Varying doses of oestrogen are available. Lower dose varieties aim to reduce the incidence of side effects while maintaining symptom relief and bone strength. It is usually recommended that you take the lowest dose of HRT that will effectively relieve your symptoms.
If you have a womb you should be offered HRT that contains both oestrogen and progestogen. This is because oestrogen only HRT can stimulate the lining of the womb endometrium , leading to excess growth and possibly cancer. Therefore for women who have not had a hysterectomy, a second hormone is also prescribed progestogen to counteract the effects of oestrogen and protect the endometrium.
In women who have had a partial hysterectomy with their cervix intact , some womb lining endometrium may still remain, so progestogen may be required with the oestrogen. Talk to your healthcare professional about which HRT would be most suitable for your individual needs. The way in which progestogen is taken along with the oestrogen determines whether or not the HRT will lead to bleeding. Adding progestogen for 10 to 14 days a month, means that a bleed occurs in the days following this course, similar to that of a natural menstrual cycle.
Forms of hormone replacement that give continuous progestogen with the oestrogen have been developed to avoid bleeding altogether.
If you have had at least a year without periods and are thought to be postmenopausal, continuous combined HRT can be used. If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the package leaflet. Several remedies such as bioidentical hormones are claimed to help with menopausal symptoms, but these are not recommended because it's not clear how safe and effective they are.
Bioidentical hormones are not the same as body identical hormones. Body identical hormones, or micronised progesterone, can be prescribed to treat menopausal symptoms.
Read more about alternatives to HRT. Page last reviewed: 09 September Next review due: 09 September Benefits of HRT The main benefit of HRT is that it can help relieve most of the menopausal symptoms , such as: hot flushes night sweats mood swings vaginal dryness reduced sex drive Many of these symptoms pass after a few years, but they can be unpleasant and taking HRT can offer relief for many women.
But HRT may not be suitable if you: have a history of breast cancer , ovarian cancer or womb cancer have a history of blood clots have untreated high blood pressure — your blood pressure will need to be controlled before you can start HRT have liver disease are pregnant — it's still possible to get pregnant while taking HRT, so you should use contraception until 2 years after your last period if you're under 50, or for 1 year after the age of 50 In these circumstances, alternatives to HRT may be recommended instead.
There are different: HRT hormones — most women take a combination of the hormones oestrogen and progestogen, although women who do not have a womb can take oestrogen on its own ways of taking HRT — including tablets, skin patches, gels and vaginal creams, pessaries or rings HRT treatment plans — HRT medicine may be taken without stopping, or used in cycles where you take oestrogen without stopping but only take progestogen every few weeks A GP can give you advice to help you choose which type is best for you.
When you decide to stop, you can choose to do so suddenly or gradually. Further information about treating menopause symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy HRT. The aim of HRT is to restore female hormone levels, which can bring relief to many women. Find your local services Search for a service near you by entering your postcode below.
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Types of HRT There are two main types of HRT: Combined HRT oestrogen and progestogen — for women who still have their womb Oestrogen-only HRT — for women who have had their womb removed in a hysterectomy There are several ways that oestrogen can be taken, including: tablets — which can be taken by mouth a patch that you stick on your skin an implant — under local anaesthetic oestrogen gel — which is applied to the skin and absorbed oestrogen spray—which is applied to the forearm When required to protect the womb lining from being stimulated by oestrogen, progestogen is available as: combined with oestrogen in tablets combined with oestrogen in patches separately as tablets or a progestogen releasing coil Choosing the right HRT for you It is important to find the correct HRT to help your symptoms.
When HRT is not suitable HRT may not be suitable, or a specialist opinion may be needed, if you: have a history of breast cancer , ovarian cancer or womb uterus cancer have a history of blood clots, tablet HRT is not recommended but taking HRT through the skin can be considered have a history of heart disease or stroke have untreated high blood pressure — your blood pressure will need to be controlled before you can start HRT have liver disease are pregnant or breastfeeding In these circumstances, a different type of medication may be prescribed to help manage your menopausal symptoms.
If side effects continue after this time, see your GP so your treatment plan can be reviewed. Hormones used in HRT can have associated side effects, including: fluid retention bloating breast tenderness or swelling headaches indigestion depression vaginal bleeding If side effects persist, your GP may recommend an alternative treatment plan. Weight gain Many women believe taking HRT will make them put on weight, but there is no evidence that this is the case.
Understanding the benefits and risks Recent findings show that although not completely risk-free, HRT remains the most effective solution for helping with symptoms of menopause and is also effective for the prevention of osteoporosis. Testosterone is available as a gel that you rub onto your skin. It is not currently licensed for use in women, but it can be prescribed after the menopause by a specialist doctor if they think it might help restore your sex drive.
Testosterone is usually only recommended for women whose low sex drive libido does not improve after using HRT. It is used alongside another type of HRT. Your treatment routine for HRT depends on whether you're in the early stages of the menopause or have had menopausal symptoms for some time. You should have a period every 3 months. It's useful to maintain regular periods so you know when your periods naturally stop and when you're likely to progress to the last stage of the menopause.
Continuous combined HRT is usually recommended for women who are postmenopausal. A woman is usually said to be postmenopausal if she has not had a period for 1 year. Page last reviewed: 09 September Next review due: 09 September Different types of hormone replacement therapy HRT are available. HRT hormones HRT replaces the hormones that a woman's body no longer produces because of the menopause.
The 2 main hormones used in HRT are: oestrogen — types used include estradiol, estrone and estriol progestogen — either a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone such as dydrogesterone, medroxyprogesterone, norethisterone and levonorgestrel , or a version called micronised progesterone sometimes called body identical, or natural that is chemically identical to the human hormone HRT involves either taking both of these hormones combined HRT or just taking oestrogen oestrogen-only HRT.
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