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[gilaray]

Just when I thought the flushes were easing back they came with a vengeance
Yesterday I had the most intense flush. I was dripping with sweat from head to toe and I felt so nauseous that I had to lie down until it passed
I was at home so it was fine but if I had been out or at work it would have been a very difficult situation
Ladies do your flushes vary in intensity?

[Joyce]

I'm in the process of reducing my HRT. I'm halving my estradot 25 patches. However, flushing has started again. Not often, but there are some which are really intense. One in particular nearly floored me. I was passenger in car with hubby driving. I felt quite faint. Opened my window, switched fan to my side of car and still felt awful.
Not sure why it happens though, but it's not pleasant.

[Taz2]

Mine do too - which is why I have been unsuccessful in coming off HRT - not that I want to but the meno clinic would like me off by 60 which is next year. I have tried cold turkey and coming off slowly but both ways are ok for around three months before the symptoms begin again eventually reaching the same level to where they were when I started HRT five years ago.

Taz x

[skkb]

I've been on HRT for 10 years, now aged 63. Got dose down to VERY low, only using it Mon, Wed, Fri and all has been fine for the last 4/5 years, no symptoms at all............suddenly about 3 months ago back came the night sweats and the occasional day flush........so what's all that about??? Really don't want to increase the HRT as felt comfortable with the low dose I was taking, but the night sweats are really getting me down...........does it never end???

[Taz2]

Not sure there is an answer to that skkb! I have friends who never experienced any flushes and others who are still merrily flushing away in their seventies. Merrily is probably the wrong word. A close friend has recently begun flushes again at the age of 60 after five years without. She never took HRT and really thought she was through it. I suppose her levels must have dropped further now.

Did you drop your dose on medical advice or is it something that you wanted to do?  By the way  night sweats can often be caused by an undiagnosed low-grade infection of some kind so it might be worth mentioning it to the GP?

Taz x

[Rosebush]

I am same as Taz, tried to come off HRT cold turkey and slowly cutting down, but only managed 3wks, sweats came back so intense i felt i could not breathe got them every 20mins Really feel for you Gilray.xx

[JeanneA]

I also get very intense hot flushes which last a long time, most unpleasant. Why does the menopause have to be so horrible. 

[Joyce]

I'm  upping to full patch again, after truly awful flush yesterday. I'm not prepared to put myself through all that again.

[Rosebush]

Cuba its such an overwhelming feeling and so hard to explain to anyone 'what its like', really hope back on full HRT hepls..xx i did get the warning signs and even though i tried to stay calm the feeling of intense body heat and not being able to breathe was horrible, i am 64 in August no mention yet of my GP stopping HRT, just hope the break through bleeds March/April do not make him feel he will stop it..it was mentioned to me by the Gyno that maybe it was just due to a hormone blip...both bleeds occurred on holiday, just as the previous one did 3yrs ago..strange really as i am so relaxed for 2mths in the sun, so don't know how the hormone blip happens    x

[Joyce]

I've got gynae appointment end of next week. She told me a year ago that she was happy for me to stay on HRT until I'm 60, so got 3 more years yet.

[Taz2]

I've got 8 months 

[Rosebush]

Girls will you have no say at all?  x

[Hurdity]

I went back to my doc (well a different one at the same practice) 6 days after reaching 60 (last month) and told her I didn't want to stop (the previous one having said I should due to spotting) and she has agreed but has changed my prescription to 37.5 mcg patches instead of 50 mcg - because I told her I was snipping a bit off to see how I could manage on the slightly lower dose.

So far so good but only 1 month since I started snipping.

If all OK after the investigation then I will continue indefinitely.

I went along armed with print-out of Dr Currie's e-mail where she said I didn't need to stop - but Dr C did recommend I went onto conti.

For anyone who has had hysterectomy I would have thought no need to stop at all because as far as I remember even the risks with the WHI study showed that oestrogen only was fine?? (Bit late so haven;t looked this up recently).

I think we should have a say but of course always taking into account our own medical history - but all GPs should be told about the latest recommendations from British Meno Soc if they are not up to date themselves.

Hurdity x

[Taz2]

I've been discussing HRT with my doc today. I am swapping back to Evorel (even though it has the nasty norethisterone in it) as I can't be bothered with Femseven, and its failure to stick, a moment longer. She talked about the fact that I will be reaching 60 next year and that it may be better to come off it. It is the breast cancer risk for over sixties which she (and the meno clinic) are bothered about. She felt that although it is making my life much better with relief from the flushes etc. she would have failed in her duty of care if she hadn't reminded me about the increased breast cancer risk.

Taz x

[Elena]

Just to say if your GP insists that you come off HRT you could try one of the SSRI anti depressant group - Prozac, Citalopram etc.  I have been on these for decades and it was only when I started cutting down my dosage a while back that I experienced my first hot flushes at the age of 54.  I'm back on my normal dose now and hardly ever get them.  10mg is the optimum dosage for preventing flushes apparently.

My new GP told me yesterday that Vagifem carried all the risks of oral HRT.  She also said that 25mcg is still available  cos it was in her drug book.  She WAS very young and I didnt want to upset her so I just mentioned the tiny USA survey and left it at that.  She gave me my prescription for 10mcg anyway.