Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: ShirleyB on February 02, 2021, 11:27:34 AM
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I'm 60 and have been on HRT for 12 years now, tried 4 times to come off only to have symptoms (broken sleep, mood swings, flushes, aches and pains) come back. I take Kliovance (oestrogen and progesterone) tablets. I am really well on it; I exercise, drink but don't smoke and am (just) in the normal weight band. My GP wants me to come off, saying that the risk of stroke and heart problems 'increases exponentially' with my advancing age. She has suggested coming off during summer months as it will be easier to withstand the onslaught of symptoms and they should go eventually. Will they? Should i come off? What really are the increased chances of stroke and heart problems? Any help on this would be most welcome. Thank you.
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You would be better off with transdermal and could stay on it for life. With Tablets there is (I believe) a small risk of clots. Louise newson did a blog on this recently x
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Great tip above which I can vouch for after hours of research this week! I'm 68 and hoping to go back on after a very long gap. It will be transdermal of some sort I ask for. I was taken off my HRT, abruptly, years ago by a bully of a gp. Sorry, but no other word for it without going into the bizarre string of projections and consequences she was threatening. I honestly believe I have not ever been as well since. Coming off was a disaster for me. Good luck!
💚
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Postmeno I have been on Hrt for 21 years since age 32/33 because during my hysterectomy they accidentally cut off the bloody supply to the ovaries. Anyhow I was on tablet oestrogen and In 2005 a new surgery told me I can’t stay on hrt, it’ll cause breast cancer and not good for me. I went up the wall, I had no knowledge of hrt, no support, just how awful I felt without hrt. I argued so much with them and said I’d take responsibility, they gave in in the end and I moved surgery’s 3 years ago and had a right spat with a gp there who said he won’t prescribe me hrt any more as it’s unhealthy. I got a referral to nhs gynae who reinstated my daily vagifem, gel oestrogen and testosterone and I was told I can stay on it for life x
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This is one of the reasons I'm reluctant to go on it. It seems that symptoms come back once one stops. It's terrible.
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Quality of Life? Why come off something that helps? All medications have risks, but a GP wouldn't consider asking a dietetic to stop !
Some ladies stay on it into the 70s/80s ;)
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Transdermal is safer than oral so I would ask for a patch or gel. There is still a risk with transdermal but it's small.
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This is one of the reasons I'm reluctant to go on it. It seems that symptoms come back once one stops. It's terrible.
This can happen but, then again, there's no guarantee that you wouldn't have suffered the same symptoms for many years anyway? I think I've mentioned before a friend who is in her late seventies and didn't go on HRT in her early fifties as she felt the symptoms would eventually settle, hot sweats day and night, poor sleep, joint aches, vaginal atrophy etc. They haven't. She has had 25 years of them and now her GP is reluctant to start her on HRT as she is over seventy. As she says at least she would have had some respite from the symptoms even if they had returned when she had to stop using it.
Everyone is different. I felt when I started HRT that quality of life was important and, let's face it, none of us know whether we will live to a ripe old age or whether our lives will be cut short due to all sorts of possible happenings so it's a case of getting the best out of life day by day.
Don't forget that some women really don't suffer many symptoms at all but they rarely visit a forum such as this because they don't need any help or advice so it can appear that all women have a troublesome menopause.
Taz x
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This is one of the reasons I'm reluctant to go on it. It seems that symptoms come back once one stops. It's terrible.
The thing with coming off HRT is it should be done gradually to minimise symptoms, not a sudden stop. It’s been life changing for me and I’ll worry about coming off it later if at all.
OP I would ask for transdermal and if possible see another doctor, this one doesn’t sound very helpful tbh. What about your quality of life ? How is coming off in the summer going to help ? Hot flushes etc will be worse. I’m sorry but that is just crap ! Ask to be referred to meno clinic
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Ask to be referred to a menopause clinic?
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I think your gp is out of date. The NICE guidelines used to say you should stop at 60 because of the reasons she says. They don't any more. And she should know that transdermal is safer.
