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[Shazzie]

Hi everyone

Hope you are all doing ok.

I'm a bit fed up as I stopped HRT in August as I haven't bled since 2012 and now all of a sudden the dreaded hot flushes and palps have reappeared.

I started HRT in 2010 for this same reason and while I was on HRT they stopped.

Anyone else had this experience and if so did you go back onto HRT?  Not sure whether to or not.

Thanks so much for your help.

Shazzie xx

[CLKD]

It depends on why you stopped?  Now that you know that the regime you were on worked …….. depends on how much you are able to tolerate the return of symptoms and how much they interfere with your Life.  Do you feel supported at your Surgery?

[Taz2]

I'm afraid that this does happen. Once you stop using HRT then your supply of oestrogen gradually lowers and the old symptoms can reappear. This may take a few months - it's usually around three for me - but in some women the symptoms will then slowly disappear over the next few months so if you don't want to return to HRT it may be worth while waiting for a few months to see if you begin to feel better. My doc says that you should give it another three months from the re-start of the flushes etc. I'm almost 62 and have been on HRT since I was 53. I have stopped taking it twice before and have had to go back onto it in order to stop the sweats and flushes. I consider that I will always need it to keep myself feeling ok.

What was your reason for stopping?

Taz x

[Shazzie]

Thanks so much for replying.  I really appreciate it.

I stopped the HRT as I had a check up with my GP and we agreed that things seemed to have settled down.  Stupid really because that was probably because of the HRT. 

She said why don;t you see how it goes without the HRT so I though OK I'll give it a go.  All was going well til day before yesterday and it all started u[ again.  No bleeding at all just the palps and flushes.

I do feel supported by my GP but she does seem to ask me what I think rather than advise me.

I think I might give it a few more days and see what happens.  I've still got some Evorel patches so I can always restart them.

Thanks again for your help. 

Shazzie

[Shazzie]

Thanks Taz

I am 55 and I remember being really happy on my patches but you know what GPs are like.  Mine said shall we give it a go without the HRT and that was it.  It's reassuring to me to hear about your experiences.  Makes me feel better.

Thanks for replying.

Shazzie x

[Taz2]

If you were happy on it and your overall health is good then it seems daft to have to come off it. I had similar experience but at 58 where I was told (firstly by the menopause clinic and then the GP) that I would have to stop using it at 60 so better to slowly wind down from 58/59. Luckily my GP agreed for me to still use it after a year without. What a horrible year that was! A new problem also arose when I asked to go back on it in that it is in the first year of use that things such as blood clot and stroke can happen and it was as if I was new to HRT again. So many ifs and buts!!

Some women are fine when they stop and don't get a return of the symptoms - my mum took it for a year when she was fifty seven and when she stopped all of her hot flush symptoms were gone - so I guess it makes sense to try without it with the proviso that if symptoms are still there then you can go back on it. In my experience if you know that you do want to restart it then it's better to do it before symptoms become too entrenched. It can take a while to get your levels back to normal.

Taz x

[Shazzie]

Thanks Taz.

It's hard to know when to give it a go without the HRT.

I suppose when you can see that you feel worse when you have stopped it for a few months then it tells us that we still need it.  I don't suppose we know if the flushes and palps have stopped until we try and do without.  So frustrating.

I know I definitely feel better on it.  I've got an appt at GP on Weds to chat about it.

Thanks again for your help Taz.

Shazzie x

[CLKD]

Let us know how you get on?  Maybe take a list of symptoms to discuss with your GP.

[Shazzie]

Thanks Stellajane and CKLD

I agree it is a real pain.  There's no warning to the hot flushes and palps.  Happens any time and anywhere.

I will let you know when I get back from the docs what she suggests.

Shazzie xx

[CLKD]

 

[Shazzie]

  Thank you too

Shazzie xx

[skkb]

Well Shazzie it looks like you and I are going to see the doctor on wed for the same reason. I have posted previously but I came off my HRT twelve months ago and it's truly been hell, flushes and sweats being the worst ever. I too felt so well on my HRT and want to go back on it, alas I'm now 65 and as Taz says, that bring further risks with blood clots, strokes etc........but then as Prof Studd says, so does drinking alcohol, being overweight and taking statins.....I just want my life back, these symptoms could go on for years.....so depressing

[BreadFruit]

I just want to put out there that my mom who is in her mid 70's is still on an HRT patch.

Doc tried to get her off it, but she felt so bad that she was put back on and within days she was her old self again.

Believe she has been on HRT for a good 30 years due to a full hysterectomy.

[Winterose]

 I would have thought they would have recommended you just coming off ever so slowly over say a year and see how it went from there, dont intend coming off ever unless there is a serious reason , know the aches and pains and stiffness would come back - I do notice in my pilates excercise class of older ladies  I am up quicker and in new positions with relative ease while a lot of them are struggling a bit - am sure thats the hrt,

[Shazzie]

Thanks so much for all your replies.  Sounds like a lot of us are going through the same.

I went to see a GP on Thurs morning.  My usual GP had no appts for 3 weeks so I saw a locum.  A young woman, which made me think Oh no. I hope she understands.  I was a bit disappointed to be honest. 

She said that she thinks that I should stay off the HRT since I've been off it since August. She said "just give it time".  "We don't like people staying on it for a long time.  And you are 55".   She said don't worry about the palps.  Just come to see us if youo get pain too  I will make an appt with my own GP.  I could end up suffering with Palps and hot flushes for 10 blimmin years. 

Hope you are all doing ok.

Shazzie xx