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[Rowan]

There are things you can do  to boost natural hormone production if you do decide to see how you feel if you decide to come off HRT.

Boron is one


Boron a safer HRT?

 
A small trial found that giving twelve postmenopausal women a daily boron supplement (3mg) for around seven weeks had reduced (i) total plasma concentration of calcium and (ii) urinary excretions of calcium and magnesium, while boosting levels of elevated the serum concentrations of the sex hormones 17 beta-estradiol and testosterone.

This suggested that boron might both protect against bone loss and be a natural and safer alternative to HRT.

The second trial involved five men over the age of 45, four postmenopausal women, and five postmenopausal women on HRT on a low-magnesium diet marginally adequate in copper. In this case the three milligram boron supplement increased levels of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, serum enzymatic ceruloplasmin and plasma copper.

The third trial was the same as the second, except that this time it was adequate in both magnesium and copper. The increases in plasma copper and serum 17 beta-estradiol concentrations achieved by HRT were reinforced by boron supplementation

http://www.saga.co.uk/health/body/hot-flushes-what-works.aspx

Although I have had a partial hyst, I always kept my estrogen dosage low so as not to have any side effects, a 14 mcg patch has been proved to stop bone loss, an amount that does not build up the womb lining.

I take supplements to take up the slack and feel the better for it, as I get older I intuitively feel that I don't need a high level of estrogen in my body to feel well. I don't want water retention and if I do put a 25 patch on, the next day I feel swelling, tummy and ankles, so that is too much for me now. I do have estrogel but if I do use it  is a tiny dab, at the moment I am on nothing and feel well.

I understand that this is not every women's view or experience, but as we have seen we are all different.  I still get anxious I still get sleepless nights when I have stress, I sometimes wake up aching, I don't think its anything to do with hormones per se as I got all of it long before menopause, probably what my gene pool dished out to me, hormones never fixed any of that and still hasn't.

[Sarah2]

Maybe you need to keep trying other types?

I've only ever used Oestrogel and love it. It stopped my flushes and insomnia almost overnight. I still have the occasional night when I don't sleep too well, but then so do many people- men and women- who are approaching 60, or who are older.

The bonus of using gel is that you can alter the dose yourself whereas with a patch you are stuck with it- literally - until it needs replacing then you have to go through all the palaver of getting a new type etc.

On the other hand HRT isn't a total 'cure all' for everything in middle age and symptoms like aches and pains might be a sign of arthritis, general wear and tear on the joints, or any number of things that are not going to be helped with HRT.

If you are doing all you can with lifestyle- taking exercise and eating really healthily - then that will always help too.

Maybe think about changing the HRT in 3 months if you still want to try it?

[Anjia]

I really feel I have had enough I don't no how I will get on but I have taken the patch off and that's what Im going to do and see how I go .Thanks Sarah2 If I feel much worse without it Ill try the gel .

[Spangles]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences, I will keep you posted and good luck everyone xXx

[Hurdity]

Anjia - don't give up yet - your body needs time to get used to the change in HRT. It is a huge step changing from tablet HRt to patch and that will be what you are feeling at the moment.  Tablet HRT needs to be metabolised and there are all sorts of by products of this metabolism. It is really important to be aware of this - and it will; affect some women more than others!

You said you were only on the second patch - it will not be the patch making you feel ill!  This is not even a week! You don't need to try the gel yet - keep the patches going for a couple of months first. Then if you are still getting flushes or sweats maybe need too increase the dose (slowly).

I urge you to persevere with this - it's not like taking an aspirin, the estrogen takes a while to exert all the beneficial effects on your body!

