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[Dr. Heather Currie]

Many women are able to use HRT for control of menopausal symptoms, treatment of early menopause or for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis with good effect. However, some women are either unable to take HRT, or may not wish to. This section has been started to focus on the experiences of women who have used non-hormonal options. What has worked for you.

[silverlady]

When I was going through my peri menopause, one of my bibles was" Passage To Power: Natural Menopause Revolution"  by Leslie  Kenton. I think it is one of the best books written for any woman wanting to go through the menopause naturally or who cannot take HRT.

Even though I have had a partial hysterectomy and use a 0.25 patch once a week ( for bones) I still follow her advise eg. diet, walking (sometimes I think I walked myself through menopause) vitamins and mineral,herbs and supplements and natural progesterone cream, also emotional and spiritually this book is excellent.

I have passed this book onto my daughter and sister who do not want to take hormones. My sister is 55 and doing very well without hormones ( she looks good too)

My mother did the same for me when I was in my early thirties, she gave me a book on womans health and the menopause which set me on the path to prepare for my own menopause.

silverlady x

[Heikey]

Hiya,
It is hard to not being able to have HRT. I can't as I am prone to clots.
So I try natural remedies which don't work too well.
Astonishingly enough I have found myself using some autogenous training in semi-sleep when I was just about to develop one more of these ugly flushes. I just told myself "I don't want this now" and it might sound ridiculous but it has worked. Not perfectly, but I was alright. Now I deliberately apply this technique when I get anxiety attacks. It is not perfect, but really rather helpful.
Nevertheless I will see my GP on Wednesday and ask for a referral to a menopause clinic (btw - how many are there and are they any good?).
Heikey

[Bette]

Heikey, have a look at "Find a Specialist" in the top menu to find meno clinics. Most ladies on here have found them to be very good so hopefully you will too. 
Bette x

[jax]

whenI first started with mood swings and night sweats/ palpitations I took meno herb/ menoleive (boots own) which worked a treat for around 3 months. Then overnight it stopped working and as upping the dose isnt approprite I chaged to HRT. would highly recommendd it though. Native american indian women used the active ingredient , black cohosh to help with womens ails...

[Meg]

Heather

Thanks for starting this thread.  For myself, I am not really coping that well.  Lots of doctors will not take the time to work out a form of treatment for symptoms and many seem to be dead set against HRT.  If you have a meno clinic near you are lucky.  It may be hard to hit on the right method of replacing the hormones and some women are unable to tolerate side-effects or unwanted bleeding which is too worrying form them.  It would be lovely if research could come up with the answer in the future.  How many women are out there are getting desperate, not getting reasonable advice and thinking that it may go on forever which in itself is depressing without the hormonal downs that lower mood.  I fear this stage of women's health is not getting the attention it deserves.  One thing that I need to do is walk so I hope that the aching I get in my hips never prevents me otherwise it would be pretty intolerable.  Drat our ovaries for doing this.

Meg

[Heikey]

Thanks Bette, I will....

[Night_Owl]

Dr Currie, thanks for this new thread.

I've had to stop HRT due to the double blow of severe progesterone intolerance and the exacerbation of migraines.  Now trying some 'alternatives' (Femarelle) in the hope of finding some relief of symptoms.

Already some good suggestions on this thread, so thanks ladies.

Night_Owl
x

[Meg]

Night Owl

I hope you find something for relief.  So many women seem unable to tolerate any progestagins or progesterone. It seems to lower mood and cause many other pretty catastrophic side-effects.  How would men put up with all of this and they say we are the weaker sex!

Meg

[Cassie]

Apologies if this seems like a silly question but how would you know if you are intolerant to a hormone such as Progesterone, apart from the "normal" side effects which are bearable such as cramping, sore boobs etc, what is it that makes you decide no this is not for me, severe migraines etc, just interested to know what makes woman decide this is definitely not working, apart from family history of clotting, cancers etc?

[jgr]

Tried menopace which did nothing for me although i do like results quickly so maybe i did not give it a chance.

Now on Evorel conti 1/2 patch and i am so much like my old self again. Was reluctant to take HRT at first but after so many horrible symptoms i had to do something to give me back my life.

[Robyn]

The way most people know is if they are on a sequi HRT, they feel great when they are on the two weeks of oestrogen only pills/patch, then the two weeks they change to the combined oestrogen & progesterone pill/patch they can feel anything from not so great to really ropey.

If you fall into the later category the chances are you are progesterone intolerant.

The above is a kind of simplistic view, rather than a scientific one.

xxxx

That pretty much sums it up, or at least for me anyway. I now understand why I've had so many problems finding a conti HRT that suits me. Since I've been on the sequi patches I do great on the est part, but as soon as I start the prog/est patches, my old friend insomnia returns.

I'm now experimenting with cutting my patches in half to see if a lower dose will help. If it doesn't I may have to join the ranks of the non-HRT ladies, but I don't relish the idea of constant insomnia and hot flushes. Maybe staying on the sequi patches and just having insomnia for a couple of weeks here and there will be preferable in the long run.

[JulesJ]

My periods were so dreadful and overwhelming for the last couple of years that when they finally stopped my menopausal probs seemed easy in comparison. I can`t take HRT because of past breast cancer, and can`t take St Johns Wort or Evening Primrose because of my epilepsy.

I went through the night sweats, depression, headaches, insomnia, acid reflux (?), and tried to adopt an "all things must pass" attitude, and certainly they all did pass in about 2 years. I was lucky. Just wish I could say the same for the VA, but there must be a treatment for that and I`m determined to find it! 

Can honestly say 9 years on that apart from the VA I feel 100% better than I did in my 40s, and that can`t be bad.

Hang on in there xxx

[silverlady]

I thought this was interesting but not sure where it belongs, so am posting it here.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/03/hormone-therapy-not-recommended.aspx?e_cid=20120603_SNL_Art_1

silverlady x

[silverlady]

An "extract"

 A much better alternative is to use bioidentical hormones. These are natural hormones that are "bioidentical" to the ones your body produces. The bioidentical that is prescribed 80 percent of the time is estriol. It's natural, not a drug, and you get it at compounding pharmacies. It has been used safely for decades, and I believe it's particularly useful when your ovaries have been removed or you've had a hysterectomy. Dr. Johathan Wright, whom I've interviewed many times, is a pioneer in bioidenticals, and you can see what he has to say about their value in this short video

There are a few good vidios.

It is a perfectly respectable site with very respectable  Drs.

It is not cranky and I put it here as a matter on interest as it also suggests ways of coping without HRT also other ladies might find in useful.

silverlady x

The thing is I do not randomly or endlessly search for dubious " new facts" unless I think them applicable or of interest, no one needs to read it it does not apply to them.