Survey-Women in late 40's/early 50's

Hi sisters, I am really curious, and I know everybody's body is different, but I was wondering if anyone in my age bracket (51) would care to share how much hrt they are on. I'm guessing women who have hysts in their 30s' and 40's will need quite a bit more. I am going on 4 months post-op and was started on Climara 75 patch. The symptoms started creeping up on me and I didn't clue in for a while, but the heart palpitations and feelings of anxiousness were the worst, along with feeling down and tired, sore breasts, not sleeping, feeling wired. (wired and tired at the same time!!!) I finally got back into the doctor who cut my patch right in half, and wow, within a short time I began to feel so much better. I will see him again in a couple of months to reevaluate and he may cut me back even more.
I sure would appreciate feedback from my hystersisters.
And another question, once we have lost our ovaries, do we need at least some hrt for the rest of our lives? I understand our ovaries produce estrogen until we are 80.
Thanks, looking forward to hearing from you.
Pat

I'm a few months from my 50th birthday.

I use: Vivelle dot 0.1mg/day on the rear (so I actually get about .12mg/day); a small amount of OTC natural progesterone cream on the breasts only; 1% compounded testosterone, a pea sized blob approximately once a week; Vagifem, 3x a week; and compounded estriol vaginal cream as needed (or as remembered ).

I also take DIM (diindolylmethane) twice a day - it inhibits the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, so when I first started taking it, I had to increase my estrogen patch dosage from .075 to 0.1 and decrease my testosterone from twice a week to once a week due to symptoms of too little estrogen and too much testosterone.

I tried cutting down on my estrogen after a breast cancer diagnosis, but I couldn't tolerate that. Everyone's body is different, but based on how mine feels when I cut back, I am planning to stay on some form of HRT for the rest of my life, though I do plan to try to get down to a lower dose *some day* (not soon though!).

s,
-Linda

I'm 50 today! (It's just a number. I don't feel that age at all!) I'm on Vivelle Dot 0.1 worn on my rear, a low dose of compounded progesterone cream applied at bedtime, Vagifem twice a week, and 1% testosterone cream twice a week at most.

I haven't tried cutting back on my estrogen use. That's for one of those very distant days...maybe when I'm in my mid-50's. I'm very good about keeping up on any testing my doctor and I feel is necessary to monitor my health and so far all is good. My doctor told me I can be on hormones forever if I want, which is reassuring to me.

We'll have to keep comparing notes for the next 50 years (or more!) to see how we're all doing!

Just wanted to pop in and say Happy Birthday to you, April Dawn!!!! I hope you had a great one! You mean a lot to all of us here! ((HUGS))

A couple of days ago I was put on Bi-Identical hormons. While going through the check-list she was reading off....I answered yes to almost everything....such as, vaginal dryness, anxiety, heart palps, depression, lack of a sex drive, and so on....She took blood tests but for now put me on progest/test - 0.5/25/.5 Toche which I take twice a day under my tongue...For vaginal dryness she ordered mini estriol vag 0.48 suppositories which I use twice a week...In three months we'll review everything including blood test and make adjustments as necessary...I havent yet felt the effects...She said that everyone acts differently to them...Some feel it quickly and some take a bit longer...My sister in-law has had a lot of sucess with them...I only hope that I do also...I have battled this for the past seven years...Neither of my doctors that I have had ever explained to me what I might expect after a historectomy....I thought something was really wrong with me...I guess there really was....Lack of hormones...I just didnt feel like the same person...I dont know what it is like to feel normal...I hope this works...Sharon

I'll be 43 in one month.......have been through a slew of HRT meds. I am currently on Femring 0.10 dosage and Prometrium 200mg. The bio-identical creams did not work for me at all. I have yet to experiment with patches!
I'm also battling depression & anxiety. I tried Wellbutrin, Buspar, Prozac and now am back to Wellbutrin.

Wow, happy birthday April Dawn. I hope you celebrated your 50th in grand style - red hats, purple boas, black balloons......My friends embarrassed the heck out of me on my 50th, so I think it's only fair

Pat

I was on Vivelle patch 0.5 and it seemed to work, but when I went to see the nurse who specializes in bio-identical, she said instead of taking alittle of this and alittle of that , it was best to take something that had it all together, so that's why I take troches....Before that, actually seven years ago when I first had my hyster I was on prem. and took myself off of them because I had heard so much about them helping some forms of cancers a long....I didnt have cancer and wanted to prevent it from occuring....So, I dealt with all hot flashes and everything else that came along with it....It wasnt to bad then...I had one ovary and I guess that I was getting enough hormones that it was bearable for me....Then two years later I had the other removed and that's really when I felt the effects, but still didnt take anything...It got so bad that when I went for my check-up that I asked for something because I didnt like how I was feeling and no matter what I tried to do, just didnt feel like myself...or like myself....I was depressed, short tempered and had no desire for sex...very unusual for me, I might add....So really I'm just getting started on hormones and feel this is the safer way to go it.....I'm sure that she will have to make adjustments....I can say that I'm beginning to sleep better now....I am a smoker and that is the next battle I'm gonna undertake and I'll ask for Wellbutrin because it worked for me in the past...Maybe it will also help with my down swings as well...Men have it so easy....My husband has been very supportive I must say...I am 49. I am gonna purchase Susanne Summers book and read on what she has to say on women our age and our struggles...We are suppose to be entering into our golden years and right now, I dont see any gold infront of me.....Hope you find what works for you too...We just cant give up and try other things until we find what works...I can tell you that something is better than nothing at all....Sharon

I am 53 and had my hyst when I was 51. Doctor started me on .05 Climara in the hospital because of symptoms from the surgical menopause. The dosage was right on and I feel terrific. Hoping to stay with Climara for many more years to come.

I'm 49 and on no HRT and am doing fine. I take Zoloft to control my GI problems and it also seems to be controlling any menopause symptoms. I have an occasional heart palp or night sweat and mildly achy joints off and on (seems weather related). Otherwise I feel much better off HRT than I did on.