Hurdity x

[Hurdity]

Hello everyone, I've been on Elleste duet conti 2mg for 2 1/2 yrs, I'm 59 this November, and I told the doc early last year I wasn't happy on my HRT and needed a change, got told the only thing I could do was come off it, as I was on highest dose poss so lower or nothing was only option. My anxiety ranges from  bad to really awful, and I'm on and off Prozac regularly, I'm a naturally anxious person,  and although the HRT has helped the flushes (gone now) I still feel bad and I'm sure that when the anxiety is at its worst the HRT isn't helping, if it was, would I feel like this?  At my review 2 weeks ago the doc said (because of family probs that hubby and I are having to deal with) stay on the HRT as she didn't want to stress me any more by trying to reduce it. But since the problem we are dealing with has been lessened for the time being, (and we know it will get worse again) I'm taking my chance to stop the HRT all together... tried last year by reducing slowly but it didn't work and I had to go back on it properly, but I'm hopeful this time as outside circumstances and pressures are different now. I really feel HRT isn't doing it for me how I thought and hoped it would. I had what I hope is my last pill Sunday night, Time will tell I guess, I'll keep you posted.

Sorry to hear about your problems. I would suggest that anyone who is taking continuous synthetic progestogen as part of HRT may well experience continuous low grade side effects due to the progestogen. Your docs were out of order suggesting that you should come off it. There are plenty of alternatives - patch and gel HRT and other synthetic progestogens (patches such as Femseven) as well as "natural"  progesterone (Utrogestan). If it's not suiting you then I would insist on being prescribed a different one. If you wait too long, and experience recurrence of symtpoms, then reach the magic age of 60, then you may well have more of a problem getting back on it as everal have found ( some GP/gynae resistance in some areas).

Hurdity x

[Anjia]

HI Hurdity I meant I am on the second month of the patches and on the last one ,the first were 70 and this last pack 50 Everol oestrogen only. I really don't think I want to carry on maybe not every woman can tolerate oestrogen I really don't no.

[Shazzie]

Hi Shellb

I have been on many types of HRT for the past 6 years.  First the Merina coil for 5 years then a tablet form of HRT for 6 months that gave me headaches then Femseven Conti patches for the past 4 months that were really good but I can't get them now from any chemist.

Good luck.

Shazzie xx

[Hurdity]

Hi again Anjia

Every woman can tolerate oestrogen as it is our natural hormone!

Most women suffer to some extent when our natural supplies decline. Most women will feel the benefit when this is replaced.

Not every woman can tolerate progesterone, or artificial progestogens - as seen by the pms that many women suffer during the second half of thier menstrual cycle.

The trick is finding the best way to get it (oestrogen) back into your body so that you only feel the benefits! Patches and gel are the best way to do this for minimising side effects, since there are no metabolic by products and it doesn't have to go through the liver.

Always best to start slowly and build up as many women get negative side effects from sudden increase in external oestrogen, which then settles. This doesn't happen in our natural menstrual cycle (the negative effects from sudden increase) - as most women experience a surge in well-being following the end of a period, when oestrogen levels rapidly rise.

I've just remembered you've had a hysterectomy and I think (from what I have read about other women's experiences) it is more difficult finding the right level of oestrogen because of the total upset to your endocrine (hormone) system.

If you can possibly get reffered to a menopause clinic I would do so.

I can't remember how old you are but if you are under 51/2 then you will definitely benefit from keeping up with the replacement oestrogen, and even if older, if you are suffering symptoms.

Hurdity x

[Anjia]

Well took the patch off Thursday morning last night had the worst sleep ever one real bad flush but then cold sweats that went on and on feeling terrible today, I hope this will pass I really don't want to be on HRT I cannot stand the anxiety it gives me.

[Anjia]

I stopped the patches they were not for me made me feel worse, anyway went a few days with no hrt and the night sweats and flushes came back with a vengeance I could not believe they would come back so quick so now I am back to the tablets I had some from before and touch wood last night no flushes. I really thought I would cope without HRT but it was only days without it and I felt wretched. I no Patches are safer to take but I could not get on with them wish I could have.

[Suzyq]

Don't beat yourself up over it! The key is to feel better and if tablets work for you, stick with them! I felt the same when I started hrt using the gel - others live it but I just couldn't get stable with it and started to feel worse and worse. Now on patches which suit me better - we are all different and different things will work for us.