The progestogen part of HRT is often the one that can give side effects. It can cause premenstrual type symptoms (low mood, irritability, bloating, acne, fatigue, headaches).
HRT does come with certain side effects, which tend to be most pronounced in the first few weeks and months of use. If you are unlucky, you may even find that HRT can make you feel worse before you feel better.
"Some women may think their HRT isn't working anymore, but it's doing what it has always been doing," says Currie. "It's just that the total amount of oestrogen in your system may be less. That's quite a common reason for recurrence of menopausal symptoms and you may need to up your dose of HRT."
Side effects related to the hormone Oestrogen – breast tenderness, leg cramps, skin irritation, bloating, indigestion, nausea, headaches. Side effects related to the hormone Progesterone - premenstrual syndrome-like symptoms, fluid retention, breast tenderness, backache, depression, mood swings, pelvic pain.
swelling in other parts of the body. headaches or migraines. mood swings. depression.
Estrogen: Estrogen also influences the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. Too much or too little estrogen can alter neurotransmitter levels and lead to feelings of depression.
Hormone therapy helps to feel and express those emotions and stop suppressing them as they did in the past. Some have even started to feel more positive emotions than before, feeling happier and more emotional.
High estrogen levels can cause symptoms such as irregular or heavy periods, weight gain, fatigue, and fibroids in females. In males, they can cause breast tissue growth, erectile dysfunction, and infertility.
It may take a few weeks to feel the effects of treatment and there may be some side effects at first. A GP will usually recommend trying treatment for 3 months to see if it helps. If it does not, they may suggest changing your dose, or changing the type of HRT you're taking.
It can take your body time to get used to HRT. When you start HRT, you might have side effects. Examples are tender breasts, feeling sick (nausea) and leg cramps. These side effects usually disappear within 6 to 8 weeks.
One of the common treatment options for menopausal symptoms is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), supplementing your hormone levels to rebalance your system. However, you may prefer to move through menopause without using hormone treatments. And, women with previous hormone-dependent cancer shouldn't use HRT.
Combined HRT can be associated with a small increase in the risk of breast cancer. The increased risk is related to how long you take HRT, and it falls after you stop taking it. Because of the risk of breast cancer, it's especially important to attend all your breast cancer screening appointments if you're taking HRT.
In men, high estrogen can show up as poor sperm quality, breast enlargement, and erectile dysfunction. In women, the main symptoms can include: premenstrual moodiness, breast tenderness, heavy menstruation, and fibroids or polyps.
Being on HRT doesn't actually stop your own hormone levels from changing, it just puts extra quantities of sex hormones into your body. So your own oestrogen levels can fall and this causes anxiety.
While many people notice improvements in sleep or mood within weeks of starting HRT, changes like improved muscle mass or fat loss can take at least three to six months.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Thus, HRT may effectively treat fatigue and the symptoms that can exacerbate it. In particular, estrogen replacement is considered the most effective treatment for the vasomotor symptoms that tend to occur in concert with fatigue and can be instrumental in restoring energy levels.
It is common to have side effects in the first few months of taking HRT. These usually settle on their own within 6 to 8 weeks. Side effects include weight gain, irregular bleeding, feeling sick (nausea) and skin irritation.
The first changes you will probably notice are that your skin will become a bit drier and thinner. Your pores will become smaller and there will be less oil production. You may become more prone to bruising or cuts and in the first few weeks you'll notice that the odors of your sweat and urine will change.
You might feel a bit sick or nauseous, or experience breast tenderness, bloating or headaches, particularly in the first few days. You can see a full list of side effects of the different hormones in HRT here. Bloating is a common side effect of HRT and can be a result of taking oestrogen or progestogen.
High estrogen symptoms include irregular menstrual cycles, dense breast tissue, mood swings/irritability, weight gain, acne, and many others. High estrogen symptoms can result from a true excess of estrogen levels, or you might have estrogen dominance (relatively high estrogen in relation to low progesterone).
A review approximately 3-4 months after starting or changing HRT is a good time to assess both satisfaction with the HRT prescription and its effectiveness in treating menopause symptoms. By this time most start-up symptoms (if any occurred) should be settling.
Taking the right type of oestrogen can really help improve this low mood and other symptoms related to the menopause. Many women find that they feel calmer, have more energy, are more motivated and generally much happier when they take HRT.
Hot flashes, flushes, and night sweats are the most common symptoms of low estrogen. At times, blood rushes to your skin's surface. This can give you a feeling of warmth (hot flash). Your face may look flushed.
Progesterone in MHT and depression. The balance of evidence available suggests that progesterone in MHT may lead to negative mood symptoms.