Anyone here been on hormone replacement therapy?

i'm on estratest, an estrogen/testerostone HRT. i've been on it for a year, mostly faithfully. the hot flashes are much better and it has helped with the libido issues, and since this is a family oriented area, if you want to ask about that, PM me. after alex died, i went into a fair depression, and i stopped taking everything for about 6 weeks, boy did i learn the error of that, so i'm back on all my meds. i'm faithful about my pap/pelvic exam and breast self exam and mamms. if you're on any type of HRT, you have to be faithful about those tests and be aware sometimes ERT will make the mammo more uncomfortable, so take 2 advil, with food about an hour before the test. i'm glad i'm on estratest, and i'm aware of the risks/benefits

I'm not against HRT, as I said, I still have more research to do. I've been in menopause, I guess you could say, for 5 years now w/no real problems. I more or less breezed through it. A hot flash is just that, a hot flash and then it's over and they're infrequent. I think my dr. wants me on HRT because we've pretty much eliminated all other causes for the weight gain around my middle and he's grasping at straws.

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Originally Posted by Medusa

Yes, I'm wondering too if the weight around the middle is just inevitable.

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It was for me. Not that I weighed all that much less before menopause, but when I bought a pair of jeans/slacks, the ones which fit me around the hips and thighs would have a loose waist. Now those same pants (yes, I still have them) are quite tight in the waist.

Does your doctor really think that HRT is going to help you lose weight around the middle? I guess I never heard of that as a solution to weight gain as one ages.

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Originally Posted by Medusa

I think my dr. wants me on HRT because we've pretty much eliminated all other causes for the weight gain around my middle and he's grasping at straws.

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I was listening to talk radio one day in the car. What I heard astounded me. The doctor said that a woman going through menopause must take in 1/3 less calories than she did before JUST TO MAINTAIN HER PRE-MENOPAUSE WEIGHT because of the change in metabolism! I thought.... Oh man, being a woman is just not fun any more! :p I don't remember the doctor's name but I did think that he was on to something because everyone I know who has gone through the "Big M" has added a pound or two or three, or four.....:o

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Originally Posted by Pam

I was listening to talk radio one day in the car. What I heard astounded me. The doctor said that a woman going through menopause must take in 1/3 less calories than she did before JUST TO MAINTAIN HER PRE-MENOPAUSE WEIGHT because of the change in metabolism! I thought.... Oh man, being a woman is just not fun any more! :p I don't remember the doctor's name but I did think that he was on to something because everyone I know who has gone through the "Big M" has added a pound or two or three, or four.....:o

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Oh yes, he's right. There's no way I can eat the way I used to any more. And if I want to lose weight, I have to work out harder and longer and eat even less. It's maddening. My situation is that my appetite is virtually nil but I've gained weight and it's around my middle, which is one (of many) symptoms of ovarian cancer, which I apparently had all the symptoms. That's been ruled out but we can't figure out why I've put on weight only around my middle. Pants that I bought in April are now tight, even though I'm consistent w/my workouts and don't consume many calories and hardly any fat.

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Originally Posted by Pam

I was listening to talk radio one day in the car. What I heard astounded me. The doctor said that a woman going through menopause must take in 1/3 less calories than she did before JUST TO MAINTAIN HER PRE-MENOPAUSE WEIGHT because of the change in metabolism! I thought.... Oh man, being a woman is just not fun any more! :p I don't remember the doctor's name but I did think that he was on to something because everyone I know who has gone through the "Big M" has added a pound or two or three, or four.....:o

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I soooooo agree with that. I lost 75 pounds before I had the hysterectomy but since being thrown surgical menopause, going 6 months with no HRT and spending the other year or so trying to figure out what HRT will work for me I've gained back so much of that weight. On top of that it's distributed much differently - mostly around my middle. Now I understand why so many of the pants for older ladies have elastic! And oh! Don't even get me started on the effects the lack of estrogen does to breast!!!!! :(:rolleyes::(

I did take Premarin. Dr RX'd it for 3 yrs max, but I ended up taking it for
around 4-5 yrs. It helped a lot. Like D & D, I had no knowledge at the time
of the awful plight of Premain mares & their colts.:(

It seems there are different "kinds" of BC, I was one who should not have
taken Premarin as long as I did. I did develope the disease later on. I never
had the sweats at all, but just felt more "normal" & productive when I took
the RX. "If I knew then what I know now"... well, you know how that goes.:rolleyes:

Well, I'm only on thyroid hormone replacement therapy because of Hashimoto's. My gyn would like me to take hormones (estrogene, I suppose) as well because of the endometreosis but I don't want to. Twice in my life I was on birth-control pills and each time, I became depressive. I think it was the estrogene that caused it, my hormone levels are just too messed up to deal with it. So I'm really careful when it comes to hormonal replacements.

