In haste I also should of written that I stopped my periods in May 2015, but it wasn't until Feb 2016 that I started HRT. I had completely stopped my periods by that time... My concern now, other than the stuff I've already written about, is....have I left myself open to osteoporosis? Has the Osteoarthritis that my Dr says I possibly have, be in relation to the fact that I hadn't acted immediately to going on HRT. Left nearly a year of not taking anything and dealing with the symptoms. Don't forget....my Dr wouldn't test me for menopause.
Again, thank you!
xx
Hi again - this means you started HRT when you did not know if you were post-menopausal or not - which is going a year without periods - you may be or you may not be - but if you haven't had any breakthrough bleeding since starting HRT then you probably are ( post-menopause). Most doctors actually start women on cyclical HRT in your position - ie not been a year without periods so not sure why you were given the continuous combined?
You certainly won't have put yourself at risk from osteoporosis by not starting HRT as soon as your periods stopped - I mean you don't know they have stopped except in retrospect. Also oestrogen declines for the approx two years following the last period and reaches an all time low after this - although there can be some ovarian activity for a while longer, but nothing dramatic.
The only thing I would say is what I probably said before (my post is on other page so can't see it!) - that you are taking continuous combined HRT so the continuous progestogen can cause persistent side effects - progesterone is a sedative - so tiredness, foggy head, maybe some bloating? Secondly at your age that is a low dose of oestrogen, so an increase might be beneficial. Femoston doesn't come in any higher dose as continuous combined so you would either have to change type eg to Elleste Duet conti, or go back to having a cycle - which is what you would still be doing naturally as average age of menopause is 51/52. Femoston is available as 2 mg ie 2/10. Personally I would not want to take higher doses of synthetic progestogens on a continuous basis - and especially not at your age - and because you are still not feeling right on what you are taking now.
Also re the osteoporosis, while any added oestrogen confers some protection, the protective effect of oestrogen against osteoporosis is dose dependent, so ideally for this reason I would go higher.
Hurdity x
