Trying HRT - Oprah's Menopause Special
Attention ladies in peri/menopause!
I have decided to start writing more “stuff of life” columns - and today’s is a biggie - filled with personal stuff on a new level, even for me. HA. Brace yourself…
With Oprah’s Hulu special that just came out last night, I thought I would share the very beginning stages of my own HRT journey… Who else is out there doing it successfully?
My first major hot flash hit me at an Airbnb in upstate New York surrounded by friends - and young women who were flush with estrogen. There we were eating pizza when, suddenly, my shirt seared to my chest, my ponytail dripped sweat and my forehead returned the light of the cheap chandelier.
I was 47 and sure I was far too young for this. So I excused myself and bolted to the great outdoors to check if I was dying. I sat on the front deck in a lovely little neighborhood watching the evening roll by, taking in the cold (hot) facts. This perimenopause stuff was not actually happening to me, was it?! I was not old like those other ladies! Not me! Never me! Least of all me!
Oh yes, me, I realized, as I continued to sizzle in the quiet of the cool night.
Now, here I am, 3 years later, and other symptoms have arrived… fatigue, dry skin, low energy, brain fog, insomnia… And DOWN UNDER changes, too. I can’t even say the word because I have two adult sons who will SCREECH if they so much as read a word of this. But it’s true. I realized a few months ago - with a start - that things were indeed changing down there. The ol’ girl was drying up.
I was sure, at first, that I was imagining it. But things felt uncomfortable - and it took longer to organize and execute what used to be an easy song and dance. I blamed screen time and stress and life being busy - but even with all those things addressed in some way - still, it was different.
Can I really confess this all in writing? Seems too far. But what if I can help some other 50 year old who can’t figure out where her bandmates have gone?
So. I mentioned my symptoms to a Nurse Practitioner who also happened to specialize in hormone replacement - and she knew immediately it was perimenopause. I was taken aback. I was sure it was SOMETHING ELSE… but she pointed out that I was “of that age” and should consider HRT - and the kicker - it would make me feel amazing.
I’d always heard that HRT was dangerous - not “amazing”? I had to know more.
I immediately went into research mode. I read books, watched YouTube videos and talked with my friends. And - hold the (lube), ladies - I found out that it was safer than I knew - and prevalent. And when my bloodwork showed that I was approaching the last eggs in my Easter basket, I decided it was time to try HRT.
My NP prescribed 3 things to start (all low doses, with a recheck in 6 weeks):
One.
Estradiol cream - applied twice a week to the lady parts to help with dryness and - what a word - atrophy. I died a little (more) inside to see that on my health write up.
However, in 3 weeks, I felt a difference. In 4 weeks, Tim felt a difference. It was wild. The slow march of time almost went unnoticed - but the quick reversal? WE ARE BOTH WELL AWARE OF. This has easily been the most fun thing to have happened to me (us) in a while!
(Many women use estrogen patches after menopause but right now, I just use the cream, because I still have cycles and some estrogen rolling around inside this temple of a bod.)
Two.
Progesterone. She called this hormone “the lawnmower” - it keeps the uterine lining under control / not too thick, which is a concern with any kind of estrogen. Progesterone helps with two things - better sleep and lighter cycles. And this month was MUCH easier. I was DELIGHTED. I am only a month into this, though, so I know it’s too soon to tell how this will balance out. But, so far, so good. ( I am still having cycles, so she prescribed it 2 weeks out of the month so I would still have my periods.)
AND - did I mention I AM SLEEPING?!? Praise the Good Lord and John Deere Green.
Three.
Testosterone. Did you EVEN KNOW that women also have testosterone and it declines with age? ME NEITHER. And it helps with drive… yes that kind of drive… motivation, mood, muscle mass and less brain fog. I want all of those things like the hot (flash)-blooded woman I am.
My bloodwork showed that my testosterone was down to 3 (units of what, I am not sure - my education continues). She said most women feel awesome - at 200!!! Using testosterone cream is where most women start. There are injections and pellets you can have inserted, but I am not ready for that yet.
For now, I put on T cream every morning - applied to thin skin like underarms, inner thigh, lower belly, and behind the knees. I DO feel like the cream is helping. Like instead of wanting to kill Tim for not picking up his plate, I find him rather CUTE not picking up his plate. This is a vast improvement over my attitude a mere 6 weeks ago.
Ahem.
Happy hormones, happy home, as they say.
The research
I don’t want to come off as an expert on this topic. I just want to share my journey as I dip my toe in it! My mother’s generation lived in absolute fear of HRT - but I encourage you to do your own research and talk to your doctor.
HRT has now turned to BHRT - bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which is considered safer. This means prescriptions are made at compounding pharmacies, but, unfortunately, insurance often won’t cover them. There are still synthetic options that insurance might cover, fyi. Seeking care with a functional doctor may help you source bioidentical choices.
The stigma around HRT started years ago after a study came out saying that HRT caused breast cancer - but you will find that the study has since been reinterpreted/debunked. But that one study misled an entire generation of women - our mothers!
Here’s the thing that really made me think - current research shows that keeping your body “younger” by keeping your hormone levels like they were at a younger age helps protect women against heart disease, osteoporosis, dementia and - yes - even some cancers.
Research is showing that hormones can delay some of that aging - and that balanced hormones gives you motivation and drive to KEEP living and doing things like a youngster (like mountain bike races!). Doesn’t that sound delish?
And when I heard a podcast that pointed out that most cancer happens in menopause - it hit me hard. What if my mother (who I lost to breast cancer), had not been misled? Would she have tried HRT and lived longer and healthier?
What if she just FELT better in her 59 years? What if at 50 she didn’t have to suffer all the symptoms like fatigue and brain fog? What if the cancer didn’t come back because her organs stayed healthier? What if she stayed healthier because she felt like walking every day with her best friend up the road? What if???
SO many women of her generation never even considered HRT. But now - NOW! - we have more choices, more data (another generation’s worth) and more support.
Women of our generation are realizing that we don’t have to “live with it,” and we can actually prolong our youthfulness, our drive and - lol our marriages - as we go through perimenopause and eventually menopause.
The celebs & docs
I am only 6 weeks into this. Will I keep going? Time will tell. My check-up is next week. But, for now, I am excited to think of the possibilities and have been working to educate myself. I think that Oprah’s “The Menopause Revolution” on Hulu is coming out now because so many celebrities in my generation are reaching peri/menopause - Mel Robbins and Halle Berry - for example - and have a platform to educate women about TODAY’s choices. I know this isn’t for everyone, and I know your research will convince you one way or another - it’s a personal decision.
But if you do look into it, consider finding a provider who will prescribe the bioidentical hormones (from compounding pharmacies like Thompson Pharmacy here in TC) and is specifically trained in BHRT. Your regular doc or OB/GYN may not be well-versed in hormones or up on the latest research - which is ok. Get their opinion, but also keep asking around and get advice from others who are in the field and focusing on the newest in menopause health.
And don’t be afraid to ask for HRT advice at a younger age. I am 50, but peri can start in your late 30s/40s. Could I have started earlier? I’ve missed more than one pizza dinner over this.
Key changes
All in all - some key changes that I have seen so far:
No scuttling out of dinner parties that have turned into wet t-shirt contests.
Befriending Tim even when he doesn’t load the dishwasher.
Tim is, in direct relation to every dollop of HRT, happier.
Sleeping better. This has translated to more energy and random outings like sunset at Empire with him on a whim (as pictured).
Less brain fog - I call the kids and dogs by their correct names more often now - I think.
And, best of all, the band is back in (down) town.
So. That’s the latest from Michigan Girl… TMI or FYI, you decide! 🤣