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[SundayGirl]

This thread has certainly highlighted some differing views, some of which seem very strong views.

There's nothing wrong with that as long as they are not forced on others. Everyone should be able to make their own choices for their own reasons.

It just, once again, shows that we are all different.

 

[AngelaH]

There's nothing wrong with that as long as they are not forced on others. Everyone should be able to make their own choices for their own reasons.

It is wrong to say if someone says “I wish to have a choice of hormonal beauty supplements” and when someone gives advice where actually hormonal beauty supplements may be found, bought and used, you don’t like that either, calling that “forced on others” So what sort of conversation do you expect? 

[Jules]

For those, who want to use hormones as a “beauty  supplement”, you don’t need to use 100 or 200 Utrogestan orally/vaginally/rectally on top of 100 estrogen patches sticking to the bottom, just to make yourself look younger, there is a choice of cosmetic hormonal products online, but be aware that they are real hormones too. 

I had no idea you can get prescribed medicines for aesthetic reasons only. Is that the case?

[AngelaH]

I had no idea you can get prescribed medicines for aesthetic reasons only. Is that the case?

Some ladies admit they use HRT for aesthetic reasons, how they managed to get it prescribed I have no idea. NHS don’t do it.

[sheila99]

For those, who want to use hormones as a “beauty  supplement”, you don’t need to use 100 or 200 Utrogestan orally/vaginally/rectally on top of 100 estrogen patches sticking to the bottom, just to make yourself look younger, there is a choice of cosmetic hormonal products online, but be aware that they are real hormones too. 

I had no idea you can get prescribed medicines for aesthetic reasons only. Is that the case?

Of course not, it's prescribed on medical grounds only. Seems to be an attempt to justify an unjustifiable argument. And is there anyone stupid enough to believe hrt is the elixir of youth?? Perhaps va treatment should be included in the list of unnecessary hrt, I'm sure she'd soon change her mind. After all those in their 90s have had to put up we can improve our 'genetic factor' too and do without.

[SundayGirl]

There's nothing wrong with that as long as they are not forced on others. Everyone should be able to make their own choices for their own reasons.

It is wrong to say if someone says “I wish to have a choice of hormonal beauty supplements” and when someone gives advice where actually hormonal beauty supplements may be found, bought and used, you don’t like that either, calling that “forced on others” So what sort of conversation do you expect? 

You misunderstood my reply.🙂

And I refuse to get into a slanging match as this is turning slightly aggressive.

[Penguin]

My understanding re the initial post was that some members push the use of hrt so hard resulting in scaring in those who don't want to or can't use it for whatever reason. I can remember one particularly intense thread where a member laid into another member who couldn't have hrt due to having active cancer. This member insisted (and kept on and on) that hrt was the only way to prevent ill health (heart and osteo) in later life, and would not accept she had gone too far. That is what I thought was meant about the view re hrt being forced on others. Not sure how it's ended up as a discussion about hrt being  potentially used re aesthetic reasons.

For a lot (I'd say the majority) on here, hrt has not been an easy or quick fix and I genuinely can't see why people would put themselves through using it unless they had actual symptoms. However i also believe everyone has their own reasons for using or not using hrt and what might be a minor irritation for one person could be extremely debilitating for another. Therefore it is about choice and symptoms are subjective and it should be a collaborative discussion and informed consent, rather than an arbitrary set of symptoms, that result in hrt being prescribed. Not forced on others and not refused arbitrarily either.

[Fizwhizz]

HRT didn’t suit me as it turned out my thyroid was on the blink. I spent 5 years faffing around and then gave up.

[SundayGirl]

My understanding re the initial post was that some members push the use of hrt so hard resulting in scaring in those who don't want to or can't use it for whatever reason. I can remember one particularly intense thread where a member laid into another member who couldn't have hrt due to having active cancer. This member insisted (and kept on and on) that hrt was the only way to prevent ill health (heart and osteo) in later life, and would not accept she had gone too far. That is what I thought was meant about the view re hrt being forced on others. Not sure how it's ended up as a discussion about hrt being  potentially used re aesthetic reasons.

For a lot (I'd say the majority) on here, hrt has not been an easy or quick fix and I genuinely can't see why people would put themselves through using it unless they had actual symptoms. However i also believe everyone has their own reasons for using or not using hrt and what might be a minor irritation for one person could be extremely debilitating for another. Therefore it is about choice and symptoms are subjective and it should be a collaborative discussion and informed consent, rather than an arbitrary set of symptoms, that result in hrt being prescribed. Not forced on others and not refused arbitrarily either.

