Straight Answers About HRT And Symptoms Of Menopause
When do you start HRT?
Usually within the first year after normal menstruation ends. Before that the body is still producing hormones naturally and the drugs may cause even more sign of menopause – which defeats the object of the hormone therapy in the first place.
7. How do you take HRT, and for how long?
To get on hormone replacement therapy you need a prescription from your doctor. There are many types and doses, and a qualified opinion is required as to which is best for you.
It is most commonly prescribed in pills or estrogen patches, although injections, creams and suppositories are also available. A vaginal estrogen ring and a gel also may gain federal approval soon, though at the time of writing, these are not yet widely available.
How long you take it depends on why you need it. You may want to use it only a couple of years to relieve 34 menopause symptoms. Or you may want to use it for the rest of your life to help protect against heart disease and osteoporosis.
8. How often do you take the HRT?
The current trend - one which most women go for - is continuous therapy. It requires taking the hormones for the entire month.
Another popular option is cyclic therapy. That {spin]requires|involves|needs you to be[/spin] taking estrogen for 3 to 4 weeks and progestins or progesterone for
2 weeks, to protect you against uterine cancer. Taking progesterone for two weeks provides better protection against uterine cancer, many doctors now believe.
9. What’s the difference between continuous and cyclic?
The majority of doctors normally prefer to prescribe cyclic programs because they are better studied and they produce about four consistent days of Weeding at the end of the progestin dose. The more consistent the body’s pattern, the easier it is to notice warning signs of cancer. But most women prefer continuous treatment because 80 percent have no bleeding after a year.