1. Community
  2. Women's health
  3. Menopause

I am 57 and have just stopped taking HRT after 7 years a...

Posted , 164 users are following.

Guest
Guest

I am 57 and have just stopped taking HRT after 7 years and am plagued with hot flushes and pins and needles in the fingers. I can find plenty of guidance on the menopause and why to/ not to use HRT, but nothing offering information on what happens when you stop HRT! Help!

[i:3f4831d826]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:3f4831d826]

8 likes, 336 replies

336 Replies

Prev Next
  • AusWinnie
    AusWinnie Guest

    Posted

    My doctor told me last week that there could be a case for women with particularly debilitating symptoms to be on some form of HRT indefinitely for quality of life.  Hear, hear.
    • wiese73050
      wiese73050 AusWinnie

      Posted

      I've read this from various articles  - and had a Dr tell me this also. Thanks.
  • beverly06128
    beverly06128 Guest

    Posted

    I have been on HRT for about ten years and was told by my Doc that my time was up . She told me that if I came off of them slowly it would be a better experience so I was very careful to follow her advice. every month I would take a Smaller amount until three months ago when I went off of them completely. Before I went off of them I started taking Estrovin a black cohash product. I have had a very hard time with night and day hot flashes. I have an episode at least every hour and a good nights rest is very hard to come by. It is really exhausting.

          I am hoping they are getting less frequent but every time I get in a stressful situation they come back with a vengence. If I had known that I was still going to have to go through menopause later I would have just done it while I was young enough to deal with it. Another thing I have noticed is that if I exert myself with excersize,even something as minor as vacuuming I have major hot flashes. Has anyone else had this symptom.

    • georgie35984
      georgie35984 beverly06128

      Posted

      .............................IF U HAD A HYSTERECTOMY TAKE THE SMALLEST AMT U CAN i TAKE ESTROGEN METHYLTESTOS .625 AND CUT THAT IN HALF! 25 YRS NOW AND AM FINE[BUT IF BREAST CANCER MAY RUN IN YOUR FAMILY,MAYBE NOT FOR U? THE TESTERONE KEEPS YOUR SEXUAL FEELINGS INTACT!
    • beverly06128
      beverly06128 georgie35984

      Posted

      Thank you Georgie for your advice. I will contact my Dr. this morning and see what she can do for me. I marvel at the patience of all of these wonderful ladies no matter what their age dealing with this for years. I wish I could be that strong.
    • georgie35984
      georgie35984 beverly06128

      Posted

      methyltestos,also has testerone so ur sexual feeling still stays,Ive been wonderful for 25 yrs now,no moody ness,nuttin,I see other people so stressed out etc,its great!  .625 h.s half strength,and I cut that in half too! so no water retention,when I took the whole I did!
  • beverly06128
    beverly06128 Guest

    Posted

    I have been on HRT for 10 years. I remember well why I went on them. I was miserable. I was under the impression that these hormone replacements would be a bridge that would get me through the worst of Menopause. Come to find out HRT was not a bridge but a dam that held the onslaught back.  My Dr. told me 6 months ago it was time to get off and to do it by decreasing the dose I was taking gradually over  3 or 4 months. This I have done and just to be  safe I added Estroven to avoid any return of symptoms.  It has been six months and the hot flashes are unbearable. I get at least one an hour and more than that when under stress. I wake up exausted in the morning and my night cloths are damp.  I am almost ready to quarantine myself because the embarrassment of constant flashing in public is getting to be more that I can stand. I think that those of us who are in this situation are guinea pigs and this therapy does not work. 
    • georgie35984
      georgie35984 beverly06128

      Posted

      GET A DIFF DR! UNLESS BREAST CANCER RUNS IN YOUR FAM? iF U HAD A HYSTERECTOMY,U NEED IT,I KNOW I DO!I TAKE METHYLTESTOS H.S..625 AND CUT THAT IN HALF! AND HAVE BEEN FINE FOR 25 YRS THANK GOD! THE TESTESTERONE KEEPS YOUR SEXUAL FEELINGS IN TACT
    • wiese73050
      wiese73050 beverly06128

      Posted

      Have you been checked for high blood pressure? I've read about herbs like black cohosh (it comes from the root of a native North American plant) helps with this. Google the problem and look for natural suggestions. You shouldn't have to live that way. My  heart goes out to you. I personally prefer a medical Dr who is not just a traditional medicine dr, but who is also into alternative practices like acupuncture and natureopathic. Maybe keep a journal of what you eat to see if certain foods makes it worse too.  Maybe you could just try a very low dose of HRT. Keep us informed on what you do and how it's going.

       

  • georgie35984
    georgie35984 Guest

    Posted

    Hi,everyone Im 66 and have been on estra-test[now its estrogen and testestrone .625 H.S. witch is half strength,I cut the pill in half so Im taking a quarter of a mil. I have for 25 yrs,and am doing fine! now that im past 65 the price went from 7$ to 300$ :{ but I heard on the 6 oclock news  about[blink health,ask ur pharmacy if they will take? u save a lotta $even if u have no ins!I tried to stop taking,couldnt sleep aches and pains frig it,Ill keep taking till I die :[I had a hyster- also when I was 41,so I needed something just take the smallest amt!!!! save $ cut the pill in half,been doing for 25 yrs!!! good luck!!!!!!
  • georgie35984
    georgie35984 Guest

