Does HRT help?
Posted , 5 users are following.
I think I'm perimenopausal (or I'm dying!). I'm 43 with two young children and am seriously considering HRT to get me through this. I don't like the idea but I can't carry on like this.
For me main symptoms are severe fatigue, constant nausea and lightheadedness/dizzyness.
Is anybody using HRT and does it work?
Thanks
0 likes, 15 replies
Salesmanswidow sam71845
Edited
Exactly the same for me im exhausted everyday, joint pain, back ache, extreme fatigue, digestive issues, no appetite, low mood, anxiety, dizzy flu like feeling the list goes on! i started peri about 18 months ago (im 45) symptoms ramped up last 2 months im just getting through each day not living. started femoston 2/10 hrt 3 weeks ago no miracles yet you need to give it 3 months apparently. I know it takes time & certain ones work better per person but praying it helps me, quality of life is so important especially when you have children
sam71845 Salesmanswidow
Posted
Thank you so much for replying. Yes I'm beginning to think that as much as I'm
not keen on taking it living my life like this just isn't life (as dramatic as that sounds!).
Hope your symptoms start to improve please let me know. x
valerie50288 sam71845
Edited
hi
i was exactly the same, and put up with it for 8 years. Constant sweats which drenched clothes, bedding, seats. so embarrassing its unbelievable what we go through.
started femostan conti 4 years ago and by day 3 all symptoms stopped. i got my life back and it was amazing.
there are side effects and long term issues which you need to weigh up but Doc assured its safer than it was 10 years ago.
i might consider moving to the patch as i heard less symptoms.
sam71845 valerie50288
Posted
Wow this sounds amazing and I'm so glad to hear that its really worked for you. Yes the long term affects is what scares me but I feel like death every day and I can't live like this for many years. x
jude84900 sam71845
Edited
Hi Sam,
Ive been on bio identical hormones for almost 5 years. Best decision I made. I'm post menopausal and feel I wouldn't have had a very happy life if I hadn't done something. I started with a doctor well versed in hormone treatment who runs regular blood work. Started with creams and now on pellets. If you decide hormone replacement is the way you want to go I would strongly recommend sticking with bio identical. Also make sure it includes testosterone. I think many women overlook the importance of this hormone. Btw, I will stay on these hormones the rest of my life. Good luck!
sam71845 jude84900
Posted
Thanks I will look into this. Have they
said that you have to stay on these for the rest of your life or is that your decision?
Hope you don't me asking but how old are you? I naively assumed 43 is a bit young to go on them but I'm obviously wrong. x
jude84900 sam71845
Posted
Sam,
I am 60 . I have been on hormone replacement for 5 years but knowing what i know now i would have started some form of them in peri menopause which started for me about where your at in my early 40s . That lasted 10 years for me and I did a lot of suffering which i know now could have been avoided if I was replenishing those hormones that were declining. If is my decision to stay on them and my doctor is 100% on board. I cannot stress how important it is to find the right doctor that knows hormone replacement. It can be the difference to getting your life back on track or getting messed up worse. I found a holistic dr that was a general MD for many years before changing into natural medicine. 43 is not too young.
sam71845 jude84900
Posted
Thanks for the information. Sorry last question- which country are you based in? I'm in the UK.
Yes I worry I will look back in 10 years and regret just putting up with living like this for so long.
jude84900 sam71845
Edited
Not a problem with questions. I know when just starting this journey there is a lot to know. I'm in the US . Bio identical hormones is not covered here under any insurance but I've been able to fit it in my budget so its affordable. Hard putting a price tag on our health and feeling good. My personal experience was, as time goes I felt worse and I suffered for 10 years that something could have been done. Feel free to ask any questions.
sam71845 jude84900
Posted
I agree totally you cannot out a price on your health. Thanks for all the help.
dale23303 jude84900
Edited
Jude- i just started on BHRT pellets. I initially did regular Hormone replacement with my OB/GYN last year at age 59 due to some terrible and weird symptoms just starting the year before. i have all over body paresthesia and Burning Mouth syndrome which are things I did not really have when i was younger and going thru peri or ending my periods . it all began when i was 7 years post which is weird. Anyway I just made the switch to BHRT with a doctor that specializes in hormones and does regular blood checks etc which my OB did not. May I ask how long it took for you to feel a real difference in your symptoms and did you get a lot of side effects when you first got the pellets?Thanks!
jude84900 dale23303
Posted
Hi Dale,
I think you made a wise choice getting the right doctor with BHRT . You will probably be very happy with your decision. I'm not sure how long it will take you to feel better but I the sooner you replace your hormones the better chance to feel normal. I started on creams initially and after a couple years I started on pellets. I have had great success with my hormone replacement and the only thing i regret is not getting on them sooner when i was in my mid 40s and started with my first symptoms. I'm now 60 and have been 5 years on hormone replacement. I too have a holistic doctor who runs good labs and makes adjustments on symptoms along with my lab numbers. I will stay on them for the rest of my life. I feel very good, no side effects and enjoying life to the fullest. Did you get testosterone pellets as well? They are important to replace too. I noticed positive changes immediately when i started my creams so eased into the pellets with no problems. Sometimes i think it takes a couple rounds of pellets to feel the difference. Are you on progesterone? If you still have your uterus you will need that too but you probably already know that. Let me know if you have any more questions or concerns.
dale23303 jude84900
Posted
Hi Jude
I am taking both estrogen and testosterone pellets as well as progesterone orally. I have been on the pellets almost two weeks and am experiencing some unpleasant side effects ( breast pain, stomach distress) which I was told could happen. I just hope I get through them soon, I am anxious to start feeling better!
Did you have side effects initially and if so, how long did they last? I really appreciate Input from people like you as it gives me hope that the HRT will be what helps me. I agree with you that I wish I had gone down this path when I was in my late 40s and first started having perimenopausal symptoms. I put up with a lot of agony that I don’t think I needed to. And since my symptoms really just got super bad two years ago not one single doctor I went to considered that it was caused by a hormone deficiency. It has been really eye-opening and validating to read all the stories from women on this site. So much of what we go through is hormonal and yet doctors leave that as the very last thing to consider if it all! I am glad I found a knowledgeable doctor now and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this will be my solution. Thanks!
jude84900 dale23303
Posted
Hi Dale,
I didn't have any side effects other than some bleeding initially. You might be experiencing the same thing with your breast and stomach issues while your body adjusts. Imagine our hormones being bottomed out by the time we reach menopause and when we start replacing those hormones we are waking up those receptor sights again. You should be getting a 6 week blood draw to see where your levels are ( that's at peak ) you might need adjusting on your level at your next pellet placement. For me its been getting my testosterone higher. That is achieved through blood work numbers and my symptoms. Also, you might not handle the progesterone well either. They like to put you on 200 mg pills but I couldn't tolerate that much so I'm on 100mg pills. Its likely too much estrogen or progesterone.
jude84900
Posted
dale,
I know all about doctors not understanding menopause or its symptoms. Leaving your doctor is a choice that has to be made to find health and happiness for the last half of our lives and thats not a easy thing for many to do. Change can be hard and scary but I have found so rewarding as I move forward into living my life post menopause.