HRT? Does anybody use it?

I went off HRT about four years ago (maybe a little longer now) and I think I'm going to start back up again. I haven't really felt well since I stopped taking them, I feel like I've aged ten years since I stopped, I'm way too tired, I hurt more than I should, I'm getting wrinkly, and my hair is really thinning. When I stopped taking them, my doctor told me right out that he wasn't happy about it and that if I wanted to start them again, I could. At any age. I think I'm going to. I don't get hot flashes or anything like that; I never did. Ever. I keep telling Rick....I don't feel bad; I just don't feel good. My family doctor did the blood work at the beginning of January; everything is normal, no thyroid issues, nothing. My bad cholesterol is borderline. Had the EKG, had a stress test. Everything is fine. Yet, my hair is thinning drastically, almost falling out.

I had a total hysterectomy at 24 due to severe endometriosis. Not a big deal as I had had my tubes tied at 19; ironically, I had to switch doctors to get my tubes tied because my original doctor thought I was too young to make that decision and that my husband might want children. It was never his decision as I was the one in pain most of the time and I was the one who was emphatic that I would bear no more children. I changed doctors, had the tubal ligation, and then at 24, had the hysterectomy. I've never been sorry. I started taking Premarin right away and continued that path for about ten years or so. After my third aunt underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer, I went off Premarin. But then I started taking the bio-identical hormones (I can't think of the technical term right off-hand) and took them up until about 4 years ago (or so, around in there). After my own scare with breast cancer, I stopped taking them. And I've been sorry pretty much ever since.

The bio-identical hormones are a combination of progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen. It's a compound drug, done at a compounding pharmacy that specializes in meds like this. They are expensive, but my insurance covers them, so I pay only a co-pay of $20. They do blood work every year to make sure things are OK, the mammograms are done, I see my doctor every year, etc. 

Anybody take HRT? I'm not talking about Premarin; it's not the same thing as the bio-identical hormones. 

I'm going to call my OB-GYN this morning to set up an appointment.

ETA: I called my doctor and have an appt for the beginning of March.

I'll tell you, I was afraid to use HRT because of a large history of cancer in my immediate family. I'll be interested to hear how this goes for you. 

I'm only 1-1/2 years out of menopause (I'll be 58 in May) and the worst of it is over thankfully. I also never hot flashes in the daytime, although I would get night sweats.   My biggest problem was intense itching, only at night.  The doctor gave me Premarin and I hated it.  So, I just dealt with it.  At my last check up I decided to try again and had the same reaction.  Oh yes and weight gain. And like you too, I don't feel awful, but I just don't feel right.  I don't have any other underlying medical problems other than arthritis in my very bad knees.

I'd really like to feel like "myself" again. I don't mind getting older, but I do mind my nails falling apart and the creapy neck I suddenly am starting to see 

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I can relate to some of the things you mentioned but when I went into peri-menopause I had terrible hot flashes.  i thought my body was on fire from the inside out.  I also experienced similar side effects, e.g. hair thinning and wrinkles but not that much loss of energy.  However, I had a long discussion with my gynecologist and she was not in favor of HRT.  http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/in-depth/hormone-therapy/art-20046372

It's a personal decision and only one you can make for yourself. I was lucky to have thick hair before so even though my hair did thin out no one besides me really notices it.  As for wrinkly skin, I keep active, watch my weight, became vegetarian and exercise.  Everyone has to do what's best for them and if you feel HRT is right for you then that's between you and your gyne.  Good luck, hope you feel better soon.    

Winchester Has your doctor checked your thyroid? A thyroid problem can cause thinning of the hair.

I've never taken HRT, but it sounds to me like it's thrown you into sudden menopause. A lot of the changes you've noticed happen to women that go through routine menopause, but to you, it's happened very quickly. My hair has thinned and I've acquired more wrinkles, but my mother blessed me with good skin, and it's only recently that I've had noticeable wrinkles. The lethargy and fatigue you mention could just be normal ageing, but if you want to take the HRT again, maybe you will feel better.

blueyedgirl5946 said:

@Winchester Has your doctor checked your thyroid? A thyroid problem can cause thinning of the hair.

