Esspee
Sixty four is normally too late to be started on HRT. I believe that the guidelines currently are up to 10 years after menopause. You can see the stats in the risk tables in the NICE guidelines. A thorough understanding of the NHS guidelines is essential before any discussion on the subject with your doctor.
Testosterone is the hormone that is said to reinvigorate your sex life and it is not part of a normal HRT prescription.
I am not really sure what you are asking in your OP. Real life experiences? If it’s anecdotal info. you want then HRT has done wonders for my health. I have no intention of ever going through the menopause and my consultant (one of the top in her field) was all for that. I have been on oestrogen for 33 years. Comparing my peers those of us on HRT are all visibly younger looking, more vibrant and in far better health than those who chose not to use the medical advances which have been available for well over quarter of a century.
The symptoms that most women have heard of e.g. the hot flushes, and brain fog are really just the start. It is the long term results which tend to kick in after 65 or so which impact so badly on your long term health. I am referring to conditions like osteoporosis, incontinence, premature aging, osteoarthritis, vaginal atrophy, UTIs etc. These can make the final third of your life a nightmare.
You seem happy about being asexual. Taking oestrogen, or oestrogen and progesterone won’t change that. My opinion is that desire is more linked to your brain. If you love and are attracted to someone you get joy out of sex. I cannot imagine life without that frisson of joy but we are all different.
If you and your doctor decide to try HRT my advice would be to take oestrogen as a gel, patch or implant - not a pill. With a pill you need a much stronger dose for it to survive the battle with your liver. I know nothing about progesterone as I don’t need it having had a hysterectomy.
If you had been more specific as to why you are considering HRT I could have been of more help. Feel free to PM me if you wish. Good luck with your doctor.
Espee, my periods continued until I was 60 so although I'm 64 now I've been postmenopausal for only 4 years. I appreciate that was very late!
I'm potentially considering the combined patch in an upcoming GP appointment and I have the nice guidelines armed and ready if necessary, but I'm still hesitant