HRT to be sold over the counter!

And I'm a bit cynical about vaginal creams etc being OTC, once again womens health only being placed back into our own hands where it directly affects something where men are frequently involved.

As for arthritis it is not a disease of ageing, some very young people have it. It is in fact an auto-immune condition.

Osteoarthritis is an age-related disease and is more common in women than men.

I was prescribed Vagifem from a phone appt with the GP (no face to face or examination). Originally got Vagifem then the GP changed to a cheaper alternative (Vagirux). So I am wondering if they will now refuse to prescribe the pessaries at all and I will have to pay for the more expensive version I was originally on.

I am wondering whether I ought to push for a face to face appt, as I suffer from night sweats, and for the past couple of years have started suffering from incontinence problems, which I had put down to the lack of exercise due to lockdown and now my husband's reluctance to leave the house due to covid fears, and pretty much being stuck at home all the time except for food shopping, and the occasional escape for the odd social occasion. I hadn't realised the HRT pessaries were supposed to help with bladder problems, though they aren't doing that for me, and although the pessaries have helped a bit with the horrible dryness, I still have to supplement with otc gel. So maybe I should be looking at further help? I am 65, anyone in here in a similar position and age?

As others have mentioned this proposed form of HRT is only going to be for tablets, pessaries or cream which is inserted via the vagina. It is to prevent vaginal atrophy and all it's associated problems. Sorry for all of you suffering from osteoporosis. I doubt if this method will be of any benefit. There was a trial of HRT many years ago with one million women. Some were elderly and had hardening of the arteries so they had to stop the trial. If you are a candidate for other forms HRT have no history of breast cancer or previous blood clotting problems then HRT can be a life saver. The one thing you do not do is come off it and go back on it again. If you take it (and have no medical problems) stay on it until your medical practitioner tells you otherwise. Women who still have their uterus and ovaries can usually stay on it for about 5 years. Those of us who have had hysterectomies can usually use estrogen only HRT provided they have no other health problems can use it for a lot longer. There were a lot of women using HRT when the one million women trial took place and the press had a field day frightening women so that many stopped taking it unnecessarily resulting in many developing osteoporosis. Again as others have said we only have a menopause because we live so much longer these days due to good food, medicine and housing. The only other mammals that experience menopause are orcas, short-finned pilot whales, beluga whales and narwhals !

Osteoarthritis can occur as people get older, however it is also more common in people who have had injuries, particularly sports injuries, and people who are overweight, none of these are subjected to hormone treatment for the illness.

Saggi

Hear hear Snowberry Z…. I had horrendous symptoms from 50 …. and some still going on today!! At 71! I was told I couldn’t have HRT because I’d had a stroke …at 33…not too bad and as I had two young kids I just got on with it. Since then , I’ve cared for my husband who has had a major stroke at 50 ….and that’s just when I hit my menopause. Do I went through the first awful 10 years alone … not speaking ( only to doctors) about what I was suffering. My husband wasn’t interested in ‘womens stuff’ and refused ( still dies) to listen! Since I turned 50 I’ve had another three mini-strokes…. am still caring for the husband (26 years now) and still having only 2-3 hours sleep a night due to hot sweats . My symptoms are awful…. and for someone who only retired 7 years ago ( full time) and was caring for a stroke victim …. I would have thought the docs could be more sympathetic. But no. They weren’t. So yes…. I will be first in Q for any help I can grab.

How awful Saggi. In your position I would have requested a referral to a menopause clinic. You are entitled to a second opinion and the consultants there are extremely knowledgeable.

HRT, tried and tested over many years. It’s fully licensed, we know the pros and cons, to make it more widely available can only be a good idea.
All those women who are uncertain, remember one thing, during the last 12 months you’ve accepted an unlicensed inadequately tested vaccine.

am i the only one that thinks this is a move to save the NHS money?
it was not that long ago when women were told that they could pay one fee for a 12 month supply (via their GP)
so now they are to be told that they can pay an undisclosed fee ( maybe £30 pcm) over 12 months if they buy over the counter
how many GPs will tell people they can no longer prescribe but women can buy if they want ?

Would love to know how you get on as I’m in a similar position.

