HRT already?

Post your peri-menopause questions here.

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alisonbayne
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Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2016 10:26 pm
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by alisonbayne on Mon Feb 03, 2020 3:20 pm

HRT already?

I'm 44 and have had low sex drive, stress incontinence and vaginal dryness since my children were born over 12 years ago, which I have learned to manage. :?

Over the past two years my cycle has lengthened so it is now between 29 and 40 days long (irregular).

I went to my GP recently as I have been getting very hot at night and experiencing inexplicable skin itching. This has made my sleep quality poor over last two months.

I have always had bad PMT but now I feel like I have it most of the time. This is the most troubling symptom and I am feeling low and weepy a lot of the time.

I have had blood tests to rule out iron deficiency and thyroid problems. Nothing came up. I am now awaiting the results of a further test to see what my hormone levels are like.

I am fit and healthy, do lots of exercise (I'm a self-employed fitness instructor) and don't smoke or drink alcohol at all.

My question is, the symptoms seem to suggest I am perimenopausal. The blood test may do too. If it does, should I hang on as long as possible to go onto HRT or should I take it early on? Which of the above symptoms will be helped by HRT? I really would prefer to treat the cause of the symptoms rather than lots of different treatments for each one. I can handle most things, and the skin itching has lessened, but the low moods are tough.

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Susie Debice
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Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2020 3:52 pm
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by Susie Debice on Thu Feb 06, 2020 10:45 am

Re: HRT already?

Hello Alison

This is a question I get asked all the time, as lots of women are concerned about taking HRT due to the possible side effects which mainly come into play if HRT is taken for prolonged number of years. I am not a Doctor so it's not my place to comment on HRT use, BUT I do know that, rather than the synthetic hormones found in HRT, GP's do now have the option of prescribing Oestrogel which contains a bio-identical form of oestrogen (which means it has an identical chemical structure to the oestrogen that your body produces) and Utrogestan which also contains bio-identical form of progesterone. You could talk to your GP about starting these two forms of hormone support and see if this gives you the symptom relief that you are looking for.

Regardless of what you decide to do about hormone support from your GP, there are still plenty of helpful dietary changes that you could implement. It sounds as though you have the lifestyle factors already pretty sorted!

A good diet for hormone support includes the addition of foods that are naturally good sources of phytoestrogen which may help to modulate oestrogen balance. These include soya yogurt, soy sauce, miso, tempe, flax seeds, flax oil, alfalfa, mung beans, sesame seeds and fennel. Finding ways to incorporate this foods into your daily diet is advisable.

Foods that are naturally rich in tryptophan, which the body converts into serotonin (the happy brain hormone) may be helpful with regards to mood and mindset - these includes cottage chees, bananas, avocado, turkey and chicken.

Omega-3 oils are also important for the mind and mood as are B-vitamins. Cleanmarine MenoMin contains great levels of omega-3 sourced from krill oil which has become a much more popular way of supplementing omega-3 compared to old fashioned fish oils. Studies have shown that you need to take less krill oil in comparison to fish oil to get the same results which is handy as fish oil capsules tend to be supersized whereas krill oil are smaller and easier to take, and they don't have a fishy repeat.

Cleanmarine MenoMin also folate, biotin and vitamins B1, B6, and B12 which all contribute to normal psychological function for mood and mindset.

Susie Debice - Food Scientist and Nutritionist
Susie's Women's Health and Menopause Nutrition Clinic
http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... debice.php
Last edited by Susie Debice on Thu Feb 06, 2020 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Dr Shahzadi Harper
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Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:53 am
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by Dr Shahzadi Harper on Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:07 pm

Re: HRT already?

Hi,

Your symptoms are very much suggestive of hormonal changes especially oestrogen deficiency
Ie itchy skin, vaginal dryness, low libido, stress incontinence
I would suggest HRT including testosterone treatment and not wait or hold on. There is no need to suffer.
I would also recommend vaginal laser treatment for your vaginal dryness and stress urinary incontinence
Dr Shahzadi Harper
Women's Wellbeing and Menopause Doctor

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... harper.php

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