    Posted

    Hi,everyone Im 66 and have been on estra-test[now its estrogen and testestrone .625 H.S. witch is half strength,I cut the pill in half so Im taking a quarter of a mil. I have for 25 yrs,and am doing fine! now that im past 65 the price went from 7$ to 300$ :{ but I heard on the 6 oclock news  about[blink health,ask ur pharmacy if they will take? u save a lotta $even if u have no ins!I tried to stop taking,couldnt sleep aches and pains frig it,Ill keep taking till I die :[I had a hyster- also when I was 41,so I needed something just take the smallest amt!!!! save $ cut the pill in half,been doing for 25 yrs!!! good luck!!!!!!
  • wiese73050
    wiese73050 Guest

    Posted

    I got Hashimotos at 36, was put on HRT since my immune system attacked my ovaries & my thyroid. I'm also thin & white and didn't want the risk of osteoporosis. I'd taken various HRT - the best was a compound my acupuncturist created for me - but that was a few decades ago. My dose has always been low. I first quit taking it last year for a short while, then went back on it because my joints got crickety. Then I quit for good about 4-5 months ago.My energy is good and I'm otherwise fine except for a current sprained shoulder and injured wrist - and my joints ache now. I work full-time and walk a lot since I don't own a car, so that helps.  I won't go back on HRT because I don't want the risk of stroke or heart disease or Alzheimers. 

    I want to handle my physical ailments with a holistic approach - mind, body and spirit. Since my body was used to it for almost half my life (I'm 64 now), it makes sense that it will need to get used to not having it. My symptoms - feeling hott, interrupted sleep, leg cramps and crickety joints - can be dealt with in natural, healthy ways.  My leg cramps stopped when I ate bananas each day - and took more magnesium (500 mg). I also quit drinking sodas 4 years ago - I drink a lot of water and green or ginger tea. I also don't eat much sugar or red meat. The hot flashes are minimal - I wear layers. Sleep is good if I don't go to bed too early and stick to a schedule. I also use an ocean noise sound machine. So it's all under control except for my joints - I feel it will just take a while and I probably need more healthy fats in my diet. I had an allergic reaction to glucosamine (shellfish), so that didn't work. I started taking turmeric pills twice a day with meals. It's only been a couple of weeks now. I expect it will help with a number of things.

    I have a naturopathic Dr who just had me get my annual blood TSH levels, lipid panel etc. and this time, checking on my Vit D levels since I take about 10,000    I U of Vit D3 a day along with 1000 I U Vit C and 500mg magnesium. Anything I take I make sure my Dr knows.  She suggested massage, hot baths and stretching for joint aches along with turmeric. 

    That's my final hurdle. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm about to turn 65  and plan to keep working another few years.  

    I think the main thing is to realize how much our thoughts affect our body - be your own cheerleader and have faith in your body's natural ability to heal. And see a good Dr that you trust and can communicate with.  Re osteoporosis, I had a bone test and so far, my bones are fine.  

  • gmwitt
    gmwitt Guest

    Posted

    I was 38 when I had a hysterectomy and had HRT until mid 50's. My skin started thinning, sagging, and my entire body immediately started aging at a fast pace. Vaginal dryness was the worst and I still had hot flashes. My sister (5 yrs older and in the same situation) insisted that I go back on. Because estradiol can make my migraines worse, I hesitated. But I went ahead and went back on. I can already tell the difference in my skin.  Headaches are coming back but I can control those. I would rather have my skin, hair, eye lashes and nails back again. Will check back with you in a few weeks and let you know how it goes. Good luck with stopping. I wish I never had.
    • wiese73050
      wiese73050 gmwitt

      Posted

      Thank you  - I ended up getting my Naturopath Dr to let me take Ampicillan - the lowest dose. So, I just started taking it yesterday. Also, since writing 2 weeks ago here - I went back on the HRT I'd had while I was on Medicaid, Premarin. I didn't like Premarin and had decided to off it, but right after the post, I decided to go back on - I'd sprained my shoulder and my left wrist - and was tired of the achy joints and read a lot of articles that are more up to date on HRT. And I talked to my son, who used to sell it as a sales rep. In the less than a week since I started back on it - I already feel back to my normal self.No more joint aches.  I'm sorry to hear that you're having so many symptoms, I was fortunate that I didn't - other than the joint thing. But, our bodies get used to taking the hormones and as long as we take both progesterone and testosterone, then we're safer. When we go off the hormones, our body doesn't know to make their own until a long while. So, it's good that you went back on. I plan to stay on the Activella, which is estradoil -noreth 0.5-0.1.  It's most likely healthier for us to take it than not. I regret that I stopped too. I'm just glad that I was able to finanlly find a full-time job and get better health insurance - Medicaid didn't cover Activella, just Premarin...
  • Amys1313
    Amys1313 Guest

    Posted

    Hello everyone, so very happy to have found u all! I have so many of these symptoms and I'm just so tired of it. I am 62 and have been on hrts for almost 30 yrs. However, the patch started to leave welts, painful red welts! So I switched to the pill which resulted in a vaginal discharge. It appears, like it or not, the "drug" is doing its best to vacate my body. But like everyone else its just not an option. Leg cramps, sweats, chills, dry eyes and skin, depression, just to name a few. This morning it felt as if my body just never slept so i put on a patch even tho it will most likely leave a welt. I just want to thank u all for being here. My desire is to be drug free but how is that going to happen? I bought a st johns wort shrub and will research that approach. It would be wonderful if the answer could be found in nature in herbs and essential oils. I'm going to give it my all and submit my results to anyone interested. Blessings to u all <3>
Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.