it’s just after 3am on Christmas night and I’m lying in bed wide awake knowing that something needs to change.
My gynae has ruled HRT out for me as the endo used to be so aggressive, particularly in terms of ovarian cysts and she fears that feeding it estrogen will reawaken the beast. When I naively assumed that menopause and its symptoms would be over with by now I wholeheartedly agreed. Four years later, I genuinely don’t think I can carry on like this.
Has anybody had experience of starting HRT in menopause which has reactivated the endo?
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Chrissie66
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hello, I am not menopausal yet but have previously been on injections which put me in a menopausal state and the symptoms were horrible. I can only imagine how you must be feeling going through the real thing.
Just wanted to mention that there is a webinar on endo uk which may be informative before discussing other options with gynae: m.youtube.com/watch?time_co...
I hope you get the help needed and start feeling like yourself soon.
how old are you if you don’t mind me asking? I couldn’t cope without hrt I’m 36 and I lost my mind just on a low dose hrt it wasn’t enough so I have gone for hrt and now it’s balanced I am human again so it’s a big choice but I would rather live the rest of my life without menopause symptoms and risk the hrt because without it I really couldn’t cope.
I have 20 years on you, and it’s only been really rough for the last few, I’m so sorry you’re doing this at 36. As you say, it’s about balance. I’m at the point where I’m wanting ALL the estrogen even at the risk of all the pain back because I am losing years of my life being somebody I don’t recognise.
as long as you also have progesterone it will protect you from the endo coming back I’m not saying it won’t be you can’t take oestrogen only. I have the Lenzetto sprays x3 daily and the Utrogestan pill at bedtime as I found it was the lack of progesterone that stopped me sleeping but I was going crazy feeling mental and anxious skin crawling without the oestrogen. I’m sending you big hugs but I couldn’t live without the oestrogen and you have to remember your bones you will still need the oestrogen. I have osteoporosis already due to bowel issues so I couldn’t be without the oestrogen and breaking all my ribs due to osteoporosis was way worse than endo so I will always keep the oestrogen going for as long as I can xx
Oh my word, I am sending you gentle hugs right back! You have certainly been through it.
Yes, it’s the mental thing most of all. We spent Christmas Day with my nephew and niece who are now 24 and 21 - I’d always been the Cool Auntie as they were growing up but for the very first time…this year, I just couldn’t keep up with them mentally and they were looking at me as if they didn’t recognise me and it killed me.
Pre menopause I used to see my gynae every six months because my endo was/is aggressive and she wanted to keep on top of it so I didn’t have to keep having surgeries for ovarian cysts. I had a Mirena for years, mostly to control the bleeding, but that came out when blood tests suggested I was perimenopausal. Then Covid and lockdown hit, and I haven’t seen her since. But at every appointment she stressed how important it is that I never take estrogen because my aggressive endo would have a real party with that, and having almost got through peri menopause without realising I was peri menopausal, and having survived medically induced menopause a few times I assumed that when actual menopause hit I’d be FINE.
I am absolutely not fine. And worse than that, because of the damage it caused over the years, I am still in pain. In pain, cognitively challenged, and constantly soaked in sweat.
Seeing as it’s been a while since I saw her, I was wondering if there had been any clinical developments around new, safe-for-me HRT. I think I’ll make an appointment with her to discuss it all, particularly the balance now that the HRT and cancer risk seems to have been reevaluated. And maybe it’s time to swap to a Mediterranean diet…xxx
well the topical oestrogen carries the least cancer risk like the spray, gel and patches…..my mum was recently diagnosed with breast cancer so my risk has also now gone up but I will not be stopping the hrt. I had a total hysterectomy with everything removed, cervix, tubes, ovaries and womb this April so it was a massive shock to the system it’s nothing like chemical menopause the real thing is scary when it takes a grip. I was a mess crying all the time but the skin crawling and not sleeping was just awful my brain is still a little slow but a million times better than it was.
So sorry you have been going through all that without any help. I went privately to a menopause specialist via video call and she sorted me out straight away even sent the prescription directly to me during the hrt shortage as they use their own pharmacies that seemed to have everything in stock so that’s been a blessing. I now get my prescription via my gp as the local pharmacy can get the Lenzetto in stock as that was very hard to get hold of but it seems to be better now just depends where you are in the country.
