Menopause Discussion > Alternative Therapies

Positive Experiences coming off HRT after many years

(1/16) > >>

stellajane:
I'd really like to hear your positive experiences, though I realise most people who have them will already have moved on.

Was there anything you did/took to ease the transition?

Did it in the end turn out to be a lot simpler than you'd anticipated, or was it horrendous?

Jari:
Hi stellajane. I did not take hrt for very long, but I have only had a positive experience since coming off it.

I'm not sure how much it matters whether you've taken it for a long time or not re the transition.

I came off mine overnight and then everything just got better and better.

I take a multi for women over 40 (viridian) and omega 3 vegan capsules. Also magnesium in the evening. Again Viridian.

Are you off it yet? Are you stopping gradually or over night?

Hurdity:
Hi stellajane - you might want to also post in the main section as I imagine there will be some very helpful posts about how to come off and how people felt with different ways of doing it. I am also interested in this as I am sure I will try to come off once more at some point as I get more and more fed up each cycle with the progesterone and the bleed - not fun in your 60's as you know. We've both been doing this a long time!

The only time I tried to come off it was a sudden stop - basically ripped off a (Evorel) conti patch (my first after trying to change to conti HRT after cyclical HRT) in disgust because I got a migraine the day after I started it, and it was the progesterone withdrawal migraines from the cyclical HRT that led my doc to suggest the conti. So I went from 50 mcg to zero. Nothing for a few weeks but the symptoms just crept back - the flushes began to appear, and then the night sweats and then I got symptoms that I hadn't had before starting HRT - like lower back ache and pelvic pain. Also the menopausal acne/rosacea/hot itchy patches or whatever it was started coming back on my cheeks. Really not pleasant - all of these symptoms disappeared when I went back onto it.

Also when I tried to reduce (from 50 to 37.5) after doc suggested my dose was too high after I turned 60 - again after a few weeks even this small decrease led to my getting warm and restless at night so I went back up to 50 and all was OK again. I've never given it long enough to see if the symptoms subside or not - mainly because I was working in a demanding role where I needed to be on the ball and give out lots of energy, so mopping my brow and flaking out just didn't come into it. I'm retired now but still that state of being does not appeal - even going through it for say 9 months!

I really dread the thought of stopping and don't know when I'm going to take the plunge but I may wait until I'm 70 if I live that long. Whatever happens I plan to do it very gradually starting with reducing the testosterone (but also can't face the thought of all those aches and pains again) and then the oestrogen - and I will be glad to see the back of the progesterone.

You are brave for taking this step so all the best with it. Be sure to let us know - and in the main menopause board where more members will see your posts! I will be very interested to read how you get on!

Hurdity x

Jari:
I was taking the gel too, though only 2 months.

Have you already stopped taking it? It's about the lowest dose I suppose so the level will take a shorter time to balance I imagine?!

My hot flushes did return after about 2 months but I was expecting that. They are no-where like they were before though.

I also have reduced my weight so I am not sure if that has anything to do with it.

My bmi was at the higher end of recommended bracket and is now less. Still getting that down a bit more. X

bear:
Hi stellajane,

I cannot contribute much to your thread, I had been on Estradot patches and Utrogestan for just 4 months, enough to get suicidal though. I stopped it immediately and foggy head and awful thoughts went away in a couple of days, very fast response to hormones I suppose! I hope you are way past the hormonal withdrawal syndrome window (caused by downregulation of the oestrogen receptors genes) and will be just fine.

BeaR.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page