premque

Trish and what country you live in

Hello Trish

Great to see that you've been on HRT for 26 years.  How old were you when you started?  I've been on it since 50, so 17 years on it.  My gynaecologist has a "conversation" about coming off every 2nd year.  I try to keep things light and say that I want to stay on for ever.  I had a hysterectomy last year so just taking Oestrofem now.

I swear by HRT.

Cheers

Lyn

Premique Low Dose is finally available again.  Suitable for even the over 70's, or so my GP says.

My own experiences suggest that the problems so often associated with a change of product are the result of the different types of progesterone used.  Personally, I cope well with most of the C21 progestogens, such as dydrogesterone in Femoston and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) in Premique, but cannot tolerate C19 progestogens such as norethisterone acetate found in Kliovance.  Most GP's do not appreciate the difference in the components of different HRT products, and look solely at the overall dosage levels.  Americans are very keen on "bioidentical" hormones, which are pricey and hard to obtain in the UK except privately, which is a pity as we are thus forced to swallow something derived from pregnant mare's urine - not exactly a natural replacement for our own waning human hormones.  It's worth doing some research before going to your GP.  I wish people would refer to "hormone substitute therapy", rather than hormone replacement therapy, as we are never actually given products which exactly replace what we are missing. 

Hi Trish - I have been trying for some time to contact ladies who are my age -72 or older

and who are still taking Premique low dose continuous tablet hrt.

I would like to know if you are still taking that form of hrt because my GP told me in a pre-booked phone call this week that she has no patients who take them. I came off them when the supply became erratic. I had been taking them for 17 years ( started aged 52) and I felt fine. People always remarked how good I looked for my age. I then tried Evorel conti patches, at my own suggestion, but I bloated up like a balloon and felt awful and unbalanced, even though I tried to cut the patches down in size, so I came off them gradually, though they left me with a spare tyre which is now proving difficult to shift. And now I I have up to 6 hot flashes a day, severely aching joints, including jaw problems, insomnia, palpitations, low mood, itching, dry skin, mouth and eyes, bladder problems (urgency), tinnitus, and gosh I've just read this and it sounds horrendous!

I wrote it all down to tell her; and also said that I have continued to do my classes - Pilates, Yoga and Barre via Zoom every week. The big problem is that I have not got the stamina I had 2 years ago because of fatigue, and I have missed quite a few classes and don't feel as fit. I asked her if I could go back to Premique low dose and maybe cut the pills in half, and she repeated that risks increase with age, especially with stroke and DVT's, and that she felt more able to advise women in their 50's than women like me because we are an unknown quantity, and that aches and pains are more common as we age. She seemed to think that I should just be accepting it.

She suggested that I try Black cohosh and Soy, but I tried all those things 20 years ago and they didn't work then, but they did give me unwanted side effects, as do most other supplements, to which I seem very sensitive. Also the jury is still out on whether those things are safe to take long term.

I had so much energy when I was on Premique, but felt that the progesterone in Evorel conti patches was too strong for me. I thought about going privately to Dr Louise Newson, but the cost seems too high. I would really like to hear your thoughts because I feel I am now at a crossroads. I either have a fairly miserable old age - my mother and grandmother had osteoarthritis and my mum did have vascular dementia in her late 80's - or I go back to Premique.

But it is difficult when you are made to feel that you are the only 72 year old on that form of Hrt. Is that true do you think? I would love to be in touch with other ladies in my age group who have managed to stay on continuous combined pills, or who have found a combined patch that is low dose and gentle.

Sorry this has turned into a novel, but my GP has been as much help as a chocolate teapot!

gran gran,

Unfortunately most doctors haven't been given enough study and updated their education in the benefits of real ( bio identical) hormone replacement for men and women. Going to a natural or holistic doctor is probably your only alternative. I'm 60, I'm on bio identical pellets and will stay on them the rest of my life. It is costly but affordable if we really want to feel good and avoid all those real costly health problems coming for us. Hard to put a price on feeling really good. For me its not a option, I changed doctors for this reason.