Menopause support: Introduce yourself and connect

Hello,

I am 71, and in post-menopause. I had a really rocky menopause, marked mostly by insomnia. I once threatened to kill myself, after 5 nights of not sleeping (and working full time). I made the the threat in a menopause specialist's (who was also an OBG-GYN) waiting room when told for the second time that he could not keep our appointment because he was delivering a baby. I made sure everyone in the waiting room heard me. On my way home, I got a call saying that "Doctor will see you now". I am doing well now, after trying Premarin (it worked for three months), and then going on Amitryptaline which is an antidepressant that helps with sleep. I have also had great success with 300 mg. of Magnesium Glycinate, recently. (I don't take it every night.) I am a practitioner of yoga, and I get weight training twice a week. When I was going through menopause, I asked my mother how she got through it, and she said "I don't remember." So it must have been fairly easy for her. I am joining this group so that women going through perimenopause and menopause can benefit from my experience. The medical community is just beginning to pay attention to us. One of the best moves I ever made was to get a female doctor, and also the help of a certified menopause consultant who operates out of a compound pharmacy.

@paulineguk

Do you know if your physician has had access to the latest information about age and bhrt/hrt? "Too old" doesn't cover his assessment of risk/benefit. Did he offer more information about his evaluation?

Thank you @roch.
I've registered with a new GP and will make an appointment.

@gravity3

He actually told me to try over the counter products or herbal remedies. He was quite condescending and I couldn't or didn't want to challenge him as I was feeling low and emotional and would have ended up crying. So I made the decision to change GP as it wasn't the first time I felt that my issues were dismissed based on my age.

@paulineguk

I hope you get someone who is really working with you.

@judybradford

Thanks for introducing yourself. I am glad you're finding solutions. I think previous generations suffered in silence. I am 70, so when I say previous generation, I am talking about my mom.

Thank heavens there is more help now, and most providers recognize the effect menopause has on quality of life. You’re an example of how to advocate for yourself.

If your primary provider is not providing a solution, I recommend that patients see a GYN or, if available, a menopause specialist. I see a GYN PA, she is very knowledgeable and helpful with menopause problems, including vaginal atrophy.

Thanks for sharing your story.

@paulineguk
The new guidelines For NAMS for HRT/BHRT are no longer age driven. I am not sure about the guidelines in the UK.
"NAMS' (The Menopause Society) 2022 guidelines emphasize shared decision-making for Hormone Therapy (HT), confirming it's the most effective for hot flashes, bone loss prevention, and GSM, with benefits generally outweighing risks for healthy women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause onset, but continuing HT past 60 or 65 requires careful individual risk/benefit assessment, considering symptoms like persistent hot flashes, and using lowest effective doses/routes (like transdermal) to manage risks. The key message is personalized care, re-evaluating treatment, and no mandatory cutoff age for safe continuation. "
The risks tied to HRT/BHRT after 10 years into menopause with not hormones is that of concerns about cardio problems caused in those 10 years of lacking hormones. This concern can be off set by a doctor that is able to do all the appropriate tests beginning and as follow up to your hormone use. Also using only BHRT, topical and non oral BHRT can almost virtually eliminate any side effects, at least according to the research and population studies.
So finding a knowledgeable doctor who will use the correct protocole is key to using Hormones beginning and into menopause.

Hello, I am a 73 year old user of BHRT. I have used BHRT ever since I began perimenopause in my 40's starting with just progesterone and then changing based on my saliva test results.
I have a hormone care provider and a gyn that do my tests and prescribe my hormone changes as needed.
I currently take a topical estriol/testosterone, 3 times a week and a daily topical progesterone with a vaginal estriol 3 times a week.
I have a saliva test every 6 months and a uterine ultrasound every 6 months. Plus, blood work for my general health and my thyroid. All these are done by my gyn and my hormone specialist.
My family doctor does my regular blood work for my general health not impacting my hormones etc.

I took HRT for hot flashes until I was almost 60. I felt wonderful and wanted to continue taking it but that study came out & my doctor wouldn't continue to write a prescription for me. So I have suffered with hot flashes for over 15 years. They may not be as severe as they were in the beginning but they significantly affect my quality of life. I am still awakened several times during the night by them.
To complicate matters, I was diagnosed with breast cancer 6 years ago. I underwent a lumpectomy followed by a bilateral mastectomy when they found cancer in another area of the breast a few months after the lumpectomy. It was caught very early with no chemo or radiation needed.
I have tried several antidepressants for hot flashes but the side effects & withdrawal from them are as bad as the hot flashes.
Now attitudes about HRT are changing but I am wondering if the breast cancer risk is too great for me to even consider taking HRT again. Anyone else have a similar experience?

@sharone490
The breast risks seem to be tied to the synthetic progestin and virtually eliminated by bioidentical progesterone. Reported in this very large population report in France:
https://cemcor.ubc.ca/resources/does-taking-progesterone-alone-or-estrogen-increase-womens-risk-breast-cancer/ "Result—no, (0%) increased risk for breast cancer "
Fournier A, Berrino F, Clavel-Chapelon F. Unequal risks for breast cancer associated with different hormone replacement therapies: results from the E3N cohort study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2008;107(1):103-11. doi:
The concern with starting BHRT after years of no hormone therapy is usually more linked for cardio risk. This is because being without hormones for years the cardio system has stiffened and plaque has probably formed. When hormones are reintroduced then the cardio system becomes more pliable and plaque may break loose.
A knowledgeable doctor would run all the appropriate tests to make sure that it is safe to start BHRT then probably also introduce Vit k to help reappropriate calcium to your bones instead of your cardio system. Then make sure that you continue to have all the appropriate tests to keep you safe.
So beginning BHRT at your age is more a problem of having the appropriate medical follow up and follow thru for your safety.
Also, bear in mind that the safest way, as per research, is topical or vaginal , non oral hormone therapy, with progesterone added whether you have a uterus or not.
I am 73 and have taken and continue to take BHRT. This is different from you because I have always taken BHRT since perimenopause, but not different in that I am beyond the old years limit for any HRT.