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[Pamelamck]

Hi, I have been experiencing menopausal symptoms since Jan 2020.  Mainly excessive night sweats and hot flushes during the day, i initially used Meno Cool Black Cohosh from Holland & Barrett for 3 months but did not notice any improvement. I attended my GP and was prescribed Elleste Duet, a combined oestrogen & progesterone HRT.  I have been taking these for around 1 month, It has improved the night sweats and hot flushes by day, however i have noticed a fluctuations in my mood (real highs and lows and outbursts of anger) I am now experiencing a heavy period and painful cramp.  A friend who is also menopausal and was prescribed an anti depressant from her GP has advised me i am only delaying the menopause by taking HRT and by taking anti depressants i will be able to cope with the symptoms of menopause.  I now feel conflicted between trying to cope naturally with menopause (come off of HRT and cope with sweats) or keep taking the HRT and hope the other symptoms calm down.  I also don't want to delay the menopause.  Any advice would gratefully received.

Thank you

Pamela

[CLKD]

We have a thread in similar vein, began 2 days ago.  Your friend doesn't know how menopause might affect others as each journey is individual.

  browse round.  Make notes.  Use the search button too for threads that may be of interest.

Remember: Menopause is 'natural' but symptoms can overwhelm us!

[Mogster71]

Hi Pamela

Welcome to the forum

Its good to hear that your hot flushes and night sweats are being helped by HRT! Would you say the mood fluctuations were in the part of the cycle where you added in the progesterone? That's a fairly common reaction sadly. You may find this settles down over time, the benchmark for trying out an HRT regime is typically 3 months. Elleste Duo contains the progesterone called norethisterone which some women (including me) don't tolerate well.

With anxiety and depression being one of the symptoms of menopause, many GPs are prescribing anti depressants to deal with the symptoms, which could possibly even be corrected by adding in the missing hormones - which is what HRT actually does. It doesn't stop your existing cycles, it lays over the top of them. So whilst it doesn't "delay" menopause as such, women who discontinue a regime will find that when they do stop, those symptoms are still ongoing if that makes sense?

There are many ladies who go through menopause using only natural methods, or just putting up with their symptoms. I completely empathise with the feelings of confliction as this is something I am going through myself but for different symptoms. As CLKD has mentioned, we are all completely unique in our make up, tolerance levels and stages of journey!

[Sammiejane]

hi

HrT doesn't delay the symptoms , if you were to stop hrt and still had symptoms then you would of had them anyway .

there are also hidden symptoms of menopause like brain and heart health bone health which you don't get being off HrT then of course there is vaginal and urethra atrophy which can creep in at a later date . i went 4 yrs hrt free as had minimal symptoms couple of hot flushes and this was at age 35 after surgical menopause but then developed vaginal issues and went onto hrt. also bear in mind some women hit on the right regime of hrt and feel great others find they have to try several before finding one that suits i am one of these , and because of the stress of it all has impacted my mental health husband left and year and half later i?m still not there i've improved but have side effects x

[Pamelamck]

Thank you or your reply, this menopause is all so confusing and there is so much conflicting advice between friends and online.  It is good to speak to people that understand.  I am sorry to hear that this has been such a stressful journey for you, i wish you all the best. P x

[Hurdity]

Hi Pamelamck

Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation out there.

Do read the other threads. As already said your ovaries will continue to function or fail when they were going to, so it all carries on happening in the background. You cannot delay it. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is misguided or going along with the anti-HRT propaganda.

Like sammiejane said, if you start HRT and then your menopause happens while you are taking it, and then a couple of years later your symptoms come back, well this probably means you would have had the symptoms all the time if you hadn't taken the HRT. For some women the symptoms come back for a few months fater stopping and then subside, but for some the flushes etc may well continue on and off for years. There was a survey done and some women had them for 14 years!

The point is, even if your symptoms came back after you stopped the HRT, you can't take away those years that you benefitted from taking it when your symptoms were controlled, and unlike with anti-depressants, you would also be replacing oestrogen that your body needs and giving protection to your heart and bones all the time you are taking it, which doesn't happen with ADs.

Giving anti-depressants as first line of treatment for menopausal symptoms is not recommended by NICE so any doctor that is prescribing these to a woman who is able to take HRT, is not prescribing correctly and going against medical guidelines. Docs have a duty to put the case for, and health benefits of HRT.

What was your menstrual cycle doing in the months leading up to starting hRT in January, in terms of length of cycle, periods length and flow?

Your friend is free to do as she wishes but doing it naturally can mean 40 years or more of living in an oestrogen deficient state! I've been taking HRT for 13 years  since my mid 50's and now in mid 60's.

I hope this helps

All the best

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

 

Again, GPs not getting the message ?

[Hurdity]

Here is the thread started recently on the same subject. Was on the othe rboard. I think I answered on that one too. Hopefully said much the same! 

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,47647.0.html

Hurdity x