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[SundayGirl]

I just thought I'd put this out there to encourage (probably not the right word, give information to by sharing my journey is probably more appropriate) others that are considering starting/stopping/switching hrt.

After trying numerous things over the last few years - conti patches, both everol and fem7, oestrogen only patches, gel and latterly Lenzetto, all in various doses - I have stopped HRT totally.

Looking back, I don't really know why I started it if I'm totally honest. Maybe I'd persuaded myself that every single little thing I thought was wrong with me was due to lack of hormones. Maybe I was overthinking things ‘wishing myself ill’. Maybe in the hope that I could possibly reduce or even stop using local treatments. Silly I know but it was all over the media about how good HRT is and how much it protects you from all sorts of things later in life. There was no mention of negatives anywhere.

Anyway, I began my HRT journey and for the last couple of years I have just not been me. I have been anxious, worried, snappy, bad tempered, miserable, down, bloated with huge solid cannonball like sore boobs. Not to mention the weight gain even though my diet hasn't changed. And my get-up-and-go……..got-up-and-went.

I think my body just doesn't like oestrogen. For the last year or so I've even been having issues with vagifem/Estriol/estradiol causing bloating and aching.

Now I've been HRT free for coming up to a month and I've just started to reintroduce small, teeny tiny, blobs of Estriol. I even had some adult fun the other evening with my husband - first time in over 12 months.

My mood is better, I'm not as anxious, I'm happy in myself, I'm doing things again and the cannonballs on my chest have now become nice squishy comfortable pillows. Oh, and the itchy nipples are no more.

I just thought I'd post this as I know a lot of ladies go through hell trying to find the right thing to use due to side effects/negative effects. Sometimes the right thing to do is to use nothing. And that's OK.



I don't usually put much on here as there are certain posters who dish out dubious information repeatedly. Sometimes it's because they think they know best. Sometimes it's because they just don't bother to read things properly. Sometimes it just seems like they want to feel important. Sometimes it just seems like one-upmanship. Sometimes it's even about things they have absolutely no knowledge of. Sometimes it's just plain wrong information.

If this post is to be my swan song on here, if it gets reported for this last paragraph of truths and warnings to new members, I hope that the first part is left as a story and encouragement to others who are struggling with HRT.

💓🤗

[Asher]

Hi Sundaygirl,

Thank you for putting such an honest post.
I am in a similar situation to you I have never felt good on hrt and it’s been 7 years of trying every type and dose out there, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that my body just doesn’t like added hormones.

I only went on hrt due to a very early menopause (35) and my gynaecologist said under the normal age I definitely needed estrogen to avoid osteoporosis but after the natural age of menopause 50/51 I could stop using it , I know people will say we need it for the long term benefits but both my grandmother’s are now 93 and 96 and they have  no osteoporosis or heart conditions in fact no one in my family great aunts and aunts have used hrt neither did my mum and they haven’t had any problems with weak bones.

Ive now reached 50 and decided to gradually come off hrt because I’m sick of feeling absolutely rubbish and since tapering the dose from 4 pumps of estrogel to 2 I feel better a lot of symptoms you describe are also what I’ve suffered, I’m post menopause now and on hrt I feel the same as I did with peri , it’s like it’s held me in a peri type state, and when I read posts of women in there 60s even 70s still trying to get hrt right it fills me with dread I don’t want to be still trying to get a balance at that age .

I’ve searched this forum constantly for experience’s of stopping hrt or not using it and I have noticed those posts are quite often met with lectures about the dangers of not using hrt and all the benefits it will give you, I think there seems there was a time we were all scared into not using hrt and now the table has turned and some seem to try and scare us into using it .

I’m hoping in a couple of months I will be off hrt and I’m prepared to give it at least 3 months to see how I do , my doctor is in agreement and he said symptoms will come back but usually it’s actually a withdrawal process of stopping hrt and if you wait long enough the body will adjust i may be left with some symptoms that are actually menopause but I will see after those 3 months, although I will continue to use ovestin.

You are very right hrt isn’t for everyone and for some of us the side effects just aren’t worth it , I think if someone wants to use it and it works great , but if someone doesn’t that’s also great I don’t think they need a lecture about the long term benefits.

You post is very encouraging for me so thanks for post and also having the courage to say what you have , I’m pretty new on here and most of the ladies seem very nice, supportive and kind, but from all the posts I’ve read there are indeed some who give out dubious information and I’ve actually read a few where some are really quite abrupt and rude to other members, but you will always get that on forums .

I replied to your post because I genuinely find it relevant to my situation and I’m pleased to read a positive experience too.

