Hi again zodiac
Sorry to hear about your health issues and family history but this doesn not necessarily rule out HRT.
Looking at these reasons one by one:
Cervical cancer: according to the 2013 HRT recommendations but the British Menopause Society, there is no association with HRT and cervical cancer ( although there is woith oral contraceptive use).
Heart/circulation problems: risk of clots is associated with oral HRT (tablet) rather than transdermal (ie patch or gel), and probably more with synthetic progestogens. The same paper I mentioned abovie recommends that in "high-risk" individuals who require HRT, transdermal preparations should be used, and a bio-identical ( or nearly so) progesterone.
There is evidence now that HRT commenced early - ie within 10 years of menopause has a beneficial ie protective, rather than adverse effect on the cardio-vascular system.
There is conflicting information about the effect of HRT on stroke risk but it is recommended again that at risk individuals should use transdermal methods of HRT and start under age 60 or within 10 years of menopause.
This is what it says on this site about thrombosis:
Thrombosis
Since HRT is associated with a small increased risk of venous thrombosis, care must be taken when considering HRT use in women with a past or family history of thrombosis. Depending on the indication for HRT and on the cause of the thrombosis, risks and benefits should be assessed. If HRT is to be used, preference would usually be given to the transdermal route (patch or gel) [ref 22]. Specialist advice should be requested. Vaginal estrogen may be used for treatment of vaginal and bladder symptoms.
and about stroke:
Stroke
The incidence of stroke increases in women after the menopause and an association between a protective effect of ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone has been suggested. Similarly, it was thought that the use of HRT reduced the risk of stroke. Although some studies have shown a protective effect, others, including the Women's Health Initiative trial, have shown a small increase in risk of stroke in those women taking HRT. It has been concluded that HRT should not be used for either primary or secondary prevention of stroke. If a woman has had a stroke and is considering treatment for menopausal symptoms, non-hormonal options should be tried first and HRT should only be considered after full discussion with a specialist.
Re migraines - here is the relevant information:
Migraine
Migraine is often triggered by hormonal fluctuations and therefore may occur around the time of a period. Such migraine may improve at the time of the menopause. Some women find that migraine may be triggered by the daily hormone fluctuations which can occur with oral (tablet) HRT so the transdermal (patch or gel) route is usually preferred with a history of migraine.
I would urge you to ask your doctor to refer you to a menopause clinic if there is one near you because you need specialist advice regarding treatment in your circumstances and then regular monitoring. I would have thought a low dose transdermal HRT with bio-identical progesterone ( Utrogestan) would help you to feel better.
The risks from HRT anyway are not supposed to kick in until the natural average age of menopause of 51-52. If your periods have stopped ( have they?) or are very infrequent, then at your age you need to the extra oestrogen to protect your heart and bones.
Do pursue this further if you can.
I hope this is helpful and not too long!
Hurdity x
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