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

You are so right. I have also found this - they don't want to know and cannot help you. I tried to come off HRT after 10 years and I have tried this before..... I feel I take a great dip and I feel very low and I cannot sleep and feel so awful. I came off Tibolone - had to go back on them and just feel now the tablets are not kicking in as I am get the sweats at night,

tingling in fingers and numbness....GP advised maybe a stronger HRT which I felt upset my stomach. So back on Tibolone- it's just not working the way it used to...... My GP must be in her 50's and could not understand why I was not sleeping and achy joints...... I just want advice on how to manage this horrible episode of life I have to life with......I wish they would take this seriously and try to help me manage this..... They have no idea how it affects your quality of life...... X

I too was devastated by the lack of help from my 35 year old female gynecologist when I was 49. She tried me on Premarin. I tried it three times and never lasted more than a week. I got pain on my right side just under my rib all three times. The side effects say a person can have gallbladder failure. I don't need that nor gallbladder surgery on top of the horrific flashes taking away my quality of life. Well, she wouldn't give me anything else and I ended up breaking my leg from sleep deprivation so tired and slipped in my house. I was in the hospital five days, a wheel chair for three months, gained 35 lbs. and ended up with sleep apnea from it. Also, I was a amateur ballroom dancer which was the best thing that ever happened to me aside from being a mother. Anyway, a year after breaking my leg someone told me of a primary care doctor that is also a Menopause Specialist. She fixed me up great with an estrogen patch worn on the abdomen and changed twice a week. I know have one that I change once a week, easier to remember, plus I take a progesterone pill at night. It helped immensely. Now it's been almost five years and she has me on a half does of estrogen patch and flashes are back but not as bad as before. I have a friend that went the natural route with horrific hot flashes and took 540mg of pure black cohosh twice a day and they disappeared, completely gone after two months. I'm going to try that this week.  You'll find many doctors that don't know much about hot flashes and treatment, even your female gynecologist. I was out of my mind exhausted from the sleep deprivation caused by the hot flashes. My life was passing by and I was exhausted, foggy and some days wouldn't drive my car and cancel appointments for fear I'd fall asleep at the wheel. I don't want to go thru it again. If you don't smoke and no history of blood clots and other health issues, they will put you on hormone treatment. I highly recommend the estrogen patch and progesterone pill at night in conjunction. They are the safest. We have to be our own advocates with our health for a lot of doctors don't know things. Be persistent, your quality of life depends on it. Life is too short to feel so horrible. Good luck and God Bless.

I have been on HRT Evorel Conti patches for 12 years.At the beginning I had some doubts and cut the dose by cutting patch by half.Since then stayed on patches and have been fit and well.Because it states on the leaflet your risks go up of stroke ,breast cancer,blood clots and heart disease although only slightly (egof women in their 60s 11 in a1000 women would have a stroke not on HRT or 15 in 1000 on HRT)I have tried to come off several times.The main problem when I stop is waking in the night and not being able to go back to sleep.Also seem to feel low and indecisive.However whenever I read Hooray for HRT by Teresa Gorman I think oh well I will take my chances and stay on for another good year with sleep and confidence !

I've been taking estradiol too 75 mg now as low dose didn't work for me! It's still get though so is it safer I have a more a toofor progesterone

Good luck

I have been on 2mg. Estradial & 100mg. of Prometrium at night. I also purchase an OTC Pregnenolone 100mg. I was on this for about 2 years. I felt great! No more hot flashes, night sweats, sadness or depression. Then my new Dr. decided to wean me off of the Estradial. I am now waking up a night with severe leg cramps! I now the risks but I am considering of going back on. What do you think?

I'm was on 1mg of estradiol patch and Prometrium at night. It helped with the flashes immensely for my flashes were horrible all night long causing severe sleep deprivation. My five years is up in December for hormone treatment because of risks although I am healthy. My estradiol patch dose was cut in half six months ago and getting flashes but not as bad as without. I found last winter that the Prometrium was making me so groggy in the morning and felt drugged. Turns out it micronizes in the brain and causes and "Ativan" effect to help sleep. I switched to regular progesterone and six months ago and it's much better. The doctor recommends Effexor which is known to stop hot flashes but it's an antidepressant and I want no part of those types of meds, so Black Cohosh 540mg twice a day made by a reputable company is said to stop flashes altogether according to two friends that tried it. Praying and hoping it works. Life's too short to feel so lousy yet I don't want continued HRT to shorten it either.

