Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to relieve symptoms of the menopause. It replaces the female hormones that are at a lower level as you experience the menopause.
Oestrogen and progesterone are female hormones that play important roles in a woman’s body. Falling levels cause a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including hot flushes, mood swings and vaginal dryness.
The aim of HRT is to restore female hormone levels, which can bring relief to many women.
How to get started on HRT
Speak to your local GP practice if you’re interested in starting HRT.
You can usually begin HRT as soon as you start experiencing menopausal symptoms and will not usually need to have any tests first. However, a blood test to measure your hormone levels may be carried out if you’re aged 40 to 45. Blood tests may also be carried out to help diagnose suspected premature menopause if you’re under 40 and have menopausal symptoms.
Your GP can explain the different types of HRT available and help you choose one that’s suitable for you.
Types of HRT
There are 2 main types of HRT:
combined HRT (oestrogen and progestogen) – for women who still have their womb
oestrogen-only HRT – for women who have had their womb removed in a hysterectomy
There are several ways that oestrogen can be taken, including:
tablets – which can be taken by mouth
a patch that you stick on your skin
an implant – under local anaesthetic
oestrogen gel – which is applied to the skin and absorbed
oestrogen spray – which is applied to the forearm
When required to protect the womb lining from being stimulated by oestrogen, progestogen is available as:
combined with oestrogen in tablets
combined with oestrogen in patches
separately as tablets or a progestogen releasing coil
Choosing the right HRT for you
It’s important to find the correct HRT to help your symptoms.
A low dose of HRT hormones is usually prescribed to begin with. If you need to, you can increase your dose at a later stage.
Once you’ve started HRT, it’s best to take it for a few months to see if it works well for you. If not, you can try a different type or increase the dose. It’s really important that you talk to your GP if you have any problems with HRT.