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At the beginning of January, my family doctor did blood work that included thyroid; it was the first thing he looked for.....it's perfect. Right where it should be. Everything was perfect, other than my bad cholesterol, which was right on the border....I'm not going to worry about that. He wants me to go on statins and I'm not going there. Not for borderline. He also did a "pull test" where he grabbed a handful of hair and pulled.....very little hair came out. Yet, there's hair in the bathtub, so there's some serious loss. It's coming out and it's breaking.

I was talking to the stylist who colors my hair. It's been an ongoing problem for a while now, but on Monday, she really noticed it. There are some real thin spots. My hair has no protein; it snaps apart. Part of it is the way I (don't) eat, constantly dieting, constantly watching my weight. (I think my doctor needs to realize that even if I'm ten pounds heavier than he wants me to be, I exercise. And that should count for something. For the most part, I can stay at 140 pounds, but it is a true struggle for me, even though I walk 5-6 miles a day! I mean, that should count for something.) Part of it is probably stress. I really need to figure out how to calm down. But she also said that where my hair is actually thinning out; those spots are known to be hormonal. She told me to call my doctor right away; he's actually her doctor, too. 

She had some severe stress problems a couple years ago; hers was so bad she had to go into the hospital til they could keep her from climbing the ceiling....she was in bad shape, just because of the way she dealt with her stress. And her hair was just falling out in clumps. She started seeing a therapist, started to calm down, started to try to eat better, and her hair did come back. So she's kinda been there. And she's in her early thirties.

It blows her mind that I am having such bad hair problems and yet? My nails are gorgeous. Sorry, I know that's bragging. But my nails are just gorgeous. Long and shapely, no ridges. I am constantly having to cut them back or they turn into claws quickly. Go figure. How can you have nice nails and no hair? It just doesn't make any sense. I take 5,000 mcg of biotin every day and have been for about two years now.

I am scared to death of breast cancer; it runs rampant in my family, on both my paternal and my maternal sides, so the risk is there. But I am vain enough that I need to do something. I'm going to be bald if this keeps up. The bio-Identical hormones pose less of a risk than does Premarin, which was why I was taking them before. 

My sister's hair is perfect, still thick, like mine used to be. She's 18 months younger than me and is just now starting to go through menopause. She is not taking hormones. Mom had her hair; it was still thick. Mom died at 83 and her hair was just starting to go white. The men in the family lost their hair early; my brother started shaving his head when he was in his 40s, I think.....what hair he had at that point. Our son probably has less hair than Rick does and he'll be 46. 

I'm stressing out now about stressing out and I'm really stressing out about my hair. Rick told me to do whatever I needed to do. 

Thanks for your help, everybody. It is appreciated. Like I said, I have the doctor appt. We'll see what he says. 

Have you been on prednisone or something similar in the last few months? I've had an issue with prednisone before where a few months after taking it my hair starts thinning.

HRT got a bad rap a couple of decades ago, IIRC. My internist, who also did ob/gyn, originally wanted me on it, but then changed her mind. No doctor since has ever suggested it.

I just turned 66. My hair has definitely thinned (not colored it for decades), but I don't care. If it bothered me, I would buy the best wig I could. These days, you can't tell the difference.

AbbysMom said:

Have you been on prednisone or something similar in the last few months? I've had an issue with prednisone before where a few months after taking it my hair starts thinning.

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Oh wow. I completely forgot about that. I was on Prednisone back around the end of May, but only for about a week. Back when I had that issue with sciatica and I had to do PT for about two weeks. But it was only for a week; would a week do that much damage, do you think? It was a really small dose of Prednisone because I was so worried about side effects.

