I have not spoken to anyone who has been on HRT for as long as I have with no hope of getting off it as you name it I have tried it over 17 and 1/2 years. I would be over the moon if I could talk to anyone who is in my predicament. I have now developed multiple fibroids and extremely worried but after being off HRT for 3 months have just gone back, as every hour on the hour I flush day and night and got very weak. I am 66 and think I will not EVER try to go off HRT again. I just do not know if it is also an addiction? but my life without HRT is impossible. I have a dreadful ache in my right thigh which affects me SO much at night too but not sure this is related in any way as I have it on and off the HRT.

Hi Zapot,
I've read on other boards about the importance of weaning yourself off of HRT gradually. Perhaps you can find a doc who is savvy enough to know how to help you in gradually reducing the doseage, i.e. lowing it a small amount for several weeks and then another gradual lowering for several weeks, etc. etc. Perhaps a doc that uses bioidentical HRT would be a good place to start. There are several good books on the subject of natural bioidentical HRT.
We wish you well as you patiently begin the "process" of weaning yourself off of something that your body has been used to getting.

Sunny

Originally posted by Zapot:
I have not spoken to anyone who has been on HRT for as long as I have with no hope of getting off it as you name it I have tried it over 17 and 1/2 years. I would be over the moon if I could talk to anyone who is in my predicament. I have now developed multiple fibroids and extremely worried but after being off HRT for 3 months have just gone back, as every hour on the hour I flush day and night and got very weak. I am 66 and think I will not EVER try to go off HRT again. I just do not know if it is also an addiction? but my life without HRT is impossible. I have a dreadful ache in my right thigh which affects me SO much at night too but not sure this is related in any way as I have it on and off the HRT.

Thank you Sunny for the nice reply. I was on the Remefemin double dose for the three months and cannot say it worked for me, but then again neither does Feverview for migraine or Magnets for any type of pain.
I do think you are probably right tho and my body does not like giving up hormones. I am off to buy the multi B people are speaking of to help my migraines so that might just work. It seems there is a life before Menopause and a life after for some of us (life is still great of course) but a bit more to cope with http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
Thanks again.

sob sob sob just as I thought NOBODY in the whole world has been on HRT for nearly 18 years. I too have been looking for a menopause support group to no avail.
I am grateful to be able to wite here and realise so many other women have probs. too.

I was on Premarin for 15 years. Doc wanted me off of it. I never had any problems being on it, in fact it gave me a feeling of well being. I don't like being off of it because of the hot flashes that can be so bad I feel like I could pass out. I had surgical hysterectomy at 34 and the premarin was a life-saver. I would still be on it if I had my say. It makes me feel much better all the way around. I'm not so sure about all this stuff I have read about hormone therapy. Maybe it is the mixture of hormones that cause problems. I think if you have had a full hysterectomy that premarin should not be a problem, and getting the mammograms regularly should suffice.

Hi AlexKay. Decisions decisions and the trouble being even from Doctor to Doctor whether to be on HRT or not to be is different with different thoughts from each. I know a doctor who IS on HRT because she looks and feels better and thinks the worries are just a small percentage over not taking it. I hear so many times "you have to make your own decision on it" but that is o.k. to say, when another news breaks about the dangers of being on HRT. I remember when it was hailed the wonder ingredient for so many things which women have, re Osteo. and heart disease etc.
Oh wsell sure gives us something to discuss
All the best.

My mother went off HRT recently and she is 72 years old and has been on it at least as long as you have. She weaned off of it, didn't stop it suddenly. My mom is one of the lucky ones though. She had maybe one tiny hotflash when she first went through menopause, and has had only the mildest of symptoms going off the HRT. I find it kind of funny because I am 51 years old and have been having more that a dozen hot flashes a day - hot flashes that leave my chest drenched with perspiration. But my mom - the mildest of symptoms.

[This message has been edited by rainonwindow (edited 08-26-2003).]

zapot, hold on girl. I have been on them for 15 years. most of which was Prempro. dr advised me to go off them and then gave me promethium and estradol. i think thats how you spell it. I know many people that have gone off them and are having problems.
well yesterday had to go to the gyno for my yearly check up. he asked me if I was still taking the hormones, I told him yes and I said I guess you are going to tell me to go off them. he said no not at all. he said he is not convinced they cause any harm and that he had women in there 60's go off them, only to call him begging for him to put them back on again which he did. Im staying on them. I get my yearly pap and mammogram. If they were going to do something to me I would have had it by now. I have lumpy breast atleast my left one. if you feel bette on them go back on. after 17 yrs you would be gone by now if they were as bad as everyone says. in a year from now they will say they were wrong and they will be wonderful again.
good luck to you.

