Hello Women!
I have a question about coming off HRT (just as a test run) re how long to wait and see what's what. Here's my recent background for context.
I've been on HRT for 12 years, since age 48. (Yep, I'm 60 now.) Mainly due to just horrible horrible 2-3 hourly drenching night sweats that prevented me from sleeping. Last few years I got down to a very low dose of 25mcg Estradiol patches 2x week, plus 5 mg progesterone (Provera) for two weeks every months for uterine protection (everything is intact, no hysterectomy etc.)
In 2017 I had an 'ablation' under anaesthetic after ultrasound revealed endometrial thickening. Fast forward to this month and two weeks ago I had a hysteroscopy + scheduled D&C after ultrasound revealed (alleged) thickening, which turned out, I think, not to be, but instead some kind of fold in the uterus (a "curiosity" the gynie said, though I don't have all the details yet -- waiting for surgeon's letter, this was what he told me briefly after the procedure).
ANYWAY: on 15 Sept, in prep for the hysteroscopy/D&C, I stopped the HRT partly also to see if I would be OK without it...at last.
Now, 6 weeks on and I'm getting hot flashes (daytime, I don't really care about them) and one drenching sweat in the night around 1-3 a.m. So, yeah, my sleep is going back to the dogs, since I usually don't fall back to sleep after that.
MY QUESTION: Just wondering re those of you who have come off, or tried coming off low-dose HRT if I should wait a bit longer and see if things settle down again before going back on ... is it possible that this is the body still adjusting and the night sweat/s might dissipate if I just hold out longer, or does that never happen and once it's back it either stays this way or gets worse?
[Also, in case you read this far, the gynie said if I needed to go back on HRT he'd put a mirena coil in for the progesterone. Maybe I should make a separate post re women's thoughts on this, but just thought I'd mention it. Thanks all as ever.]