A couple of years ago, before Hashimoto's was diagnosed, they gave me gestagens when I started feeling ill, and I gained a lot of weight from it (and later from the thyroid hormones as well).

Kirsten

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Originally Posted by Kirsten

My gyn would like me to take hormones (estrogene, I suppose) as well because of the endometreosis but I don't want to.

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Kirsten, if you have endometriosis you would not want to take estrogen - that is what makes it grow. Your gyn probably suggested progesterone - it helps to balance the estrogen and slow the growth of endo. Endo is the reason I had a hysterectomy and had my ovaries removed.

My mom was on a very low dose of HRT but she developed breast cancer and her doctor thinks that this was the cause. When I start needing to take something, I already told my doctor that I'm going the natural route. A co-worker of mine went through early menopause and she's almost over it. She also went the natural route and she took Estroven for it and also started taking flaxseed oil and black cohosh. They now make different formulas of Estroven and here's the link: http://estroven.com/. I've also heard that eating foods with soy in them will also help. Good luck.:)

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Originally Posted by jazzcat

Kirsten, if you have endometriosis you would not want to take estrogen - that is what makes it grow. Your gyn probably suggested progesterone - it helps to balance the estrogen and slow the growth of endo. Endo is the reason I had a hysterectomy and had my ovaries removed.

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Well, yes, she was probably referring to progesterone then... :o

They really did the hysterectomy because of the endomentriosis? I also wanted to have it done when I had my left ovary removed last year, but they didn't. They left the right one because they wanted me to keep it for the homone production, and they even left the uterus - even though I wanted desperately to get rid of it! LOL

Kirsten

Mary i have not read all the other posts, but just wanted to tell you , i am also going through the same thing, although i do have an appetite, but i weigh less than i did some years ago, but i have to say the fat is all around the middle, it is common for women our age to do this, some women are lucky, and i just hate them don't you? just kidding, it is uncomfortable and horrible, i look Like i am pregnant sometimes to me, well if i stick it out, i am used to holding my tummy in as to not look that way lol.I must have a large momentum like Dr Oz says some people do have,it does seem inevitable for some woman our age, it is much harder to loose weight in this age group.

I have heard HRT often puts weight on, so would you really want to go there, and there is an increase of the chances of breast cancer, i have had the most awful hot flashes for two months now, unbearable, and i would not even consider it, but hey guess what they have gone for over three weeks, now, i guess i am waiting for them to return though.

My poor mother would not go on HRT because of the breast cancer risk, and she had an awful time with hot flashes, sadly she got it anyway, but that is purely bad luck really.

I personally would not choose to go on it,especially as your hot flashes are minimal,grin and bear it if you can is my advice.

I have just read one of your posts, Mary i would certainly not consider the HRT for the weight gain around your middle, although i can so empathise of how awful it is to carry it around there, surely it is not worth the risk of getting Breast cancer,believe me you don't want that if you can avoid it,especially as you are five years into the menopause and your symptons are so mild,i am amazed your Dr even suggested it, seems odd to me,as most women actually gain weight on HRT, it is your choice though, but seriously please re-consider that option, IMO it does not seem a good option to me.

I think I may have found a solution to our increased weight problem.
What do you think ladies? :D

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/hea...le.dancing.cnn

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Originally Posted by lizbud

I think I may have found a solution to our increased weight problem.
What do you think ladies? :D

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/hea...le.dancing.cnn

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I seriously considered buying a pole and starting classes here just a few months ago. I taught exercise and aerobics classes for years and pole dancing is a lot of fun and great exercise. It was only because of my already packed schedule that I didn't do it. I think it's great!

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Originally Posted by Pam

I have pretty much sailed through menopause with only the night sweats. Things would have had to be pretty bad for me to take HRT because of the risk of cancer involved. My OB-GYN suggested them to me years ago and I said no.

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Same for me. Compared to my friends, I was blessed not to suffer much except for sweats, and they weren't too bad, altho they seem to go on for a few years. With all my other health problems, I decided to just go with the flow (so to speak).