I agree with Sue. I've been on Premarin for 17 years too. My ex doctor's method of "gradually" getting me off it was to take one every Other day. After a month the hot flashes AND MENTAL INSTABILITY began. I can't do it. My mom couldn't either. Plus, I"ve been dry ever since I tried, thank you.
I recently read (is this right?)that one in TEN THOUSAND women on it for over a decade got cancer.
If those are the odds then the doctors are just "covering themselves" by telling us to quit. I wonder if THEY quit??? Sue is right again: THEY WILL CHANGE THEIR MINDS ABOUT HRT.

------------------

Susan Gene

Thank you SueJ and SusanGene http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif Great replies. Strange how I come from a Mother and family who had no probs. but after 17 and 1/2 years still struggling. I would probably not worry if I did not now have multiple fibroids and my Doctor just saying well they would not be a worry if you went off HRT but as I keep saying I cannot get off HRT. I cannot even miss one patch or I know all about it. Thanks again and nice to know you two have been on the hormone replacement for a long time too and I agree I would probably have "karked it " by now if they were going to kill me http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif and also my body just seems to require the help. True too next thing will come out "Hormone Replacement is remarkable and we will be told to go with it.

My Mom went on HRT when she was in her mid to late 40's.
She stayed on them until she had some slight bleeding when she was 75.
Turned out she had Stage I uterine cancer (they say it was from the HRT) and they did a hysterectomy.
She's doing great (back at aerobics believe it or not), and once I asked her the following question..
"If you knew then what you know now, would you still have taken the HRT?"
She said, "Yes"!!...that any worry from the diagnosis, and the surgery itself was worth it compared to dealing with her menopausal symptoms.

Interesting, hmmmm??

My Mother is 72, and was on ERT for 35 years. Last year, she had breast cancer, and the Dr's wanted her off the ERT. She stopped cold turkey during her radiation therapy, then started having hot flashes and crying alot. Normally, after breast cancer, they want you to take Tamoxifin for 5 years. Supposedly it stops any cancer from growing again, and you can't take any kind of HRT/ERT along with it. My Mom was so mad at her DR for taking her hormones away, that she threw the bottle of Tamoxifin in his face, cried, and yelled
"I want my hormones!!, I'm 72 yrs old, I don't have time for the cancer to grow back". The Doctor finally agreed, and gave them back to her. She's fine now!!

Geneva

I have been taking Prempro for three years now, last year at my yearly check up my doctor asked me if I was aware of the latest study. I was and we discussed it and I got my perscription for another year. That was in September, around Jan. I decided to try to take myself off of them, thought I wouldn't have any problem. Boy was I wrong - right back to where I started, I went back on them and plan on taking them as long as my doctor will give them to me. The benefits out weigh the risks - at least to me.

We all have to rationalize our decisions, mine came from all of the things that have been reported to cause cancer. Hot dogs, char-grilled meat, artificial sweeteners, hair dye, x-rays, cell phones, electrical wires (big power poles). So, to my way of thinking just everyday living is pretty scary, yes some women do get cancer, some of them on HRT and some of them not. The quality of life my Prempro gives me is worth the chance, at least to me.

Monday1954,

I WISH I could still take my Prempro! I loved it, felt great, but after only 3 months, my body went to war with me. Horrible leg pains started at night, followed by chest pain. My Dr said those were warnings of a blood clot, and immediately took me off of them. Then I started my periods again, and felt fine for a few months, now the flashes, night sweats, & anxiety have returned. I totally agree with you though. If I could take them again, I certainly would. If you read my previous post on this thread, then I'm sure you understand why my Mother wanted her Premarin back, even after breast cancer. She wanted "quality of life". Her Dr told her that ERT/HRT does not CAUSE cancer, but it will cause it to grow faster, IF you already have a tumor.

Geneva, I know exactly how your Mother feels, too bad you can't take the Prempro, could you try it again or maybe a different version, Premphase, not sure what all of the differences are - think I will have to go to the site Hoosier listed and read all about it.

Carla

O.k., I am back, sorry that was Maddux that listed the address for HRT information (hate that short term memory stuff, I used to be so good at it). It really didn't go into all of the different types that are available, so I still don't know if there is a replacement that you can use.

