Now 61 and having tried just about every HRT regime going, I firmly believe that HRT can never truly replace our own hormone balance - HRT will always be about compromises. Most treatments will bring benefits and side effects but the consequences of the lack of oestrogen too early can, and often does, effect our health quite seriously in the long term. Not giving the oestrogen your body needs till the age of 50 is a gamble. Even though I used HRT from the age of 37, I am still feeling the consequences of too little oestrogen - for me the urogenital atrophy has to be constantly managed and I know my joints are not good.
I think there still needs to be better support and treatment available for POF sufferers. Osteoporosis is a crippling problem which the nhs is still not monitoring well enough generally and ends up costing a fortune in treatment and care. The treatments for osteoporosis can also give some nasty side effects so preventing the thinning of our bones is vital.
I am certainly not an advocate of HRT for every women going through the meno at a normal age but anyone under the age of 50 who is oestrogen deficient really needs to think if the consequences 10-20 years down the line.
If however you have a good bone density in you mid 40s, ensure you are getting plenty of of weighbaring excersise, keep to a healthy weight and maintain muscle tone, get enough calcium, vitamin d and magnesium, then you may be able to prevent some of the deterioration. Osteoporosis is also hereditary so look at you older relations.
As for other problems due to oestrogen deficiency:
Urogenital atrophy can be helped with local
Oestrogen, so even if you don't have problems now I would suggest using some Vagifem regularly now to help
prevent this - this will probably be needed for many years if not for life. Ian will need this till my dying day.
To protect your heart, do take Omega 3 and reduce fat intake - exercise well etc.
I also know that including some good relaxation into you daily life is another vital aspect whether on HRT or not.
So, yes there are natural ways of dealing with oestegen defiency but it requires a lot of life changes and discipline.dG x