I noticed no one has replied to your post mainly because they are probably waiting for someone to post first , and then the flood gates will open and many may criticise your post.
If they do ignore it and be proud you were open and honest, I for one found it interesting.
Personally I don’t see why your post would be reported there’s much more offensive posts on this forum one being that post called does the word man offend you I read that and there’s some pretty awful comments in that not all of them but some definitely cross the line .
I don’t think this forum is moderated as well as it could be that post about using alternatives to hrt has some very nasty comments too.

Take care and I wish you the very best of luck in your hrt free journey.

[SarahT]

I genuinely wish you well Sunday Girl.

Hrt most definitely is not for everyone. I went into hrt with realistic expectations - I desperately needed hormonal support to feel better, I was bought to my knees physically and mentally by the severity of perimenopause. But I did not expect to be cured of every symptom of ailment whether they be related to hormonal fluctuations or not.
I never expected a total cure as such, or to feel like I did even 10 years ago, or recapture my youthful self. But after a huge amount of adjustments and a hell of a lot of severe mental issues I finally got things stable. Don't feel wonderful but far better than I was.

I do wonder if some womens expectations of life with hrt are falsely exaggerated by media etc? Every medication is likely ( in my experience ) to have side effects. It is my choice to decide if the benefits of any medication ( from meno\peri or other health issues I have ) outweigh the negatives.

This is a menopause site for advice and support - not an HRT advert. Hrt is definitely NOT the only way. Whatever works - or doesn't -  for us as individuals means there  is definitely no ' right or wrong'

 I still consider perimenopause the most awful time in many women's life. All the best to you.

[Jules]

I only use topical estrogen.  I think theres some truth in what you say. I have also wondered whether some things are attributed to menopause when they're not. There are other reasons why we get some of these symptoms. Some of my friends went on HRT for what appeared to be mild menopause symptoms as though its just what you do. I also know someone who had horrendous debilitating hot flushes and low mood. 
I agree with your last paragraph.  We should be cautious about giving advice and even more so, medical advice. Some members might assume its being given by a medical practitioner and act on it.

[Ayesha]

There was only one reason why I took systemic HRT years ago and that was to ease the horrendous hot flushes but I couldn't wait to stop, only in later years having to have treatment for Vaginal Atrophy (GSM) which I wasn't able to live with.

I hope when I give advice on here regarding VA its in the right context and certainly not from a medical point of view, but I completely get and understand the comments in your last paragraph.

[Jules]

There was only one reason why I took systemic HRT years ago and that was to ease the horrendous hot flushes but I couldn't wait to stop, only in later years having to have treatment for Vaginal Atrophy (GSM) which I wasn't able to live with.

I hope when I give advice on here regarding VA its in the right context and certainly not from a medical point of view, but I completely get and understand the comments in your last paragraph.

I'd have been scuppered if I hadn't read your experience. So definitely in the right context.

[Penguin]

Agree with this post on so many levels! The scaremongering towards those who don't want to or can't use hrt is just inappropriate on a forum where there are already so many vulnerable women and the language of some members can be almost bullying. I've reported a number of posts since last year when they've crossed the line into rudeness or inappropriate and clearly haven't been the only one as they've subsequently been removed by admin.

Also agree there is a lot of misinformation presented as fact instead of being caveated as personal experience.

That said, I hope you don't leave SundayGirl as there are often alternative discussions about meno that don't involve hrt that you may benefit from. I quit hrt after just over a year as I couldn't make it work for me but I still find things of value.

[AngelaH]

I think my body just doesn't like oestrogen.

Doctors call that hormonal sensitivity. I don’t think they know what it means because they never explain anyway and let you cope with it yourself. I am highly sensitive to sex hormones too and it made me using HRT in post meno absolutely impossible, although I was successfully treated in peri, my peri was awful, but thanks to my high hormonal sensitivity very simple solution was found to fix peri symptoms. Unfortunately in post meno hormonal sensitivity works against me. It looks like my body hates estrogen and just like you I tried all forms of estrogen available from NHS, they all made my body too ill to function, except Blissel gel, which makes me feel normal again.

I am on very low dose estriol for a couple of months now, it keeps my main symptoms nausea and fatigue away, it helps to keep joints and muscle pains away as well. I don’t use estriol every day and listen to my body to prevent poisoning effects of estrogen. I am also waiting for consultation with gynaecologist to discuss if it possible for me  to try Tibolone. It’s clear I don’t need HRT, I need just top up my hormones, because being sensitive means my body is able to feel every small amount of hormones left in my body and HRT is too strong for me. They are some ways how to keep under control meno symptoms with high sensitivity conditions. It seems like you don’t have any symptoms now, so you really don’t need any treatment or top up.

