Is anyone else not on HRT?

Sorry, I didn't mean hrt medication as prevention.
I meant things like vitamin supplements and exercise.

paddyann that's dreadful. I'd do the same as you, in that situation.

No same here no HRT, did have a some flushes in my forties but put it down to being overweight more than the menopause but with hindsight probably a bit of both. I have lost a lot of weight since my menopause luckily, and like the OP my periods petered out and stopped when I reached 50 .
I put my weight loss down to the hormonal changes as well as diet as I don't have the cravings like I used to have. I am by no way " slim" but a more regular size which I am happy with.

FarNorth

Sorry, I didn't mean hrt medication as prevention.
I meant things like vitamin supplements and exercise.

Apologies for misunderstanding your post. I think it was reading it after previous posts about HRT that caused it. I fully agree about supplements and exercise. I was relatively inactive until I retired. Pilates and Tai Chi have done me such a lot of good. I think we should all be encouraged to take up some sort of exercise.

I’ve had really bad hot flushes,night sweats,insomnia and more recently unexpected anxiety since finishing my periods over 10 years ago,the symptoms still continue.After seeing various programmes on tv about hrt’s role in preventing or reducing dementia and osteoporosis I went to see my male Gp who was unsympathetic to say the least,his words were,you’re too old (59) you’re too fat (11.5 stone 5 ft 4in) size 14 and you’ve got too bad a family history ??? So basically go away and don’t bother me again.so I’m still sweating,not sleeping and fretting about things that are often out of my control.
I give up.

Paddyanne I dont think my post was a judgement on anyone but yours was.

Is it wrong of me to find it funny that Davina McCall is on TV showing how she colours her grey roots and on another programme telling us how HRT stops you going grey?

Glorianny

Is it wrong of me to find it funny that Davina McCall is on TV showing how she colours her grey roots and on another programme telling us how HRT stops you going grey?

You aren’t supposed to notice that!???

I blame the breast cancer I had on my GP's wanting all his older women on HRT . I had no checks at all before starting it and this was before I was even needing it . Lump found in a routine mamogram .

Glorianny

Never taken it. Had a few symptoms of the menopause and spent a while in layered clothing, stripping off and opening windows to cool off. I'm 76 now walk regularly, do Pilates and Tai Chi, can still plank and downward dog in Yoga. Love my grey hair, as my hairdresser said highlights my shade cost a fortune.
I think a lot's down to your genes. Women on the maternal side of my family have lived into their 90s. and without HRT. I also subscribe to the wise old crone theory. Women without periods are more powerful and it frightens men.

??. Thank you to those who spotted my mistake. Glorianny is who I was agreeing with.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I have never taken HRT. I was very late to the menopause - 57 and I did suffer from anxiety and hit flushes in a big way. At the time, there were many scare stories about HRT, so I just got on with it. I did increase my vitamin intake.

"hot flushes"

DiscoDancer1975

DiscoDancer1975

No. My mother had and died of breast cancer. My menopause wasn’t too bad. Intermittent symptoms over about 5 years. The worst was travel/ morning sickness type symptoms, which I could never be sure were menopause related anyway.

All gone now. I tended to treat each symptom in its own right. I’ve always taken Magnesium, calcium, Vitamin D, for bone strength. Regular exercise.

Glad I never needed it.

Yes...agree, if we all took medication in case something happened in the future if we didn’t, the drug companies would all be even richer than they are now.!

Preventative medication is far from unusual. Think of things like statins, beta blockers, antibiotics, ACE inhibitors.

Prevention is better than cure

I'm way past needing it now, of course, but never did take it as I was lucky enough to have very few unpleasant symptoms of menopause. Some friends did suffer and I had every sympathy for their decision to take HRT.
This current shortage must be causing a lot of suffering and I hope it's resolved soon.

I am another who had an almost problem free menopause. I had fibroids in my late 40s but that is all. I was offered HRT but saw no point.

I haven't taken HRT, very fortunate not to need it, but I do get concerned by the swings of opinion every few years; breast cancer was suggested years ago, then it seemed HRT helped to prevent it. Other less serious side effects have been blamed on HRT and then later discounted. I can't understand how this happens when drugs are supposedly throughly tested, unless they are simply not tested enough, and time reveals the true effects. My eldest DD has to take it, and I do worry about how it might affect her in years to come.

