Hi fiftygirl
Sorry to hear your flushes have got worse - and especially since starting HRT.
What type are you taking?
Just to clarify - it is the term "menopausal" which is inaccurate and liable to confusion. You are either menstruating normally in your reproductive stages, or you have entered the peri-menopausal transition, or you are post-menopausal. Menopause is the date of the last period - or when the ovaries last ovulate - but defined as 12 months without a period - even though some women do ovulate again after more than 12 months has passed. After you have reached menopause ( the last period/ovulation) you are then post-menopausal although medically this starts from 12 months after the last period since it can only be determined in retrospect, so medically the peri-menopausal transition last for a year after menopause is reached if you see what I mean!!!
Many women use the term "peri-menopausal" to mean any changes they notice in their periods right up until they stop, but medically this is defined as starting when the cycle changes by more than 7 days from one to the next. Changes do begin to occur earlier but this is known as the late reproductive stage because ovulation is still more or less regular, even though pms often gets worse.
A bit of a digression - but it does mean that if you have an ablation ( or if women have a Mirena) and periods stop - then you do not know when you reach menopause because you haven't got the cycle changes to tell you. Blood tests are inaccurate because FSH varies so much and can go into the post-menopausal range even while still peri-menopausal.
In your case therefore - your flushes have started presumably because you are entering peri-menopause and I would think the fact they are getting worse means your HRT dose is not high enough? Is it possible to increase?
Also - have you had your thyroid tested and other general blood tests as a baseline - quite important at this point in life just to rule out other problems and deficiencies?
As Dana says - once you reach menopause then you will be post-menopausal for the rest of your life - but in your case you won't know when this is!
Hurdity x
