sleep, my mental functioning, my sex drive, everything is doing really well and I plan to be on them forever. All of my tests show significant improvement, from bone density, to blood sugar (better sleep plus way more energy to exercise = more stable blood sugar and improved A1Cs).

These are NOT the HRT of yesteryear. These are safe and effective and important for longterm health.

 

[RunningwithScissors]

And a side note, you don't have to take both estrogen AND testosterone. (You do have to take progesterone and estrogen together).

I know many women who just take testosterone and it works well for them.

I know others who just take the estrogen/progesterone combo and it works well for them too.

Obviously your doctor will help guide you (as long as they are knowledgable and its surprising how many aren't.) But symptom relief and increased health benefits can be had with both/either.

 

[VRBeauty]

I’m sorry to be weighing in so late.

I went through a natural menopause very, very early… so early that when my period started to become irregular, my PCP told me not to worry about it. That if it was still a problem when I wanted to conceive, they’d just juice me up with some hormones to get the job done. A year later, at about age 30, I was sent to a specialist who tested my hormone levels and declared me to be post menopausal. I started HRT immediately, at the doctors recommendation, because of the bone and heart health protection the replacement estrogen would provide. The HRT was a three weeks on, one week off regimen, but the packaging provided some sort of dummy pill during the week off.

At some point during my first “week off” I went into a depressive cycle that was so sudden and so deep that I almost didn’t go in to work. But my work at the time involved a tremendous amount of responsibility and taking even a day off didn’t seem like an option. At work I was useless. My job involved a lot of analysis and writing - I’d turn something over to my boss thinking it was fine, and she’d find major editing problems, missing or misplaced words and phrases etc. At some point during that morning the depression was severe and scary enough that I called my PCP’s office to ask for help. I was describing my symptoms to either a physician’s assistant or a nurse when I remembered the HRT. I told her that I’d just started HRT and this was my first week off and could that have anything to with the depression? She said “of course!” Long story short, that afternoon I was given an injection of estrogen. (Also, if I recall correctly, a shot of vitamin B-12.) The effect on my mood and cognition was almost immediate. So, I got a real clear lesson in the role estrogen can play in depression and mood.

I don’t recall exactly how long I continued with the HRT - probably another 15-20 years? At some point I was tired of taking the pills and at a more “normal” age for a natural menopause, and my doctor agreed that it would be a good time to stop.

I’ll just add that after I got that estrogen shot, I went back to my supervisor to explain what had happened and apologize for the chaos of that morning. And she basically didn’t believe me. We parted ways not too long after that. I’m not proud of it, but a part of me has always wished her a really difficult menopause.

 

[missy]

@VRBeauty I am sorry for your experience. Sounds as if instead of bio identical you were unfortunately given non bio identical hrt. Which is responsible for depression and many other adverse effects. I hope one day all healthcare providers will understand replacing the hormones we no longer make with bio identical (same molecular structure as what our bodies produced) is the only way to go


Here is a list (not complete) of fda approved bio identical hormones

 

[jaaron]

Oh, Ally, that sounds awful, and with the stress (and excitement) of your massive renovation, it must be pretty miserable. I agree with the others that it sounds like the GP has given you poor and outdated advice. I'm another very firm advocate of bioidenticals for anyone who's suffering. At my annual appointment last week, my gynae mentioned that she has some patients who have had breast cancer who are okayed by their oncologists to go on bhrt as the quality of life issues outweigh the risks. I never got on with hormonal birth control at all (and had terrible hyperemesis gravidarum all three pregnancies) and have been absolutely fine and, in fact, someone would have a very difficult time persuading me to give it up, both for all the protections mentioned, but also because it makes life so, so much nicer.

I hope the other GP is more sympathetic and more clued up. In case you're not happy with their response, the Marion Gluck Clinic in London does remote appointments. I used to go there but now use this clinic https://londonbioidenticalhormones.com
However, I'm not sure if they're taking new patients. The Marion Gluck Clinic isn't the most intensely personal experience in the world, but I found them fine and pretty good at tailoring the regimen - I believe (although could be wrong about this) that oral hrt carries more risk than transdermal. I'm also very sensitive to both progesterone and testosterone, so mine requires fairly careful balancing and took some tweaking, which they were very good at. I get reviewed every six months (more if needed) and the prescriptions are made up by this place and sent to me

Specialist Pharmacy – No.1 Compounding Pharmacy in the UK

Order your medication online with the UK's leading compounding pharmacy. We specialise in personalised medications, including bioidentical hormones.

specialist-pharmacy.com

With your symptoms I'd also suggest asking for a full autoimmune/thyroid panel, and do specify full as they are likely to only run the TSH test unless pushed. Any time of hormonal change can be a trigger point for thyroid issues, etc. to crop up, so it's worth making sure nothing else is going on.

I hope you feel better soon!