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[Turquoise_Waters]

Help! Advice and opinions please!  My doctor wont prescribe me HRT again and wants to give me anti depressants!

I had a premature menopause diagnosed at 38.  I went on HRT between ages 42 and 50 (last year). the doctor that put me on it said i should stay on until at least age 50.  Long story short, i came off it because i hated the fact my breasts increased by 2 sizes and were full of lumps.  To my surprise many symptoms returned - anxiety, lack of concentration, bad memory, loss of libido etc etc.  I called the doctors surgery and the doctor I spoke to said they are only allowed to prescribe HRT for 10 years max, any longer increases te risk of breast cancer and asked me if i was depressed (I said no more than anyone else in this horrible year) but she wants to give me anti depressants.  i refused as its not what I'm looking for and won't protect against osteoporosis.  She has asked me to make another apt with her next week as she will ask what alternatives i have and asked me to research SSRI in the meantime. 

Has anyone else been denied HRT after 10 years, specifically after a premature menopause?  I'm really frustrated!

[Shannonplussed]

I haven’t, but I believe the dr is using old thinking, and even at that, it’s misapplied. For early menopause (this is according to Dr Louise Newson), the 10 years notion is right out the window. If there is a max of 10 years, it should be applied/clock started at the average age of menopause, so whatever we’re going with these days like 54 give or take, so 10 years past THAT, so about 64 years old (approx). Modern thinking doesn’t have a time cap at all.

[sheila99]

Maybe take the NICE guidelines with you, there is no longer an age limit. I don't believe there's a 10 year limit either. Transdermal is much safer than oral, particularly the horse urine sort, and I think his information is out of date. Ask for a referral to a meno clinic if he still refuses bit it's something that should be prescribed by your gp. If you'd been meno at 20 would he have stopped it at 30?