Hi there
In response to the Qs about thinning of the uterus lining which can cause spotting or bleeding - the medical term is "endometrial atrophy" and you can briefly read about it here:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/post-menopausal-bleeding/ or google the term. If I recall correctly the term is also used for what happens to the endometrium naturally post-menopause, so that the lining (receptors) normally does not continue respond to the oestrogen women continue to produce throughout their lives, so that it does not thicken and cause problems - but in this (normal) case the atrophy is not a clinical problem ie does not cause ulceration. Don't quote me on that though as I haven't looked it up for ages! And it has been raised many times on this forum as a possibility - and specifically in relation for example to those using a Mirena coil into post-menopausal years, in the absence of added oestrogen, because the progestogen dose is so high.
Katherine you said this: "I can’t tolerate the combined or progesterone only pill so they aren’t an option for me". The thing is the pills I mentioned are not like the combi pills you may have tried - they are more like HRT. Most combi pills contain very strong artificial oestrogens whereas the two listed contain estradiol which is what you are using in the gel. Which POP types did you try? The are many different progestogens and the more modern ones may not cause the same side effects....In any case they are not comparable with combi pills except that they can suppress the cycle and dampen hormonal fluctuations.
Women who are barely peri-menopausal may well not need extra high exogenous ( externally given) dose of oestrogen as they will still h ave their own, but the addition of a small amount means that in the second half of the cycle and especially at the end, it provides a base level so that their oestrogen does not "crash" quite so much as it otherwise would ie dampening the fluctuations somewhat.
"I have decided that I would prefer to do what makes me feel my best now rather than take HRT just for the long term health benefits."
Yes this is what motivates most women to consider HRT, but then they have the added long term benefits. In fact I am glad that I suffered horrible symptoms of flushes and sweats when peri-menopausal otherwise I woud not have considered HRT, but now my height, late 60's is the same as it always was and my bones are protected (my mother has osteoporosis). Some women who are at risk of osteoporosis (low BMI, early menopause, genetic pre-disposition) are advised to take HRT even without experiencing short term symptoms.
"I found a study online which was published in Nature which sheds more light on it. It basically says that the brain usually adapts to the hormone changes and several factors such as brain grey matter volume stabilise or are restored post menopause although genetics have an influence too. So it sounds encouraging. If anyone is interested I will post a link. "
I would be interested... though may forget to come back and have a look!
Hurdity x
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Topic: How do menopause symptoms stop (Read 7970 times)