Thank-you so much to all who provide great advice and support for many on this forum, helping women worldwide. However, I am aware that some posts are seen as unhelpful in that they may be critical, aggressive, and misinformation is sometimes provided. Please use this forum for the purpose for which it is intended; to support.
In particular:
HRT is a prescribed medication, providing more benefits than risks for the majority of users, but it needs to be used carefully. It is not appropriate to give recommendations on changing the dose of either estrogen or progestogen; any decision about changing your HRT should be with a discussion with your healthcare professional, taking into account your medical history, other medications and types of symptoms and/or side effects.
Blood tests are often discussed with recommendations being given on changes in HRT based on levels of estrogen--measuring estrogen levels are rarely needed since they are unreliable, vary significantly over a 24 hour period and do not represent how you feel. There is no target level to aim for, we are all different, with many postmenopausal women with very low estrogen feeling very well. Even when our ovaries are functioning normally, our own estrogen levels fluctuate throughout each cycle. Many women experience premenstrual symptoms before a period when estrogen and progesterone levels fall, but generally we don't feel different on a daily basis while estrogen levels change. If a type of HRT is used and is not controlling symptoms, then the type can be changed, while considering other contributory factors to the symptoms, and are the symptoms really hormone related, rather than relying on blood levels and continuing to increase the dose.
I realise that it can be really difficult to access your healthcare professional to have these important discussions, and that not all women taking HRT are having the recommended reviews 3 monthly until treatment is settled with good symptom control and minimal side effects if any, and then yearly reviews, and that use of forums can be really helpful, but:
Thank-you all
