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[Dana]

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.

[Hurdity]

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

[peegeetip]

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!

 

[Pollie]

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

[peegeetip]

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.

 

[Pollie]

Yes Thankyou peegeetip !

Off to google some more ......

Pollie

[Pennyfarthing]

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!!  .  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.

[peegeetip]

sounds like you have things under control pretty well.

if its not broke dont (let others) try to fix it

have a good weekend.
 

[Mary G]

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.

[Pennyfarthing]

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!!

[peegeetip]

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.