Primula said:

HRT got a bad rap a couple of decades ago, IIRC. My internist, who also did ob/gyn, originally wanted me on it, but then changed her mind. No doctor since has ever suggested it.

I just turned 66. My hair has definitely thinned (not colored it for decades), but I don't care. If it bothered me, I would buy the best wig I could. These days, you can't tell the difference.

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HRT / Premarin did get a bad rap about the link with breast cancer.  A lot of women stopped taking it at that time. Supposedly the bio-Identicals aren't as bad as Premarin. I need to ask my doctor about them. 

Winchester said:

Oh wow. I completely forgot about that. I was on Prednisone back around the end of May, but only for about a week. Back when I had that issue with sciatica and I had to do PT for about two weeks. But it was only for a week; would a week do that much damage, do you think? It was a really small dose of Prednisone because I was so worried about side effects.

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I don't remember the dose I was on because it has been years, but the last two times I took it, I had an issue months later. After the first time, I ended up at the dermatologist and briefly was on Rogaine. Like you, I have thick hair, so it wasn't really noticeable, but it was to me. After the second time I finally figured out it was the prednisone. I avoid it now.

I don't have any experience with HRT.  

I did, however, go through a couple very stressful years a while back and I had both weight loss (no time to eat properly) and hair coming out whenever I'd pull my fingers through my hair.  Once the stress settled down, I began eating better and my weight and hair went back to normal. 

Good luck with whatever you decide. And hope you feel like yourself again soon.

AbbysMom said:

I don't remember the dose I was on because it has been years, but the last two times I took it, I had an issue months later. After the first time, I ended up at the dermatologist and briefly was on Rogaine. Like you, I have thick hair, so it wasn't really noticeable, but it was to me. After the second time I finally figured out it was the prednisone. I avoid it now.

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My hair has always been really thick, but I noticed during the last year that it seemed to be thinning. When I mentioned it to my stylist, she said, "Maybe a little, but if you lose some hair, it just won't be as thick. But it will be OK." On Monday, she looked at my hair and said, "Dear god, woman!" That's how bad it is.

I am using Nioxin, have been now for about two months. There has been no change. If after I talk to my doctor, I don't do the hormones, then I will try Rogaine. If that doesn't work, well, there's always the Hair Club, I guess! "I'm not just the President; I'm a client!" 

rubysmama said:

 
I don't have any experience with HRT.  

I did, however, go through a couple very stressful years a while back and I had both weight loss (no time to eat properly) and hair coming out whenever I'd pull my fingers through my hair.  Once the stress settled down, I began eating better and my weight and hair went back to normal. 

Good luck with whatever you decide. And hope you feel like yourself again soon.

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I'm worried that because of my age, my hair won't return to normal, once we find out what's going on. My stylist really thinks it will, but we need to find out what's causing it to begin with. 

I have started eating more protein and actually recording how much protein I eat so I know where I stand. Nuts, tuna, Greek yogurt, more beans, more salmon, etc. 3 hard-boiled eggs a week, I cook them on Sunday night and peel them. Bring one into work Mon, Wed, and Fri, along with an ounce of lower-fat cheese. I make my oatmeal with skim milk to get some protein, too. More dark green veggies, more orange veggies, more red beets. 

My son said he didn't think I was eating enough fat, so I've purposely started to add good fats in the way of cheese, the eggs, more extra virgin olive oil, etc. He also mentioned iron, but the blood work does not show any anemia.

I'm going to be as big as a barn!   And if it makes my bad cholesterol worse, I'm really going to be.....peeved. How old do you have to be before you can stop worrying about your stupid weight??? My MIL is 95 and she still gets upset if she gains a pound during her monthly weight-in session.

Thanks guys!

