Have you been told no to hrt if you are 10+ years post menopause?

I have been on HRT for about 25 years. I never suffered through menopause and feel that the therapy has been helpful for my bones. I remember the big scare about hormones, but now there is a fresh look at the benefit of HRT. Maybe women's health will get the attention it deserves someday and we will all be healthier for it. FYI, I am on Menostar which is a low dose HRT.

Go to an integrative medicine Dr.

So I’m just curious, you said you have been on HRT for 25 years with good results. But I assume since you are on this thread that you have low bone density?? Can you share more, your T-scores, after 25 yrs of HRT?

I have good bone density scores. My 2024 dexa reported -1.4 for spine, -0.9 for left hip, -2.2 for femoral neck, and -0.4 for right forearm.

My 2000 dexa reported -2.9 for spine, -1.3 for hip, and -2.6 for neck.

My doctor put me on Fosamax and Boniva -- don't have the dates readily available. In 2009 and 2010 I had Reclast, but there was no improvement.

I began Prolia injections in 2013, took a holiday from everything from July 2015 - Feb. 2019, and have been on Prolia since then. All of my T scores improved on Prolia, most especially the spine.

I have concerns about staying on Prolia because there don't seem to be many studies of people who have been on the prescription as long as me. I have joint pain, especially in the knees, and wonder if it's because of Prolia. A known side effect is joint and muscle pain. I have also read that broken bones take longer to heal and the bones become more brittle when the medication is used for long periods of time -- I don't know if that's true.

I wish I could tell you that HRT was the sole solution for osteoporosis. But, it wasn't for me.

Thank you for clarifying. So it looks like your gains mainly came from Prolia.

For bone health, yes. I believe there are other benefits of HRT (mental acuity, heart, etc.) and I'm grateful that I have higher estrogen levels for better health than I would have had otherwise.

Thank you Janet. I agree since beginning HRT I have more clarity, less fatigue and generally feel more energetic. I hope it will also contribute to bone health!

Oddly enough, my cardiologist okayed HRT for me in spite of my heart issues because, as he put it, I am "the poster child for osteoporosis and should use anything that will help strengthen" my bones. But my endocrinologist, who actually manages my osteoporosis, said no to HRT. She felt it was an unnecessary risk, especially given that I have ulcerative colitis.

I've had UC for 33 years, and this was the first I'd heard about UC increasing blood clot risk. In fact, I was on HRT when I was in my 40s & 50s to guard my bones because I was on chronic steroids to treat the U.C.!

I am now 73 years old, have severe osteoporosis, and would like to use every possible weapon against it. I am also just past 10 years post menopause, which my gyn says increases stroke risk. I would like to hear from any post-menopausal women who have UC. Have you also been warned of clot risk if you use HRT for your bone health?

I'm reading your post belatedly, zhaner, and wondering about the oxytocin nasal spray. Is it prescription? Can you tell me more about what it is used for? I don't see any relation to bone health.

Is progesterone (bioidentical) ever prescribed alone or in conjunction with a bone building drug to increase bone strength? I ran across an Oct. 31, 2010 NIH study saying it could help, but have never heard of anyone prescribing it without estrogen. My impression is that estrogen is the risk-maker for some of us (cancer, blood clots, stroke) wishing for HRT to help with our osteoporosis. So why not use progesterone for even the limited benefit it might provide?
I believe there was an Oxford study stating that progesterone built cortical bone, but I can't find the study. Too much googling...