HORMONE COMBINATIONS AND SINGLE-DRUG FORMATS: WHAT STAGE ARE YOU AT?

If you are having irregular, heavy and prolonged menstrual periods and distressing menopausal symptoms

Your hormone therapy options include the following:

- HRT pill that combines oestrogen and progestogen

- natural oestrogen daily plus progestogen for ten to fourteen days a month

- low-dose combined Pill for women needing contraception

- the synthetic oestrogen ethinyl oestradiol, in combination with the progestogen-like substance cyproterone acetate (the combined formulation Diane-35) if acne and worrisome hair growth are problems and contraception is also needed

If you are postmenopausal and have a uterus

Your options for hormone therapy include the following:

- natural oestrogen pill daily or continous oestrogen by patch or implant, teamed with progestogen for ten to fourteen days a month (combined cyclical therapy)

- continuous natural oestrogen and continuous progestogen (continuous combined HRT)

The first of these approaches usually causes monthly withdrawal bleeds that become lighter after a few months and may continue for however long you use HRT. With the second approach, irregular bleeding may occur for the first few months but most women no longer have any bleeding a year later.

If you are postmenopausal and do not have a uterus

Your options for hormone therapy include the following:

- natural oestrogen by pill daily or continuous oestrogen by patch or implant

- natural oestrogen daily and low-dose progestogen daily (for about six months immediately after surgery for endometriosis)

- oestrogen with or without testosterone implants

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Related Posts:

• HRT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: AM I A CANDIDATE FOR HRT?
• OTHER DISORDERS OF HRT: WOMEN WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR A HISTORY
• EARLY MENOPAUSE

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