Pam, I am a vegetarian so I'm always worrying about protein. Frozen yogurt is also a delicious source of protein. I have a boiled egg every day. I will have to see if that is affecting my cholesterol at my physical this year. I had banned egg yolks for years, but have been eating them now for almost a year. I have to take Simvastatin every day because I make my own cholesterol, unfortunately. I absolutely hate fat.

Here's a link to the fat content of nuts, which is useful.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-nuts

Do you like soy & tofu? Great protein sources. You can buy a block of tofu & cube it into kind of soup, chili, stew, etc. Other protein sources you did not mention are cottage cheese, peanut butter, & rice.

@Primula, thanks for the info! It's quite interesting. We tend to have pecans on hand all the time as we buy 10 16-ounce bags of pecan halves from one of Rick's co-workers (she sells them as a fundraiser for her club) every November and then I store them in freezer bags and toss them in the freezer. We use pecans in salads and in main dishes. I will often just grab a handful and munch that way. Sometimes, I'll sugar them, which adds calories, I know. But sugared pecans are delicious around the holidays.

We also eat cashews quite a bit. I'll walk out to our natural food store to buy a pound of cashews for Rick. He just loves them. And we buy almonds from Trader Joe's. Now, I do use them in almond brittle around the holidays, but almonds freeze well, too, so sometimes I'll just grab a few and eat them that way.

I'll also take a few pecan halves, some almonds, some cashews, and throw in some peanuts and I'll make a batch of spiced nuts, usually when we have game night with friends or when Rick's mom comes to dinner. She loves them.

I took Prednisone for about a week many years ago. The PDR book said that it can stay in your system for 2 years (?), and that should you alert any medical care practitioners (doctor, dentist, etc) .
if you took it recently. Now, this was many, many years ago, and this warning may have changed, so you may want to look into it.

MargeCat said:

 
I took Prednisone for about a week many years ago. The PDR book said that it can stay in your system for 2 years (?), and that should you alert any medical care practitioners (doctor, dentist, etc) .
if you took it recently. Now, this was many, many years ago, and this warning may have changed, so you may want to look into it.

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Thanks Barbara. I will tell my OBGYN. Two years?? Holy cow!

FWIW, I have noticed that, while the hair loss is continuing, it is much less than it was. Almost normal as I do expect to lose some hair when washing, etc. This morning, I think I found three hairs in my pick that I used to pick out my hair. And I've also noticed that my hair isn't as tangly as it was, which will help with the hair breaking. There was still some hair in the drain, but nothing like I had been experiencing. My stylist had given me a good protein treatment when she did my hair and then gave me a bottle of the treatment to use and I've been using with faithfully with the Nioxin.

Either it's helping or maybe my hair is getting back to normal. But it needs to start coming in again. 

Winchester said:

 My stylist had given me a good protein treatment when she did my hair and then gave me a bottle of the treatment to use and I've been using with faithfully with the Nioxin.

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Interesting, 2 different stylists told me to use Nioxin too.  I don't really know if it helps but I figure it can't hurt.

Neely said:

 
Interesting, 2 different stylists told me to use Nioxin too.  I don't really know if it helps but I figure it can't hurt.

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It's expensive, at least I think it is. I bought it when Ulta had their Buy 2, Get 1 Free sale. Cleanser, Treatment/Conditioner, and then the Scalp Treatment.

Winchester said:

 
It's expensive, at least I think it is. I bought it when Ulta had their Buy 2, Get 1 Free sale. Cleanser, Treatment/Conditioner, and then the Scalp Treatment.

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OMG, me too!  I shop at Ultra and used a 20% your entire purchase coupon, (I love those).   But I only buy the shampoo and conditioner.

Do you save your points up til the end of the year? I try to. Between getting my hair colored there every month and then buying things (I buy nail stuff there sometimes, too, as well as hair care), the points add up after a while.

Rick says the older I get, the more high maintenance I get. I remember when I used to use Jhirmack EFA shampoo and conditioner. Now it's Nioxin and Redken Extreme. I buy enough to see me through til the next good Ulta sale.