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[Hurdity]

I didn't know you had stopped Stellajane - in fact I was wondering where you were (before I went on hols) as you hadn't posted for a while! Glad you are OK. Interesting what you say about the body being ready to stop HRT - as like you I have tried once to come off (aged 57) and another time to reduce (age 60) and both times flushes returned.  When I'm sick of the bleed and the prog maybe I should try again - but for me involves stopping the testosterone as well so would be a long process anyway! Personally I would do it gradually.

Fullmoon - sorry to hear about your medical problems meaning you have to stop HRT and do hope you are able to resolve them and not too serious? Wishing you all the best.

Hurdity x

[Ljp]

I would like to stop HRT at some point just to see how I am, but I am confused as to how/if I can stop. I had Mirena coil fitted as a result of a post meno light bleed 6 months after starting to use local,oestrogen (estriole 0.01%) for bladder issues., still don't know that what caused the bleed, by gynae said I could end up back having to have another hysteroscopy potentially …

 That led to using estrogel to balance effects of Mirena, and a have estring too, more recently external soreness and irritation has led to using estriole again externally.

I suffered bad anxiety and hot flushes prior to HRT, and had been feeling mostly much better and calmer, more on a level, but yesterday I had an awful day, completely lost it over trivial thing at home, and spent the day wanting to disappear and shut myself away from the world.
Now questioning if the extra little bit of estriole applied daily to my vagina is increasing my oestrogen levels and making me anxy, or if it's just a hiccup.

Sometimes I just want out, but not sure how I can do that with Mirena and VA

[Hurdity]

Yes I haven't been around much lately. I think its part of my general wind down from involvement in all things meno-related. It seems to have been a long journey!

The last cycle of progesterone I just knew would be my last. A lot has changed this last year. We are both retired now and like to go off doing things on the spur of the moment. I don't want to be worrying about possible progesterone side effects or bleeds any longer. I'm happy that I gave myself a good long period of extra bone protection which was always one of my main concerns.

As I said, everyone has their own 'right time'. The worst thing for me would have been to have someone tell me to stop before I was ready, though I realise other health concerns can sometimes necessitate it.

I can understand wanting to wind down from thinking about menopause - there is so much of our life (if we're lucky) that is post-menopause! Do enjoy your retirement and all the things you plan and all the spur of the moment stuff - I agree that thinking about bleeds and utrogestan etc is a right pain and I am governed by it to some extent.

Do drop in from time to time and let us know how you get on sans HRT as we'd love to hear - especially those of us in our 60's.

You have provided such a lot of useful advice and information on menopause and HRT to other women over the last few years and telling about your experience is so helpful!

All the best

Hurdity x

[Anjia]

I have to come off HRT medical reasons I use an Estrodot patch should I just stop or do it gradual I dont use progesterone glad for some help I have been on hrt for five years .

[Fullmoon]

Thanks StellaJane and thanks Hurdity.  My reason for having to come off HRT is because I've recently been diagnosed with breast cancer - caught early and very small lump - but cancer all the same and surgery now booked for the end of the month. 

I took advice from a specialist who admitted that very few studies had been done on this - but those that had looked at withdrawal regime of between 6 weeks and 6 months.  Fortunately no-one is suggesting I go 'cold turkey' so we have agreed a 3-month regime where i reduce my oestrogel from 2 squirts a day to 1.5 for a month, then 1 for a month, then half  for a month and then stop.  I take utrogestan alternative nights vaginally so it was suggested I carried on doing this until I stop the oestrogel.

I am ten days in now and today feel awful but that may simply be because I had a  fairly stressful day at my pre-op appointment at the hospital and didn't sleep well last night (I was very hot but don't immediately want to assume that it is because of hormones...)   In fact I feel fairly positive about coming off as I have had other issues this year and it is good to try - but I wish it had been under different circumstances.

[Hurdity]

Oh Fullmoon I am so sorry to hear this news. Will you have a lumpectomy or are you advised to have a mastectomy? There are one or two other members who have had similar operations recently -  a thread maybe in the Other Health Discussion section so you might like to have a look - or else perhaps not?

