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[SarahJayne]

Sorry, this is probably HRT 101.

I’m seriously considering trying HRT (again), I am 54 and 18 months plus without a period (but had had 1 period a year for 3 years). The dryness, weight issues, loss of libido, tiredness etc are really beginning to get me down. BUT, I really, really love not having periods anymore. We spend a lot of time in our Campervan and camping and not worrying about bleeding is a real bonus.

So, if I go on HRT, will I bleed? I can’t find an answer…some sites say yes, some say no, some say maybe light bleeding. Does it depend which HRT I try?

I did try patches a few years ago, it was disastrous, heavy, heavy bleeding and terrible mood swings. I really don’t want that again, but I was still perimenopausal at that point.

I’m sure this is probably a basic question, but I’m trawling through endless pages for an answer.

[Dotty]

Hi if you are post menopause ( 12 months without a period ) then a continuous regime of hrt should result in no bleeding, although it can take a few mon the to settle.

[flo69]

Hi SarahJayne, I'm not surprised you can't find the answer ... there isn't really one answer ...

I bleed when I take HRT, but it seems most women don't if they take one designed as a continuous "no bleed" HRT.

I think the confusion comes from the idea that women are a homogenous group who will all report the same effects unless they are mentally unstable or telling lies

In the real world it depends on the woman herself as much as the medicine, so it's impossible to know how you'll react to any HRT until you try it. There is a lot of research suggested but not yet done in the field of women's medicine. Maybe one day, but not in time for us.

I react very badly to any synthetic progesterone, including the ones they claim are identical to hormones some women make themselves. I am quite certain my body never made anything like utrogestan for instance, or cyclogest, they feel completely different from each other, that's before trying to compare them to my naturally made human hormones, which they don't resemble in their effects either.

I'm 55, had menopause at 51, asked for HRT a year later and have had about two years in total on continuous HRT. I tried different ones but settled on tibolone which makes/allows me a bleed every 25-35 days and for me, all other effects are entirely positive and they say in time the bleeding might stop, I've been on it 11 months now without a break and my bleed started this morning, day 31 after the last one.

I hated patches too btw

[bombsh3ll]

Yes you absolutely can get bleed free hormone therapy.

Some people may get a bit of spotting especially in the first few months, and sometimes treatment needs to be tweaked a couple of times, but yes amenorrhea can be achieved in virtually everyone with the right combination.

[MrsMitch]

It does seem to affect everyone differently.  Once I started to increase the gel I was using I got spotting and 12 months on from that I'm bleeding continuously.  Like you, We travel a lot in our motorhome and not bleeding any more was wonderful. 
I don't think you'll know until you try it. But for me, the benefits of HRT far outweighs the downsides.
One thing I will say, you will find much better info on here than GP or specialists (NHS that is) seem to know. My specialist told me bleeding is inevitable with higher doses of oestrogen.  Bombsh3ll tells me otherwise and has helpfully told me what I need so I don't bleed.
I'd say try it and if you do bleed, come back here for help.

[Hurdity]

Just to clarify - bleeding is very likely (for some women) with higher doses of oestrogen UNLESS PROGESTERONE DOSE IS ALSO INCREASED. The licensed progesterone doses have been determined for low to medium doses of oestrogen but may not be sufficient for higher oestrogen doses. This has been discussed fairly recently in a paper by the British Menopause Society.

The Mirena coil is very effective at (eventually) stopping bleeding (even for higher doses of oestrogen within the licensed range), once the body has acclimatised but is not good for very low oestrogen doses in post-menopausal women as it can cause over-thinning of the uterus, potentially ulceration and spotting - because the progestogen dose delivered locally is quite high.

Hurdity x

[MrsMitch]

That's very interesting, Hurdity, thank you. I don't want to highjack someone else's thread so as I have some things I could do with in put on before my specialist apt. next week, I'll start another thread.