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HRT

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
L

LizG

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Type 1
Hello I am just seeking advice on whether other diabetic ladies are prescribed HRT. I am 53 and have experienced significant peri menopausal symptoms and these have worsened since entering the menopause. I also had a heart attack 15 years ago but touch wood everything is generally healthy with that at the moment. Obviously there are risks with HRT and caution is to be considered with diabetes but currently my quality of life with the menopausal symptoms is zilch. Please does anyone have any advice/experience in this matter. Many thanks.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum.
I started HRT patches after suffering for 5 years with quite severe hot flushes and I cannot believe how a tiny little clear patch can revolutionise your life... I actually cut the patches in half so that my prescription lasts twice as long because they are difficult to obtain due to a manufacturing shortage and I still get the same benefits from half a patch.
I think being prescribed them may come down to how fit and healthy you are and how much excess weight you are carrying and maybe family history. I find getting hold of them much more difficult and stressful than actually getting a doctor to prescribe them but I am reasonably fit with a normal BMI and my blood pressure is OK.

Not sure if any of that helps you. How well controlled is your diabetes? I guess that might be a factor too. Have you spoken to your GP about it? One of the reasons I asked for it in the end was that I was sometimes confusing hot flushes with hypos and it was making my diabetes management more difficult.
 
I used a gel after a hysterectomy which worked wonders and had no side effects. The patches just fell off after a couple of hours :( Once everything had settled down I gradually weaned myself off of the HRT.
 
Thank you so much ladies. I am slightly overweight and arguably my hb1Ac could be lower but the specialist nurse said it's absolutely fine. I think the way I need to look at things is there are risks with everything and it's about pros and cons but if I carry on with the menopause symptoms I will go mad.and be more poorly. Its lovely to meet with you both even if virtually !! I have been diabetic for 43 years by the way. THANKS AGAIN
 
I’ve taken HRT for over 10 years. Tablets. No one has ever suggested coming off them because of my diabetes, they wouldn’t dare! 😉
 
Hi again Liz. Please feel free to stick around. We have a great community here and someone with your diabetes experience can be a valuable asset as well as occasionally learn a thing or two..... never to old to learn something new about diabetes!
Are you on a pump or MDI? Do you have Freestyle Libre?

I don't think there is much harm in trying HRT if you can get your hands on some, as long as your surgery monitors your BP regularly. I had to try several different prescriptions and ring around various pharmacies before I could lay hands on some and then I got a portion of my script plus an IOU for the rest.
One of the things that I found I hadn't really associated with menopause was needing to have a pit stop through the night. Now I sleep soundly all night long with no hot flushes and no trips to the loo. A good night's sleep is utter bliss!
 
Hi @LizG welcome to the forum - I can see you've had some helpful feedback already. Hopefully some reassurance that you can regain the quality of life you are used to without too much disruption diabetes-wise.
Do keep us posted on what you decide and how it goes. 🙂
 
rebrascora said:
Hi again Liz. Please feel free to stick around. We have a great community here and someone with your diabetes experience can be a valuable asset as well as occasionally learn a thing or two..... never to old to learn something new about diabetes!
Are you on a pump or MDI? Do you have Freestyle Libre?

I don't think there is much harm in trying HRT if you can get your hands on some, as long as your surgery monitors your BP regularly. I had to try several different prescriptions and ring around various pharmacies before I could lay hands on some and then I got a portion of my script plus an IOU for the rest.
One of the things that I found I hadn't really associated with menopause was needing to have a pit stop through the night. Now I sleep soundly all night long with no hot flushes and no trips to the loo. A good night's sleep is utter bliss!
Click to expand...
It's a mine field I have discovered this whole menopause thing and it is affected by the diabetes or vice versa and yes the need to go to the bathroom during the night and the sweats
I have been on a pump now for 5 years and it is much better (not perfect) I had a free trial of the libre cgm for 2 weeks but cannot afford to pay for continual use unfortunately.
 
