Experiences going off hormones?

I had my hysterectomy/bso on March 15th. I started on the vivelle dot, but soon had a massive migraine. I removed the patch immediately and the headache subsided. After a week of no hormones I am feeling fine. Calmer than I have in ages and only a few hot flashes/night sweats. My doctor is not inclined to prescribe anything unless my symptoms worsen. I have had a low grade headache for the past few days, but walking seems to help...go figure.

I'm wondering if anyone else out there has managed to go off all hormones so soon and stay off sucessfully and happily.

They put me on a Climera patch in the OR. I weaned myself off of it after 8 weeks. During the 8 weeks, I had terrible headaches and could not sleep. I felt great for the 1st 2 weeks or so after I went completely off, then I broke out in a rash...then the hot flashes came w/a vengence.

I am taking a slew of vitamins and using natural progesterone cream. After 6 months, I can say that I feel a heck of a whole lot better. The headaches and insomnia went away immediately and the hot flashes now are manageable and going away.

It's definately getting better. I go for my yearly checkup next Friday....I can't wait to tell him I've been w/out hormones....

Arm yourself w/information...that's what I did. I read every book there was on menopause and natural hormones.

Its truly a jungle...

I used climera and the estrace for some months after my surgery and then gradually weaned myself off.

I found the "weaning" process to be worse than being off hormones. I did use remifemin for a while, but found it was too expensive and that my hot flashes weren't so bad after all.

While I was exiting hormones, I found the hot flashes and mild migraines to be worse than after I was hormone free for a few months. I've heard that it is the fluctuations in hormones that cause some of these problems.

Do make sure you get a bone density scan and talk with your doc about options for preventing osteoporosis

Dorrie

I'm sorry...I came off HRT a year over a year ago and at first everything was fine. A year later saw a different picture - and am now back on the oestrogen patch and feeling an awful lot better.

I had my total hysterectomy on march 17th of this year. I can't go on hrt at all due to a pulmonary embolism that almost killed me after surgery. The PE happened after I was home recouping from the surgery. So I ended back in the hospital for a week on blood thinners. I also had a gallbladder removal at the same time and the surgeries took a lot out of me. Physically and emotionally. I'm still on pain meds and also taking Coumadin to thin my blood. Doctor says I'll be on that for at least a year. After my surgery, I had crying jags which have lessened. Now I'm dealing with the hot flashes and night sweats. I've started on Estroven and I'm hoping things get in order before the heat of Summer hits. When I was still having periods, the PMS was something horrible; thank God I've got an understanding husband and friends and I haven't had any moodiness like the PMS at all.

I honestly feel by all of the reading that I've done and I know I've got a lot more to learn from all of you gals that synthetic hormones are not the answer. Like a lot of you have said, our mothers and grandmothers didn't have them and they survived. This is just my opinion of course.

There is another thread about joint and muscle pain that possibly goes along with all of this. I feel bad for you gals that aren't used to having that sort of thing. It's very hard to deal with all of the pain. I've had chronic back and neck pain along with fibromyalgia for over 20 years now so pain is part of my life. I just hope I can get used to the heat. That's what is going to kill me. Thanks for listening and good luck to you all.