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[juliamd]

Hi everyone.
Well I was a regular poster a number of years ago, and then decided to just get on with it and go with the flow so to speak. Life has been good, ( im now a grandma! ) I have adjusted well to the meno pause, and coped with the flushes /sweat. So why do I here you ask am I back again? Well a visit to the practice nurse this morning and a quick moan about lack of sleep due to the night sweats had her suggesting I give HRT another thought.
I still have flushes and sweats regularly anything from every 20 mins to 2 hours, never any longer apart than that and have done now for nearly 8 years. I would dearly love a nights sleep, Zopiclone has made no difference, All the alternatives...well Im sure you all know, a lot of money for not a lot of good. So anybody have any experience of starting at 58, ? Its 5 years since I had any periods, how long would I be able to take it for, and God forbid id still have flushes after I came off . Is the cancer etc risks higher?
I dont know what to do 
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts
Love poppins

[Rowan]

If your doctor approves poppins I would go for it, I think Ju Ju started at 60, though I am sure she went private.

Must admit I was surprised that zopiclone did not work for sleep, it has always zonked me out even on a sliver.

[juliamd]

Zopiclone does help me sleep but doesnt stop the sweats waking me, at least i get back to sleep relatively quickly. also the GP is reluctant to prsecribe them, i usually have them as a once a week treat!

[Dancinggirl]

poppins - It sounds to me as though you are like me. I had 3 years without HRT in my early 50s and the sweats and lack of sleep never subsided so I went back on. I am now 58 and came off HRT again last autumn to see how I coped without it. Through the winter I was doing really well but this hot, humid summer has been challenging - and oh yes! the lack of sleep gets me down more than anything. 
I am not ruling out going back on HRT, though I would probably use a much lower dose e.g. one squirt of Oestrogel per day with 7-10 days of Utrogestan per month which is supposed to be the safer option as we get older - you can use various versions of this regime.  Dr. Currie describes Utrogestan as 'breast friendly'.  Hurdity is the expert on this regime and she is in her early 60s. Prof Studd has a great site that explains all this very well. At our age I think using HRT is definitely a matter of benefits versus risks.
I am trying some melatonin to see if it will improve my sleep - there are one or two ladies on here (e.g.silverlady) who have benefited from using melatonin so it's worth a try.
My view is, if I feel I want to try HRT again I will, I know what it is like to be without HRT and I can cope  - is coping enough? I did always have issues around progesterone but have never tried Utrogestan so I may give this a go and see - if I'm not happy with Utrogestan then I will just have to cope.  I'm not hopeful that my symptoms will subside in the near future as they do for many women - I think I'm one of the unlucky ones - like you -  that suffer for many years.
DG x

[Taz2]

Hi Poppins - great to see you back.

I'd give it a try - if your doc is anything like mine you wont be able to get it very easily after 60 so why not have at least two years of sweat-free sleep while you can!!

Taz x

[juliamd]

thankyou for your replies, I have booked an appointment for a chat at least and ths time with a female doc recommended by the practice nurse. Looking at the info on this site it certaainly does seem as though there are new products to try,  and less side effects, it was the progesterone i couldnt cope with.
Still its a lot to think about when it really is just the sweats an issue, all other symptoms have sorted them selves slowly but surely
xx

Still here then Taz 

[Taz2]

Yep - still here. Off HRT for a year now due to my age but am going to battle it out with the GP on the 26th to get it re-prescribed.

