Anyone here using combipatch hrt? Do I need to fear this? Experience please! - Menopause Message Board

ainfante · 10-22-2008, 06:27 PM

My gyne gave me r/x for combipatch today. The lowest amount as I requested that. I'm almost 50 and been through perimenopause and now I am postmenopausal as I have not had a period for 14 months now. Took the bone scan test and showed osteopenia, some bone loss in my spine.
My hot flashes have calmed down a lot, sweated pools of water over the summer but the irritability and anxiety are still with me along with body aches at times. I'm scared of HRT with all the news about the side effects. I am taking prozac 20 mg. that i originally took for hot flashes and mood swings. Just want some experienced combipatch users to come forward and tell me their experience with this patch.

Thanks,

Andrea

Chantal231 · 10-23-2008, 06:26 AM

Hi Andrea,

I'm using the Climara Pro patch which is similar to the Combipatch.

I was on the pill for many years and started having problems with high blood pressure and a racing heart rate so my Dr switched me to HT.

I am still having periods but the patch has helped me a lot with hot flashes, insomnia and anxiety. I too take an anti-depressant; Lexapro.

I also have osteopenia bordering on osteoporosis. I am very small boned and have extremely fair skin both of which are risk factors for osteoporosis.

As for the bad things we hear about HT; I believe we all have to decide for ourselves. IMO, the WHI study was seriously flawed. The majority of the women studied were 60 or older and only one combination therapy was used and that was Prempro.

I asked my Dr about HT and she said that the therapy does not cause breast cancer but it does increase risk. For women not using HT the risk is 9 out of ten will develop breast cancer and for those of us using HT the risk is between 7 and 8 women out of ten. She also said that women who do develop breast cancer while using hormones have a better "cure" rate.

Do your research and don't believe everything you read or hear in the media or from other women. There is too much misinformation being spread.

Take care.

Chantal

ainfante · 10-23-2008, 06:09 PM

Thanks Chantal. My doctor takes the climara pro. But for some reason, she thought combipatch would be better for me. She said they're pretty much the same and she would give me the climara pro also if I didn't want the combipatch. So I guess we will see when I start it. I want also to quit smoking so i guess I will also be using the nicotine patch with this and she said it was just fine. Just paranoid I guess, i have high cholesterol too and don't want to risk myself to having a heart attack since I am taking something natural now for high cholesterol coz i couldn't stand the side effect of the statin drugs. Well will post when I begin. How long did it take to start working for you?