Wow that opened up a big bag of worms. Half of us will say dont do it and the other will say go for it. When I started 6 years ago they didnt have the low dose I am on now, Prempro. I do believe you should start on the lowest dose possible. I am not sure what else is out there, but if you have a uterus then I think you have to have the combo. Can anyone give more info? It sounds like you have tried fighting the fight of using "nothing" for a couple of years. Have you done the over the counter at all? You have to really stick with those, and I mean give it a few months. Let us know what the dr. says. Shotzy

Have you looked into natural hormone replacement? I'm seeing my naturopath this afternoon, and as the results of my hormone tests will be in, I have a feeling we'll be discussing this! I'll let you know (if you're interested) what I learn.

Shotzy,

I have been on estraderm patch (bio-identical estradiol) and 100 mg. prometrium (bio-identical progesterone) continuous since March 2007. I started out on the .025 patch and it got upped to the .05 patch. So far, so good. I don't need the vaginal cream anymore, hotflashes are gone, mood is improving, etc. Patches are handy--change them twice a week and forget it. I take prometrium at bedtime and it helps me sleep--no more insomnia or waking up at 3:00 a.m.

Bullsigh

I'm not on HRT, but if I was, I would use what are called the bio-identical hormones.

I'm waiting for my hormone and other bloodwork results, too, and my doctor has already suggested HRT as a possibility. She said she would do bioidentical or synthetic, whichever I wanted. I'm three months without a period at this point and 50. My mother had post-menopausal (in her 60s) breast cancer and my doctor says it's ok for me to do HRT since the cancer wasn't estrogen-driven. She said she's in the same boat and will be doing it. I'm still undecided, but would love to have a good night's rest without the use of drugs. I'm also starting to see a change in my appearance this year, and I'm not happy about it!! I'm only willing to consider bioidentical if I do it. We have a compounding pharmacy right around the corner.

Jen, I would be interested in what you hear and your options from your naturopath. I have a friend who's gone this route and been quite satisified with the results. Did you do saliva or bloodwork, or both? My doc is a MD with holistic leanings, so I'm hoping I can work with her. I do plan to get saliva tests done for all my hormone levels, including adrenals and thyroid, but haven't hooked up with someone for that yet. I hear that it offers additional insight to hormone levels and I'm certain I would want to do this before I did HRT.

Tina

Tina: I want to go the HRT route, but was concerned since my mother had breast cancer 5 years ago(she's been cancer free since). But she was 80 years old at that time, so it wouldn't have been estrogen-driven. That insight was good to know, thanks.

I need something! The hot flashes and sweats are getting worse; don't sleep well; very cranky; weight gain.

Cheerful, for years I didn't think HRT was an option for me. I was sort of relieved I didn't have to make that choice. But now, feeling like I do with lack of sleep and episodes of anxiety, I'm grateful to have a choice. I go back and forth, because I have a friend who does the bioidentical and raves about it, and then I have a friend who's totally against messing with the body's natural cycle and scares me to death about it. I know this is an important decision that I need to rationally make, but it's such an emotionally-laden issue. Haven't wrapped my head around it yet. I really care about my quality of life now, but I want to do what's right for the long haul.

Tina, my doc had me do the saliva test. I was astounded to learn on my visit last week that my estrogen levels are only slightly low, progesterone just slightly high, and DHEA/testosterone slightly low. My doc said that the only thing she wanted to do is put me on something for DHEA support, which should bring those levels back up, and she believed that the other numbers weren't "off" enough to warrant further treatment. When I went to see her a little over 2 weeks ago with the most horrendous hot flashes, sweats, chills, and emotional upheaval, she told me then that she suspected what I was going through was not menopausal, but tied solely to my withdrawal from the antidepressant Effexor. She was right.

Turns out I am in perimenopause, having not had my period since the end of July. However, since the doc was able to help me get those withdrawal symptoms under control (no more flashing! no more sweating! -- it took a couple of weeks, but I finally came through it), I currently have no complaints. I'm only hoping my good luck sticks. My best friend also stopped her period all of a sudden just as I did, had no period for several months, and then whooooosh! -- it returned, and with a vengeance. She's now on HRT and is not doing too well with any of it, unfortunately.

