# HRT - How long do we need it during or after menopause



## Ks-Sunshine (Aug 23, 1999)

I thought I had asked this already but couldn't find it.I am taking premarin right now. I started menopause about 10 yrs ago. The power surges were almost more than I could deal with and was almost to the point of being indecently dressed in public many times. The HRT worked pretty well, but how long do I need to keep taking it? Is it safe to take long term?The baby factory not only shut down, it is totally gone. It was hard to tell when menopause started actually. Just the p.surges were all I had for symptoms. Recently I decided to take myself off the prem. but became very irritable and started having mild power surges. I went back to them, but I really would like to take something that did not contribute to weight gain. Any one help with this???


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## Janice 54 (Jul 25, 2002)

Hi Sunny,I read you question, but have only been on HRT for a little over a year. I'm starting to ask more questions too. Have you spoken with your doctor? That's on my to do list. Problem is I think my doc automatically puts all women of a certain age on them.Did you ever feel that the HRT made your IBSD worse?


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## Jeanne D (Nov 14, 2001)

It each each woman's personal choice as to how to handle menopause and its symptoms.While I am not there yet, I have heard very positive results from natural progesterone cream.Have you tried anything like this ?I know that I will choose more natural products, rather than take synthetic hormones.Anyway, hope whatever you use helps you feel a lot better Sunny.Take care,Jeanne


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## Jeanne D (Nov 14, 2001)

oops double post.


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## Janice 54 (Jul 25, 2002)

I agree, Jeanne, we do have to make the decision what's best for us. When my doc put me on HRT he kept saying it could help prevent heart problems and he was so worried about my bones. Since then I've had a bone density test (my bones are probably the healthiest thing about me) and the test results have come out. I definitely have to talk with him, but it







's very hard for me to question a doctor as I was raised to believe everything they said was the gospel.Have a few friends on the cream. Does it have the same possible side effects as the others?


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## Persistance (Jul 11, 1999)

Sunny, didn't I attempt an answer either here or on the MP, wherever else you asked it? I said that originally it was to take for life, but now with the results not totally in about that new study, they are saying only five years or so. As for safety long-term, they're now saying they don't know. I am going to continue and continue to have my breast exams every year. I wrote you that it's possible that progestin is the culprit in these bad results in the study. They still don't know if it's the estrogen itself. A substitute for progestin would be natural progesterone, available as "Prometrium" by prescription, or at various womens' compounding pharmacies.And I said that I myself could not handle going off it. Are you at least trying to wean off, or did you do cold turkey? For symptoms like irritability and hot flashes, I hate to say it, but I don't thihk they have a whole lot out there. Black Cotash is an herb supposed to help hot flashes. I have not tried it. Also, there are products in health food stores for a bit of $ ($21 to $27 a month) specifically for menopause. I may be incorrect, but I THINK one of them had the word "vitex" in it. Perhaps you need to wait until they come out with the next study -- the one on estrogen alone. Then make up your mind.There's this great website that I told Patty about and she loves it. It's www.power-surge.com Skip the "Intro" and go to the home page and see where it says "Ask the Experts" on the right hand side. Also, there is a terrific library of transcripts of sessions with the top author/doctors on menopause in the country on there...dozens and dozens of Q&A sessions. Just scroll down and click on the doctor whose subject seems to fit the problem.


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I'm not sure what the answer to this is, Ive wondered myself. It seems to me that most women have symptoms starting with the menopause syptoms such as hot flashes and skipping periods, vaginal dryness, etc. So, why in the world would I wait until I don't have a period for 2 years to be 'postmenopausal' to take HRT? That makes no sense to me because by that time the worst symptoms are probably over. I take a compounded estrogen and testosterone and I take Prometrium (the only bioidentical progesterone sold by a drug company). I am totally happy with taking it and have no plans to go off-my life ishorrible when I don't take the HRT.


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## Ks-Sunshine (Aug 23, 1999)

I question my doc everytime I am not sure of what she is telling me. Good thing she is a good sport.Judy, i couldn't find my original thread or post or whatever it was so I decided to repost the question as a thread. I borrowed a senior moment from the Walrus. When I quit taking it, I just went cold turkey. I had run out and neglected to refill so decided what the heck, just see if you can do without. Well I didn't do as well as I would have liked.Doesn't Premarine, etc cause weight gain, or at least problems with losing it?


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## Persistance (Jul 11, 1999)

I have no idea. There is about five pounds of gained weight, due to water retention, they say. I have read that this is about it. I was 117 as a younger woman, than my ideal weight fluctuated between 122-125, and by the time I reached menopause I was 128. Since then, I have gained about ten pounds and yes, I have increased my estrogen (.625 wasn't enough for me -- still had hot flashes on it after two-years, went up to .9, still had sleep problems after two years, so went up to the .1 patch (eviqualent to about 1.25 of Premarin). I cannot tell you if the weight gain is due to this. Maybe others can weigh in here.By the way, there is an ad in today's paper for Estroven www.Estroven.com -- a natural dietary supplment that "uses isoflavones to help balance your hormones. It says it has minerals and herbs, including soy and black cohosh. #is 1-877-EstrovenLet us know if you try this.


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## Ks-Sunshine (Aug 23, 1999)

Judy, Thanks for the power surge site. I just began exploring it tonight. Didn't have anything better to do at 3 am. Anybody got a hammer????


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