HRT questions

[white_hart]

People who take/have taken HRT for menopause symptoms, can I ask how you've found it? My GP suggested that menopause might be exacerbating my existing mental health problems and contributing to the current kablooeyness, and asked me to think about whether I'd like to try HRT. My first reaction was no, because I've never wanted to go on HRT - I had a horrible time on hormonal contraception and worry it would actually just make my mental health worse, and also I was so delighted to be over the whole thing that I hate the idea of having to take medication for something I welcomed so much. (Plus some complicated gender feels about HRT making me more woman and less genderless goblin, which I should probably just try to get over because I can't change my endocrine system by willpower alone.)

But...what if the tiredness and brain fog aren't just because I've been under continual extreme stress at work for three years, and have had various non-work stresses as well? What if it is to do with menopause and HRT would help? (I was ranting the other week about medicalisation of normal life stages and capitalism not letting people just have less energy at some life stages than others, but however true that is it doesn't change the fact that capitalism is the ocean I'm swimming in.)

Anyway. What is your experience of HRT? In particular, has anyone had good experiences with HRT after bad experiences with hormonal contraception?

Comments

[antisoppist]

Hormonal contraception dampened everything down, including libido, in my late 20s. I wish at the time I'd complained but I assumed this was how it worked. Mini-pill while breastfeeding made me very depressed, which at the time was said to be post-natal and normal, except that when I stopped taking the mini-pill it was like the sun coming out. Mirena coil, which I tried next made me feel amazing and energetic and have a sex drive again except they said this one wouldn't need replacing because I would be through the menopause by the time it ran out and that would have been three years ago and I'm now wondering if I could go and ask for a new one anyway and if that would remove the fog and exhaustion.

In other words different hormonal products have very different effects on the same person and probably even more so on different people. I wish they could do some sort of analysis of what your brain and endocrine system are like to start with and prescribe based on that rather than it all being very hit or miss.

[white_hart]

Thank you - yes, some kind of personalised analysis would definitely be helpful!