Very well put Penguin

[SundayGirl]

HRT didn’t suit me as it turned out my thyroid was on the blink. I spent 5 years faffing around and then gave up.

Thyroid issues are more common than you think in ladies around menopause. The vast majority of thyroid patients are female and a lot of those are only diagnosed when they see their GP thinking the symptoms they are experiencing are menopause related.

My GP refused to prescribe HRT initially before a whole host of blood tests were done which included thyroid function and key vitamins/minerals. Turned out she was right as my TSH was over 100 😲 

[AngelaH]

You misunderstood my reply.🙂

And I refuse to get into a slanging match as this is turning slightly aggressive.

I am glad I misunderstood. 

Have a nice day!

[AKatieD]

My guess is that part of the problem is that the hormone system as a whole is complex and the individual hormones all affect each other. Cortisol, sex hormones, insulin etc all interact.

Medicine today takes a single simplistic approach - low Oestogen,=add more, use dose that works for the average woman, use cheapest option etc. But it does not look at the system as a whole to work out if that Oestrogen might affect something else and what the knock on effect is on other hormones or how the rest of the endocrine system is working.

Also it does not try to work out what the right dose of each component is for an individual. The result can be an unbalanced system that only works for some women and can cause over/ undertreatment.

Hopefully over time the sophistication will increase until more people can get the right hormone treatment for them individually.

We are not there yet, so as the OP said, the treatment is not right for her. It goes without saying, everyone should follow the right approach for themselves regardless of what others do/ think. There is no other way of judging who it will work for in advance or knowing why it is not right for her, yet....

I am not sure HRT itself is the problem, rather it is how it is used at the moment. I am fairly convinced that the it would help most people's health over the long term if they could get the right treatment for them individually. I think it is this prospect that leads people to persist with HRT when it does not suit them or encourage others to do so. It also means some of us spend a lot of time, money and effort trying to improve the situation for ourselves.

 Hopefully it will come for future generations but until then only you can tell what is right for you.

[Jules]

For those, who want to use hormones as a “beauty  supplement”, you don’t need to use 100 or 200 Utrogestan orally/vaginally/rectally on top of 100 estrogen patches sticking to the bottom, just to make yourself look younger, there is a choice of cosmetic hormonal products online, but be aware that they are real hormones too. 

I had no idea you can get prescribed medicines for aesthetic reasons only. Is that the case?

Of course not, it's prescribed on medical grounds only. Seems to be an attempt to justify an unjustifiable argument. And is there anyone stupid enough to believe hrt is the elixir of youth?? Perhaps va treatment should be included in the list of unnecessary hrt, I'm sure she'd soon change her mind. After all those in their 90s have had to put up we can improve our 'genetic factor' too and do without.

I would have been astonished especially as some people can't get the drugs they need for medical issues. But you never know these days.

[Asher]

Of course doctors don’t prescribe systemic hrt for cosmetic reasons they have guide lines to follow.
When I said my friend used it purely for cosmetic reasons it was because she lied to her doctor and said she wanted to try it because she had severe hot flushes, because a group of us were talking about it and some claimed it kept weight off and wrinkles away , she said I’m going to try and get on it for those reasons another woman said say you have hot flushes and they will prescribe it.
I wasn’t in the slightest suggesting any self respecting GP would hand it out purely on a cosmetic basis.
I was only agreeing with AngelaH that sometimes and only sometimes women do use hrt other than because they have troubling symptoms with menopause.

There has been a couple of threads on this forum where women have discussed using vaginal estrogen as a face cream , members have also said in posts they use estrogel on there face clearly these products are not designed for that purpose and who knows what side effects could occur using it that way , but they still try it and absolutely no doctor is going to say yes I will give it for cosmetic reasons , I was simply giving an example that not every single woman on hrt uses it for severe menopause symptoms.

I don’t think anyone is against hrt we are just giving our personal experiences.

Has many have said if you need it and it works great , if you try and doesn’t that’s ok too, or if you decide to never try it that’s the individual’s choice or like my friend you decide to lie to your doctor that’s there choice not saying it’s right or wrong it’s a discussion where examples are given.

[Jules]

Okay. I wouldn't ever use prescribed medicine for a different purpose eg vaginal stuff on my face though I'd love my face to regain some youthfulness.  Prescription drugs must be a massive cost to the nhs and consequently tax payer so I do think we all have a responsibility to be honest and get the most appropriate but as you say individuals make their own choice.