Last medical examination on. When you start hormone replacement therapy, you may feel a little “baffled” and may not be yourself. You may feel a little sick or nauseous, or you may have breast tenderness, swelling, or headaches, especially for the first few days. You can see a full list of the side effects of the different hormones in hormone therapy here.
As your hormones level out, your energy levels and libido should increase. You should also notice greater mental clarity, less frequent mood changes, and a reduction in night sweats and hot flashes. If you don't see a significant difference in your symptoms within two weeks, our providers can adjust the dose of hormones you're taking. If your HRT doesn't seem to be working, take the opportunity to talk to your doctor.
They may be able to do more research and find an alternative cause for your symptoms. While HRT is sometimes referred to as a miracle drug, the truth is often much more complex. If it's been several months and you don't see any improvement in menopausal symptoms, it could be one of the signs that hormone therapy isn't working for you. Alternative forms of hormone therapy, such as injections, inserts, gels, patches, and pills, may also be available.
If side effects don't go away within 3 months or cause you a lot of discomfort, you may need to reconsider your HRT. However, if they're particularly serious or don't get better, it could be a sign that HRT isn't working for you and you need to talk to your doctor. Likewise, if you're taking vaginal hormone replacement therapy to treat gastrointestinal syndrome, you won't see any improvement in any other menopausal symptoms. While systemic HRT can help with GSM, some users may need to take systemic and vaginal HRT together to improve symptoms.
You may also consider increasing the dose if your once-brilliant hormone replacement therapy seems to have stopped working. It is very important to know the third cause because, in fact, it is the cause of A LOT of problems related to synthetic hormone therapy. We perform in-office blood tests to identify a hormonal imbalance and customize your hormone therapy plan to help you find quick and lasting relief from your symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy has certain side effects, which tend to be more pronounced during the first few weeks and months of use.
Hormone replacement therapy medications can be complicated to take, and it's worth checking that you're taking the right dose at the right time. Hormone replacement therapy is a treatment option for hormonal imbalances that occur with age or due to existing health problems, such as a thyroid disorder. Health professionals use hormone replacement therapy to medically treat people who have hormone-related conditions or symptoms. Women who do well with synthetic hormone replacement therapy are clearly able to tolerate active estrogen and may well be producing enough of their own progesterone.