HRT Safety

@debbie1956 Yes she was indicating that HRT caused the ocular stroke and blood clots. I didn't have enough knowledge at the time to ask if it was oral or transdermal. She was quite agitated also and said "I'll give it to you if you want, everyone seems to want to go on HRT these days." A friend also saw her around that time and had a similar experience. She saw her a few months later and the doctor was apologetic for her responses to her regarding HRT. My friend switched gynecologists. I am still deciding if I want to pursue it. For me, it is just for bone health, thus why I have started K2 MK4 45mg/day.

@loplady thanks for that info. Coincidentally, I know of two people online who had strokes while on transdermal estrogen. While we can't say for sure HRT is the cause, it’s a sobering reminder of the statistics we have to weigh.

Generally, the transdermal patch is thought to have a much lower clotting risk than the oral version. However, I came across a 2023 review by Dr. Leslie Cho, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, where she pointed out that the actual quality of studies on this specific safety aspect is still surprisingly 'low', see table 5:
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.061559
At the end of the day, your physician and cardiologist are definitely the best ones to help you weigh the bone benefits against the cardiovascular risks since they know your health history best.

@mayblin , Thanks so much for posting this very comprehensive article. It really covers the full spectrum of HRT risks and benefits and provides a lot of helpful information.

@debbie1956

You may want to research the info regarding the pellet form of hormone replacement
A small pellet about the size of a grain of rice is inserted just below the skin on the buttock near the hip every 12 weeks.

@debbie1956
@gravity3

I would caution anyone considering pellets that once inserted it cannot be removed. If you have a reaction you don't have a way to stop it.

I am using creams and initially had a reaction to estradiol. DR had to adjust dosage of estradiol, once that change was made am doing okay with the new dosage.

Just something to consider when exploring the different options.

@gravity3

What kind of doctor prescribed the bhrt for you? At 73, I’m wondering if this is something I can try, like a low dose patch?

@gravity3
When you say it is positively life changing, what do you mean? What affect did it have and how long did it take?

@willow5

I went to a functional medicine practice. They do regular blood testing for hormone levels throughout. She started me with low doses of estradiol, testosterone and progesterone. I also use an estradiol vaginal cream. As she monitored my levels she adjusted levels of hormones.

@pbradley1954

See my reply on the previous page.
When I say life changing it is true for me. I could not speculate on someone elses response

@oknowwhatpixie

Yes, that is certainly the case. I did not have a negative reaction but we are all individuals with widely ranging experiences of medication use. Thanks