My symptoms were “troubling”? I guess that’s the word. Sleep disordered to about 4 hrs a night (vs. a consistent 7.5 hrs my entire life), terrible headaches, dry and bleeding vulva, deep depression and rage that typical antidepressants did nothing for. I also had horrid PPD (which seems to be a bit of a predictor for how you emotionally respond to hormone shifts). I wanted to die. I felt like dying.

My uninformed provider prescribed pelvic surgery, an off label seizure med, and sleeping pills for my symptoms. I wanted to cry.

I went to a provider (OB) who specializes in menopause. She put me on patch and topical estradiol, plus nightly progesterone. I feel alive again for the first time in 2 years. My memory/cognition improved. I sleep through the night. My vulva doesn’t tear when I wipe. Plus, I have symptom improvement that I didn’t even know were peri related—e.g., my eyesight improved!

And given the evidence for HRT for certain types of hereditary dementia, I feel like I’m taking a small step to minimize my Alzheimers risk (double APOE4 gene). Not to mention the improvement in sleep.

Anyway. Women have been gaslit about this for a really long time. There’s a BC link for starting HRT late in menopause onset. But otherwise, for women without contraindications, the risks from HRT are outweighed by the risks from life altering perimenopause symptoms for younger women—cardiac, bone, and memory. The WHI researchers misunderstood the data and it condemned an entire generation of American women (and because of the glacial pace of updating medical standards it continues to do so).

If you are suffering please reach out to a menopause specialist.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend was doing hrt and ended up with hair one induced breast cancer.

you've posted this BS before ....I urge everyone to ignore this nonsense, scare-tactic comment

They have studies showing that they are linked. My mother currently has Stage 3 breast cancer. She was on HRT for years.

Sure. And lots of people who are not on HRT get breast cancer too. So what does that prove?

Different poster, but I don't understand why this concern gets so much hate. Here's the National Cancer Institute on the topic: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/mht-fact-sheet

It is a personal decision. For some people the risks are absolutely worth it because of their symptoms. If it stops suicidality for you, OMG, take it! If it you wake up every night in a puddle of sweat, but it only lasts a month or two, maybe not. It is definitely not a no risk health improver so that everyone should be taking it.

My HRT positive, younger and female doctor told me the same thing. Together, we decided to wait and see, due to my family risks, and for me I sailed through menopause pretty easily and never was interested in HRT. Maybe for some people a short trial would be useful. But you do have to take the risks and benefits into consideration.

Yeah. Other than a few cycles of extremely heavy bleeding- resolved. I have zero symptoms. I turn 54 next month.

I’d only consider it if symptoms were very troubling.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend was doing hrt and ended up with hair one induced breast cancer.

you've posted this BS before ....I urge everyone to ignore this nonsense, scare-tactic comment

They have studies showing that they are linked. My mother currently has Stage 3 breast cancer. She was on HRT for years.

CITE THE CURRENT RESEARCH, or shut up!!!! I'm sorry for your mom but you are reaching with this. And if her MD told her it was due to her HRT use they need to show her the CURRENT RESEARCH proving this.

...you don't get to actually tell people to shut up on this board.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend was doing hrt and ended up with hair one induced breast cancer.

you've posted this BS before ....I urge everyone to ignore this nonsense, scare-tactic comment

They have studies showing that they are linked. My mother currently has Stage 3 breast cancer. She was on HRT for years.

Sure. And lots of people who are not on HRT get breast cancer too. So what does that prove?

Different poster, but I don't understand why this concern gets so much hate. Here's the National Cancer Institute on the topic: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/mht-fact-sheet

It is a personal decision. For some people the risks are absolutely worth it because of their symptoms. If it stops suicidality for you, OMG, take it! If it you wake up every night in a puddle of sweat, but it only lasts a month or two, maybe not. It is definitely not a no risk health improver so that everyone should be taking it.

My HRT positive, younger and female doctor told me the same thing. Together, we decided to wait and see, due to my family risks, and for me I sailed through menopause pretty easily and never was interested in HRT. Maybe for some people a short trial would be useful. But you do have to take the risks and benefits into consideration.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend was doing hrt and ended up with hair one induced breast cancer.

you've posted this BS before ....I urge everyone to ignore this nonsense, scare-tactic comment

They have studies showing that they are linked. My mother currently has Stage 3 breast cancer. She was on HRT for years.

CITE THE CURRENT RESEARCH, or shut up!!!! I'm sorry for your mom but you are reaching with this. And if her MD told her it was due to her HRT use they need to show her the CURRENT RESEARCH proving this.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend was doing hrt and ended up with hair one induced breast cancer.

you've posted this BS before ....I urge everyone to ignore this nonsense, scare-tactic comment

They have studies showing that they are linked. My mother currently has Stage 3 breast cancer. She was on HRT for years.

Sure. And lots of people who are not on HRT get breast cancer too. So what does that prove?

Different poster, but I don't understand why this concern gets so much hate. Here's the National Cancer Institute on the topic: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/mht-fact-sheet

It is a personal decision. For some people the risks are absolutely worth it because of their symptoms. If it stops suicidality for you, OMG, take it! If it you wake up every night in a puddle of sweat, but it only lasts a month or two, maybe not. It is definitely not a no risk health improver so that everyone should be taking it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend was doing hrt and ended up with hair one induced breast cancer.

you've posted this BS before ....I urge everyone to ignore this nonsense, scare-tactic comment

No I have not. This is true. Her doctor told her to go off it immediately and to never take it again. You can choose not to believe this. Not sure why so hostile.

Anonymous wrote:The increased risk for breast cancer from drinking one glass of wine daily is much larger than the increased risk from HRT in perimenopausal aged women.

The study that showed increased risk was in women in their 60s and 70s being put on HRT. Which is why it is not recommended for older women but rather it is best for women within a couple of years of menopause meaning the cessation of menses.

The increase in BC in US is due to 1) obesity and 2) drinking. American women are getting fatter and fatter and drinking a lot.

To those of you who were depressed before you went on HRT what do you take? How long did it take until you felt better?

Oops. Previous poster again. Typo in my post: "I felt fabulous "mood wise" while pregnant"

Anonymous wrote:OP I am the first responder who gave short shrift in my reply but given other comments I want to encourage you to see an HRT positive GYN who can go over the real risks with you as well as the huge benefits which have decades of research behind them.

As for me, HRT is the reason I am alive today. I have struggled with refractory depression my whole life but in perimenopause with chronic insomnia from messed up hormones I became suicidally depressed, the worst of many awful symptoms which made my life feel not worth living. I went on HRT, got my sleep back, got me depression in remission for the first time in a decade, changed my diet and am changing my body and look forward to the rest of my 50s and beyond being fabulous.

If you’re miserable don’t hesitate assuming after medical assessment you are not considered high risk.

This is me as well. I was also suicidal. Finally started HRT and my mood has been consistently better than it has been for a decade. I always had bad PMS and I had horrible post partum depression following the brith of twins (and felt fabulous miss-wise when pregnant) Apparently my mind likes a high estrogen state.