Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Sarai]

This is probably a daft post but often hrt gets a bad press.
I was discussing going on hrt with my physio who knows anything I choose takes a lot of soul searching as I have no post meno symptoms.
Anyway a patient came who is in her 70's previous heart attack and she had seen a consultant who said hrt is making a comeback and there is no evidence to support the stories that it increased breast cancer or heart attack risks even into older age and they were happy for her to have it.
Im just waiting to hear back who this consultant is and will share if I can.

[CLKD]

 

[ancient runner]

Hello Sarai! If you look in the news bit of the site I think the research you're talking about was posted there last week?
How are you getting on in your thinking on osteoporosis treatment? Hope all is well with you.

[Hurdity]

Hi there - I'm not sure which research you are talking about ancient runner?

Sarai - without knowing the context and this particular woman's situation it is difficult to know what the consultant meant. However the original research (that study!) did show cardiovascular risk if HRT was started for the first time in older women who were many years from menopause - and this effect was more likely with tablet HRT.  This is due to atherosclerosis in the arteries - and the effect of HRT on blood vessels giving increase risk of clots. (This is simplified and from memory!). Later research provided evidence to show that there was a so-called "window of opportunity" such that if HRT was started under 60 or within 10 years of menopause there was a protective rather than harmful effect on the cardiovascular system.

The recommendations from 2013 stated that if women started hRT over 60 (not sure if the 10 years was mentioned) - low doses should be used and transdermal HRT rather than oral. Also if there are other risk factors for stroke etc this should be taken into consideration.

So - regarding the woman you mention - it depends when she started HRT really!

The information is around - some on this site but I don't have time to search for it at the moment!

Anyway in your case - I hope you manage to find a treatment that you might need? Are you considering it? The important thing is even if symptoms have disappeared, there can still be long term consequences of oestrogen deficiency such as osteoporosis such that it would be advisable to take it or carry on. I'm sure you know this already!

Hurdity x

[ancient runner]

My fault - and I was being a bit inaccurate - but I meant this https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/newsitem.php?recordID=184

[Sarai]

ancient runner, thanks for asking. My decision is made I'm having low dose patches. My GP however is dithering as he is whittling about dosage, so we agreed over a week ago then he rang a rheumy up I don't like, who I never plan to see again in my area, who said hrt is rubbish does not work and causes more harm and telll her to go on Forsteo even though he cannot prescribe it. I do know all about Forsteo.
So I rang my own rheumy and he agreed and said Dr needed to ring to get right dose because I am on blood thinners. So still waiting. Makes me so mad.

[Sarai]

Hurdity, sorry if I should not have posted it, my physio was just being helpful and I liked the phrase its making a come back.
Yes I understand only too well the effect on bones, though I still think my issue is not simply lack of oestrogen I believe I have Ehlers Danlos too giving me faulty collagen.
Anyway despite having no post meno symptoms I realise in my state I need to help my bones and am going to have low dose patches. See above the delay in actually getting this stuff I don't even want.

[CLKD]

"Many years from Menopause"  - for me it wouldn't matter how long since my last period (2002) if symptoms began I would a) need to know why and b) know that treatment was available.  Discussion is good.  It shares experiences and the various views of GPs/Medics on when and for how long 

[Hurdity]

Hurdity, sorry if I should not have posted it, my physio was just being helpful and I liked the phrase its making a come back.
Yes I understand only too well the effect on bones, though I still think my issue is not simply lack of oestrogen I believe I have Ehlers Danlos too giving me faulty collagen.
Anyway despite having no post meno symptoms I realise in my state I need to help my bones and am going to have low dose patches. See above the delay in actually getting this stuff I don't even want.

Of course you should have posted it Sarai!! Everything is interesting and worth mentioning! Yes I just picked up on the cardio-vascular thing about stroke risk - which is also emphasised in this item - referred to on another thread today:  https://menopausematters.co.uk/newsitem.php?recordID=184/Langer-Paper-RCOG-BMS-Statement

This is a quote from that link - from Dr Currie:

“Over recent years, reanalysis of the data and consideration of further research has led to a better understanding of the risks of HRT. Evidence shows that the risks are small and, for most women, are outweighed by the benefits if treatment is started before 60, or within 10 years of the menopause. Benefits include symptom control as well as improved urogenital, bone and cardiovascular health. This is reflected in Professor Langer's paper which points out that the WHI study did not show any statistically significant increased risk of breast cancer or heart disease in women using HRT.

Yes I agree that the phrase "making a comeback" is great and encouraging - and there has been so much press in the past few years as well as the NICE Guidelines , TV programmes, news articles etc - at least docs should not use the old outdated arguments any more.

What a pity your doc is vacillating over this - I think you are still under 60 aren't you? Sorry I don't know about Ehlers Danlos 

I hope you manage to get it all sorted with your doc soon.

Hurdity x

[CLKD]

 ehlers-danlos.org    -   The Ehlers-Danlos Support UK

lots of info. on here ;-)