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[Suza]

Last year age 62 I was told I had to come off hrt. I was using evorel conti 50 patches and apart from a few pounds weight gain I had no problems or health issues. I said no I didn't want to come off, but given no option. Weaned myself off gradually, but hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, lack of energy, skin ageing, kicked in 2 months later. Tried telling my GP that my quality off life was terrible but was given Prozac for the flushes which I took for 2 months then stopped as they turned me into a zombie! Had anyone else been told they must come off due to it being an she thing and not a health reason. I always thought it was up to you if you wanted to stay on it

[Robin]

Hi Suza,

You’ve been poor advice as there  is no upper age limit for HRT Have a look on My Menopause Doctor website and the current Nice  guidelines and book an appointment to see a different doctor. You shouldn’t have to suffer like this.
 

Robin

[Robin]

There’s lots of information on Dr Newsons menopause charity website too

[Suza]

Thanks for the advice. I'll follow it up. My GP was adamant that at my age, and  having been on it for 20 years that I was at risk of blood clots, stroke etc, although no normal, BMI 26, and health good. She said she couldn't live with herself if that happened, but I said I was willing to take the risk. On my 2nd consultation I asked if I coul just go on the lowest dose, even half a patch, changing it weekly, just to keep the menopausal symptoms at bay, but told no☹️

[Postmeno3]

You're not alone with this sort of thing and it really has to stop. It's not easy finding the level of determination and assertiveness we seem forced into finding, but the quality of life we have now is the only real consideration as far as I'm concerned. We deserve that and I, for one, am prepared to fight for it. I think this is where getting a postmenopause section of the forum devoted solely to what's experienced in this group will create a collective voice and reference point. Solidarity!

[Diamonds and pearls 53]

Suza this is total rubbish and shows that your G. P is very ill informed. As Robin says, there is no upper age limit for Hrt and there was absolutely no need  for you to come of it, especially as you had no contraindications.
This is clearly stated in the NICE guidelines, so arm yourself with a copy and present her with evidence. Don't be fobbed off with anti depressants, this sort of poor advice is why so many women are suffering unnecessarily.

[Robin]

Well said ladies!

The risks of stroke, cancer etc from HRT are very low. I don’t understand why doctors are so anti HRT and yet don’t seem concerned about the side effects of antidepressants. They tried me on so many and all made me much worse whereas the improvement on a good dose of HRT was miraculous. I’m never coming off it

[Lamplighter]

Hello Suza you have all my sympathies being forced off HRT for no good reason.  I hope you will be able to find a more responsible doctor who will 'let' you go back on.  Post menopausal symptoms can be horrendous and unfortunately don't seem to diminish with time (as I found out).

Perhaps it will help for you to have the NICE link (which I just found on another post, as I couldn't find a decent link for myself) which outlines very clearly what GP's ought to be considering when it comes to HRT, here it is:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/menopause/management/management-of-menopause-perimenopause-or-premature-ovarian-insufficiency/

Good luck

LL

[Suza]

Thanks so much for all the help and support.

[KarineT]

Lamplighter, when you say postmenopausal symptoms, which one do you have, if any?  Also, how many months/years have you been postmenopausal?

[Cassie]

Your Dr should know that seeing you went onto it so early it only really counts from around the age of 50 when you would have gone through a normal meno. I also started at 40 and I dont intend to come off at 60.

[Diamonds and pearls 53]

There is no reason why anyone should have to come off at 60 providing their blood pressure is OK and there are no other issues.
 I am in my late 60s and still on Femostan conti plus Ovestin cream as and when needed.
 I did try patches and utrogestan  about 4 years ago but it just didn't suit me and  gave me spotting and lower right abdominal pain. 
l had to come off any hrt whilst l had a scan and blood tests, but all proved negative and my womb lining was very thin, so after a break l asked to go back on tablet hrt.
I still have to go through the rigmarole of fighting my corner to remain on it on a regular basis but l just quote the NICE guidelines and stress that  the benefits to me outweigh any risks. It's quality of life after all!

[veronica]

Hi, I am in such a dilemma whether to take hrt or not please can I get some advice. I am 53 and had my last period at 45, I don't get the hot flushes hardly at all now and sleep is relatively ok but I am exhausted all the time and it seems to have got so much worst lately! I find going to work really difficult, if I am home I nap most days. I also have the worst all over body aching and very foggy head. Is this normal? Will hrt help these symptoms? I watched the programme Davina McCall was on the other night and it seemed that the risks of hrt are not as great as previously thought, what do you ladies think?

I am really desperate to get some normality in my life I am so fed up with constantly being tired. I have been very worried about taking hrt and would really appreciate some advice.

Thank you in advance

[Lamplighter]

Hi Veronica, wish I could give advice but the things you describe aren't my experience of being postmenopausal so I wouldn't know to recommend HRT for them.  Having said that, from reading what others have said on these forums, what you are experiencing may well be to do with menopause and perhaps HRT would help.

As you heard on the Davina McCall programme, the negatives of HRT seem to have been overstated, so perhaps HRT might be a go for you?  Using it for a while, to see if it helps with your symptoms can't do a lot of harm and you'll then know and can take it from there. 

I assume you've talked to your doctor about what's been happening for you?  In any event, good luck with making a decision.

LL

[Lamplighter]

Hi KarineT, in answer to your questions - I've been postmeno coming up to twelve years now (65, last period at 63) and have an incredible array of symptoms, quite a few of which are in the process of diminishing now I've found a reasonably effective form of HRT (oestrogel and utrogestan) to replace my original one which was discontinued in 2018. 

So - hot flushes (which will never go away, I constantly still get really hot and sweaty after a shower or bath, or a hot drink, and sometimes simply at a change of temperature, and sometimes for no reason at all), pressure incontinence (which is thankfully diminishing so I only have to trot to the loo once or twice during the night instead of 4 or 5 times. 

There's a whole host of other symptoms from dry eyes, dry therefore blocked nose, aching joints and muscles, dry skin which gets really uncomfortable and pinches (and no moisturiser helps) thinning lips so there's now a gap which makes it impossible for me to keep my mouth closed to breathe at night, which is surprisingly quite distressing, to vaginal atrophy (now being helped) and the worst for me, labial irritation which despite having had a labiaplasty, continues to be a real problem. 

Consultant thinks it might be vulvodynia and it's possible that's what it is though it's not outright pain as much as pinching rubbing sticking generally being incredibly difficult to live with as it's constant.  Whatever it is, it's definitely related to being postmenopausal as it started with the menopause and went away with my first lot of HRT.

So that's the short list lol. 

What I found most gobsmacking about all of this was the assumption that you sort of 'get over' the menopause, take a bit of HRT to help you and then a few years down the line hey presto you're back to normal.  Yeah right.  It's only speaking to other sufferers in places like these forums that you realize this is for life.  Oh to be one of the lucky ones - like my cousin who claims she must have slept through her menopause.  No symptoms at all.  Big sigh.

I hope you're doing ok. xx

LL