You are bound to feel a bit rough - both because of the stress of your diagnosis and treatment to come as well as your hormones, so look after yourself and I hope the withdrawal from HRT is not too difficult.

There are plenty of women on here who can help support you if this is would be helpful but some find it better to withdraw and cope using support within their immediate circle.

Do take care and wishing you all the best with your forthcoming operation.

Hurdity x 

[Fullmoon]

Thanks Hurdity.  It's lumpectomy for now.  It's a journey like all the others with its own ups and downs I am sure.  I am in withdrawal mode while I get my head round this but I am sure I will come back and join the other discussions in due course.

 

[Katia]

Fullmoon, I'm so, so sorry to hear this.  wishing you all the best.

I stopped the estrogel and utrogestan last week for blood tests today.  I am so much clearer and less groggy.  I'm having some night sweats and feel tired, so probably need something, but I'm thinking of maybe trying something else.  Perhaps femoston.  That combo wasn't right for me.  It was no where near as bad to stop as I expected.  In fact I actually feel more normal.  I think if the hrt combo is right for you, it may be more difficult to stop than if it is not. 

[paisley]

Fullmoon
So sorry to hear your news
I have been off oestrogen for over 3 months & you are definitely doing it right by slowing tapering & I think you will have a smoother journey. I stopped cold turkey as oestrogen wasn't working for me no matter what type I tried. I am having a rough ride but it is my own fault for doing it suddenly. Good luck with everything

[Fullmoon]

Hi All

Its been a year since I last posted.  I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2017 and have gone through treatment (lumpectomy and radiotherapy) and am happily out the other side now.  I was fortunate in that it was caught very early, there had been no spread to my lymph glands and as it was Her2 negative I didn't need chemotherapy.  I tried both Tamoxifen and another aromatase inhibitor (forgotten name) but stopped both because of the side effects - stopped with the blessing of my oncologist because the reduction in risk of recurrance was not only 1 or 2% different from not taking it at all - I decided that quality of life had to be dominant rather than taking a pill daily which made me ill simply out of fear of recurrance.

When I got my diagnosis I was as frightened of coming off the HRT as I was of the cancer itself - that might sound strange but I have had a pretty awful menopause experience and there was a lot of fear for me in going back to where I had come from.  However - and this is why I am sharing this now - my experience really was not bad at all.  I took advice and took three months to wean myself off both the oestrogel and the utrogestan.  The only issue for me now is hot flushes - which ironically I never had first time around.  I get about a dozen a day.  At first they really bothered me but now I think I have woven them into the fabric of my existence.  I carry a fan around with me and have a fan on my work desk.  I don't hide the fact from people around me and while sometimes the flushes are very intense leading to sweating - other times they are not - there is no pattern nor any obvious triggers (sometimes coffee will trigger a hot flush, sometimes not; any hot drink can trigger one for me in fact - but not always). 

It was helpful for me to talk to a counsellor about my fears and move on from what had been a very dark part of my life.

I have found that not taking progesterone daily has really improved my mood overall (with the usual ups and downs) and I also think (night swaets notwithstanding) than my sleep has improved - which was the last thing I expected. 

So, over a year on, I am glad that I am now off HRT and fully in my post menopausal self.  I'm 61 now and my menopause journey started in my mid-forties.  I don't regret taking HRT for a moment.  I don't know if my breast cancer was a result - but it doesn't matter to me.  HRT was a life saver for me (literally).There are so many risk factors for breast cancer - HRT is relatively low among them - that I would counsel any woman struggling with perimenopause or menopause to explore HRT.  No-one I encountered in my treatment ever suggested to me that there was a causal relationship between me taking HRT and my breast cancer.

What's been really interesting in these past 12 months is to discover that menopause is now 'out there'.  When I started this journey this forum was about the only place I could find with like minded people.  It was such a relief to know I was not alone.  It is really good to see menopause being talked about more openly now.  I am sure this will help a lot of women.  There is still a long way to go for women to receive proper medical support - but women are finding the collective voice to push for this.  We're even starting a menopause network at work now!

I wish everyone on here all great strength.  Thank you for all your support over the years.  It has meant a huge amount to me to be part of a huge sisterhood of support.

All the best for 2019.