Birth control vs. HRT
Okay, I read the Menopause Wiki and I didn't see this info there. Hi! I am 48, and I have been on HRT since I was 45.
I know that birth control has different forms of estrogen and progesterone than the HRT that we get as people in perimenopause. So maybe that is the answer to my question right there. But when I was put on an estrogen patch in my 20s it was a much higher dosage of estrogen than I am taking now, and yet my doc is worried about the side effects going into peri more than he was back then. And back then, that patch gave me so many awful symptoms that I had to get off of it. They do warn you about weight gain, blood clots, etc. with BC when you take it, just the same as HRT. However, the fear tactics seem far worse. Is this all entirely because of the Women's Health Study, or am I missing something??
I have gained about 40 lbs. in the same time that I was on the hormones, and my doc says it might be the HRT. Also, I haven't had a normal period since I started HRT, and every 3-4 months I need a higher dosage or the hot flashes and brain fog kill me. He hates raising the dosage, but I am miserable if I don't. Honestly, I don't care that I am overweight if I get to function like a normal person! I am taking 2.5 g of divigel and 100 mg progesterone daily. Is this too much estrogen (I started at .25)? Is there a limit to how much I can safely take as my ovarian reserve continues to dwindle? Maybe there aren't any answers, but I thought I'd put this out there anyway.
Thanks!