Yes I hear you re the feeling sad even if you don’t want to pursue it.
Just to add tho that modern transdermal HRT doesn’t cause breast cancer (it’s a natural hormone that is being replaced, like insulin and it’s body identical) and there’s no limit either in how long you can take it. Again think of insulin - no one says oh you need to come off insulin because you’ve been on it a few years now.
I can’t help feeling they wouldn’t be saying it to men…
This thread was started as a vent from someone who was feeling sad about hearing stuff about HRT so I think you should ask yourself if posting on this particular thread is either kind or considerate as you are one of the people who have sparked the need for it. You could start your own thread which people could choose to read or not.
The fact that you’re comparing HRT to insulin shows that you don’t know what you don’t know and there’s no point anyone trying to explain it to you because you sound like you’re just regurgitating what you have read.
I am posting on two threads on here so hadn’t noticed this is the other one.
I use the insulin reference as that is the example Dr Louise Newson uses to bring home the fact that this is only about replacing depleted hormones and also to point out that so many women are gaslit into being told they can’t have HRT after hormone positive breast cancer and I think it’s important that they know it’s about personal choice.
That is what I meant about regurgitating ideas because it’s an absurd comparison and it’s misleading. Nobody ever fell into a coma simply because they didn’t take HRT but it can and unfortunately occasionally does happen to people with too much or not enough / no Insulin in their systems. As a Doctor she should know better than to make that comparison and you might want to consider if she is really credible before repeating her views .
I think there needs to be discussion about the risks/benefits of HRT for breast cancer survivors. However I couldn’t take any doctor seriously who suggests HRT doesn’t present a risk for those with hormone receptor positive cancer! It doesn’t matter that’s it’s bio identical. Any amount of oestrogen in the body is a risk factor. Sadly for me this means a medical menopause (induced with injections) as I’m under 50. Obviously there are risks to treatment as well as oestrogen provides certain benefits. It’s a balancing act.
In the interests of full disclosure, I am considering whether to continue the ovary suppression as the I’m not sure the side effects are worth the potential benefit. However it would be foolish to think that this would be risk free.
I didn’t suggest anyone ever fell into a coma from not having oestrogen but then I don’t use hyperbole for effect and I’m not rude either.
Dr Louise Newson is an eminent menopause specialist. Ok I get you don’t want to take HRT but as @greenqueen says it’s perfectly valid to discuss risks and benefits of taking it after breast cancer and women shouldn’t be gaslit into being told they “can’t” have it
Bio identical hormones aren’t licensed in the UK. Body identical hormones are however, just for clarity.
For anyone wanting to read more on the subject I’d read Oestrogen Matters by Avrum Bluming. There are also a number of podcasts with Dani Binington, Dr Tina Peers and Professor Dame Lesley Regan (the latter who is a professor of gynaecology at Imperial College, London)
Both Tina and Lesley talk about their breast cancer and going on HRT afterwards. There are risks to AIs and risks to HRT but it’s important women are giving the choice
I can’t offer any words of wisdom I’m 52 feel exactly the same was still having my periods before chemo and surgery with no sign of menopause- I hardly recognise myself anymore and I’m so jealous and insert lots of swear words… about those who benefit from HRT and also feel better for writing it down x