LucyDUK said:
Hi @LizG welcome to the forum - I can see you've had some helpful feedback already. Hopefully some reassurance that you can regain the quality of life you are used to without too much disruption diabetes-wise.
Do keep us posted on what you decide and how it goes. 🙂
Click to expand...
Thank you
 
I've been on femoston tablets for a year and feel better for it.
 
I take femoston conti tablets. I was originally on patches but they fell off and didn’t work as well. Been on tablets for about 5 years after a quite young age hysterectomy. Consultant said probably need them, or a version of, for 15-20 years as I was young.
As @eggyg says - try taking them off me ! 😡🙂
 
I woke up after my hysterectomy with the first lot of hormone implants already in situ - my lady gynaecologist said she may as well, while I'd already got an open incision! and I continued having implants for about 5 years then moved to Coventry where I was told I couldn't have them (wasn't until about 10 years later I discovered that that particular GP didn't hold with all sorts of female ailments, won't prescribe the morning after pill, or recommend abortions etc ....) and then took tablets for another however long - my latish 50s. I did then have a few hot flushes coming off them, but nothing ridiculous but did need to sit in my bra or less some times for a number of evenings at home for a few months thereafter , not like my beloved was going to complain!
 
Bexlee said:
I take femoston conti tablets. I was originally on patches but they fell off and didn’t work as well. Been on tablets for about 5 years after a quite young age hysterectomy. Consultant said probably need them, or a version of, for 15-20 years as I was young.
As @eggyg says - try taking them off me ! 😡🙂
Click to expand...
From the kind responses I am getting from all you ladies it seems like you have all benefited to some extent from taking HRT I am finding this very helpful and reassuring thank you
 
trophywench said:
I woke up after my hysterectomy with the first lot of hormone implants already in situ - my lady gynaecologist said she may as well, while I'd already got an open incision! and I continued having implants for about 5 years then moved to Coventry where I was told I couldn't have them (wasn't until about 10 years later I discovered that that particular GP didn't hold with all sorts of female ailments, won't prescribe the morning after pill, or recommend abortions etc ....) and then took tablets for another however long - my latish 50s. I did then have a few hot flushes coming off them, but nothing ridiculous but did need to sit in my bra or less some times for a number of evenings at home for a few months thereafter , not like my beloved was going to complain!
Click to expand...
I find some doctors quite difficult !! Thankyou for your reply it's helpful to have feedback and I am sure your beloved liked you sitting around in your next to nothing shame for him perhaps that it was due to hot flushes and not him maybe??
 
find some doctors quite difficult !! Thankyou for your reply it's helpful to have feedback and I am sure your beloved liked you sitting around in your next to nothing shame for him perhaps that it was due to hot flushes and not him maybe??
 
LizG said:
I find some doctors quite difficult !! Thankyou for your reply it's helpful to have feedback and I am sure your beloved liked you sitting around in your next to nothing shame for him perhaps that it was due to hot flushes and not him maybe??
Click to expand...

He was never that picky, satisfied that I did it - he's just been wearing a pair of underpants all day, I do have a pair of pants & trousers on cos it's easier to have a pocket with an insulin pump, but my top half has been nekkid all day too. Don't think any of the birds that fly past our patio window into the back garden give a stuff !
 
A T1 (ex) nurse I know did some work around this, and tried to raise the profile and improve the conversation about the menopause and T1 a few years back - this blog might make interesting reading

anniecoops.com

This domain may be for sale!
anniecoops.com
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
A T1 (ex) nurse I know did some work around this, and tried to raise the profile and improve the conversation about the menopause and T1 a few years back - this blog might make interesting reading

anniecoops.com

This domain may be for sale!
anniecoops.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for that Mike. I can relate to all that. The memory thing especially. The sweaty nights, is it a hypo or night sweats? Just be glad you’re a man! 😉
 
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