Women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT), as a treatment to fight the symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, night sweats, and other menopausal symptoms. However, what many women may not know is that if they start using HRT as a treatment for these symptoms, when it is finally time for them to discontinue the use of this treatment, they will most likely experience the same symptoms of menopause that they have been trying to avoid with HRT.
What Will My Doctor Say?
There are doctors out there who will try to stop you from changing your estrogen, progestin, and progesterone intake, but if you are well-versed in the risks, benefits, and side effects of HRT, then you will be able to simply explain what you want to do. Of course, you should always take your doctor's advice and think about what you believe is best and what your doctor tells you before you make any final decisions about your HRT treatment.
How to Discontinue Use of HRT
If you are looking to discontinue use of HRT as a treatment for menopause, what you will need to do first is lower your dose of estrogen and replace the progestin with progesterone cream. By doing this gradually, your body will not be shocked by the drastic change in hormones and will be better equipped to keep you healthy. This tapering should last for about 3-4 months until you lower your dose of estrogen and progesterone so much that you don't need it anymore.
Effects of Discontinuing HRT
Many women report severe hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, cramps, vaginal dryness, and depression after they discontinue use of HRT to treat menopausal symptoms. This is because the body is coping with the sudden decrease of estrogen and progesterone, just as it does during the onset of menopause. However, if a woman who is going though the onset of menopause is only using HRT for five years or less, most doctors agree that it is much easier to lower the dosage gradually, avoiding many of the uncomfortable side effects.
It is always important to know what the side effects of a treatment are before, during, and after the treatment. However, you should also learn about the hormones that your body produces naturally. Click on the following link to find out more about the connection between hormones and menopause.
