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[Jinty14]

Hello, I have been suffering symptoms for 3 or 4 years but have only just been prescribed hrt as I encountered a different GP in the surgery. I am 55 and my last period was 7 months ago . I have been prescribed 25 mg oestrogen gel and nightly progesterone.
My main worry is the cardiovascular effects, due to family history, and at first I worried myself silly about the risk of heart attack in the first year and now I am worried about the Finnish study which showed an increase in cardiac events in the first year after stopping  hrt , in case I do have to come off it.
I have driven myself silly looking up stuff online, one of my main symptoms is anxiety, as you can see. I did try vagifem by itself for my persistent utis but it really irritated and I couldn't continue. I am sorry now that I went researching as I have almost convinced myself not to take it. I'm sure there are lots of ladies of my age out there who have started/ stopped without adverse events.

[Flossieteacake]

Hello jinty14 and welcome to the forum. I can understand you are concerned about starting HRT. It is all new to you and when reading worrying things the anxiety increases. Maybe it would help to remind yourself you can always stop it if you wanted to. It is not like you must take it regardless of how you feel. I would advise against looking such things up as they tend to only show the negative side. It is a bit like looking up symptoms of headaches and being pointed to lethal conditions. As vaigem did not agree with you, you may like to try ovestin cream. It is a bit more gentle. I use that myself. As you are having persist UTI's it could be vaginal atrophy. This is when we lack oestrogen and the vagina becomes dry, we need to go to the bathroom a lot more, we feel pain. It is best to have vaginal atrophy treatment as soon as possible to minimize any discomfort. The ovestin may be something you can tolerate well. Maybe women stop and start HRT for various reasons. 

[Postmeno3]

Sound advice! Hopefully ladies with personal experience of starting and/or stopping systemic hrt will be along to help you. Hang in there, meantime and try to distract yourself with things that make you happy. You did well to reach out here so now you can relax.

[Jinty14]

Thank you both  so much. I feel a bit less scared already. Talking to other women is so much better than Dr Google. I have always had a fear of heart disease and now I feel  anxious and tearful a lot of the time, not a good time to be making decisions.

[Flossieteacake]

I am so pleased we both have helped to reassure you a little. I know when having health anxiety to start any new medication is nerve wracking.