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[Tracey E]

Tracy, I don't take hrt and I don't have VA or Osteoporosis currently.
I am going to have a bone scan out of interest, because I choose not to take hrt and I want to therefore see if my bone health is affected because I don't take it.

There are plenty of foods and supplements that help with osteoporosis and VA symptoms. Exercise is really good for bone health also. X

I did all those things, yoga, walking everyday, healthy diet etc. Unfortunately it didn't improve my bone health or VA. Hence why I'm now on HRT, my bone density has increased considerably since starting it last year and my VA is 75% better. So you see for various  reasons we may need HRT when there is no other alternative remedy that will work. X

[Jari]

That's good Tracy, I'm pleased it's working so well for you.
It just shows, for some women it can work well. For me, that's not the case. X

[Dotty]

Birdy well said .... this forum is not the place for ladies to be telling us that we are wrong to be taking hrt. x

[Jari]

Understood Birdy. Of course everyone has to make up their own minds and make the best decisions to suit their circumstances. I was just so badly effected by hrt and I wanted to get that across. Good luck with it. X

[Tracey E]

Understood Birdy. Of course everyone has to make up their own minds and make the best decisions to suit their circumstances. I was just so badly effected by hrt and I wanted to get that across. Good luck with it. X

Tell us your story Jari, I would love to hear about your journey through the menopause. x

[margherita]

I'm grateful for all your replies, thanks. I appreciate that some have not beneftted from HRT but I still feel that I want to persist with it, once I get through the maze of how much/which type because I'm not just taking it for the hellish here and now but also for the longterm osteo etc. benefits.
AFAIK I am definitely not postmenpausal (am 52 and my mother who I resemble strongly physically) stopped having periods at the end of her 50s), I had normal periods at the start of this hrt "journey" (1.5 years ago) and they only stopped, according to my GP, because of the HRT and now they are back.
Perhaps now I am menopausal hence the nasty mood swings.
I think I will start with upping the estrogel dose to 3, I only want to try chnging one thing at a time or I won't know what to attribute any possible improvements or declines to.
I'm also curious to add testosterone gel but again, first I want to try and sort of this estrogen/prog combination first to see if it makes any difference. I am scared to increase the utrogestan, as someone suggested, as it makes me feel worse.
And, as mentioned, my feeling worse has now spilled well out into the estrogen-only weeks so I hope that increasing it will help.
I'll report back if I can glean any info

[westie]

My advice would be to get off hrt. It causes so many problems and it's so much better to let your body get through this phase naturally, rather than add to all the symptoms and drag it all out with hrt..

Menopause symptoms pass naturally if you don't mess with your body. If you choose to add different hormones with hrt, then you can expect years of a messed up body with all sorts of symptoms and a negative outlook.

Deal with it head on naturally and it will get better and the symptoms will pass. With hrt it just drags it all out.. with depression, weight gain, anxiety among the main hrt symptoms. X

Jari I think we all understand your personal feelings with regard to HRT but as Birdy and others have quite rightly said this forum is not the place to be telling people in no uncertain terms to come off HRT .

I don't know where you are getting your information from , other than your own experiences.

i am 7 years post meno and like you was very keen to tackle no end of extremely debilitating symptoms ‘ naturally'. I have a healthy life, exercise daily and cook from scratch healthy food on a regular basis, as I am sure many others do too. Unfortunately, for me none of that worked and 2 months ago I was in such a state and in such a dark place that I was wondering what was the point of living.

So, I took advice from a menopause expert and did a lot of research myself and started HRT six weeks ago. My life has turned around, I am beginning to feel like me again. No it's not a magic cure by any means but it can be transforming for lots of women. I agree that it can be tricky getting the balance right especially during peri when your own fluctuating hormones are still in play, but to say that ‘you can end up with a messed up body, with all sorts of symptoms and a negative outlook ‘ is wide off the mark and has no place on this forum.

Please be aware that many of us come on here for balanced advice, as did Marguerita who originated this post and is clearly struggling at the moment. We all react differently to this challenging time of our lives and  last thing anyone needs is to be told to come straight off HRT based  purely on one persons experience and totally incorrect information.

You are fortunate that your symptoms are improving with your natural approach, others are not so lucky.

