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[dazned]

For anyone interested I have been cutting down my hrt since Aug.
Brief recap
Started hrt age 48/49 elleste duet 1mg did really well on it for approximately 5/6years then things went haywire spent roughly 9/10 months to find a regime to work/suit me again but nothing has been as good as the first time so decided to stop hrt to see where/what symptoms if any I'm left with.
Aug started cutting down by half now Im due to start taking my utrogeston for the last time so I'm two weeks away from having no hrt. Haven't noticed feeling any worse on the lower dose ,still not great but no different than on the full dose.
Wish me luck for whatever the future brings .......

[GypsyRoseLee]

Keepingy fingers crossed for you dazned. It may well be that you just don't need HRT anymore (assuming you don't want it for heart and bone protection?).

I took ADs for nearly 3 years when I had PND. In the end I just stopped taking them (not advised, I know). But I never felt any difference and was absolutely fine.

[Dana]

I'm always interested to hear anyone's experiences with cutting down or coming off HRT, because I'm planning on starting to reduce my dose very soon. I've been on HRT since I was 51 (5 years), and because I have issues with continuous progestogens (of any kind), and I frankly don't fancy the idea of having periods well into my 60s, I'm planning on trying to at least reduce from a medium dose down to a low dose.

However, because I'm a scaredy cat wimp, I plan on doing it over the looooooooog term, by cutting a teeny piece off my patch and then waiting for at least a month or two, and then cutting another teeny amount off and waiting again. All up it may take me a year or more to halve my dose, so I'm hoping that will be slow enough to allow my body to adjust - if it will adjust. Of course, everything may fly out the window and I have to stay on my medium dose.

[Joyce]

I stopped about 3 months ago. It's not been plain sailing, but not as bad as when I first joined forum nearly 6 years ago.  That time I had about 30 flushes, maybe more per day. This time after reducing dose over long time, flushes are less intense & less frequent. Still blooming uncomfortable mind you. No mood swings this time either, well not yet anyway.  If I can cope like this, I'll be fairly happy.

Wishing you well ladies.

[Dana]

I'd be quite happy to put up with some hot flushes. I still get them now and again at night and in the early hours anyway. My fear is the insomnia, because that's what initially drove me to HRT. It was horrendous. As long as me reducing the dose doesn't bring that back I'll be very happy.

[dazned]

Let's hope you continue on the same track Cubagirl 

Dana wishing you well also ,I had the most horrendous insomnia this last year of trying and failing to find new hrt regime but since addressed that issue in another way so hope it will remain that way after hrt.

Here's hoping we all have Positive outcomes. 

[honeybun]

I'm on a half combined patch and doing just fine. I intend to cut it down again next year and see what happens. I've been on HRT for six years now and I'm pretty sure will never have a bleed again.
I couldn't even contemplate doing that into my 60s although I know some people do. It just doesn't seem natural somehow.
Anyway.
I'm hopeful that because my body is now used to lower hormones that the transition to no hormones will not be too hard.
Nothing like being hopeful.

Good luck...everything crossed for you and let us know how you get on.


Honeybun
X

[CLKD]

However: should symptoms return, what's the Plan?

[Hurdity]

I've been on HRT for six years now and I'm pretty sure will never have a bleed again.
I couldn't even contemplate doing that into my 60s although I know some people do. It just doesn't seem natural somehow.

Honeybun
X

Hmmm yes - well obviously it's a personal thing - but as for it not being natural - as I've said before - if you are talking about what doesn't seem natural, then neither is taking a synthetic progestogen such as norethisterone on a continuous basis! Nor is HRT itself - but then the possibility of 40 years in an oestrogen deficient state does not appeal to me either! Actually nor is taking thryoid hormone for mild hypothyroid condition ( ie won't kill you but affects quality of life) - nor most other medication! None of its natural!

If we're talking about HRT specifically, personally I would say that it is more natural to take oestrogen and progesterone (ie the bio-identical type) on a cyclical basis ie like the natural menstrual cycle - than to take continuous synthetic progestogens. For many women, squeamishness aside, progesterone intolerance precludes taking it continuously so the choices are: no HRT (and the ensuing symptoms), continuous progestogen of some sort (and the ensuing side effects), or continuing HRT and putting up with a cyclical bleed - however undesirable that may be.

Unfortunately it is most probably the progesterone component that results in many women deciding to stop HRT but it has to be taken if you have a uterus, but if I had had a hysterectomy there is no way I would even contemplate stopping - probably until 70 if my health was up to it, and I would probably have taken a higher dose of oestrogen during my 50's too!

I wish everyone well who has decided to cut down and if you don't have a resumption of symptoms and are around 60 then good luck to you! If your symptoms return - there is no need to stop yet if you are otherwise well and especially if you are using bio-identical preparations

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

Stopping probably gives an idea as to where the body has 'got to'? 

[dazned]

Precisely CLKD !
As I previously stated at the start of the thread I'm NOT doing/feeling well on even the estrogen only part this time so no point at present in continuing with hrt is there !
If I find symptoms return then I will definitely go back to trying different hrt,however if I don't try I won't know will I ! 

[GypsyRoseLee]

I can understand why still having monthly bleeds into your 60s might seem unnatural. But when you think about it's unnatural for us to still be living in our 60s and 70s (or 80ss).

It's only very, very recently that the majority of people can confidently expect to live into their 70s. Less than a century ago the average mortality age for a woman was only 48 I think?

We were never designed to live this long, and certainly not designed to live so long without lots of lovely oestrogen. Mother Nature designed us to start having children in our mid teens, then live just long enough to hopefully help with our grandchildren, and then conveniently die long before menopause rested its ugly head.

The only reason we are now living so much longer is because of huge advances in modern medicine. So if we accept we now live longer we must accept the other benefits of modern medicine which allow us to have a better quality of life for longer.

[CLKD]

Both my Grans were in their early 80s - one died in 1981, the other in 1983.  My Mum is 89 today.  In-laws lived well into their late 70s/80s.  But they didn't have lots of children which may well have impacted on Life expectancy.  It would depend on where they lived too ……….

Having children regularly is what the female body was designed to do but with birth control it has got out of the 'habit' of reproduction.  So hormones are 'different' to what the body was designed for.  Add to that BC ……….

We are lucky to have choices.  Hopefully now that the new Guidelines are out ladies will be listened to, options will be discussed and they can now make informed choices 

[dazned]

A quick update one month hrt free no real change guess the next month will tell me more ! 

[dazned]

I do hope so.