I have a very strong family history of BC. I’m being referred for genetic testing, something that perhaps should have been done a while back, but was overlooked. The reason I’m posting is that yesterday I discussed HRT with my consultant, who has just removed a B3 lesion (thankfully turned out to be without atypia). He is fine with me taking Ovestin, as I take less than a third to half the annual recommended dosage, trying to cope with atrophy using Multigyn as well, and drinking lots of chamomile tea which helps with UTIs. But he seemed uneasy about my taking HRT with my family history and I have to say with all the benign issues I’ve had with my breasts in the last ten years I agree.
I find I’m surrounded by lots of friends who are on HRT, who cite its protection against Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease, and we have both in our family. One was telling me today how well she’s feeling on it. In many ways I wish I could take it, but feel I can’t. So I would love to hear from anyone who has found other ways to ride the menopause years without it, any tips, resources etc.
Hi Amaris,
A lot of doctors don’t have a very detailed knowledge about HRT and sometimes what they do know is out of date. I’d suggest that you do your own research, there are lots of free resources on the Balance menopause app:
The app was developed by Dr Louise Newson, who is a GP and menopause expert. She is a passionate advocate for women’s health and runs specialist clinics around the country. She also has a free podcast, episodes 051, 179 & 190 are specifically discussing breast cancer.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October. I have breast cancer in my family and had taken HRT for the last 6 years, specifically to protect myself against cardiovascular problems, osteoporosis and dementia (all of which are in my family too - great genes!). I was advised to stop taking HRT before my treatment, I’m now 4 weeks post surgery and have started to use some oestrogen pessaries, with my oncologist’s blessing. I had my first meeting with him today and have been doing lots of research to help me make the right decisions about my future treatment to make sure it doesn’t come back.
Thank you so much LMD. A pop up has come up to say this your first post - welcome to the community!
I hope you are doing well post surgery?
Yes, isn’t Dr Newson’s the doctor that Davina Mccall cites a lot?
I just wish there wasn’t so much conflicting advice out there, not least that most recent concerning Danish study which the Alzheimers Society mentions on their website.
Not being a medical person I have tried to get to grips with various findings but I find it more and more confusing. That said, whilst I’m struggling with the idea of taking systemic HRT, I don’t think I could ever give up the Ovestin, which I am in such pain without. I think I am quite fortunate in that I don’t have any other significant menopause symptoms.
I do sympathise with feeling like the only one in the room not able to take what many consider to be the answer to all menopause symptoms and it seems like everyone is an expert and advocate for taking it.
There are however many women and doctors who don’t necessarily take this view, some are completely anti HRT others are more measured in their approach at recognising the benefits which it can give in dealing with symptoms which can then help enable you to adopt lifestyle changes which can help.
You might like to check out the book by Professor Annice Mukherjee a menopause specialist who has had breast cancer herself, I have found it extremely helpful and empowering to follow her advice. She is on Instagram as the.hormone.doc.
The decision to take HRT is a very personal one and many doctors will be very reluctant to prescribe it where you have had (or at a risk of) an oestrogen positive breast cancer. You might like to scroll through the boards to find a very interesting discussion between members who have wanted to take HRT due to vaginal atrophy.
Whilst many of your friends may cite combatting Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis by taking HRT there isn’t actually very much evidence to support these theories: personally I had a grandmother who lived to 102, had been diagnosed with osteoporosis had a fall and didn’t actually break a bone and certainly didn’t have Alzheimer’s when she died. I’m pretty sure she never took anything resembling HRT
Menopause has become such a hot topic in recent year, hasn’t it? I think each of us need to do our own research and try to find the best treatment that we feel comfortable with.
Certainly, in the last few months I have felt fortunate to find doctors who are prepared to involve me in the decision making process. This wasn’t the case for me at first.
I’m now recovering well and now weighing up the post surgery options. My cancer was ER, PR & Her2 positive, but small and fortunately I was lucky to have caught it early. I had a couple of new cysts, went to get hem checked to be on the safe side & there was a small cancer that showed up on the ultrasound, I couldn’t feel anything, so who knows when I would have found it otherwise?
This week’s Dr Newson podcast is about a lady who continued HRT alongside her breast cancer treatment, it’s an interesting listen:
Thank you @adoptedmanc for such a helpful reply, I can totally relate.
I will check the Professor’s book out - if it isn’t in our library, I might even ask my husband to buy it for me for Christmas! I’ll also look at the HRT posts for VA.
I couldn’t agree more, taking HRT is a very personal decision and a one size fits all approach cannot be taken. For some people it appears to be absolutely the right thing to do. For others, it is more complicated.
I was very interested to sound out my surgeon, who had to take into account my own medical history and family breast cancer history before my operation. He’s been a breast consultant in one of the UK’s top cancer hospitals and as far as I can make out has been a breast surgeon for over two decades. It just so happened that when I asked him for his thoughts on the advisability of my taking HRT he had just that day been reviewing the research again. The first thing he said is how conflicting the research is, so I am not really surprised we as patients find it so difficult to know what to do!
It is my gut feeling I need to try to do all I can naturally to support my bone health, and my cardiac health, and perhaps the pay-off will be a reduction in my chances of getting breast cancer too. I’m pleased I can take Ovestin, I’m sure I remember my gynae saying it’s about one twelfth the strength of normal HRT? In the meantime, I think can put up with the hot flushes - helps save on heating bills as I work from home, haha! I think the one thing I am attributing to menopause that I find so hard to get over is the fact that I feel so adrift and unmotivated these days. People tell me HRT would help with that. I expect Annice’s book might help with that, too, though, so I can’t wait to read it!