Taz x 

[juliamd]

Tax go for it
Stellajane, I have no choice what else do i do? It does for me to equal poor quality of life, we are not so different, I just make the best of it

[Ju Ju]

Hi Poppins,

I started HRT earlier this year. I am 60. Never intended to as I was coping ok with the usual symptoms, plus my sister died of breast cancer, so I assumed it was out of the question. I was suffering from extreme exhaustion and non existent libido. I have very low levels of testosterone, which is no longer available on the NHS as it is not licenced for women for commercial reasons, so I had to go privately, but I have the support of my GP, who recommended the gynaecologist. Obviously I have to pay for any consultations and the testosterone, but the HRT is prescribed via my doctor and therefore free as I am over 60. I have been feeling better, though I am having to deal with the joys of suspected gall stones. If you want to know more let me know. Ju Ju xx

[daisie]

hi juju just looking at your post was wondering the same if it was ok to start hrt at my age 59 I know iv had it in the past but only for a couple of days because of side affect im not getting much joy from amitriptyline only it helps with the sleeping I need to get to the cause of these symptoms which is the menopause I had a blood test done back in January for homones both estrogen and prgestorone came back at low levels but the doctor never thought of treating me for it x daisie

[daisie]

when I went on amitriptyline I was told I would be on them for 6 months that was over 5 years ago they told me theyr not addictive how wrong are they to say that iv tried to come off them a few times with no joy had to go back on them iv not been treated with the right medication why is it a lot of doctors wont prescribe hrt when its homones that's causing the problem but it doesn't bother them to give you antidepressants with all their sideeffects doesn't add up with me neither

[flower]

Hi there,
I started meno at 52...horrendous sweats, I thought I had a fever I was just like I had stepped out of the shower constantly!  I had HRT and the usual problems finding one to suit me but then it stopped working and I had all the usual sweats etc.,  I had a terrible time with the lack of sleep and it does affect all areas of life.
I tried zopiclone and it did nothing for me.  I am now on hrt again (gel and tablet) and am fine. I am 58 also plus I smoke and eat chocolate!!   The lack of sleep is still a problem but its stress from pain from arthritis and was recently given gabapentin plus I take other pain relief and I am really against taking medications and let my pain get to a point I just want to scream but I couldn't cope with no hrt help.  If it makes the quality of life better I personally think its worth it so long as there are no bad side effects for you.  Think about what you can gain xx

[Ju Ju]

hi juju just looking at your post was wondering the same if it was ok to start hrt at my age 59 I know iv had it in the past but only for a couple of days because of side affect im not getting much joy from amitriptyline only it helps with the sleeping I need to get to the cause of these symptoms which is the menopause I had a blood test done back in January for homones both estrogen and prgestorone came back at low levels but the doctor never thought of treating me for it x daisie

Hi Daisie.

I thought long and hard about taking HRT at such a late stage, but last year was very hard going. Getting up and showering seemed like a mountain to conquer and I had to retreat from most activities. The only thing I kept going was my singing lessons. CFS was a label I was being threatened with. I elected to try HRT. I took the lowest dose of oestrogen, but it was like magic. I quickly felt so much better and I was able to sleep, but I struggled with progesterone. I am going to try a new regime soon. I am yet to find any benefit from testosterone. I have developed gall stones (yet to be confirmed), which HRT can be a contributing factor. However, I can tick several boxes for contributing factors.

I think the decision has to be made looking at the risks and your own circumstances. I chose quality of life over quantity of life. I come from a family where many members have lived to a great age. I felt I was existing; not living life to the full and the thought of living like that was demoralising. I have been told I can remain on HRT 'forever'!

[daisie]

hi ju ju thanks for getting back to me you sound like me everything I do just seems like one big effort the thought of even going out now is getting worse id rather stay in which is not normal when I look back to when I first started the menopause nothing seems to have got any better for me that was 13 years ago I seem to have been on a realy long terrible journey with all these weired symptoms and feelings that take over your mind and body and coping all that time not being on the right treatment as not been easy doctors down here don't like to give you hrt I know I lost a sister at 35 with breast cancer she would have been 67 now she told me it was the birth pill she thought was the cause of her cancer the homones in the pill are a lot stronger in them so iv heard so I think I should give it a try dispite my age the more you look into hrt woman iv spoken to its  done them more good than harm and theyr not much younger than me theyr still on it why come off it if its doing you good x daisie

[mimi la chance]

I'm 57 and never had HRT, but am considering asking GP could I try it.

It's interesting to read about others starting HRT well into the menopause