I am 61. Stopped Hrt 1 yr ago. Until recently was just getting by with the sweats, now worse last two weeks so much I cannot sleep. Bed is soaked, I am soaked. I am sure I would lose my job if I were working as I cannot attend church or any daily activities anymore. How long before it starts to go away? I can't go on like this as were raising our twin 16 month old Grandchildren.......my Gyn stopped me cause I was having to much break through bleeding. Now what?? Can't seem to get answers from anyone?

thanks

I am 57 and have stopped HRT a few times - though not for as long as you. Each time, the lack of hormones drove me bonkers and I simply could not get out of bed from the depression - plus I lost my sex drive and any energy!  So I chose to go back on, but with lowest dose estradiol patch (twice weekly) plus quarterly progesterone. I did have breakthrough bleeding with original Premarin tabs, and that was first time I tried to stop all HRT and used various recommended natural alternatives.  Nothing helped. I was miserable and yet terrified to try HRT again. I remembered my mother going through all the worst post-menopausal symptoms and they did not have HRT and frankly, she got through it on anti-depressants and alcohol! Not for me. I worked with my doctor, discussed less harmful but still serious HRT options, and have check-ups every 6 months. Tell your gyn that you need options NOW, including starting with specific natural remedies, so that you can start getting decent sleep, get on with raising your grandchildren, and living a happy daily life again.  

Hello cmac, I am taking estraderm patches they are great apart from one side effect, because I suffered from endomitriosis they do seem to have activated that pain again . so every few weeks i get like an ovary pain in my side that lasts for about five days. However the benifits from the patches such as increased libido, no more night sweats, a positive outlook and increased happiness are all worth it. I call it the "happy patch".

Hi Marianne.  Just wondering now that you have made it to the other side would you say you feel better now than you did when you first started HRT.  (symptom wise)  Did you ever have any anxiety/depression during this time. 

I enjoyed reading your post.

I'm hanging on very tight at the moment.

Cheers  xxxx

Hi Julie.  Have you had any other side effects from the patches and do you take progesterone with it?   Can you start on these patches in perienopause or do you have to wait until periods have finished? 

I'm in perienopause at the moment at 50 and having a really hard time. The last 10 years has been a roller coaster of good patches and horrible times.  In a dip at the moment that has just stayed around way toooo long.  Periods are starting to space themselves out to about 3-4 months apart.  I was just wondering if you started your HRT while still having periods?

I so what something to bring me happiness and a positive outlook.  I'm on a antidepressant but I don't belive it does anything especially when these dips come.  I believe my body is crying out for hormones.

So glad you've got your "Happy Patch"

Raelene  xxxx

Hi Marianne,

   Due to a lumpectomy last week I have had to come off the patch after 25 yrs!!   I have not starting getting the symptoms everyone describes but thank you for posting your experience and letting us know there is a light at the end of what seems like a very long tunnel.  Most appreiated.

I recomend St John Wort for depression and anixiety and find it works better than prescibed medication. I take three 300 mg tablets per day

and 5 tablets if the depression is very bad. This treatment works for anxiety symptoms as well.

Hi Raelene

I am 64 and was in Evoril Conti patches for 13 years ... Very low dose.I remember  when I first went on them felt great.Then had a small fibroid and read they could be caused by excess hormones so cut the patch in half and remained on that dose for 10 years.Tried to come off 3 times but lack of sleep,loss of sex drive and low mood plus a friend having breast cancer( she didn't take HRT )but it increased my fear of the disease so decided once I retired from teaching I would come off it.Ive been off it for a year and just getting a few hot flushes some days none and have had low moods but probably not connected ?I was fine while on holiday with the children and grandchildren so low mood is probably just the struggle to care for my mother 94.So decided to stay off it and see how I go but if I had a crystal ball and knew that I wouldn't get breast cancer I would go back on it .Hoping that I can carry on without it.I do seem to worry more off it Infact I came back on this site to check that it wasn't unusual to still have hot flushes after a year as was beginning to worry that might mean I had some other disease !

I think the general anxiety is another sympton of coming off.But I will go and talk to my doctor at some point.