I am 62 and have been 2 years without systemic HRT. It would be easy, and far too simplistic, to say that all my health issues are related to oestrogen deficiency. The ageing process is going to happen and it's something we all have to face. I make a big effort eat well and exercise sensibly - quality sleep eludes me these day but I practise Mindfulness a lot. I have never smoked, I've never been truly overweight (when I stopped dancing professionally, I did gain over a stone but then I was 7.5 stone in my dancing years) and I have never drunk much alcohol. When diagnosed with diverticulitis last year I was told I should have had a high fibre diet - I am a life vegetarian with probably too much fibre in my diet and constipation is something I have never had - it's normal for me to open my bowels 2-3 times a day - It's these comments that have made me loose faith in the medical profession and I come from a family filled with doctors, dentists and nurses!!!
Continuing with HRT, IF ( and it's a big IF) its suits you and you can continue using it for the long term, then there can be benefits. However, one must also take into account the side effects and risks once you get past 60. It's always going to be benefits versus side effects with HRT.
I am now relieved to not be tackling the many side effects that come with HRT - if I could just have a small amount of oestrogen, without progesterone, then I would seriously consider it but to be honest the benefits of HRT were being outweighed by the side effects for me. I am using Vagifem local oestrogen and will use this for the rest of my life.
My health issues are basically a compressed disc between L3-L4 and I doubt HRT would help this and my digestive system has gradually got worse and worse over recent years and I doubt that Oestrogen would truly help this either. I manage my VA and bladder issues quite well with local oestrogen and vaginal moisturisers and I doubt systemic HRT would improve things that much more. Yes, my energy, sleep and stamina are declining but I think the many years of quite extreme stress are the cause of my problems and I really don't cope with stress so well any more.
My day time flushes are less now but I can't tolerate extreme cold or heat so well these days. I have to pace myself much more and I certainly couldn't hold down a full time job - even though the government feels we should all be working till 66!!!!
My mother had a premature meno, like me, but didn't use HRT. She is now 90 and is mentally and physically better than all her 4 children. She gets very annoyed when we children are unwell - “we're being such a worry to her†and it's always our fault that we are unwell!!!! She has stayed very slim but always walked a lot, took lots of holidays and expected her children to sort all her problems. In other words she is wonderfully self centred and I think this is the best way for a good old age.
How we age will be largely down to our genetics and lifestyle choices - heart disease, cancer, bone health etc. can be helped with lifestyle choices and HRT can probably be beneficial in many ways BUT essentially how ageing process affects us will vary greatly.
What worries me is that we are the generation who will suffer because there aren't the people or resources to look after us as the inevitable ageing problems descend. My husband and I are already making plans for our old age to hopefully ensure we have quality of life, leave our special needs son with some security and the government doesn't get hold of the little we have. I am finding the forward planning quite rewarding - it's giving me hope for the future. I crave calm and security now, to enable us to have some fun along the way. DG x