Jaylow and laszla, that's why it's good that we have this new, dedicated section of the forum because the menopause is an evolving situation and women need to be aware that things change once again in the post menopause phase - thank you Postmeno3.
Years ago when I was happily slapping on copious amounts of Oestrogel, I unaware that my body was changing in the background and that my HRT needs would change over time. By sharing our experiences on here, at least younger women will be able to recognise those changes (and sometimes quite scary changes) and adjust their HRT regimes accordingly.
If it's any consolation, I think the post menopause phase is easier to manage because you no longer have to counter those dreadful hormone fluctuations with high doses of oestrogen. I'm now 60 and liking the low dose, continuous combined, maintenance regime. It's good to feel the same all the time and I hope I don't have to go to an even lower dose but I will if I need to. I think we must always be prepared to make adjustments to the dose and open to the idea of trying new products when they become available.
I'm so pleased I had that consultation but surprised that a gastroenterologist was so helpful on the subject of hormones!