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coming off HRT

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mariealgarve
mariealgarve

I have been on hrt for over 20 years and have tried 4 times to come off it.each time has been horrendous. I suffered terible night and day sweats and have had to go back on it every time .    I am on estraderm mx 50 patches I was on 100 strenght about 10 years ago and managed to get myself down to the 50 strenght  patches but the 25 strenght patches were absolutely useless it was like  I was on none.  Last year my g.p.asked me to come off them again she refused to give me them.  I have a form of eczema that covers my ches,t breasts, trunk,stomach, back, legs and arms which is there permantly and when the sweats start it is un bearable.the itching.    So  I ended up going to another g.p.and getting my patches back. Yesterday I had to see the other G.P. again and she was much nicer and mentioned me coming off it again. I did the million womens study based at the Liverpool womens Hospital and there finding give HRT a very good name. We had a nice discussion and she stated she was not telling me to come but to try and wean myself off it.  By cutting my patch . now when you cut the patch you also cut the sticky off so then you need sticky tape to keep it on and I know that once I do get 25 on my patch i will have my sweats and  itching back..  I said I would think about it my sister suggested trying Sage tablets as they helped her but as sisters we are not medically alike I dont have any of her ailments so I wonder if that will help me I was thinking of giving it a try and weaning off the patches .  I was looking for help and came across this forum and now i am fearful off coming off them I had hysererctomy in 1995 and I am now 66 years old . I would like to stay on it till i die if i could . The eczema I had came on me 10 years ago after my son got cancer and has never left me.  I am in good health I had a kidney out in 1990 with cancer and have never looked back health wise. Can any one help or suggest anything.  

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Jan999
    Jan999 mariealgarve

    Posted

    Hello mariealgarve. I too am trying to reduce my HRT, but struggling as you are. I take Hormonin tablets and have taken them since 1991, I am 61. Reducing for me has possibly been easier because I used to take 2 tablets a day so I can halve them quite easily. I am in the situation where I can't get anymore as my doctors won't prescribe them for me so I have to suffer the awful menopausal symptoms. If you have a GP who is willing to prescribe your patches and you want to stay on them why do you want to stop? The Royal College of Gynaecologists still recommend HRT for over 60's as long as it's the lowest possible dose without causing menopausal symptoms. So go for it. I envy you.
  • marlene21102
    marlene21102 mariealgarve

    Posted

    This is the HRT draw backs as I've seen it to be ,this is where Well women clinics need to happen everywhere ,as they're run by females for females .

       Readings a book I've got here ,a dr says she will stay on HRT unti she dies ,she's 66 when she wrote it ,then another says females should stop it after 10 yrs ,as the older you get to stopping HRT you get more health related issues if on any longer .

       Some women I know get to a panic if dr says no to giving HRT after a cut off time ,sad thing ,one even said she would sign a waver just to get HRT ,or go into another county to get it prescribed to her ,time her records had caught up ,she'd have been given the prescription for HRT for 6 months . Scary stuff all round .

      Eczema is most likely to be stress caused ,I suffer from it t Scalp and ears inside and backs of ears ,so I say it's stress based .Big chemist has brought out a new product will PM  you with the name of it .Best wishes 

    • Jan999
      Jan999 marlene21102

      Posted

      marlene sorry to butt in but would you be kind enough to PM as well with the name? Many thanks
    • marlene21102
      marlene21102 Jan999

      Posted

      Will hunt. It out ,only saw it recently ,one patient she had was in her 80's and still on HRT .My mouth dropped on reading that bit .Will get that to you ASP promise ,good read up from female Gps ,but how they had different opinions to HRT .In my younger years one GP would give out the pill. But the other GP in a 2 dr surgery would not give it to women ,his reason was to the thrombosis threat .Maybe he had a female relative who'd had this happen and his not giving the pill out. So women would go see other dr who had no problem .Go figure .
  • loretta63638
    loretta63638 mariealgarve

    Posted

    Oh marie,  so sorry for all you have been through!  If it were me, I would stay on the HRT, quality of life!!!  I am currently weaning her in the USA  and I hope if I have too much problems coming off my doctor will respect my feelings, after all I do believe this is a women's "choice" to remain or not on hormones if it gives us a better quallity of living!  God Bless you!!!  
  • barbara49965
    barbara49965 mariealgarve

    Posted

    Maria I totally agree with Lorreta, you have been through so much emotion losing your son. As a mother myself I just cant even think of what you have been through. I would stay on them, my sisters been on HRT for 25 years, tried to come of them but emotionally cant! Joan Collins swears by them, so if thier good enough for Joan they are good enough for you my darling. XX
    • Jan999
      Jan999 barbara49965

      Posted

      Yes barbara look at Joan Collins. She looks amazing for her age and with a toy boy on her arm, not bad at all lol 
  • mariealgarve
    mariealgarve

    Posted

    Hi everybody thank you so much for all your help and advice I think my mind is  made up i am going to stay on the patches.  At least my gp discussed it with me this time last time she just refused to give me them (progress).  Between ourselves she told me she is having a hysterectomy in 3 weeks and she will go on HRT for the qaulity of life.  All I could say was really.  Knowing how hard it has been for me and every one else trying to come off them I cant understand her wanting to go on them.  Hopefully several years down the line she will understand when she tries to come off them.  But I was so pleased she discussed it in a much more friendly manner.  When i went on HRT i went on for mood swings  ( I threatened my lovely hubby with a bread knife). Thats not me at all if any one hurts thenselves I can feel there pain.  So I never actually experienced the other symptoms of the menopause till i tried to come off them.  In my opion the people who made these wonderful menopausil relief should also of carried on to find us something to ease coming off them.   Thank you all mariealgarve.  not sure if this is how I reply to you all .
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