HRT

[Newbyface]

I have hyperthyroidism which is well controlled however peri menopausal and struggling a little. I’m considering starting HRT. Has anyone got any advice or experiences they could share?

Thanks

[Buddy195 Administrator]

A forum member recommended Gottfried The Hormone Cure book & I found this very useful- lots of questionnaires to fill in, add up scores and try recommended supplements for peri menopause (eg for me it was Black Cohosh, Linseed & Maca powder). Maybe worth a look before you go down HRT route.

[LlamaLegs79]

My advice would be to research HRT properly before deiciding either way. There are many preconceptions about the risks, which are outdated and in many cases untrue. HRT has many protective factors. My symptoms were alleviated very quickly with HRT, which supplements didnt touch.

[Bunnyhopps]

Hi there....I was diagnosed with Under-active Thyroid and Menopause at same time-7 years ago. I decided not to take HRT and tried the herbal route. Nothing helped and I suffered with every menopausal symptom going. After 4 years I couldnt stand it any longer....so I did a bit of reading and decided that Tibolone HRT was a good one. My doctor gave me it and nearly all my horrible symptoms went within days!!!!! That was 3 years ago. Before Tibolone I was having upto 30 hot flushes a day...mood swings....night sweats....insomnia....no interest in sex due to severe vaginal dryness-HRT stopped all these...apart from the mood swings but I think thats just me!!!!! Ha ha! I know HRT isnt for everyone but its helped me so much. Good luck!

[Newbyface in reply to Bunnyhopps]

Hi...Thankyou for your honest reply. The hot flushes aren’t an issue...sounds like you really suffered. It’s everything else and weight gain too....generally I feel awful

[Lizzo30]

Hi I see from your profile that you have hashimotos which is an autoimmune disorder, autoimmune disorders can be caused by estrogen dominance, for example after giving birth progesterone drops dramatically giving rise to estrogen dominance and this can lead to post partum hashimotos for some women , it is usually temporary bc the ovaries will make more progesterone , even though estrogen is essential it is important not to have too much so be careful with hrt, I take pregnenolone about once a week a 50mg capsule

[Newbyface in reply to Lizzo30]

Hi I had an autoimmune disorder whilst I was pregnant....unrelated to hashimotos and the hashimotos didn’t really surface until 24 years after. Thanks for your advice. I’m going to take a serious look at my options and what’s available

[Serendipitious]

Have you considered bio identical hormones? HRT is made up of synthetic hormones whereas these are chemically the same as human hormones. Hampshire Health & Hormones is one doctor who can prescribe. Her details are on her Instagram account. She’s very knowledgeable too:

instagram.com/hampshireheal...

The Hormone Repair Manual by Dr Lara Briden should help you with perimenopause and beyond:

Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman's Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40 amazon.co.uk/dp/0648352447/...

[LlamaLegs79 in reply to Serendipitious]

Hi really sorry to disagree but this is outdated advice. I second what someone else has said about Louise Newson. She is crusading for HRT information to be accurate and up to date. Sadly not even GPs are aware of current advice. HRT has come a long way since the synthetic days. As someone has said below, bio identical HRT is not regulated whereas Body Identical ones are.

[Serendipitious in reply to LlamaLegs79]

Maybe you intended to reply to somebody else. I haven’t offered any advice, just recommended a recent book and a practitioner who works within functional medicine and her knowledge is up to date.

[LlamaLegs79 in reply to Serendipitious]

You asked the original poster to consider bio identical HRT which is not regulated and is not sound advice. Newer HRTs are not synthetic.

[Serendipitious in reply to LlamaLegs79]

I see what you mean. So Body Identical is different to Bio Identical? I’ve not heard of Body Identical. Is this explained on Dr Louise Newson’s website? In which case I’ll tell one of my friends too. Thanks.

[LlamaLegs79 in reply to Serendipitious]

Yes they are different. Louise Newson is marvellous and if you want any info there is loads on her website. Shes got podcasts, videos and fact sheets etc. For the majority of women body identical are very safe, reduce the risks of many illnesses and can be prescribed on the NHS. Sadly, GPs are overworked and not trained on menopause which means women often have a bad experience when asking for help. Sorry to sound a bit preachy but it's so scandalous that women are paying through the nose for supplements and treatments when HRT is very often the best route to take.

[Serendipitious in reply to LlamaLegs79]

LlamaLegs79,

Can you recommend anybody who can prescribe body identical hormones? Do you have experience of seeing Louise?

[LlamaLegs79 in reply to Serendipitious]

I went to newson health and they were amazing. They write a letter to your GP explaining the prescription and my GP was happy to continue. In fact I think my GP was relieved as I'm not sure they were confident in prescribing. I paid for the 1st consultation, prescription and an optional follow up, but since then everything has been prescribed by my GP. If you have a doctor who is confident in prescribing, it is all available directly from your GP without the need to go private. Good luck!

[Serendipitious in reply to LlamaLegs79]

I've looked at Louise Newson's website but I wasn't sure if the website was just for information or whether you could actually see somebody. Does she help people who are peri-menopausal? How much does she charge? Thanks.

[LlamaLegs79 in reply to Serendipitious]

If you go on the menu tab, theres an option which is titled 'Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre'. I can't remember the costs exactly but I think you're probably looking at £300 to walk away with HRT. They do deal with peri menopause as this is usually the most problematic time for women. If you have any more questions, please come back to me. The women that work there are lovely, so if you want exact costs, please dont worry about calling.

[Contra21]

Is peri m when your period n stops? How do you know you have it?

[LlamaLegs79 in reply to Contra21]

Peri menopuase is the stage before your periods stop, but your hormones are fluctuating. This often causes lots of symptoms, many of which women don't realise are linked. You are classed as being menopausal after you havent had a period for 12 months. A good way to tell is to do the Green Climacteric Questionnaire, which you can google. Doctors often suggest blood tests, but if you are over 40, they should diagnose on symptoms alone. Blood tests are very unreliable due to hormones fluctuating constantly.

[janiebell]

Dr Louise Newson - the menopause doctor- has a wealth of information on her website and talks a lot about treating peri symptoms. I relied on herbs and natural supplements in my 40’s with varying success. Sometimes you think something is working but its just your natural fluctuations in hormone levels. When menopause hit it really hit. Dreadful flushes, mood, aching, i could go on! I used bio identical hormones and they worked very well for me but it’s expensive. Luckily Dr Newson came on the scene and I found out you can get body identical hormones on the nhs. Same thing, diff name plus the body identicals are regulated whereas the bios are not. The British Menopause society has info on all the gps who up to speed on the new thinking/ info on hrt and who know about body identicals.

[eachpeach in reply to janiebell]

I second Louise Newson - her site is amazing! menopausedoctor.co.uk She's a GP and specialist in the menopause. She recommends HRT as it helps with many issues like heart disease, dementia & osteoporosis (which can be a risk with Graves' too). I felt utterly dreadful when the menopause hit. Once on HRT patches (Evorel on NHS, they're the same hormones as the ones we produce naturally), I felt SO much better. I originally got my progesterone from the Mirena coil but since having that removed use Utregestan, also same hormones that we produce and again available on the NHS. As lots of the symptoms of Graves' are very similar to menopause - anxiety, palpitations, sweats, insomnia, I think it's important to treat your menopause so that you can differentiate between the two.

[Newbyface in reply to eachpeach]

Hi Thankyou...this is very positive and really helpful. I find some advice quite conflicting which just adds to my frustration. I’ll take a look at the website today! x