I wish you well with your menopause journey

W

[Sparrow]

I'm sort of with Jari on this one.  If you need HRT for medical reasons such as osteoporosis I get it. But if not why persist with something that's not working.

I used to post a lot on the Alternatives section, but got sick and tired of some members telling people it was rubbish and they were wasting their time and money.

You can't have it both ways ladies.  Do as you would be done by.

[westie]

Hi Marguerita

I completely understand the wanting to be under the duvet 24/7!

From what I have researched it does seem to be more difficult to get the HRT balance right during peri when your own hormones are so up and down. If you have been ok for a year and a half and now it is going haywire it could be that your own hormones are having a ‘last hurrah ‘. I wasn't on HRT when I was peri but I did have very similar symptoms to you in the last couple of years before my periods finally stopped. Mood swings for me were also terrible.

With regards to testosterone, I think generally the experts like you to get the oestrogen levels right and see how you feel symptom wise before adding that in. Am sure others will correct me if I am wrong on that one.
Also, am not sure about increasing the dose of gel if you are only on 7 days utrogestan but again others will be along to advise on that too.

Might be worth asking your GP to refer you to a Menopause Clinic? It really is worth speaking to someone with more expertise, sadly the majority of GP's lack up to date information when it comes to Menopause.

I totally understand how you must be feeling, I have been there myself and know others have too.If it wasn't for the lovely ladies on here I don't know where I would be now.,

W xx

[Katejo]

Jari, I understand your take on HRT, but I think you need to stop telling us to quit it. We understand our options, and we are aware that we can opt out of using HRT any time we wish. We are all adults with our own minds, albeit a bit fuzzy at times. But you seem to be on a mission to turn people off HRT and that's not what this forum is for.
Also, you cannot fix VA without oestrogen, unfortunately.

  My reaction too Birdy. There is a sense of disapproval for those who need to try HRT.

[westie]

I'm sort of with Jari on this one.  If you need HRT for medical reasons such as osteoporosis I get it. But if not why persist with something that's not working.

I used to post a lot on the Alternatives section, but got sick and tired of some members telling people it was rubbish and they were wasting their time and money.

You can't have it both ways ladies.  Do as you would be done by.

[westie]

I completely agree with your last comment Shadyglade.

It is great that the alternative route helps many ladies and for a long time I hoped it would help me too. Sadly not and I have now hopefully found a way that has got me out of a very dark place.

But I would never dream of telling people that they must take HRT anymore than I would tell those trying alternative methods that they are wasting time and money.

The whole point of this form is to give and receive balanced views. Thankfully that is normally the case and has helped me and others I am sure, enormously.

W x

[jaycee]

Jari, that HRT is from pregnant mares urine and i thought it had been banned as it should be, but whoever was saying this on facebook made it sound as if all HRT was bad, and some people agreeing that before HRT women just put up with it as nature meant it to be,
Naturally there were some angry comments , but who has the right to tell anyone else what they should do, maybe you are that person, it was the same attitude
People can be,  their own judge ,don't need telling ,
Are you  menopause expert then?if not leave others alone

[Sparrow]

I completely agree with your last comment Shadyglade.

It is great that the alternative route helps many ladies and for a long time I hoped it would help me too. Sadly not and I have now hopefully found a way that has got me out of a very dark place.

But I would never dream of telling people that they must take HRT anymore than I would tell those trying alternative methods that they are wasting time and money.

The whole point of this form is to give and receive balanced views. Thankfully that is normally the case and has helped me and others I am sure, enormously.

W x

Thanks, that's nice to hear but unfortunately anyone who sticks with alternative are often treated badly here.

But Hay Ho life's not fair.

[CLKD]

The written word is static.  But I haven't yet met anyone who can sort vaginal atrophy with a diet 

I have a good diet these days.  I also had repeated urine infection-type symptoms but those urine samples that were sent to a Lab. didn't show any growth so my on-the-ball GP rang and told me to pick up a prescription for vaginal atrophy treatment.  Which has worked wonders, 4 me it was like razor blades up there  .  I also use KYJelly when the area becomes itchy.  'vaseline' for legs, feet, arms ....... to stop the drying effect which causes my skin to itch.

How's the mood been Margheta? R U better when it's sunny?