HRT is free in Scotland and Wales along with all other prescriptions.Isn't it time England stood up and shouted for the same to apply there?
Prescriptions cost more to administer than the return in fees so dont let them keep putting up the prices just get them to prescribe it for free .
If you dont make a fuss you wont get it MOST Mp's are male and they couldn't care less about "womens problems" well not until it affects their sex lives So start a petition ,speak to your MP but dont sit back and say theres nothing can be done

I am on HRT and have been for 4 years. For me, it’s been completely life-changing - I had a lot of life-restricting symptoms that have now gone. When I started I went privately as getting it on the NHS was very difficult. About 6 months ago, after learning as much as I could about HRT and menopause, I asked my GP (equipped with the right information) and am now on free NHS prescriptions for body-identical HRT (I'm 62). There are so many long-term health benefits for getting back our own hormones, including reduced risk of osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease and dementia.

I was prescribed Oestrogel (natural estradiol which is derived from yams absorbed through the skin and exactly replicates what is made by your body) and Utrogestan tablets (again, body identical).

If you want evidence-based information about HRT there are several experts online and also some very good books which have come out very recently. I would highly recommend Dr Louise Newson, a GP who is an HRT specialist. She set up a private (not-for-profit) clinic www.newsonhealth.co.uk because she couldn't get funding from the NHS. She also set up the Menopause Charity menopausecharity.org with other specialists to ‘bust myths, overcome ignorance and make menopause symptoms history’ . Her free App called Balance has a lot of information and a really useful questionnaire (there’s also one on the Menopause Charity website) so you can track your symptoms and then print and take with you to your GP. There are factsheets on her website and podcasts which cover many menopause related subjects/issues. Louise Newson was on Good Morning Britain and also included in Davina MacCall’s Channel 4 documentary ‘Sex, Myths and the Menopause’ last year which was ground breaking and which you can still watch online. Actually, I'm surprised Louise hasn't been mentioned on here already. I have not met her, have no affiliation with her but think she’s doing an amazing job.

trisher

Osteoarthritis can occur as people get older, however it is also more common in people who have had injuries, particularly sports injuries, and people who are overweight, none of these are subjected to hormone treatment for the illness.

A major but not exclusive contributor to osteoarthritis is low oestrogen levels. This results in far more women than men suffering from the condition.
Women taking oestrogen have a lower rates of both hip and knee joint replacement plus they are protected from hand osteoarthritis.
Some women are prescribed HRT to help with joint pain and the frequency of joint pain reported goes down after the start of treatment.
In a study of the effects of HRT and knee arthritis rates were 30% lower in the group on HRT. It is thought to have reduced the deterioration of cartilage as seen through x rays.

AJKW

HRT, tried and tested over many years. It’s fully licensed, we know the pros and cons, to make it more widely available can only be a good idea.
All those women who are uncertain, remember one thing, during the last 12 months you’ve accepted an unlicensed inadequately tested vaccine.

As far as I know the vaccine I accepted was licensed, had been trialled and was actually developed by a non-profit making organisation (I know Pfizer were doing it as well) but like most older people I got the Astra Zeneca.
As far as HRT is concerned it has been around for many years. But women have been menopausal since the beginning of the human race and yes some women died young, but some survived and lived long lives. If you are taking HRT because you have symptoms which make your life difficult, you have to ask, could it possibly be that your body is trying to tell you something and instead of listening to it, you drug it.

AJKW

HRT, tried and tested over many years. It’s fully licensed, we know the pros and cons, to make it more widely available can only be a good idea.
All those women who are uncertain, remember one thing, during the last 12 months you’ve accepted an unlicensed inadequately tested vaccine.

Absolute and very dangerous nonsense!

Silverlady333. Nowadays there are many women on HRT for life.
We usually have a smile on our face and a zest for life. ?

trisher

AJKW

HRT, tried and tested over many years. It’s fully licensed, we know the pros and cons, to make it more widely available can only be a good idea.
All those women who are uncertain, remember one thing, during the last 12 months you’ve accepted an unlicensed inadequately tested vaccine.

As far as I know the vaccine I accepted was licensed, had been trialled and was actually developed by a non-profit making organisation (I know Pfizer were doing it as well) but like most older people I got the Astra Zeneca.
As far as HRT is concerned it has been around for many years. But women have been menopausal since the beginning of the human race and yes some women died young, but some survived and lived long lives. If you are taking HRT because you have symptoms which make your life difficult, you have to ask, could it possibly be that your body is trying to tell you something and instead of listening to it, you drug it.

Oestrogen is NOT a drug. It is a naturally occurring hormone, - the one that makes us women. Ask any woman settled on HRT what her body is telling her and I can guarantee you that they will tell you life is wonderful.

