Anyone here been on hormone replacement therapy?

[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.

[joycenalex]

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

[Medusa]

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.

[Pam]

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.

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! 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.....

[Medusa]

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! 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.....

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.

[jazzcat]

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! 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.....

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!!!!!

[lizbud]

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.

[Kirsten]

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

[K9karen]

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.

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).

[carole]

You girls are indeed blessed,be oh so thankful you have had it so good, i am still hoping mine will not return in a hurry,but who knows.,they were the pitts, with my already bad sleeping pattern, it was only made worse, taking the covers on and off all night long is no fun boo hoo.

[Louie and me]

I had a total hysterectomy in 1984 and have been taking premarin ever since. I did try to stop a few years ago but the sweats and loss of energy were really debilitating especially as I was working full time. I am now on the lowest dose. I realize there is a lot of controversy over HRT and if anyone had a history of breast cancer in the family I would advise them not to take it. For me however, I have had no ill effects and am glad I have had them. There was some weight gain but suspect it was as much "middle age spread" as it was any side effect from HRT.

[mruffruff]

Several years ago----
I went through the whole mess. It started with a libido that was in super high gear, then the sweats and crying and/or giggling jags. I did gain some weight, but I was skinny then, so it didn't bother me. As soon as I realized what the cause was, I grabbed myself by the back of my neck and shook myself HARD. I chose not to go on any medications. There were days I could have kicked myself for that decision. As long as I knew what was causing my problems, I could control my reactions. It took about 5 years to get over the majority of the sweats. My sex drive went into hiding and I no longer got silly or depressed. But I still carry additional weight around my middle. Dieting will get the pounds off, but not around the waist.

I remember wiping tears off my desk at the office and wondering where they were coming from. I'm glad I had an understanding group to work with.

If there had been something like Estroven in those days, I might have tried it.