Hi CWSG
Thanks my headache's almost gone now. Sorry to hear you've not been feeling well either and hope you are feeling better too. Must be the time of year and the weather....
Thanks for the update and sorry to hear that your hysteroscopy didn't happen after you went all the way there but try not to worry until the next appointment.
You asked about natural HRT. As I mentioned, this just means I replace the hormones which are the same as our body makes ie oestrogen (estradiol) and progesterone. In order to do this on NHS, if you are wanting to try HRT and your cycle and symptoms indicate that it is a suitable time for you to try ( and there is no medical reason why not) you would ask for oestrogen with separate progesterone. Oestrogen is available as tablets, patches or gel, and progesterone (the same as in progesterone cream) is available in micronised form as Utrogestan. Not all GPs have heard of this so if you decide you want to try these then read around a bit first and be prepared to argue your case.
The products are listed here:
Oestrogen:
https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/treatafter.phpProgesterone:
https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/to_progestogens.phpOver the counter progesterone cream is usually very weak and many find it does not really help. If you need progesterone because of heavy bleeding and what are known as anovulatory cycles (you don't ovulate) then you would need a stronger preparation to help regulate your cycle. If your periods are very few and far between then the addition of oestrogen help prevent the oestrogen crash you get just before your period.
There is an excellent article about the peri-menopause here:
https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/magazine/pdf/Article%20-%20Perils%20of%20the%20Perimenopause.pdfManaging stress is an important part of this stage in our life and can make a huge difference to how we cope with menopause. HRT at the right time also is an important tool in helping us cope with the life ahead of us as well as helping to protect our heart and bones. Whether you need it or not yet will depend as I said earlier, partly on the frequency of your cycle - how often your periods are, and your symptoms.
I hope you have a good appointment with the naturopath whom I am sure will provide you with some excellent lifestyle and dietary advice, but personally I would be wary of being offered a lot of expensive supplements - because I feel concentrating on diet is the way to go.
Do report back on how you get on and how you feel.
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Hurdity x