I have to have a very clean super healthy diet for my bowel issues and I haven’t felt it’s helped at all but it’s worth a try for you I know I would always try anything and everything to help.
There are some natural things that can help like evening primrose, 5htp and I’m sure others could recommend more if your gyne won’t help you but the quality of life you are getting shows how much you need some oestrogen.
I wish I could help me and it’s always worse during th holidays having more people around it seems to amplify everything so be kind to yourself and if not your gyne then maybe your gp they are getting better at it just don’t let them give you antidepressants they do not help with menopause symptoms it’s crazy how they dish those out to try and help with menopause makes me angry.
Take care and let us know how you get on I’m always here if you need to message as I know how hard it as and feels like we have to battle it alone but don’t feel like that. Hope you get some answers and help soon xx
This is the ones I used you can book online for a video call I only had one call and they did my prescription from that. They were very kind and understanding xx no need to thank me I’ll be here if you need me 🤗
I have no personal experience of this but HRT with oestrogen is really likely to make your endo come back or grow more, it's just science the the oestrogen feeds it. Maybe you could just take the progesterone part, some doctors do that just prescribe the progesterone part of HRT.
Hi, sorry to hear you are suffering so badly. I am an endo sufferer and had several ops for cysts and adhesions plus IVF. I started peri menopause symptoms in earnest in 2018. I read all I could about HRT and decided I would try it because I was feeling so awful my quality of life was worse than project managing pain killers should the endo return. Whilst the local GP was supportive, I have sought to fine tune the dose and spent savings on attending the Newson Clinic who were very good. Sometimes I get a bit of endo pain but I would rather have this pain and take the HRT, because it has improved other menopause related symptoms that were ruining my quality of life and making working very hard, ie bad anxiety, body aches, suicidal thoughts and ruminating, BO, repeat water infections, hot sweats and insomnia. As a busy professional Mum, I’m now a member of Athletics England and compete running competitions regularly. For me, endo is bad but menopause symptoms were worse. HRT has put my wheels back on! Go and see a menopause specialist and talk to them about your worries. They are at the cutting edge of where medical research sits in terms of HRT and other conditions and it is not uncommon for them to counter advice from other specialists whether gynaecologists or cancer specialists. Please have a look at the Louise Newson Podcasts which are very useful in explaining how important mental health and quality of life is when considering HRT prescribing… and giving patients the choice. Also remember that if you decide to stop taking HRT because it is giving you endo symptoms it is out of your system in something like 18 hours so it’s easy to stop if there’s a problem. Note the nurse I was seeing at Newson health now practises At Solihull health clinic so there’s more than one clinic offering menopause consultation privately on self referral
hi yes my endo seems worse on hrt but otherrwise i am sweating all night cant win and more flare ups than before especially ovarian I had a coil in nefore but got it removed just disnt get on with it and gunae were saying it will agravate the endo if i get it taken out but it didnt just since early menopause thing have got worse ....
yes! I totally understand what you are going through. After I had my hysterectomy I started HRT and increased the dose because menopause was horrible. I feel like my Endo has returned and I definitely think the estrogen has something to do with it.
There’s something VERY unfair about years of endometriosis with all of the horrible stuff that comes with it, and then years of menopause with all the stuff that comes with that when we’re not allowed to have the one thing that would make us feel better! Sending hugs xxx
Hi, Ive not had proper HRT yet, its been about ten year since my menopause started, after a laparoscopy and diathermy to treat endometriosis that became so painful that I had to go to A&E at 2am one day as I couldnt sit down or lie down or stand up without acute pain in my entire abdomen. I was told that HRT would reactivate endo. and worst still may activate cancer if its present in uterus, happily the laparoscopy didnt find cancer. But I am suffering now with extreme menopausal dryness and looking for an answer that doesnt involve hormones or any artificial substances. Livial was the only HRT recomended to me, but when I tried a few years back it made things much worse. I hope you get the help you need, good luck. I'd appreciate the same info.
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