Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Barbara Hunt, a retired civil servant from Canterbury, Kent, has had a rollercoaster ride with the menopause andHRT.
"I was 51 when I had my first hot flush. My periods had been erratic for six months, so I realised I was approaching the menopause. Then the flushes started with a vengeance.
"My GP immediately suggested HRT. This was when it was being hailed as the wonder drug. I started off with patches. I still had periods, but at least the flushes went away.
"After four years, I heard about its possible side effects and decided to stop taking it. The flushes returned and I got night sweats, too. Heat would suddenly engulf me, then disappear just as quickly. The night sweats were really hard. I was waking up every half-hour and got so little sleep that going back on HRT seemed my only option.
"I started taking it again. To my relief, the flushes and sweats are a thing of the past. I'm now trying to wean myself off the patches by cutting a third off them each time. Having gone on HRT, it seems to be such a tough job to get off it. I sometimes wonder whether, if I'd never taken it, the flushes might be over by now."
Find out what hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is, why it's used, the different types available, and what the main risks and side effects are.
Find out about the different hormones used in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and the different ways HRT can be taken.
Find out about the main side effects of HRT and what can be done to alleviate them.
When deciding whether to have hormone replacement therapy (HRT), it is important to understand the risks and put them into perspective.
Find out about the alternatives ways you can relieve your menopausal symptoms if you can't take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or don't want to.
Barbara Hunt, a retired civil servant from Canterbury in Kent, has had a rollercoaster ride with the menopause and HRT.