Considering HRT?
by
Aisling Grimley.
There's a lot of confusion out there about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Read what Sylvia Thompson of the Irish Times has to say.
Irish Times article on pros and cons of using HRT
Making informed decisions about our health
Every woman's experience of menopause is incredibly different and one of the key reasons that I set up My Second Spring is to help us all to make informed decisions about how we'd like to manage symptoms that arise. There's a lot of fear and mystery surrounding HRT and I think it's helpful to read articles that explain the pros and cons of taking synthetic hormones and there aren't very many around. A lot of women I speak to aren't interested in putting chemicals into their bodies unless completely necessary. Some are using HRT and finding it very beneficial and others have tried HRT but didn't get on well with it. I think 100% of us will see benefits in making lifestyle changes if symptoms are very difficult, sometimes lifestyle changes feel like too much of a challenge. Read some of our lifestyle pages if you need inspiration on nutrition, exercise and natural treatments and therapies like homeopathy, acupuncture and herbal remedies.
According to Dr Rachel Mackey 80% of women will probably not need HRT but for others the use of HRT in a low dose for a short time - up to 5 years - can make a massive difference to their quality of life by reducing or removing symptoms. Read Rachel Mackey's detailed article in our Treatments section - Menopause and Medicine if you'd like to know more.
Read Sylvia Thompson's article in the Irish Times here.
Have you got the right team around you?
Make sure you speak to health professionals whose advice you understand and respect. Change your GP if you feel you need to - midlife can be a good time to get yourself a good GP who you'd like to grow old with.
Please let us know if you've any good, bad or indifferent experiences using HRT, you might help other women make good decisions for themselves.
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