How do you know when HRT is working?

It may take a few weeks to feel the effects of treatment and there may be some side effects at first. A GP will usually recommend trying treatment for 3 months to see if it helps. If it does not, they may suggest changing your dose, or changing the type of HRT you're taking.

How should HRT make you feel?

When starting HRT, it's very common to experience some initial side effects or start-up symptoms such as breast tenderness or breast size increase. Some women describe slight nausea, headaches or abdominal bloating. Light erratic bleeding is also quite usual.

How long before you notice the effects of HRT?

It usually takes a few weeks before you feel the benefits of HRT. It can take up to 3 months to feel the full effects. If you have not felt the benefit of HRT after 4 to 6 months, it may help to try a different type. It can take your body time to get used to HRT.

What symptoms does HRT improve?

The main benefit of HRT is that it can help relieve most menopause and perimenopause symptoms, including hot flushes, brain fog, joint pains, mood swings and vaginal dryness. Hot flushes or night sweats often improve within a few weeks.

How does HRT make you feel at first?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is medicine used to treat the symptoms of the menopause. It is common to have side effects in the first few months of taking HRT. These usually settle on their own within 6 to 8 weeks. Side effects include weight gain, irregular bleeding, feeling sick (nausea) and skin irritation.

Can HRT make you feel worse? How to tell if your hormone replacement therapy isn’t working

Does HRT give you energy?

In very real ways, using HRT to address symptoms of hormonal change can help you feel younger. It can give you more energy, elevate mood, and increase sex drive. It can make sex more comfortable and improve sleep in both men and women.

Can you feel worse on HRT before you feel better?

HRT does come with certain side effects, which tend to be most pronounced in the first few weeks and months of use. If you are unlucky, you may even find that HRT can make you feel worse before you feel better.

Does HRT lift your mood?

Taking the right type of oestrogen can really help improve this low mood and other symptoms related to the menopause. Many women find that they feel calmer, have more energy, are more motivated and generally much happier when they take HRT.

Does HRT increase belly fat?

HRT does not cause weight gain. Side effects of HRT may feel like it but the reality is that bodies change in midlife. In fact, many women lose weight and feel considerably fitter on HRT.

Does HRT make you look younger?

By restoring youthful hormone levels, HRT can help to improve your appearance and make you look and feel younger. In addition, therapy can also help reduce the risk of age-related diseases such as osteoporosis and heart disease. As a result, it can provide a wide range of benefits for older adults.

Do you lose weight on HRT?

Many women actually find that they lose weight by using HRT as it shifts the metabolism back into a pre-menopausal metabolic state. Progesterone can sometimes cause fluid retention which can mimic weight gain, but there are alterations that can be made to the regime to minimise this impact.

Do you gain weight on HRT?

Many women believe that taking HRT will make them put on weight, but there's no evidence to support this claim. You may gain some weight during the menopause, but this often happens regardless of whether you take HRT. Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet should help you to lose any unwanted weight.

How do I know if my HRT is too low?

"A return of night sweats, flushes, not sleeping and so on is very indicative that your hormones are not quite in balance. I recommend all my patients have a blood test once a year as part of an annual review to see where their oestrogen is at and whether an HRT adjustment is required."

Does HRT help with hormonal belly?

A recent study of postmenopausal women, ages 50 to 80, found that those who took hormones had significantly lower levels of belly fat than women who did not take hormones.

Is it harder to lose weight on HRT?

While menopause may lead to weight gain due to changes in your metabolism, there's no evidence that HRT affects your weight.

How do I get rid of my menopausal apron belly?

It's impossible to spot treat an apron belly. The only ways to reduce one are through overall weight reduction and surgical/non-surgical options.

Is HRT good for anxiety?

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

If your mood changes are related to the perimenopause and menopause, evidence indicates that HRT is better at improving your mood and anxiety than antidepressants.

Does HRT help with sleep?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Systemic HRT can improve sleep quality, making it easier to get off to sleep, with less night-time waking; it has also been shown to improve chronic pain, mood and genitourinary symptoms. A 2017 study also demonstrated an improvement in hot flushes and night sweats.

Does HRT lift brain fog?

Fortunately, the right type and dose of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (with testosterone for those who need it) can improve brain fog and help you think more clearly.

Why do I feel sad on HRT?

“When women are on conventional HRT, which contains a synthetic progestogen, it can cause mood changes, high cholesterol and depression”, says Dr Jan Toledano of The London Hormone Clinic.

What is the best HRT to take?

So in summary, the safest types of HRT are the oestrogen applied through the skin as a patch, gel or spray with body identical micronised progesterone. Many women also benefit from testosterone, which may help if you're forgetful or having trouble concentrating at work.

How do I know if my HRT estrogen is too high?

How do you know if you are taking too much estrogen HRT?

Summary. High estrogen levels can cause symptoms such as irregular or heavy periods, weight gain, fatigue, and fibroids in females. In males, they can cause breast tissue growth, difficulty getting or maintaining an erection, and infertility.

Does vitamin D increase estrogen?

A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.

Does taking HRT reduce belly fat?

A new study of more than 1,000 postmenopausal women, ages 50 to 80, found that those who were currently taking hormones had significantly lower levels of tummy fat than women who had never used them.