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Thank you so much everyone, this is all so very helpful. It really is heartening to hear the experiences of others. One theme does seem to be that GPs are often very strong (bullying?) in trying to make folks come off HRT, as is my case - she virtually said that if I stayed on hrt I'd have a heart attack, if i didn't have a stroke first. It sounds like transdermal is the way to go, but is this safer then in terms of the heart/stroke risk does anyone know?
Shirley
x
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She's daft. >:(. Needs to go on a course about menopause - hopefully, her time will come ;D
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Sadly, I think her time has been! It's an over-generalisation but i do believe that in life one needs to have some experience of things to understand them, this being one. When i'm on hrt I feel normal, healthy, great. And when off: wretched, unhealthy, awful.
S
xx
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So what would you like to do?
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This is one of the reasons I'm reluctant to go on it. It seems that symptoms come back once one stops. It's terrible.
This can happen but, then again, there's no guarantee that you wouldn't have suffered the same symptoms for many years anyway? I think I've mentioned before a friend who is in her late seventies and didn't go on HRT in her early fifties as she felt the symptoms would eventually settle, hot sweats day and night, poor sleep, joint aches, vaginal atrophy etc. They haven't. She has had 25 years of them and now her GP is reluctant to start her on HRT as she is over seventy. As she says at least she would have had some respite from the symptoms even if they had returned when she had to stop using it.
Everyone is different. I felt when I started HRT that quality of life was important and, let's face it, none of us know whether we will live to a ripe old age or whether our lives will be cut short due to all sorts of possible happenings so it's a case of getting the best out of life day by day.
Don't forget that some women really don't suffer many symptoms at all but they rarely visit a forum such as this because they don't need any help or advice so it can appear that all women have a troublesome menopause.
Taz x
Great post Taz :)
Hurdity x
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Sadly, I think her time has been! It's an over-generalisation but i do believe that in life one needs to have some experience of things to understand them, this being one. When i'm on hrt I feel normal, healthy, great. And when off: wretched, unhealthy, awful.
S
xx
I'm glad to say this is not the case - there are many many really good doctors and health professionals who can see beyond themselves. Sadly you've hit a poor one and you have my sympathy.#
My GP was similar - I went to her about something - an abdominal pain - and I was over 60 and still on HRT and she said I shouldn't be on it - that it would only lead to cancer and "let's hope it hasn't already". Needless to say I stopped seeing her!!
I am 67 and Ive been on HRT now (transdermal) for 14 years and provided all is well do intend to stay on it and the docs at y practice (the informed ones) don't question it as I am otherwise in good health.
Do persist yes and good luck with it all - let us know.
Hurdity x
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Thank you again everyone, I have reread the answers a few times now! I'm not prepared to compromise my quality of life unless I really am going to have a stroke/heart attack and as no one has said this is likely, then I think that the way to go is transdermal as it sounds like less risk. I'll report back after my consultation!
Shirley
xx
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Let us know. Quality of Life is important. Also, that bus might creep up behind you long B4 you have side effects from HRT!
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I've decided to find a specialist for a consultation, as this week I was told this week (GP surgery) that the increase in risk of heart attack/stroke is minimal (not what I was told before) and that transdermal patches would necessitate taking tablets as well as I still have my uterus. Why is it that 'quality of life' is seen by some as a treat - perhaps they have never been rock bottom.
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I think many are worried about being sued, also if they haven't felt ill they can't empathise. Let us know how you get on.
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My gynae told me he has ladies in their late 70s still taking HRT I have been on it since 40, transdermal, changed my life.
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If you can, get hold of the book Estrogen Matters by Avrum Bluming. It's a game-changer. He advocates staying on it forever and says that old-fashioned HRT is actually better for protection against dementia and some other diseases than transdermal (although I'm sticking to transdermal) xx
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Would that book be useful in post-menopause?
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Perhaps you should tell your gp you are horrified at his/her level of ignorance and perhaps it's time he educated himself. Have a look at the options under the Treatment tab, you can use a combined patch so there's no need for separate progesterone. Or you can use an oestrogen only patch or gel with utrogeston, it's only licensed for oral use in the UK but many people use it vaginally. You can ask for a referral to an NHS menopause clinic if you don't want to go privately.