Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Pennyfarthing on September 24, 2015, 02:39:05 PM
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Have been on HRT for several years now and the nurse thinks I should go onto a lower dose. been on Climesse 2 mg for ages and she's putting me on Estradiol/Norethisterone 1 mg. I have a couple of months of Climesse to use up then I'll start those.
I can feel I've put on weight so she weighed me yesterday and I said I didn't want to know or look and she just said I'd put on 1 kg since she last saw me a year ago. that doesn't seem right to me but she reckons it is. As I was leaving she said the lower dose might also help me lose a little weight. What do you girls think? maybe she was just being kind.
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I don't think she would lie about the amount of weight you've put on.
1 kg is hardly anything to gain, especially over a year. She has no need to be kind!
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Once I started on HRT path my weight suddenly stablized :)
I think most of us would be delighted with 1kg in a year :D
As I mentioned in another thread, reduced dosage HRT is for ladies coming to HRT later.
A lot of the time this is the medical people trying to wean us off ???
If its working its not really the nurses problem or place to get you down to a lower amount.
Moving you when you are stable to a lower dose will likely have one result - return of symptoms.
If things are not broken and your happy with your quality of life stick with the current solution.
There are plenty of posts about others reducing their amounts for no reason other than a "thought" from a nurse or doc.
Thinking it might do your good is a far place from actually doing you good.
If your happy, maintain your current solution. You don't have to reduce if you don't want to.
:-*
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Once I started on HRT path my weight suddenly stablized :)
I think most of us would be delighted with 1kg in a year :D
As I mentioned in another thread, reduced dosage HRT is for ladies coming to HRT later.
A lot of the time this is the medical people trying to wean us off ???
If its working its not really the nurses problem or place to get you down to a lower amount.
Moving you when you are stable to a lower dose will likely have one result - return of symptoms.
If things are not broken and your happy with your quality of life stick with the current solution.
There are plenty of posts about others reducing their amounts for no reason other than a "thought" from a nurse or doc.
Thinking it might do your good is a far place from actually doing you good.
If your happy, maintain your current solution. You don't have to reduce if you don't want to.
:-*
She said there was more of a risk of breast cancer on higher dose and she tried to get me to go lower last summer and we agreed I'd stay on this dose for another year. Thank you, I will look for other posts. :)
I was delighted with only 1 kg weight gain over a year but I can feel in my clothes that it's more than that. I think she might need a visit to Specsavers!! ;D When I feel brave I will step on my own scales and will compare it to what my Slimming world book said this time last year.
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I have been reducing my dose steadily over the past year or so and except for a couple of short blips I have been fine. I'm now on a half patch so really on a small amount now.
It's been a slow and steady reduction to where I am now and I feel no worse for it at all. I'm 55 and started patches at 49.
It's worth a try and you can always increase again if needs be.
Honeybun
X
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How old are you Pennyfarthing? I agree with peegeetip but perhaps if you are older (near 60 ) then think about changing to a patch if you want to continue with HRT in the longer term.
Also re weight gain - weight isn't everything - if your clothes are not fitting you so well it could be either loss of muscle and increase in fat - which overall would show a lower actual weight increase on the scales because muscle (of a given size) weighs more than fat of the same size. If you have cut down your exercise or your metabolism has slowed for whatever reason - you may have lost some muscle - and this gradually happens as we age for a variety of reasons ( including endocrine changes).
Another reason could be changes in fat distribution - depending on how far into menopause you are - you could weight the same or only a little more, but have an increased waist size as you head more towards an apple-shape. Again this is typical - but exercise and toning can help a little.
Hurdity x
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How old are you Pennyfarthing? I agree with peegeetip but perhaps if you are older (near 60 ) then think about changing to a patch if you want to continue with HRT in the longer term.
Also re weight gain - weight isn't everything - if your clothes are not fitting you so well it could be either loss of muscle and increase in fat - which overall would show a lower actual weight increase on the scales because muscle (of a given size) weighs more than fat of the same size. If you have cut down your exercise or your metabolism has slowed for whatever reason - you may have lost some muscle - and this gradually happens as we age for a variety of reasons ( including endocrine changes).
Another reason could be changes in fat distribution - depending on how far into menopause you are - you could weight the same or only a little more, but have an increased waist size as you head more towards an apple-shape. Again this is typical - but exercise and toning can help a little.
Hurdity x
I am 61. The HRT nurse was saying I could go on this lower dose for another year and then they wean you off it so you're taking it every other day and so on.
I'm just fat!! ;D I did lose nearly 2 stones a couple of years ago but very gradually its crept back on again. I walk 1.5 to 2 miles very briskly every day and I cycle when I can. all my clothes feel tight and I can see in the mirror that I've gained weight. I left SW in the Spring and haven't weighed myself since!!
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Please don't dismiss the idea of successfully decreasing your dose. It is very possible despite what some may say.
I would think that the smallest maintenance dose you can be on whilst maintaining symptom control should be the goal for all of us.
Good luck with what you decide.
Honeybun
X
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PF - You lost nearly 2 stone.
You may have gained 0.157 stone (1 Kg)
That is insignificant.
You are walking, briskly 1.5 - 2 miles every day, you are doing a lot for yourself.
If you want to decrease your HRT so be it, but don't rush into cutting it if you are unsure.
Whatever you decide, patches may give you more control about controlling dose amount
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No I lost nearly two stones but have regained it all plus another kg. ;)
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I reduced my HRT over about 18 months or so. I used my last patch just over 2 weeks ago. GP has given me Clonidine to help with the flushes/sweats. I tried Clonidine once before but it didn't work. I'd come off HRT cold turkey that time. Some days I have a number of flushes/sweats. Yesterday only had a few & today only a couple. I'm hoping my weight might come down a bit too, but I'm exercising so that should help also.
I lost nearly 2 stones 2 years back & I've put on just over half a stone again. That was due to lack of exercise more than anything. However, I'm keeping an eye on how much I'm eating as well as taking exercise again.
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I too am gradually reducing my hrt with a view to stopping altogether to see what if any symptoms are present. So far have halved it so far no noticeable effects have reared their ugly heads but we will see.
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Please don't dismiss the idea of successfully decreasing your dose. It is very possible despite what some may say. I would think that the smallest maintenance dose you can be on whilst maintaining symptom control should be the goal for all of us.
I agree. I'm planning on trying to reduce my medium dose to at least a low dose too. I'm tired of the whole progestin/progesterone/period thing, because I don't do well on a continuous regime, so my plan is to reduce by one tablet a week very slowly over the next 6-12 months, and then see where I am then. At the very least I hope to settle on a low dose, or maybe a tablet every other day, but if I'm really lucky I might be able to do without it altogether, or maybe just 1 or 2 tablets a week.
It's been 5 years since I started this whole HRT merry-go-round and I'm fed up with it. HRT is great if you can settle on a continuous method that works for you, but I definitely don't want to continue having periods for goodness knows how long, or having to take any kind of progestin or progesterone long term.
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I have just posted on here about reducing my HRT, were you recommended on a time frame to reduce it, i think i may have been reducing mine too fast in the past, hence awful headaches.
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If you want to go through the menopause then fair enough but I am concerned that many of you are allowing yourselves to be persuaded by others onto a path that can cause misery. I have told my specialist that I intend to continue taking oestrogen for the rest of my life and she raised no objection. After 26 years on implants (with only minor interruptions) I cannot conceive of a post menopausal existence.
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If you want to go through the menopause then fair enough but I am concerned that many of you are allowing yourselves to be persuaded by others onto a path that can cause misery. I have told my specialist that I intend to continue taking oestrogen for the rest of my life and she raised no objection. After 26 years on implants (with only minor interruptions) I cannot conceive of a post menopausal existence.
I'm not being "persuaded" by anyone else's opinions, including doctors or the media. In fact my GP is quite happy to continue prescribing HRT for as long as I like. I will only reduce my dose if my body will let me. If it won't then I will stay on whatever dose is needed. I just don't think there is any benefit to being on a dose higher than your body needs, and you will only really know what dose your body needs by trying to slowly reduce it.
By the sound of it you don't have to take a progestin/progesterone, and that can make a lot of difference to how you fare on HRT. Some of us though have to take into account the ramifications of being on long term HRT, like progesterone/progestin issues. That is often the reason why a lot of women eventually give up using HRT. If I didn't have to phaff around with progesterone then I would probably say I would stay on it for the rest of my life too, but the thought of potentially still having periods when I'm 70 just doesn't appeal.
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Pennyfarthing - firstly the most important thing you can do for your health is to lose that 2 stone again - if you are that much overweight. Your GP or nurse mentioned breast cancer - being overweight is one of the risk factors and also for other health conditions as we age. Have you had your thyroid tested just to check whether this is a factor in your inability to maintain weight loss? Also when I took norethisterone fo 12 days recently I definitely bloated up. Admittedly a higher dose than for normal HRT but still - I wonder if this could be a factor as well?
As well as doing the above (blood tests for thyroid and trying to lose weight) I would seriously think of changing to a patch at your age as these are considered a safer form of delivery - so rather than reduce to the 1 mg tablet - why not change to for example a Femseven or Evorel patch ( although Evorel conti still contains norethisterone!).