Thank you again for sharing.
And thank you again, @lmd1 . That sounds a very interesting podcast. I am so glad you found your cancer when it was so small. My benign lump was invisible on my mammogram, due to my very dense breast tissue, I too feel very fortunate that it was found as I was told it might have later transformed.
I also get fed up of people extolling the virtues of HRT when I know that I can’t have it as my cancer was strongly ER and PR + . At the minute HRT is an “in” thing - it seems to be viewed that every woman will automatically be asking for it / taking it at menopause but this is only a recent thing. Not so long ago it was considered dangerous and GPs were reluctant prescribe it for more than a year or so. My Mum was made to come off it after quite a few years for this reason - she was one of the very few people who I think should have been allowed to continue taking it as she had a complex history of debilitating auto immune and inflammatory conditions that all became worse when she came off it. Do not be surprised if after further study the pendulum swings back the other way and HRT is once again restricted and people are not talking about it all the time anymore.
I have a family history of osteoporosis and my DEXA scan last year said that I had secondary osteoporosis which is apparently normal after the menopause and the first letter that arrived said the result was normal and that I didn’t need to take calcium - nevertheless I was concerned . I now take Glucosamine with Chondroitin and Vitamin C , plus Vitamin D and Turmeric for joint pain which is beginning to have a positive effect . I started taking Calcium as well but it didn’t agree with me. I take D Mannose to prevent UTIs and also to treat them - it’s really good . I don’t currently suffer with VA thank heavens.
I do get hot flushes - more commonly in an evening or if I drink alcohol which is not very often - I know it isn’t for everyone but cold water swimming seems to help to control them . I also eat soy foods though not soy milk .
Thank you @JoanneN , your post does really help, as I do feel very much the odd one out among my friends. Thank you for sharing your tips, too. I think I’m probably more worried than most not just because of my family history, but because I am more at risk for several other reasons. I’m trying to find anything that might lessen my risk. Thank you also for your advice about cold water swimming, I need to look into that.
Hi, I was diagnosed with ER+ HER2 Negative Invasive BC last November, surgery January then chemo and radiotherapy. I was using Vagifem which is a localised hormone therapy treatment. When diagnosed, I had to stop that straight away, use Replens MD now which is good and get this on prescription. During the meanopause (deliberate spelling!) I used to eat and drink a lot of soya products as these contain plant based oestrogen which helped with symptoms but have now been told stop all soya products as they increase your oestrogen levels. I did find no alcohol or very little plus more exercise helped me also keeping my weight down too helped. Weighted blankets helped too. We have got a strong family history of BC too and do wonder if taking the Vagifem and substituting my diet with lots of soya products was a contributory factor but I don’t know. I do worry about friends taking HRT too and do gently have a word but obviously it is a personal choice. No definite answers I’m afraid but if I had the choice again, definitely wouldn’t have taken anything remotely HRT. Not sure if that helps at all! Best wishes x
Thank you so much @Cat10 - I’m replying almost as soon as this appeared in my inbox as I’m putting off doing some chores and thought I’d check my emails first! Very helpful to know about Replens MD, I shall buy some. I am keen to use as little Ovestin as I can, for the reasons you state, and if I can find something that completely does away with the need to use it I will be delighted.
A consultant registrar told me a couple of months ago my breasts are still lumpy (I have very dense breast tissue, one of my risk factors) because I’m using Ovestin. I wonder if that is true if I’m using so little? Anyway, If I’m able to come off Ovestin in favour of Replens MD and I notice a difference, I’ll report back.
On the matter of soya - that’s interesting. I haven’t ever eaten/drunk a great amount, some soya products give me stomach pain. But I was recently thinking about it because I thought it might help my hair, which has never been thick but is now also so dry and frizzy. Meanopause is the word! I really must try to improve my diet and do much more exercise, so perhaps there will be benefits for my hair if I do.
Just before my surgery my anaesthetist asked my height and weight, I’ve put on about half a stone this year. We agreed there was not point trying to turn over a new leaf until Christmas, but I think perhaps the best time is now!
All the advice I’ve read / been told is that it’s ok to eat soya but not take the supplements as they contain a large concentrated dose - so I’m surprised that you have been told not to have it all @Cat10 . I had heard that it may have an anti- inflammatory effect which can be beneficial. It’s such a minefield when it comes to diet and supplements though. I have had to stop the supplement I was taking for my eyesight because it contains Vitamin E - another BC no no.
It’s quite hard to avoid soya in daily life as it’s actually in quite a lot of things. I did have an episode of very slight PV bleeding after drinking soya milk in addition to what I was having in my diet . The BCNs thought it couldn’t be related however I remember just before my periods stopped that I had problems with continuous bleeding after starting to drink soya milk but on both occasions it stopped after I stopped drinking it. I will be avoiding soya milk cheese and cream but will continue with tofu in moderation and not worry about it in my stir fry sauce.
I’ve also put on some of the weight I lost earlier in the year despite increasing my exercise level - it is hard to eat well at this time of year isn’t it .
I found out about Vitamin E because one of the BCNs mentioned it in answer to someone else’s post - confirmed by the Memorial Sloan Kettering page they recommend though it’s a very small risk if I remember correctly. I did take collagen at one point but although my team said it was ok there’s a lot of controversy about it so I stopped taking it - it’s a bit of a minefield .
Dr Cat Bohannon (who wrote the interesting book Eve,) said at a talk I listened to this weekend that the most beneficial time to take HRT is over the actual transition period of moving into menopause.
I think she said after 65 is more of a BC risk.
I guess anyone who has the BRCA gene may be different though.