Carla

Thanks Monday1954,

Yes, my Gyn wants to possibly try something else, but first, he wants me to try what I can naturally, & go to an Endo. Thinks I may be Hypothyroid. My T3 T4 blood tests keep coming up in the normal range, but on the low end of it, plus I have other symptoms. He
says perimeno & hypothyriodism mimic each other, many symptoms are exactly the same, so he suggested I go to the Endocrinologist, have all the hormone levels checked, and start all over!! I see you are in Alabama? I'm a Tennessee girl, but currently live overseas, and running to the Dr is a different ballgame over here. I wait until I'm in the US to get all my Dr visits taken care of! What a pain in the rear end!

Geneva

Hi,
I have been on estrace for 11 years following a hysterectomy.
I think we react to studies to quickly.. Even as we speak they are conducting others to see if these studies were correct.
You need to weigh out the the risks vs the benefits.
And also what the numbers really mean.. Even on hormones the risk is small.. It doesn't really up your chances by much.
And considering the studies and how they change.. I'm waiting for them to say "wait, we goofed.. You DO need hormones"!! :+)

Hi everyone. I'm new to these boards and feel so validated by everyone having similar problems. I've been on Estalis patch for 5 years, doc wants me off of all HRT, including bio-identical, cos she thinks horomones are horomones, powerful and not natural to take anything. I agree. I'm scared. Here's the plan. Of course to start chicory blend, stick with my B's, all of them, C with bioflavins, stay with soy and phytoestrogens, but now we introduce a SSRI, one that doesn't interfere with grastrointestinal probs, so Zoloft is what she recommends. When that kicks in, 4 weeks, then I cut patch in half and change twice a week, then one half once a week and so on. This should take about 3 months. There is an addiction issue here with endocrine system (which is suppose to balance horomones) and it must kick in as well. We'll wait and see what else I need, like testosterone for libido or whatever. Love some feedback from anyone who has weaned off HRT.

hi all, i'm 48 and have been on the bcp for many years. right now it's helping me through peri. as for HRT or HT as it is now being called i'll do what i feel is right for me. QUALITY of life means alot to me and if i'm going to be miserable without hormones and feel as though i'm falling apart i'll stay on them. hey, after all, all we really have is today. look at john ritter and others who have died suddenly and unexpectedly. it _could_ happen to any one of us and then all this fuss about hormones would be for naught. think about it.

sapphira

Going off HRT is just like going off any drug your body is addicted to. If you stop it abruptly, you go through menopause. You need to taper off slowly.

Marilyn http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Geneva1, you need the FT3 and FT4 tests done for your thyroid, not T3 and T4. Most GP's don't know this and misdiagnose their patients on a regular basis. See an endoc that knows his business!

Marilyn http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

ssMarilyn,

Thanks for the info! You are exactly right. I need to have an Endo check my thyroid, and my Gyn suggested it.
He also suggested an Endo that "specializes" in menopause. (I thought they all did the same thing, but he said that is not true.) Dr says Perimenopause and Hypothyroidism can mimic each other, and our whole system becomes delicate, so it is important that we get all the facts BEFORE taking any meds. I'm just toughing it out for now, but will see an Endo in October. Just curious, (if you know) what is the difference between the T3, T4 test, and the FT3, FT4?

Geneva



[This message has been edited by Geneva1 (edited 09-26-2003).]

Geneva1, I don't really know the difference, I just know how confusing it is to even READ it in one of my many books on Thyroids written by MD's. What I do know is that all the experts say that the Free T4 and Free T3 are THE most important tests, even more important than the TSH test. T4 is the hormone that is stored in our body...it converts over to T3 and that's the hormone that becomes active in our body. The Free T3 and Free T4 tests confirm if the thyroid is properly converting these hormones. If they aren't, then we are having hypothyroid symptoms, which the TSH test will not show....nor the other tests.

Marilyn http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

I've been on HRT for 15 years. I'm turning 60. At 45 I was not ready to give up tennis and that's what I'd had to do if I didn't take HRT.
Anyhow. By accident for the last month, I stopped taking my Estrodiol. I'd changed to a lower dose of progesterone and the color of the tab was the same as my progesterone. I was taking 7 mg of progesterone instead.
But since being off estrogen, I've decided to try to halve my estrogen to .5 mg of Estrodiol. But I guess I better do this very slowly. I instantly notice I don't feel as bloated.
The reason I went on HRT to begin with was loss of joint cartilage; aches and pains; dryness (don't care now). But there are things I can live with now....I think.
I'll talk to ya.
yanra :bouncing: :bouncing: