Tried HRT, but no?

[SeekingChange]

I was talking to a friend (mid-60s) who said they had hotflashes for 10 years. I asked her if she did any HRT, and her reply was, "Nope! I had worked with too many women who did and they became b and were an emotional mess. I wasn't going to do that to my family. They seemed to never get them regulated." (Is this really a result of HRT? Or, was the process of finding the right dosage and treatment?)

There have been mainly two sides I have heard from around women's HRT. Those who use it and like/love it, and those who refuse to do it, for whatever personal reason they came to.

I am wondering if there has been any woman (or wife of a husband here) who tried HRT but decided it wasn't for them? If so, what are the reasons that made you (them) stop and decide it wasn't for you (them)?

[MrEden]

We both tried it, and love it. However, I have friends who have tried it and stopped, and even more would benefit from it but opted not to.

There are two main factors that play into people not taking it.

The first is fear. There was a million-woman study tracking women taking non-bioidentical hormones. There was an uptick in cancer. The press caught wind of it and blew it out of proportion. As a result, the whole mainstream medical profession is leery of even bioidentical HRT. My friend went to our doctor, who prescribed bHRT to her. The PHARMACIST talked her out of it! Also, note that NO ONE should be taking non-bioidentical hormones such as premarin, now that bioidentical is available.

Secondly, there are still a lot of quacks prescribing bHRT. If you have low hormone levels, fixing those should not make you feel worse! If it does, the fault is not with the hormones, but the incompetent that is prescribing them. Look for a doctor with A4M credentials. a4m.com No guarantee, but something. Get referrals from friends.

Unfortunately, someone interested in bHRT won't really be able to go to the doctor and say "fix me." It will require some study and becoming an educated consumer.

[MrMarried]

I heard of women using HRT to prevent some of the conflict caused by a the surges of emotion during menopause.

[Oldbear]

Mrs. Oldbear was on HRT in her late 40s due to a oophorectomy. When the overwhelming research tied it to potential for cancer, she stopped with her doctor’s concurrence.

[SeekingChange]

Mrs. Oldbear was on HRT in her late 40s due to a oophorectomy. When the overwhelming research tied it to potential for cancer, she stopped with her doctor’s concurrence.

Was she part of what Mr.Eden was talking about...."
The first is fear. There was a million-woman study tracking women taking non-bioidentical hormones. There was an uptick in cancer." or was she on bioidentical hormones?

[Graypoet]

Like Mrs. Oldbear, my DW was on HRT in her late 40s also due to a oophorectomy. She stopped taking HRT because of possible cancer and heart issues.

[Ron]

We have not used hormones other than my wife uses estrogen. Estrogen definitely helped her vagina a lot.

I have a friend and him and his wife both take the full hormone treatment and have been for at least 10 years. They are in their late 60's and both say they love it. The wife said she wished she would have taken hers earlier if she had known how much better she would feel.

[Oldbear]

Mrs. Oldbear was on HRT in her late 40s due to a oophorectomy. When the overwhelming research tied it to potential for cancer, she stopped with her doctor’s concurrence.

Was she part of what Mr.Eden was talking about...."
The first is fear. There was a million-woman study tracking women taking non-bioidentical hormones. There was an uptick in cancer." or was she on bioidentical hormones?

I’m not sure of the bio or non-bio nature of her HRT. She’s just cautious and conservative about probabilities regarding side effects of prescription drugs.

[MrEden]

I wouldn't worry about whether a "drug" is "prescription" or not.

I needed some .9% normal saline solution. I went to the pharmacy. They wouldn't sell it to me without a prescription .

I wouldn't consider bioidentical hormones to be drugs. They are naturally-occurring substances that your body manufactures. Properly supplementing low hormone levels should not have any side effects. Of course you can get too much of anything. The #1 rule of bHRT is better too little than too much.

Hormone REPLACEMENT is a bad term really. All you are doing is SUMPPLIMENTING your natural levels, which is no different than taking a vitamin. Vitamin D is a hormone, incidentally, so she is probably doing bHRT already! It is true that taking external hormones can shut down your natural production. But if prescribed properly, that will not happen.

[ShayLuv]

Im currently on Bio Idential Hormone replacement therapy. Plant based, HRT is synthetic

Im on forums with many other women sharing daily and I do notice a lot of them are overdosed, super high with Testosterone to crazy man levels. They are getting super high libidos and energy, but their hair is falling out, acne, and other side effects and Im sad as I keep seeing it over and over. So really research the dr, go to a specialist, most primary care drs dont have the science down as well. And your levels will always be changing, the place I go I pay and can have contact at anytime and they run my labs several times a yr.

Im on Testosterone Cream and Progesterone orally, No Estrogen as I still produce normal amounts, Im peri menopause and 49. Im a yr on it and super happy, but I think my Drs have done this for a long time and thats their specialty, and you have to communicate when something is off, Im allowed to reach out at anytime for that.

REad up, study, go on forums, Suzanne Sommers is a great source and great books and I found my dr via a link in her book of Drs. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ageles ... 1018391112