Ladies who decided not to take HRT...how has it been?

I didn’t take HRT, not after my menopause nor after my radical hysterectomy. I don’t know if it made things worse not taking HRT but I’m 66 now and fine aside from other unrelated medical conditions.

I’m 72 and have never taken HRT. I’m very active, involved with my grandchildren doing school runs and holiday care. I still work part time and I look after a horse in all weathers. I recognise that in many ways I’ve been very lucky, but I also think it helped that my mum had a positive attitude to the menopause which meant that I approached it as just another stage of life.

I decided against HRT after my sister had mouth cancer.
I'm 73 now and have had hot flushes on and off since my late 50s. I can manage those.
I'm healthy and reasonably active and enjoying my life and retirement.

It's difficult to say, as I didn't take it, so can't compare with how things would have been if I had.

I always had awful periods, and was put on a form of contraceptive pill at the age of 12 (!!), so felt I'd had enough by way of artificial hormones by the time I reached middle age. I had hot flushes, but not night sweats or any of the other horrors you read about. My sister did take HRT, and whilst she is only 2 years younger than me she looks a lot younger, so there's that, but on the whole I don't regret not taking it.

My gp recommended hrt when blood tests confirmed I was menopausal. I have rheumatoid arthritis so high risk for osteo. I’m 75. Recent dexa scan confirms very little change since the first deva 10 years ago. The medics are clear that hrt for 5 years in my late 40’s has helped my bone density

I'm 78 and never took HRT. I think I may have had a couple of hot flushes, but really that was all. It was just so nice not having periods, PMT or the hormone related migraines that I used to have. Looking back I never noticed my mother having any problems, perhaps a bit more short tempered than usual.

I had a hysterectomy at 51, was put on HRT. It really didn't agree with me, I had awful breast pain. The GP tried a few different types, dose, etc until I said I'd rather do without. Breast clinic told me to take 1000mg Evening Primrose Oil every day and I've done that ever since.

I'm 75 now and last week met new people (in a dance class) who thought I was in my 60s ...

I'm very grateful to say that I'm fit and healthy.

I was very lucky in that the menopause came and went without me knowing it. My periods more or less stopped when I was 52 and that was it. No hot flushes, no low moods or irritability, nothing. In my defence I had the most awful, crippling periods from the age of 12 which would sometimes make me faint and frequently vomit. So I felt slightly justified in my non existent menopause. Needless to say I didn't take HRT.

I had terrible hot flushes, but that was it, really.

Thanks for all the replies. The majority of people I know personally are taking it so it's really good to get some perspective from the other side. I don't think my own mum took it and she was very energetic but got ill and sadly passed in her early 60s so I never had that conversation with her. None of my Aunts are alive now either to ask but one of them lived till 91 and lead a very active life. I never really gave menopause much thought and was just looking forward to my periods ending! Didn't think much else about it but now I'm overwhelmed by the whole HRT decision. Thanks again for sharing your experiences as that has been very helpful.

I think it's the luck of the draw if you need HRT or not.
I couldn't take the pill without side effects and so never contemplated HRT. Luckily I sailed through menopause with no problems.
Our bodies are all different. Trust your own instincts as you know your body best.

I didn't take HRT. When (mid-fifties) I got fed up with my periods getting very irregular (sometimes 2 - 3 weeks between them, sometimes six, and always pretty heavy) and with being rather more emotional than usual, I asked my GP for HRT. He said "Come back when it is complete and we'll talk about it then" so I went home and just got on with it, though I did relect that I thought the HRT was to help you get through the change, not to start on after it.. The periods soon stopped altogether and I didn't get the awful symptoms I had heard about. I had some flushes, but not the sweats or the mood swings. I am glad now that I didn't take it. I have been 30 years without added hormones, and I don't miss them. I am as healthy now as I was then, apart from getting puffed-out sooner when going uphill. My joints are not painful, my hair hasn't thinned, and my brain still works.

If your periods are dwindling away, I would say your production of female hormones has slowed down considerbly and you are coming toward the end of the actual change-over process. If you are not getting the more unpleasant physical and emotional experiences by now, you stand a pretty good chance of missing out on them. Follow you instincts - retune your diet to get the vitamins etc that your body needs, keep up all the things that keep you fit and happy already, and find out what problems you might come across without the oestrogen and other hormones so that you can counteract not producing as much of them, if necessary.

I've a couple of younger friends who are in their perimenopauses, apparently, one has stopped the hrt, (as she hasn't noticed any difference) and the other isn't planning to take it.

Retread

I had a hysterectomy at 51, was put on HRT. It really didn't agree with me, I had awful breast pain. The GP tried a few different types, dose, etc until I said I'd rather do without. Breast clinic told me to take 1000mg Evening Primrose Oil every day and I've done that ever since.

I'm 75 now and last week met new people (in a dance class) who thought I was in my 60s ...

I'm very grateful to say that I'm fit and healthy.

Thanks Retread...It's nice to hear something like this. I used to take Evening Primrose in my 20s to help with periods so may start taking it again. I'd like to be dancing and meeting people now! And good to hear you're looking younger as that's another reason people insist you need HRT...not that that would swing it for me but it's always nice hear you don't look age .

I asked about hrt, because of the sweats, but wasn't allowed to have it, but my gp recommended evening primrose oil, instead. (Which I never got)

I'm 70. My periods just stopped mid 50s. No problems really. No need to ask for HRT. I go to Aquafit three times a week, volunteer at a care home twice a week and have two other volunteering activities that take up more time but on a more irregular basis. I feel fine.

I had some hot flushes and a couple of very heavy periods at most inconvenient times but that was all. No medical attention so no question of HRT.

I'm certainly not as strong as I was when younger, but who would be? I'm now 73 and have been out two days running shovelling snow to clear our long drive.

I never took HRT. I was offered it, but turned it down. The only meno pausal symptom I had was flooding during my period, for 2 years immediately before mylast period.. The cause of which turned out to be fibroids. I had no treatment for them because once the menopause is complete they just shrivel up and disappear. I saw the woman doctor in the practice and she felt doing nothing was the best tatment and I agreed with her.

I wasn’t given any option because of other medication and migraines. Thankfully it was a breeze. Now years after the fact I am totally relieved that I was spared.

It was never an option for us in our mid 70s. Menopause came, and went, and that was that- no big fuss.

I’m 66 and started going through the menopause at 50. My symptoms were mostly night sweats and hot flushes with some brain fog . I started on hrt which didn’t make a difference, so I stopped .
I’ve try and keep healthy and fit . I have a healthy diet , do yoga and weights. I’m told I don’t look 66.
My advice is to see how you go. I have friends who’ve had an awful time with the menopause and hrt really helped . We’re all different.

Claremont

It was never an option for us in our mid 70s. Menopause came, and went, and that was that- no big fuss.

I am 81 and I was offered it. This was in the very early 1990s.

I am sixty nine and have never taken it. I felt that I was on so much medication already and am sensitive to a fair number of drugs, some resulting in hospital admissions.

I suffered dreadfully with heavy periods, caused by polyps. A hysterectomy stopped all that.

I am told that I look young for my age, but I put that down to not sunbathing, as I am fair skinned and sensitive to sunlight.

M0nica

Claremont

It was never an option for us in our mid 70s. Menopause came, and went, and that was that- no big fuss.

I am 81 and I was offered it. This was in the very early 1990s.

I was put on 3 different HRTs in the 80s. Not one of them worked.

It might have been no big fuss for you,Claremont but for a lot of us ( and the people we lived with) it was hell 😩