duration of hormone intake.

If there are indications and there are no contraindications to the use of hormones, it is worth starting to take them..

Doctors are unanimous in their opinion that the benefits of hormone therapy far outweigh the risks..

With very few exceptions, almost all women can, without any health risk, undergo at least a short course of hormone replacement therapy - from a few months to five years..

For those who are going to take hormones just to get rid of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes or insomnia, two to five years will be enough.. For example, if, after completing a two-three-year course and giving up estrogens, a woman stops suffering from these symptoms, then she does not need to take them anymore..

Many women need to take estrogens for a longer period of time, for ten or more years, and possibly for the rest of their lives if they are at risk for osteoporosis or heart disease..

This is especially true for osteoporosis.. If a woman is interested in preventing osteoporosis; she should be on hormone therapy for at least ten years after the onset of menopause, as this is when the rate of bone loss is particularly high.

Someone needs long-term hormone replacement therapy in order to maintain a full sexual life and avoid problems with the urinary system..

If a woman looks and feels good while undergoing hormone restoration, she can continue to take these drugs for the rest of her life..

It is recommended to start a course of hormone therapy no later than 5 years after the cessation of menstruation.. The exception is Livial, which can be taken at any postmenopausal age.. And although the already lost bone mass cannot be largely restored, its destruction will stop at any age, as soon as a woman begins to take estrogens..

If the break after the onset of menopause is not too long, hormonal therapy will renew both the tissues of the vagina and the urination system, restoring the ability to full sex, and increase immunity against infectious diseases of the vagina and urination system. In addition, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will protect against cardiovascular diseases..

So, the duration of the course of hormone replacement therapy is not limited..

A woman will not be in any danger, and she will receive obvious benefits from the restoration of hormones if she strictly follows the following rules:.

- low dosage;

- taking a progestogen if the uterus is preserved;

- medical examination every six months;

- mammogram,.

– Ultrasound of the uterus and appendages,.

- biochemical blood test once a year.

Side effects of hormone therapy.

Side effects of hormone therapy are minor and short-lived.. But sometimes they bring enough inconvenience and make you refuse to take hormones.. Most are caused by progesterone, which must be taken along with estrogens to protect the uterine lining..

If, due to unwanted effects, a woman excludes progesterone, but continues to take estrogens, she should check the endometrium of the uterus annually to make sure that the uterine lining does not grow too rapidly.

Let's take a look at the most common side effects of hormone therapy..

Resumption of the menstrual cycle.

Estrogens have the property of thickening the endometrium, while the role of progesterone is to stimulate the exfoliation of the overgrown mucosa.. For several years after a woman starts hormone therapy (if she only takes progesterone for part of the month), she will have a reaction every month in the form of a mild menstruation, as a result of the progestogen in the pills.

Monthly bleeding that occurs immediately after a woman stops taking pills is usually very minor and short-lived.. But if this scenario does not suit her, the woman, after consulting with her gynecologist and having received his approval, begins to take those drugs in which the progestogen is contained in each tablet in a very small dose.

After four months of such therapy, menstruation, as a rule, practically stops, although sometimes slight uterine bleeding is possible between menstrual periods.. If these bleedings do not stop after three months, you will most likely have to undergo an endometrial biopsy to make sure that excessive growth of the uterine lining has not been stimulated.. If the mucous membrane does not exceed the normal range, you can continue taking progesterone daily..

There is another option: wait a few years until the uterus ceases to function and the bleeding stops by itself.

Fluid retention in the body.

Most women notice fluid retention in the body only during the first few weeks after starting hormone therapy.. Swelling is not a serious complication and usually disappears soon. In this case, doctors recommend reducing fluid intake and taking a diuretic..

Painful tenderness of the chest.

Usually this side effect is a temporary problem and disappears after three or four months of taking hormones.. Pain can be relieved with pain relievers. However, this issue should be discussed with the doctor.. Perhaps he will prescribe a different type of progesterone or advise taking estrogen not constantly, but cyclically: three weeks in a row, then a week break.

Weight gain.

Many women gain weight when they start taking hormones.. Perhaps this is due to fluid retention or a genetic predisposition to be overweight..

High blood pressure.

Women sometimes complain of high blood pressure after starting estrogen.. The fact is that as a result of oral intake of estrogens, excessive release of renin from the liver begins, which causes an increase in pressure..

In this case, you need to stop taking oral estrogens and start taking estrogens through the skin, using a hormonal patch or gel that does not have a similar effect on the liver (divigel, climara).

Headache.

Sometimes women who are primarily prone to migraines complain that they get headaches after taking hormones.. Pain can be caused by either estrogen or progesterone..

If estrogens are the cause of the pain, there are several ways to solve this problem:.

- take the lowest possible dose of estrogen;

- change the type of estrogen;

- switch from oral hormones to the use of a hormone-containing patch or gel;

- start taking estrogens along with the lowest doses of testosterone.

If progesterone causes headaches, and the body really needs hormone replacement therapy, you can refuse to take progesterone. But only a doctor can make such decisions.. In addition, the woman will have to undergo an endometrial examination at least once a year..

Nausea.

This is the most common side effect of oral hormones, but it usually does not show up for the first time.. If nausea persists, switch to patch. In this case, estrogens will enter the body directly through the skin, bypassing the digestive system..

Allergy.

In rare cases, some women experience allergic reactions to hormones: rash, itching, swelling. There are several options for solving this problem: the use of another drug, a hormonal patch, or it is worth waiting - perhaps over time the body adapts to the effect of the drug.

Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS).

Some women find that progesterone makes them irritable and aggressive or, on the contrary, depressed, that is, they feel the same way they used to when they had premenstrual syndrome..

Usually, this symptom, like other side effects, disappears after some time.. The way out in this situation may be to increase the dose of estrogen on the days of taking progesterone.. However, it is possible to abandon the cyclical intake of hormones and switch to daily intake of low doses of progesterone, which will not affect the psychological state of the woman..

And another option, which has already been mentioned more than once, is to stop taking progesterone..

But only on the recommendation of a doctor with further monitoring of the uterine mucosa.

To date, a woman has three main ways to restore estrogen in the body: pills, patch, gel or vaginal cream. Progesterone is taken in tablet form.. It is necessary to start HRT with the smallest doses of hormones that would allow you to achieve the desired goal..

Let us remind you once again that a specialist should select hormonal drugs and monitor the course of therapy..

Trofimov.

medbe. en.