The other alternative is as Dana says go for separates and go back to a cycle but I can see you wouldn't want to do that at your age - having been without one for so long. Most of us oldies still on a cycle never really stopped - I think the longest I was without periods was 9 months when I was 52 or 53, although some have restarted at almost 60 due to progesterone intolerance. However as Dana says this wouldn't be very appealing at 70 so I too am wondering how, if when I will reduce and maybe come off HRT. Damn progesterone!!! Yes it's an easy choice if you've had a hysterectomy!
Hurdity x
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Hi,
just before we send this poor lady on a crash diet (as shifting two stones even before Peri was a challenge for most of us)
Its much better if we can keep a stable weight over a longer period of time which pennyfarthing has done with success without the help of the health worker :)
There are clear studies that show that taking HRT and people carrying a bit more weight is actually a better option.
Recent studies was concluded with the following quotes just to be clear:
"The highest risk of breast cancer with HRT use was seen in women with low/normal BMI and extremely dense breasts"
However
"No excess risk of breast cancer was associated with HRT use in overweight/obese women with less-dense breasts"
I agree we should always try to follow the healthy routes but carrying a bit of extra weight is often not the worst thing in the world.
Also please remember that dieting can make worse bone thinning/loss processes.
Taking weight of our frame will actually cause the body to do that naturally also which can make things worse for ladies who are not taking HRT or are weened down to a so called maintenance level.
Maintenance of what? The lowest amount used and licenced to help prevent osteoporosis is 2mg in tablet or patch/gel equivalent to that!
:-*
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Peegeetip
There are clear studies that show that taking HRT and people carrying a bit more weight is actually a better option.
A better option that what ?
Can you link to these studies for me please ?
Aside from all the other health risks of being overweight I had always believed that excess fat stored oestrogen which added to the risk of breast cancer ? Perhaps I am wrong ?
Pollie
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Hi Pollie
since recently people have had issues with other links I've stopped adding them. Even decent medical sites have too many adverts and stuff. Also a lot of sites these days have virii and malware lurking so best to let others find their own :)
A simple google should find you information on the subject.
All I'll say is that your correct estrogen will be stored in fat :)
But fat also acts as a buffer and this is part of the reason they have found this result.
Also, recent paper articles talked about loosing weight to boost your hormones, yes it will as you'll end up using up estrogen stored in fat as you loose weight. But this might be short lived boost for some.
I know a lot of people who are overweight but very very healthy and active. Risks to our health can happen to people of normal weight too.
For example type 2 diabetes - often this is associated with people being overweight. Yet I have a relative being treated for type 2 who has been fit, healthy and certainly not overweight during their life.
As with menopause its just a case of how each of our bodies works then how our bodies stop working.
This will happen at different times and because of different reasons for everyone.
Keeping our weight stable and retaining muscle mass into old age is now being seen as a more positive thing than being very lean and lower muscle mass.
Hope that helps further.
:-*
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Yes Thankyou peegeetip !
Off to google some more ...... ;D
Pollie
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Despite being overweight I am very healthy. HRT is all I take. No medical probs at all, no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, no T2 diabetes, nothing. My GP said I have the blood pressure of a 16 year old!! ;D. I walk 1.5 to 2 miles every day briskly and timed. I cycled 13 miles yesterday and cycle as often as I can. I love being out in the fresh air.
I was checked for thyroid problems last year and they reckon it's OK but I am still not convinced.
I've got several friends who are a lot slimmer than me but do no exercise and drink a lot of alcohol and I don't drink at all .... or smoke. I also have many friends who have had knee or hip replacements or have bad backs, dodgy knees or bad feet. So I consider myself very lucky indeed and I can't be stressing about my weight just now.
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sounds like you have things under control pretty well.
if its not broke dont (let others) try to fix it ;)
have a good weekend.
:-*
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I have to agree with those who say "if it ain't broke don't fix it". There is no way I would ever reduce my dose of HRT, it took me too long to get in right. Doctors are always trying to get people off HRT for no real reason - many are still hanging onto the flawed 2002 million women study that is way out of date and needs to be consigned to the history books.
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Thank you all for your comments. I have a couple of months worth of my Climesette 2 mg left then I'll start on the 1 mg ones. If they don't work as well as the others then I'll be back to see my GP!!
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Hi Pennyfarthing
from what others on the forum have said that approach is unlikely to work.
You'll open the door to symptoms returning and other issues we all know about all too much from posts.
I wish you well on this and hope that it does work out for you after lowering dose.
:-*