Esspee

DiscoDancer1975

DiscoDancer1975

No. My mother had and died of breast cancer. My menopause wasn’t too bad. Intermittent symptoms over about 5 years. The worst was travel/ morning sickness type symptoms, which I could never be sure were menopause related anyway.

All gone now. I tended to treat each symptom in its own right. I’ve always taken Magnesium, calcium, Vitamin D, for bone strength. Regular exercise.

Glad I never needed it.

Yes...agree, if we all took medication in case something happened in the future if we didn’t, the drug companies would all be even richer than they are now.!

Preventative medication is far from unusual. Think of things like statins, beta blockers, antibiotics, ACE inhibitors.

*Prevention is better than cure*

I’m only talking about HRT Esspee. As I’ve said to you many times before....the examples you give are for conditions, from which, if left untreated, the patient could die.

I’ve never known of anyone dying from the completely natural process of menopause. It is after all...the mirror image of puberty, which I can’t imagine anyone trying to stop, or change, unless they feel they’re the opposite sex.

That’s a whole different thread.

I do not take, and my menopause came and went with only minor hot flushes etc. I never felt the need for HRT and neither did my doctor.

I am bewildered by posts about how HRT is so good for your health that you are damaging yourself if you don’t take it .

NICE guidelines are clear that HRT can be offered to those who need relief from symptoms but it isn’t to be used as a preventative. No doubt this is because for each benefit there are also more associated risks to be balanced .
As far as I know the only clear benefit is for people with weak bones . I don’t think it can be called a cure for oesteoporous but it seems to stop things worsening . I don’t think it builds bones up - you do that in your youth .
As for stroke clots cancer etc , we know the risks are there .
HRT’s effect on dementia is very unclear . It was thought to actually increase the risk . Then some studies said inconclusive . Is that why people are now saying it prevents dementia ? It really doesn’t based on current knowledge .
Also, of what quality are these studies?
Some posters mentioned how HRT is everywhere in the media ( prompting this thread). I’ve noticed it too.
There are lots of other women who either don’t want it , don’t need it or hated being on it . Why don’t we hear from these women?
No money to be made from people happy as they are I suppose.
I’m all for openness about the menopause but all we get in the media is ‘Here take these steroids , it will change your life’

I had about 5 or 6 years of horrendous periods that came every few weeks, lasted for 2-3 weeks, flooding, etc, lots of scans and womb biopsies, medication, etc. Eventually, everything stopped when I was 59 1/2. I'm 63 now and have never been on HRT.

I've never had HRT. My periods just stopped when I was 51 and that was that. Never noticed any symptoms to speak of. The big thing was that my migraines vanished. I'd never realised they were hormonal, but they must have been. That was a big plus.

Nothisagain

I am bewildered by posts about how HRT is so good for your health that you are damaging yourself if you don’t take it .

NICE guidelines are clear that HRT can be offered to those who need relief from symptoms but it isn’t to be used as a preventative. No doubt this is because for each benefit there are also more associated risks to be balanced .
As far as I know the only clear benefit is for people with weak bones . I don’t think it can be called a cure for oesteoporous but it seems to stop things worsening . I don’t think it builds bones up - you do that in your youth .
As for stroke clots cancer etc , we know the risks are there .
HRT’s effect on dementia is very unclear . It was thought to actually increase the risk . Then some studies said inconclusive . Is that why people are now saying it prevents dementia ? It really doesn’t based on current knowledge .
Also, of what quality are these studies?
Some posters mentioned how HRT is everywhere in the media ( prompting this thread). I’ve noticed it too.
There are lots of other women who either don’t want it , don’t need it or hated being on it . Why don’t we hear from these women?
No money to be made from people happy as they are I suppose.
I’m all for openness about the menopause but all we get in the media is ‘Here take these steroids , it will change your life’

Good, sensible post. I think someone said upthread....’if it’s not broke’.....

There’s no guarantees with anything. You can’t take HRT as an investment for the future.

I’m not on HRT, I was advised not to take it as I have had a PE.

And the idea that you build up bones in your youth is a complete mistake. Bones are built and lost continuously. The problem is sometimes the loss is greater than the building. Even so that can be reversed. Drug treatment combined with exercise and supplements can reverse that. The drugs are used short term and calcium and Vitamin D are used long term. No need for HRT