Please share your HRT experience

[Anonymous]

Hi, I’m considering HRT. If you do or have use it, can you share how it works, what combos you use, and changes or results you’ve experienced? Thank you… really appreciate any and all insights.

[Anonymous]

I have been on HRT for about 2 years, and went on it about 2 years after menopause. It massively improved my sleep, and ability to think. I would suggest reading Estrogen Matters, and signing up for Peter Attia's podcasts (subscription but very worth it). Episode 275 is entirely devoted to your question, and analyzes the different types of HRT available. There is a lot of controversy around HRT that you'll need to evaluate but there are two pretty important consensus points: (1) HRT is generally only beneficial if you start within the 10 years after menopause, and (2) the blood viscosity issues are only associated with oral HRT. I use an estradiol 0.05 mg patch, and take progesterone 200 mg capsule at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been on HRT for about 2 years, and went on it about 2 years after menopause. It massively improved my sleep, and ability to think. I would suggest reading Estrogen Matters, and signing up for Peter Attia's podcasts (subscription but very worth it). Episode 275 is entirely devoted to your question, and analyzes the different types of HRT available. There is a lot of controversy around HRT that you'll need to evaluate but there are two pretty important consensus points: (1) HRT is generally only beneficial if you start within the 10 years after menopause, and (2) the blood viscosity issues are only associated with oral HRT. I use an estradiol 0.05 mg patch, and take progesterone 200 mg capsule at night.

SP. Meant to note that the progesterone is the generic of Prometrium.

[Anonymous]

Been on it for over 10 years. I take progesterone and estradiol. Felt much better after taking it. Hot flashes stopped. Won’t stop taking it until early 60s.

[Anonymous]

I'm on .05 estradiol and I also take progesterone. Just started it about 3 months ago. My horrible hot flashes are gone and I'm sleeping through the night for the first time in years. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

.05 Estradiol
& Progesterone.

Super helpful.

Dr Rachel Rubin is on Instagram she is very informative on this subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:.05 Estradiol
& Progesterone.

Super helpful.

Dr Rachel Rubin is on Instagram she is very informative on this subject.

My BC is estrogen plus progesterone.
Gonna stay on as long as I can.

[Anonymous]

It allowed me to do math equations required for work.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for these replies! Who prescribes your HRT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for these replies! Who prescribes your HRT?

I'm the BC poster. Just getting it from my GP for now (and they are barely knowledgeable to keep up with what what I'm doing). When that ends I'll either try to educate a gyn (not looking forward to that based on what I've seen here) or go to the alloy site that someone helpful keeps posting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for these replies! Who prescribes your HRT?

I'm the BC poster. Just getting it from my GP for now (and they are barely knowledgeable to keep up with what what I'm doing). When that ends I'll either try to educate a gyn (not looking forward to that based on what I've seen here) or go to the alloy site that someone helpful keeps posting.

I've managed to get my GP to prescribe as well but I second the frustration with doctors on this one. Every specialist brings it up and questions it if they see I am taking HRT. Doctors are afraid to get blamed for anything so the easiest thing and least risky thing to do is just quote the USPSTF guidelines, and nothing is more annoying than a patient who insists they've read more of the medical research on the topic than the doctor and would like to make their own decision here. So, I'm an annoying patient but that's an easy price to pay for better health.

[Anonymous]

I asked about it because I had hair loss in perimenopause. I thought my GYN would give me BCP but she gave me the estradiol patch and progesterone. My FSH was super high even though I still had a period.

I think it slowed my hair loss but didn’t make the hair grow back. It helps me to sleep so much better and I have less muscle pain. I didn’t even realize how much these things were affecting me until I started the HRT and they improved.

[Anonymous]

I just went online - myalloy.com. Zero interest in being mansplained about this. It's been life changing.

[Anonymous]

I also used alloy health.

[Anonymous]

I'm on a 1mg estradiol patch and 200 mg of progesterone. It helped so much with my mood, rage that would come out of nowhere and sleep. I've been on it about 2 years now. I also use a topical estrogen cream twice a week on my vulva and a bit internally as well. The cream really helps with dryness and preserving the tissue so that sex doesn't hurt. My OB/Gyn presecribed these.

I've also just recently started using testosterone supplement in the form of a compounded cream. I wanted this to help with my libido. It is helping a little with responsiveness but not with initial desire. I started seeing a NP who specializes in menopause and studied under Dr. Rubin. I need to go back in about two weeks for more bloodwork to see what my levels are.

There is not one solution that fits everyone but there is help out there and practitioners that are knowledgeable.