[aj1971]

Yes, please don't leave. We need varied thoughts and opinions on here.

I take HRT because long covid plummeted me into the most horrendous hormonal crisis. And it has helped, but it has not transformed my life. I am only 53 so plan on taking it for a while and then reviewing year by year. I don't like the idea of being dependent on something for the rest of my life unless it is absolutely necessary.

I also have long-living and healthy women in my family - most of whom were not on HRT. I had no clue until recently that my mother was on HRT for 15 years. She had a horrendous perimenopause, I remember, and it made life very unpleasant for us as children. Then she got better - clearly the HRT!

But the clear message needs to be that this is all about personal choice. I think it is only around 14% of peri/menopausal women in the UK use HRT? Which means 86% don't.

For me, it is all about having the right information and being supported to make decisions and weigh up the risks of taking/not taking HRT. That's empowerment, right? X

[AngelaH]

But the clear message needs to be that this is all about personal choice. I think it is only around 14% of peri/menopausal women in the UK use HRT? Which means 86% don't.

When you are ill you can’t really make a choice, you have to treat your symptoms in order to function.

Menopause is natural process, humans live on this planet for millions years and still survive. Menopause can become difficult in some women, so they need to be treated, but most of the women are fine and some of them live up to 100 years old. 

[Northerngirl]

Sunday girl, I totally agree with you that not everyone needs/wants HRT. I think it is an individual decision like everyone says. Some people benefit and some don't.
I personally never found one that helped me either, I tried for 11 years and last December I stopped altogether after a scare, due to bleeding/thickened lining. I will never use systemic again but due to VA beginning I think I might have to try local.
Please don't leave, like everyone says this is a menopause forum and not just a HRT one. I genuinely find everyone's advice invaluable and I'm also grateful to have found MM.Lots of different opinions are invaluable while we are all on this menopause journey!!!
AngelaH can I ask you about your experience with Blissel gel as this is something I'm considering....am I right in thinking this is low dose for VA treatment??
Have a lovely day ladies

[aj1971]

But the clear message needs to be that this is all about personal choice. I think it is only around 14% of peri/menopausal women in the UK use HRT? Which means 86% don't.

When you are ill you can’t really make a choice, you have to treat your symptoms in order to function.

Menopause is natural process, humans live on this planet for millions years and still survive. Menopause can become difficult in some women, so they need to be treated, but most of the women are fine and some of them live up to 100 years old. 

My point is that if you are ill, and HRT would make a difference, there should be a choice as to whether or not to take it. Too often, women are not even given the choice. Optimising hormonal health can help the body deal with the illness. I had to go private to be given that choice.

And I agree re. most women not seeming to need HRT - my great granny lived to 94, my granny to 94, and my other granny is 96 and still going strong physically (though she has a form of dementia). None of them took HRT.

[AngelaH]

My point is that if you are ill, and HRT would make a difference, there should be a choice as to whether or not to take it. Too often, women are not even given the choice. Optimising hormonal health can help the body deal with the illness. I had to go private to be given that choice.

And I agree re. most women not seeming to need HRT - my great granny lived to 94, my granny to 94, and my other granny is 96 and still going strong physically (though she has a form of dementia). None of them took HRT.

To be honest I think HRT should not be a choice. It should be prescribed only for treatment ongoing meno symptoms, which are too severe and effect every days life, except early meno, when body experiences loss of hormones too early, which is not natural for the body and may cause problems in the future. For the rest of the women HRT should not be taking for treatment any other conditions or for “future benefits”.

Those who are 90+ years old didn’t have HRT available like we have now. That generation is example that genetic factor is too strong. HRT can not change genetics unfortunately.

[AngelaH]

AngelaH can I ask you about your experience with Blissel gel as this is something I'm considering....am I right in thinking this is low dose for VA treatment??

Yes, Blissel is the weakest for VA. In fact it so weak that for some ladies it doesn’t make any difference, they just can’t feel it. It’s great for highly sensitive individuals, for me it does both local and systemic jobs.

[Northerngirl]

AngelaH can I ask you about your experience with Blissel gel as this is something I'm considering....am I right in thinking this is low dose for VA treatment??

Yes, Blissel is the weakest for VA. In fact it so weak that for some ladies it doesn’t make any difference, they just can’t feel it. It’s great for highly sensitive individuals, for me it does both local and systemic jobs.

Thanks AngelaH for your reply. Might be worth me looking into .