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Will HRT help my crepey, dry loose skin and insomnia ?

Posted , 4 users are following.

mary63618
mary63618

I am 55 and have been going through the menopause for several years. My worst symptoms are insomnia, loss of libido, memory loss and premature aging of my skin, as it is so dry and thin due to lack of collagen.

I am not overweight but lost about a stone gradually a couple of years ago, my skin particularly on my thighs, arms and stomach is loose and wrinkley, I feel like i have the body of a much older woman in comparison to my peers despite hard efforts at the gym and eating well? I was wondering if anybody had the same problem and if HRT helped at all.

I feel like everything is drying up skin,eyes, vagina and hair !!

My insomnia is also awful I have been on sleeping tablets for years but still only manage a few hours a night and Doctors are unwilling to keep prescribing it so was also wondering if HRT or anything else would help with this ?

Thanking all you lovely ladies in advance for any advice.

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest mary63618

    Posted

    Hi Mary, when I went off BCP last year...at 40....I noticed right away the changes in my skin. My hands and shins have that thin, dry, crepey skin. I am not overweight, and lost weight at first. Estrogen is stored in fat, so I struggle with estrogen deficiency at certain times of the month. Good luck with the HRT. I just started back up on BCP...day 3 and I feel pretty good.

    • mary63618
      mary63618 Guest

      Posted

      Thanks very much Lou, I am seeing my GP friday to discuss and hoping it can help improve things for me. Glad things have got better for you

  • mauiblue
    mauiblue mary63618

    Posted

    Hi Mary

    Im sorry your feeling with the crept skin, unfortunately not all of her lovely skin into our fifties and beyond.

    I totally have what you have with or without hormones..

    Im hearing from a lady that jojoba oil is really an overall good moisturizer.

    I think that when we lose collagen, it's pretty.hard to make a comeback if you have $ though there arear lots of cosmetic puffer uppers you could do.

    Im dealing with the moods, and so everthing takes the back burner in comparison.

    Yes..getting older is really sad in a way of you enjoyed your looks when you were younger.

    Im constantly reminded of itwhen I look at my skin as well.

    Yout not alone,

    Also just keeping muscle time helps with your overall body contour

    Ibe little energy to care but I know it definitely helps

    Xoxo

    • mary63618
      mary63618 mauiblue

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply and i quite agree there are a lot more worrying concerns than skin and i think im luckily over the worst of a lot of the symptoms like anxiety and sweats.

      INSOMNIA is a big problem for me, a bad memory and dryness hopefully HRT may help with some of these.

      BEST WISHES TO YOU

  • tuftywufty
    tuftywufty mary63618

    Posted

    Hi Mary. I am 58 and have the exact symptoms as you. My worst symptoms are massive loss of libido despite being in a totally happy loving relationship, foggy brain, no motivation, low mood, vaginal dryness, sagging crepey skin on inner thighs & top of arms. I am normal weight & physically fairly fit & always have prided myself in my appearance & previously felt sexy & attractive, I didn't feel that anymore though. I was found to have very low levels of Oestrogen & Testosterone. I started on HRT in June (Oestradiol gel & Ustrogestan 100mg). It took at least 8 weeks before I felt any better. In fact initially I felt even worse, sad & depressed & couldn't find any pleasure in anything I previously enjoyed. I then started to improve, my mood lightened, I slept better & the vaginal dryness resolved. There was very little change to my libido, sex was much more comfortable but desire was still lacking & though my mood & energy were much better I still wasn't quite back to where I wanted to be.

    When I returned for my follow up appointment; my Oestrogen was still a bit low so my dose of Oestradiol was doubled from 2 pumps once a day to twice a day & I started on Testosterone cream. After a blood test my Testosterone was still on the low side so the dose was also increased. I was told the Testosterone doesn't always work for everyone and could take a couple of months before there is any improvement and if no improvement in 6 months then to stop.

    I don't feel any improvement yet and I'm 4 weeks from adding it to my regime. Sadly there has been no change to my skin, it's lost its collagen & elasticity & I live in hope that it will improve (I don't think it helps that I enjoy the sun & being outdoors) I hope you find some relief from your symptoms, I would certainly recommend HRT to sort out some of them.

    • mary63618
      mary63618 tuftywufty

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your reply all the information is really helpful. Its great to know that the treatment had helped a lot of your symptoms and i am learning that I will need to be patient !

      With regards to skin i thought it was probably unlikely to help unfortunately i guess you just cant put the collagen back. I also used to sunbathe quite a bit not realising the long term damage and implications.

      Thanks once again and good luck

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