They can discuss the risks and benefits with you, so you can decide what is right for you. Every woman experiences the menopause differently, so there is no way of knowing how long symptoms will last and so how long HRT will need to be taken. Some women who have continued symptoms into the longer term, may need to keep taking HRT to help with symptoms and good quality of life.
Further information about the benefits and risks of HRT. Most women are able to stop taking HRT after their menopausal symptoms finish, which is usually two to five years after they start but in some cases this can be longer.
Gradually decreasing your HRT dose is usually recommended, rather than stopping suddenly. You may find that your menopausal symptoms come back after you stop HRT, but these should pass within a few months. Treatment may need to be restarted, usually at a lower dose. After you have stopped HRT, you may still need help to manage vaginal dryness and to prevent osteoporosis. Read about the best ways to prevent osteoporosis. Cream, lubricants and local oestrogen preparations are available for vaginal dryness and discomfort.
You don't need to suffer from vaginal dryness and discomfort without treatment. If you decide that you do not wish to take HRT, there are a number of alternative treatments to manage your menopause symptoms. Further information about treating menopause symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy HRT. The aim of HRT is to restore female hormone levels, which can bring relief to many women.
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Read more. For women aged 50 and above, contraception is recommended for at least one year after their final period. It is currently believed that, overall, the risks of long-term more than five years use of HRT outweigh the benefits.
HRT should not be recommended for disease prevention, except for women under 60 years of age with substantially increased risk of bone fractures, or in the setting of premature menopause.
Women with liver disease, migraine headaches, epilepsy, diabetes, gall bladder disease, fibroids, endometriosis or hypertension high blood pressure need special consideration before being prescribed HRT. In these situations HRT is often given through the skin transdermally. Despite the risks of long-term use, in women with severe and persistent menopausal symptoms, HRT may be the only effective therapy.
Women with premature or early menopause are prescribed HRT long-term because of their increased risks of earlier onset of heart disease, osteoporosis, and some neurological conditions compared to women undergoing menopause around the age of 50 years. Seek specialist advice from a menopause clinic or menopause specialist. Regular check-ups are recommended. It is advisable for women with a history of breast cancer to avoid HRT unless other treatments are ineffective, and their quality of life is made intolerable by menopausal symptoms.
Evidence has not conclusively shown that HRT will increase the risk of breast cancer recurring in a woman with a history of the disease. However, oestrogen and progestogens forms of progesterone may stimulate some types of cells in the breast and some types of HRT use have been associated with an increase in the risk of breast cancer in women without a history of breast cancer. It is not recommended that women at high risk of breast cancer , or breast cancer survivors, take highly processed soy supplements which are high in phytoestrogens , but eating moderate amounts of whole soy foods appears to be healthy.
Studies have shown that some prescription medications can reduce hot flushes and sweats. These treatments may be an option if HRT cannot be used for health or other reasons, and should be discussed with a doctor. The herbal medicine , black cohosh, may take the edge off hot flushes and sweats, but there is no data to support long-term use.
There is also a rare liver condition that may be associated with the use of black cohosh. Commercially available vaginal moisturisers such as Replens may reduce vaginal dryness if used regularly. Consult your doctor about what will work best for you. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.
The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website.
All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.
The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Hormonal system endocrine. Home Hormonal system endocrine. Hormone replacement therapy HRT and menopause. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. These side effects will usually settle within the first few months of treatment and may include: breakthrough bleeding breast tenderness bloating nausea.
Breast cancer and HRT Women over 50 years of age who use combined oestrogen and progestogen progesterone replacement for less than five years have little or no increased risk of breast cancer. If you're taking a different form of oestrogen and need to take progestogen alongside it, another implant option is the intrauterine system IUS. An IUS releases a progestogen hormone into the womb. It can stay in place for 3 to 5 years and also acts as a contraceptive.
This can help relieve vaginal dryness , but will not help with other symptoms such as hot flushes. It does not carry the usual risks of HRT and does not increase your risk of breast cancer, so you can use it without taking progestogen, even if you still have a womb.
Testosterone is available as a gel that you rub onto your skin. It is not currently licensed for use in women, but it can be prescribed after the menopause by a specialist doctor if they think it might help restore your sex drive. Testosterone is usually only recommended for women whose low sex drive libido does not improve after using HRT.
It is used alongside another type of HRT. Your treatment routine for HRT depends on whether you're in the early stages of the menopause or have had menopausal symptoms for some time. You should have a period every 3 months. It's useful to maintain regular periods so you know when your periods naturally stop and when you're likely to progress to the last stage of the menopause.
Continuous combined HRT is usually recommended for women who are postmenopausal. A woman is usually said to be postmenopausal if she has not had a period for 1 year. Page last reviewed: 09 September Next review due: 09 September Different types of hormone replacement therapy HRT are available. HRT hormones HRT replaces the hormones that a woman's body no longer produces because of the menopause.
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