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[Pat2121]

Hi, I'm 68 and have been switched from Evorel Conti (spotting and polyp removed 10 months ago) to Femoston 1/5 and 10 months later I'm still spotting, have mood swings and am just fed up with it. Does it help to have a higher dose or even take the tabs every other day? I'm worried if I stop taking it,my flushes and other symptoms will come back like I experienced before? I had a break from HRT a while ago and although my flushes returned I had no spotting/bleeds. I'm sure I read somewhere that HRT only postpones the menopause.. anyone have any info on this please? I would appreciate any advice.Many thanks.

[Dancinggirl]

HRT doesn't postpone the menopause as such, it simply replaces the hormones the body is missing.
I am 62, had a premature meno which started in my mid 30s, so had hrt for nearly 25 years before stopping completely at 60. I tried a 3 year break in my early 50s but my flushes etc never subsided so u went back on hrt. I ended up with a Mirena with Oestrogel alongside and this was a good option at the time. When the Mirena ran out, I then tried Oestrogel with Utrogestan (supposed to be the best hrt regime for older women) and had awful problems with spotting, bleeding and cramps so decided hrt was more trouble than it was worth. I think my uterus simply didn't want to play ball any more. 
It is now 2.5 years since stopping hrt (I still use local vaginal oestrogen for the urogenital atrophy and I will be using this for the rest of my life) - I have adjusted my life to cope the lack of sleep, loss of energy etc.  I don't get as many flushes but I still can't control my body temperature so overheat very easily - summer heat is horrible. Some women like me are unlucky and things never truly settle but I am relieved to be free of the hassle of HRT.
Many women find the flushes settle quite quickly after they stop HRT especially when deep into post meno - you may just get a few months of problems and then things calm down. You won't be going through the fluctuations of peri meno and early post menopause that give problems for many years.
I wouldn't go to a higher dose as this could well cause even more bleeding. The Mirena would be you best alternative with Oestrogel alongside. DG x

[Hurdity]

You could decide to change to half a patch of Evorel conti or rather cut it down gradually from a full patch until spotting stopped - especially as your polyp has been removed, if that was the cause of the spotting. I'm not sure why you changed from as patch to a tablet anyway because usually over 60 transdermal HRT is preferred? Maybe the balance between oestrogen and progestogen is not right for you in these combi patches in which case separate oestrogen and progestogen may be the way forward - eg the Mirena as Dancinggirl suggests - although personally I would not want to go down that route in late 60s as it gives out a lot of progestogen. As she also says gel and utrogestan could be the way forward - or patches as I do - and I am mid 60's. You could then adjust the progesterone to prevent spotting - proivided it suits you that is. Again I would not want to take progesterone all the time - it can be quite sedating.

Hurdity x

[Pat2121]

Thanks Hurdity. I started on Evorel when I was 53. I cut the patch in half when I was 60 to see if I could manage on a lower dose, I sailed along very well until my GP put pressure on me to stop in Oct 2015. I stopped the patch and my symptoms came back with a vengeance. I was at my wits end and slapped a full patch on, that's when all the problems started.The full patch was too much for me and I started to taper it down. I was spotting on and off for months. Late 2017 I discovered the polyp and eventually went to see a GP who said it was 'probably' the cause of the spotting. I had already stopped the Evorel in November 2017 and although I had awful flushing and other problems the spotting stopped. After the op to remove the polyp I went to see another GP at my Surgery who suggested I try Femoston and now with the bleeds I am fed up with it all and considering taking a break just to see where I am. To be honest I really don't know what to do for the best.