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[hotmama]

Hi there, have been on HRT oestrogen only patch for six years. Started at age 64 after suffering horrendous menopausal symptoms for 12 years. I am now 70 and feel a lot better but still get flushes at night. It started off with just the odd one at night over recent years but for the last month or so I’ve been getting three at night. At my age I don’t want to increase the oestrogen, I have 50mcg patch plus a little bit so amounting to 62.5 mcg twice weekly. I’m slim, have a healthy diet and exercise. Anyone else have this problem? Anyone any ideas how I can stop these flushes at night, because I really need my sleep! Many thanks for reading.

[Julia Dizzy]

Hi hotmama, I'm a very similar story to yours apart from the patch!  I too suffered for years with all the usual horrible meno symptoms which have never really gone. Apparently we are the unlucky ones....

I am now 63, 10 years post meno, have been on a conti regime of 2 pumps oestrogel and 100mg utrogestan (orally) since last September, prescribed by my local menopause clinic. Also on Vagifem for VA. My hot flushes had mostly subsided from what they were before taking it, but still had the odd tingly warm moments!

2 months ago I decided to have a HRT break, as my boobs were very achy, burny and tender and was having some upper abdominal issues, just to see if it would make any difference. BUT the hot flushes of course came back after 2 weeks, along with feeling generally rubbish.

So I restarted on my gel and utrogestan again anyway 6 days ago, as my boobs and stomach seemed to have settled better during the break, but hot flushes and tingling waves seem to have just gone more intense in last few days after re-starting?? Waking up in the night with my nightie clinging and damp. (Crikey what's that all about??)

Maybe it's just the dreaded hormones re-jiggling again and probably yours have settled into a routine over the years - and now may need another tweak? Which patch are you on? I know you don't want to increase it really, but maybe try the next strength up for a little while just to see if it makes a difference? You can then reduce again?
I hope you manage to find some relief, but no natural supplements have ever worked for me over the years and believe me I tried them all.

It would appear some of us will need to be on HRT for life, as the flushes will never go?!!
 

[hotmama]

Thank you so much for your kind reply. Yes, I’d already decided that I would be on HRT for the rest of my life! At least my sweats aren’t as intense as yours appear to have been, you poor thing, but they do stop me getting a good nights sleep. You may be right in that my HRT needs tweaking but I don’t think I’d even bother to try and get an appointment with my GP at the moment! I’m on Estradot 50mcg plus I add a little bit more (I cut a patch into four) so it’s 62mcg. I suppose I could try a bit more to see if that works but don’t really feel at my age I should be increasing it. I do feel that the 12 years I spent with no oestrogen has really depleted my body of oestrogen.  The other thing is of course there is a shortage of Estradot and I’m using some I managed to get from Tenerife at the tail end of last year. My GP has prescribed Progynova and I have a supply of those so I could give them a go as they may very well do the trick. Thanks again for replying.