HRT

[paulz]

Wife was on HRT [not Hand rolling tobacco] She reckons @ 52 enough is enough & after 5 + years on it she's packed it in. Straightaway her symptoms of menopause have nearly all returned, night sweats, mood swings, lack of libido etc. Any ideas what non-prescriptive stuff she could take? I know Ev Primrose is supposed to be good, what about St John's Wort, can you mix them? any other ideas?

[robber1]

My wife did the same and her symtoms returned as well. She tried the things you mentioned and it turned out to be a waste of money. That does not mean they will not work for your wife though. She went back to the Doc who gave her a different type of HRT and monitored her health regularly. The Doc told her that she can stop taking them at any time to see if the symptoms return again. She is now in the process of stopping again and waiting for hot flushes etc. So far so good. The best advice I heard was on Radio 5. "If you are worried about HRT and possible fatal consequences, then surely it is better to deal with the symptoms of menopause, unpleasant as it can be, than to risk the alternative". Its their choice really, all we can do is support them in the choice. Not really much help, but it is the best I can do.

[robber1]

By the way, tell her that if she rolls them by hand, the baccy goes further.

[ipek]

Just a brief word from one who has been (and still is) on HRT for 10 years now......I started early!

Apart from the more obvious symptoms of menopause (the flushes, sweats, mood swings, etc.) I also entered into this treatment as a preventative measure against osteoporosis. I think it is recommended that you need to be on HRT for at least 10 years for it to prove an effective help against this potentially debilitating problem. Has your wife taken that into account when making her decision?

If she still wishes to manage her menopause without HRT (and good for her I say, she's made of stronger stuff than me..!) then she should also be doing some 'weight-bearing' exercise to strengthen her bones - not necessarily lifting weights, walking, cycling, anything that makes the muscles pull against the bone and make it stronger. There are some excellent guidebooks around about dealing with the whole problem 'naturally', try the library, bookshops, doctors surgery - mine also has a support group for this very topic.

As for me - I'm back to the pills, or Hubby threatens to divorce me....! Good luck you guys....

[ipek]

BTW.....I do get regular health checks at the docs as I also need to control my blood pressure with medication - I always assumed that the two medications were incompatible, but apparently not if they are monitored carefully.....

[melandraf]

In Chins women tend not to suffer like us Westerners... They reckon it's down to SOYA - which contains oestrogen. You can buy loaves of bread from supermarket with happy hormones in also...