Is HRT delaying the inevitable?

Women's health
1

In a few weeks I will be 1 year without a period. I have been suffering with hot flashes and night sweats along with joint pain pretty consistently. But I was determined not to go the HRT route mostly because I always react oddly to meds, plus I just thought it was delaying what would have to happen eventually unless you stay on it for the rest of your life. 

This week I started with a new symptom that may be the deal breaker. I’m getting itchy skin accompanied by a hive type rash on my face. It is really annoying and uncomfortable! It feels like my face is turning into rhino hide! 

I’m currently taking black cohosh, a daily vitamin, Magnesium and fish oils. 

So am I misunderstanding how one uses HRT? 

2

Hrt for me is a wonder drug but I like you like the alternative route but I gave in and it’s been a hard 12 months finding the right one since I I started menopause at 37 so been on one fir 18 years but try to come down on the dosage a few  years back , worst thing I could of done as all my symptoms back low moods being the worst now they found out i am progesterone intolerant , it’s wirth doing lots research too as what suits one person doesn’t suit another .I paid to see a menopause consultant , it was worth every penny but now I am under a private consultant under the NHS  as I am on my 5th type of HRT since lowering , so once you found one that suits you it’s amazing , you may ask why I changed well now I am 55 I need to come off combined HRT as I did at 53 , but the continuous hrt not suiting me bleeding low moods ache pains and with the daily progesterone not help that was the culprit not oestrogen , so been suffering , so now on oestrogen patch and testogel feel great but when you have a womb you need progesterone to keep womb lining ok but not in all cases , I am  having a scan on womb next week and go from there , may only have to have progesterone every 3 months depending on thickness of uterus , not always easy . Good luck 

3

This is so me nw i thought it was an allergic reaction but am just going wit d flow an taking my natural meds

4

Hi Annette, I've been on HRT for 7 years, starting at age 54. (Estrogen patch and progesterone, one needs both to balance them out) .  I take a relatively low amount of each.

 HRT will more than likely only be prescribed for 10 years. My opinion is that not a lot of studies are done on HRT long term, especially current studies.  There might be possible side effects, outcomes, etc. and like other meds, some are positive and some negative. 

I'll not be happy the day that I can no longer be on HRT, but I'll do what my gynecologist recommends. Aging, menopause, etc. is inevitable, but I feel so much better, physically and emotionally on HRT. I occasionally "spot" which is enough to turn off some women, but I don't mind, it's  worth the trade off for me, to feel better. I agreed to have tests (biopsy) done to ensure everything was "OK". I also try to eat sensibly and exercise ( I''ve started training for a Spartan race at the ripe age of 61..ha ha)..for me it's a comprehensive plan.

I tried "natural" plant derived therapies, just didn't work for me.

The itchy skin is puzzling, not sure if that's a hormone thing. 

Hope this was a bit helpful..best of luck to you!

5

There is lots of research showing that HRT protects women against cancers, osteoporosis and heart disease (bio-identical HRT that is). I would not touch the chemical form the docs give. I can't believe they are still handing those things out after all the bad research showing they can cause cancers. 

Itchy skin is one of like 66 symptoms listed online for meno/peri. My skin itches too.

Funny, in a few weeks, I also will be one year without a  period, which is officially menopause. 

Have you had your FSH levels checked? A high level diagnoses it also. 

I however, want my period back (crazy, right), and am hoping mine is missing because my estrogen levels are low, but I am thin and don't have a lot of body fat. I also confirmed it with a saliva hormone test.

I wish I'd known progesterone is the first one to drop, not estrogen. Often times, just using bio-identical progesterone, which you can get from health food stores, will fix many symptoms.

As far as HRT, you can take chemically-altered hormones your docs hand out (would not recommend it), or bio-identical creams available as mentioned (there are also ones for estrogen), or find a practitioner that will prescribe bio-identical creams through a compounding pharmacy (usually all out of pocket).

There are also estrogen patches (some bio, some not) and testosterone shots.

Some docs require a blood test (most MDs or Gyns don't believe in saliva tests, only blood testing) before writing scripts, others go by symptoms because hormones fluctuate at this time of our lives.

DIM is also a great supplement for balancing estrogen levels and clearing the bad ones from your system.

Looks like you are taking good supplements. Be sure to take B vitamins also...great for mood, energy, nervous system, and zinc. Both are necessary for hormone synthesis.

I hope this helps!

6

For me hrt is a necessity. I had too severe symptoms that I couldn’t function at all. It is  not a miracle cure for everything but it makes a huge difference in the quality of life. I will try to stay on it the longer I can, I am 43. I don’t think that meno nightmare is something natural! We are not designed to live for long after meno...

7

What kind of HRT do you take? Pills or patches?