What happens if I don't do hormone replacement?

[Anonymous]

I am almost 50. I have a Mirena and I am on lexapro. I feel these 2 things have kept my mood somewhat steady. I have not had PMS or a period in 10 years bc of the Mirena. I am in pretty good shape - have been doing pilates for 15 years, yoga, walks, etc. I can sleep fine. Very minor hot flashes. Sex drive is lower but whatever. I don't feel the need for HRT for physical or emotional reasons at this point.

Honestly, my main concern about peri/meno is losing my looks, hair, face, muscle tone, etc. Does HRT give any advantage in those things and does not doing it accelerate anything?

[Anonymous]

Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes

+1

[Anonymous]

I think you should take extra calcium.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am almost 50. I have a Mirena and I am on lexapro. I feel these 2 things have kept my mood somewhat steady. I have not had PMS or a period in 10 years bc of the Mirena. I am in pretty good shape - have been doing pilates for 15 years, yoga, walks, etc. I can sleep fine. Very minor hot flashes. Sex drive is lower but whatever. I don't feel the need for HRT for physical or emotional reasons at this point.

Honestly, my main concern about peri/meno is losing my looks, hair, face, muscle tone, etc. Does HRT give any advantage in those things and does not doing it accelerate anything?

Mirena regulates progesterone, which helps with periods, etc. Estrogen affects all the things you listed, and mirena doesn’t give you estrogen.

[Anonymous]

For your looks - it’s mainly loss of collagen so your skin will look worse. Probably muscle tone as well unless you are diligent about heavy lifting to combat this (hardly any women lift this way)

Although after reading the plastic surgery posters on the beauty forum, I would understand why it all seems too much and you would choose to age without any intervention.

[Anonymous]

Is there a down side to taking HRT?

[Anonymous]

My OB-GYN said I am not a candidate for taking HRT since I have the beginnings of atherosclerosis at 58. The good news is I am a heavy weight lifter and have no menopause symptoms yet, but I am a little worried what I'll do when that becomes an issue without access to HRT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a down side to taking HRT?

Cancer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a down side to taking HRT?

Cancer

False.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a down side to taking HRT?

I was put on the patch and ended up in the ER with chest pains, diffculty breating, and heart palpitations. As soon as I took the patch off, I was back to normal. I guess I just can't tolerate it.

[Anonymous]

I think nature is always better, so if your body goes through menopause, without many problems, HRT might not be needed. For so long women did not take any hormones and they went through menopause.

[Anonymous]

Any hormone therapy carries risk of side effects. Most women can handle hormonal birth control, for instance, but some of us can't tolerate the side effects. HRT is the same. You are changing your hormone levels. It might work out great and it might not. Some small (but real) percent of people may experience life threatening side effects.

All of this is why you should make this decision while consulting with a doctor. I absolutely loathe the narrative around HRT where people feel comfortable telling women they either absolutely must take it or absolutely should not take it. Everyone is different. It depends. Talk to a doctor. You can also try it at a low does and see how it goes. It either helps or it doesn't.

No one on this board can tell you if it's right for you.

[Anonymous]

My OB friend says that it can help with these things but is not a miracle drug and like all drugs has potential known and unknown side effects. Apparently, the long-term use of HRT for present purposes has not been studied sufficiently after the debunked cancer studies. There is no such thing as a free lunch, was the message I got. You might be just fine using HRT, or you might get a big, unexpected bill. Like all drugs you have to weigh the risks. If your interest is primarily for perceived aesthetic benefits, that should be factored in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think nature is always better, so if your body goes through menopause, without many problems, HRT might not be needed. For so long women did not take any hormones and they went through menopause.

The women in my family have all had osteoporosis, so that’s one reason I choose to try HRT, as it can help preserve bone density. Of course there are other prevention methods like diet and exercise, but declining estrogen reduces bone mass.