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[Donnadoobie]

Sorry to ask another question, I feel a bit of a pain at the moment.

I was never able to take the contraceptive pill when I was younger, as when I went for the initial appointment, it was found that I had high blood pressure at 23!  Tests could not find a cause and it was put down to genetics ( mum had it very young too). It has been well controlled and I am fit and healthy.  I have only ever been prescribed hormones three times. Twice norethisterone, once after a suspected miscarriage which caused abnormal bleeding and the second time when my periods returned after the birth of my first daughter, when the bleeding was very heavy.  The third time I was prescribed  progesterone only (mini pill) for heavy peri menopausal periods.  This did not suit me, it made me really anxious and prone to mood swings so I stopped taking it after about 6 weeks.

My question is this.  Is there a problem taking estrogen with hypertension and if there is, what other treatment could be prescribed for VA?  My symptoms are fairly mild in comparison to many here, just dryness and soreness.  I don’t have bladder, cystitis or thrush problems.  I want to know what I am talking about when I go, so I don’t get fobbed off.

[Tinkerbell]

You can use systemic HRT if your BP is controlled by medication and they will prefer to prescribe transdermal HRT, so either Estrogel or patches.
For the VA you need to ask for Vagifem or Ovestin, i prefer Vagifem. I would get that prescribed asap as VA is easier to get under control in the earlier stages.

[Hurdity]

Here is the info about hypertension and HRT on this website:

"Hypertension   
    Blood pressure should be measured and, if high, should be controlled prior to starting HRT. Blood pressure measurement should be repeated 3 months after starting HRT and is then usually checked at annual review. There is a very small risk of conjugated equine estrogens causing a rise in blood pressure which resolves on cessation of treatment. In the presence of controlled hypertension, HRT is unlikely to worsen control; some recommend using transdermal (patch or gel) HRT.
    Sage should be used with caution if hypertensive and St.John's Wort should be used with caution if taking antihypertensive therapy."

I presume you have also attended to other factors which could cause high BP eg alcohol, salt, diet, body weight, exercise, smoking etc? There are lots of ways BP can be reduced naturally:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318716.php#fifteen-remedies

Many of us use local oestrogen for VA in addition to systemic HRT as the local oestrogen works better as it targets the affected tissues.

Hurdity x

[Donnadoobie]

Hurdity, when I was diagnosed at the age of 23, I was an 8 and a half stone dancer and gymnast, who never drank or smoked.  There was no rhyme or reason to it just bad genes.  I have felt it unfair all my life.  I am normal weight, exercise regularly and eat a low carb diet to manage threatening diabetes (seem to have inherited that gene too). Over the past five years, since starting eating low carb my bp has reduced and is now, when tested in the surgery, 130/75-70.  Lower if given a monitor to do at home, but that is with two tablets taken daily. 
Higher life insurance, travel insurance ........!  Even though I am healthier than many people who have no trouble getting these things.  Can't do much to change my lifestyle.  I eat well, don't smoke, rarely add salt and hate salty food.  I like a drink but keep it to weekends and special occasions, run, dance and walk a lot as well as having an active job.  Sometimes life is just unfair! 

[Kathleen]

Hello Donnadoobie

I don't have a history of hypertension although I realise it is very common in older people.  I had a friend who was also refused the pill in her twenties because it raised her blood pressure and another the same age who had to give it up due to sudden onset of migraines.

 I was interested in your our post because despite being sixty three and eating a very high complex carb diet my last BP measurement was 95/62.  I feel generally well, am not overweight and  blood glucose and cholesterol are at the low end of normal. The person doing the test calculated that my risk of a stroke in the next ten years is only 3.6 per cent and my heart age is fifty six which is seven years lower than my actual age. The only reason I'm rambling on like this is because it suggests that heart health, low diabetes risk and low BP can occur on a high carb diet, at least for some of us so you may infact have some wiggle room when it comes to looking at what you eat.

Wishing you well and I hope that you can find an HRT regime that helps you.

K.

[Whatsupwiththis]

Wow K, that BP you showed is very LOW.   Low BP can actually be more dangerous than high BP. 
Donnadoobie I was refused systemic HRT due to age and very high BP.  Tho exercise and keeping control of weight is a good line of defense against high BP,  for many it is genetics.  I have tried every kind of med. known to human kind but, alas, nothing worked.  I can officially point the fickle.finger of fate at my paternal side of the family.  Your high BP might simply be "white coat syndrome" or you may have inherited that lone little gene that dictates BP. 

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies

Whatsupwiththis

Thank you so much for your concern regarding my low BP.  Even before I was eating plant based my BP was on the low side and when I asked a doctor if that was a problem I was told it was okay as long as wasn't fainting! I have since learned that normal blood pressure for adults is generally in the range of 90/50 to 120/90 and Hypotension is below 90/50. Symptoms of low BP are dizziness, weakness and of course fainting.  Vegans often have a BP of 100/70 it seems.

Take care ladies and wishing you all well.

K.