I wish I could say I learned more at my doctor visit. As mentioned above, I think I would investigate bio-identical HRT if I were going that route.

Oops!! Back to month one! Thanks for the update Auntjen. I'm definitely doing bioidentical if I do it. Glad to hear that you're through the worst of that awful withdrawal. You should really pat yourself on the back for getting through. It doesn't sound like it was easy.

Tina

Thanks, Tina -- it was a beeyotch and then some! LOL!

I'm not having the flashes and sweats anymore, but I do seem to be dealing with other "typical" perimenopause issues - weight gain being my biggest complaint at the moment. I'm eating like a bird (I swear!), walking daily, and still I'm puffy and well, just downright fat! I always listened with sort of a smugness when I was younger, when "older" women would say that they'd gotten to "that age" where they just couldn't seem to take the weight off. I guess I thought that they were secretly stuffing themselves with donuts and chocolate shakes constantly, but now I know only too well what they were talking about.

::sigh:: So. Can I come to accept, love and embrace a "larger" me? It's gonna be tough. :-/

auntjen: I was always self-conscious of my weight, more so in this past year because I gained 4 pounds. My problem is, my eating habits have stayed the same as before menopause, so the weight creeps up. In the past week though, I've been eating an incredible amount of junk.

I understand. "Back in the day" -- when I wore a size zero (!), I thought I'd never see a time in my life when I had weight issues. Oh, to be that young and naive again! Well, to have the body of that young girl I once was anyway. Although my diet is healthy, I do have times when I just have to have some comfort food, ya know? There are days when I'm really stressed or otherwise out of sorts, and crave things that I know are not good for me, and only consist of empty calories. I think, though, that if I could reach a certain goal weight, I'd find it easier to resist temptation. Sometimes, I just feel like, "Oh, what the heck - I'm already a puffball" and I'll go ahead and indulge in something that I shouldn't.

I can definitely relate to your last sentence!

Weight hasn't changed so much, but my energy levels have taken a nosedive. My "back in the day" equivalent is that I used to swear I'd never stop working out consistently. I was fit as a fiddle and proud of my body. I had energy to burn. When I heard older women talk about not being able get themselves to exercise, I thought they lacked willpower. I looked down on their flab. . . . What an ignorant young woman I was. I'm still a good weight, but don't have the tone I used to. The thing is, I know I'd feel a lot better if I was exercising regularly, but my lack of activity seems to have made it even harder to get going. A vicious cycle.

I have an appt. next Wed. to meet with my dr. to review my hormone test results. This is for bloodwork -- est, prog, DHEA, thyroid, ferretin (iron). I'm curious to to see what my levels are.

Next week I'm also meeting with an allergist for a series of skin tests. Never had food allergies before, but something new I'm dealing with along with perimenopause. I've heard that folks with thyroid problems can have allergies. It's such an issue because I can't tolerate allergy and cold medicines. They just make me feel awful -- something I don't need in addition to hormonal stuff. So, I'm hopingl to find out what foods I need to avoid. I don't care if it's my favorite, I'll drop it like a hot potato.

Tina

Way back, 30 years ago, I don't remember having any hormone testing done, doc. just wrote out the RX and that was it...Had a hysterectomy in my late 30s and started HRT in my middle 40s and at 70, still take them...About a year ago, I decided to wean myself off, which was a big mistake...All the nasties came back and my cardiologist put me on 1/2 a dose...So far so good, haven't had the urge to kill or maim anyone lately....Every woman is different, what works for me, might not work for you...Good luck in your quest!

I'm 54 with a total hysterectomy 20 years ago. I've been through the gammot of hrt. I moved to AZ and in finding a new gyn, found a woman going through menopause. She does bioidentical hormone pellets (and has them herself). They are implanted in my hip and last 3-4 months. They are the best! I get estrogen and testosterone. My body only uses what it needs and they are closest to what we make naturally. My life has changed drastically for the better with regards to menopause and libido. I hopefully will have these till I die!

Maybe I need to have the bio again. I am miserable.
Please report back on what you do, ladies.

Carla

Concerning the saliva tests. According to my gynocologist, they are virtually worthless. Bloodtests are way more accurate when measuring hormone levels.