I took HRT for about 35 years,tried to come off it but couldn’t cope with the flushes etc etc. my job meant I gave presentations to MD’s I couldn’t function with water running down my face when trying to talk legal stuff with them it was horrible so went back on it.
I ended up with endometrial cancer and breast cancer in both breasts not fun.So I am sorry to say I would never take it again
IMO the symptoms are 100 times worse if you do come off it
to me it’s a no win situation for women.
There wasn’t any cancer in my family going back 300 years [I am a family historian]
so my doctor said it was the HRT and he wouldn’t let me have after my first lot of cancer,he blamed himself for my two other bouts for letting me have it the first place— don’t feel he should have blamed himself with my family history I felt I was safe but obviously not.

Didolizzy

Would love to know how you get on as I’m in a similar position.

Hi Didolizzy, have a look at my recent post, hope it will help!

Snow berry...how on earth can you tell whos on it?..a bit of a generalised statement lol

Daisydaisydaisy

Snow berry...how on earth can you tell whos on it?..a bit of a generalised statement lol

Daisydaisydaisy. It is a generalised statement but when I look at my friends there is a distinct difference.
The HRT users have a glow about them and loads of energy. They look younger than they are, they have far fewer doctor/hospital appointments and live a fuller life.
Purely anecdotal.

No way put on a stone in two months rather have any symptons than being fat

FarNorth

^Out of my friends (mostly 50s and 60s with a couple of 70 Yr olds) you can tell which ones are on hrt and which aren't.^

How can you tell? Do you know for a fact that you have guessed right?
I have never had hrt and I think I'm fine, fairly fit & supple and not needing any medication only a multivitamin.
Perhaps it's because I use a lot of soya products, including soya milk. Or just my good luck.

Your good luck. I have lots of soya products but the menopause has been difficult in many ways. Definitely consider yourself lucky.

MissAdventure

Messing around with hormones isn't to be done lightly, in my opinion.
I think it's a terrible idea.

I must say that I agree with this in most cases. I still don't seem to be post menopausal though I am 70 now, but I would not take HRT unless I had very extreme symptoms.

All I can say is that for me, if I hadn't taken HRT, I would have been writing this from prison, where I would have been sent for murder. Sounds dramatic, but my symptoms, like so many others on this thread, were absolutely intolerable. I got my life back. As for the implications that HRT causes breast cancer, these theories have been completely discredited. I did indeed get breast cancer, but as I told my GP when he prescribed it, all the females in my family got it at around the same age, including my mum and grandmother, without HRT. The likelihood (to me, in any case) is that I would have got it anyway. The great benefit of having the breast cancer was that I went into "the system" - scanned for bone density every year, vitamin D supplements on prescription, etc. Obviously I don't consume any soya now! We are all different, however, and that should be respected.

Catherine59

Didolizzy

Would love to know how you get on as I’m in a similar position.

Hi Didolizzy, have a look at my recent post, hope it will help!

Hi Didolizzy, if you read my message on here (which I've copied below) you will see that I'm getting on very well indeed! Hope it helps you on your menopause journey.

(Copy of message below)

I am on HRT and have been for 4 years. For me, it’s been completely life changing - I had a lot of life-restricting symptoms that have now gone. When I started I went privately as getting it on the NHS was very difficult. About 6 months ago, after learning as much as I could about HRT and menopause, I asked my GP (equipped with the right information) and am now on free NHS prescriptions for body-identical HRT (I'm 62). There are so many long-term health benefits for getting back our own hormones, including reduced risk of osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease and dementia.

I was prescribed Oestrogel (natural estradiol which is derived from yams absorbed through the skin and exactly replicates what is made by your body) and Utrogestan tablets (again, body identical).

If you want evidence-based information about HRT there are several experts online and also some very good books which have come out very recently. I would highly recommend Dr Louise Newson, a GP who is an HRT specialist. She set up a private (not-for-profit) clinic www.newsonhealth.co.uk because she couldn't get funding from the NHS. She also set up the Menopause Charity menopausecharity.org with other specialists to ‘bust myths, overcome ignorance and make menopause symptoms history’ . Her free App called Balance has a lot of information and a really useful questionnaire (there’s also one on the Menopause Charity website) so you can track your symptoms and then print and take with you to your GP. There are factsheets on her website and podcasts which cover many menopause related subjects/issues. She is on a mission to help women get back their natural hormones and improve their lives and their future health and was on Good Morning Britain and also included in Davina MacCall’s Channel 4 documentary ‘Sex, Myths and the Menopause’ last year which was ground breaking and which you can still watch online. Actually, I'm surprised Louise hasn't been mentioned on here already. I have not met her, have no affiliation with her but think she’s doing an amazing job.