If you want to start hormone replacement therapy again, see another doctor if necessary and explain why you want to take it again. If necessary, you can restart HRT after stopping it, but at lower doses if possible. Your doctor can help you decide if this is the right option for you and help you safely restart hormone replacement therapy. Remember that everyone's experience with hormone replacement therapy is different, so it's important to talk to your doctor about what's best for you.
It's natural to wonder if you still need hormone replacement therapy. I often notice that women have had their own trial period without hormone therapy and are often the women who insist that they don't want to stop taking it, because they felt really bad without it. In practice, I have often noticed that women have stopped taking it because their treatment has run out, because they have forgotten to take it while on vacation or, increasingly, because they have difficulty getting an appointment with their family doctor. The recent shortage of supplies has also caused problems, as many women discontinue HRT because they couldn't get their usual patches or formulations.
If you and your healthcare professional have decided that you should stop HRT, we suggest that you first try a lower dose for three to six months (unless you have been advised to stop doing so right away because of a new medical condition, such as breast cancer).NICE tells us that there is no long-term difference between stopping taking it gradually or abruptly, but quitting HRT is less likely to cause rebound symptoms. If you use a gel, you can reduce the number of extractions. If you only use one pump, you can drop a full dose and use only half of it. If your HRT is in tablet form, there is probably a low-dose formulation, or you could cut the tablet in half with a tablet cutter.
A 0.5 mg tablet is the lowest effective dose. Physicians may differ in the way their patients abandon HRT. Some people gradually lower their doses of estrogen and progesterone over time. Others decrease the number of times a week that patients take hormone replacement therapy, along with lower doses.
Depending on the type of hormone replacement therapy you are taking and how high the dose is, it may take 3 to 6 months for it to decrease completely. It can last up to a year, especially if menopausal symptoms reappear during the process. This information also applies if you were taking hormone replacement therapy but stopped taking it reluctantly and following the doctor's advice. If you want to start hormone therapy again, consult another health professional if necessary and explain the reasons why you want to take it again.
NICE guidelines make it clear that women can continue taking hormone replacement therapy as long as the benefits outweigh the risks and, for most healthy women, this is forever. When starting hormone therapy for the first time, your doctor may recommend that you start it early in your menstrual cycle, if you're still having periods. If people decide to stop taking hormone therapy, they should reduce the dose gradually. Stopping taking it abruptly can cause the reappearance of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and sleep interruption.
If you decide to restart HRT, you should be able to return to your usual treatment right away, unless you have stopped doing so for some time. According to the UK National Health Service, if symptoms persist for several months after stopping hormone therapy, and especially if they are severe, restarting may be necessary the treatment.
