HRT (HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY) – THE SIDE EFFECTS

In the USA, doctors use a manual called The Physician’s Desk Reference which is much more detailed than anything we have access to in the UK. Drug companies by law are required to state the risks of their drugs in this manual. The Physician’s Desk Reference lists the side effects for HRT which include:

• endometrial (womb) cancer,

• undesirable weight gain/loss,

• breast tenderness/enlargement,

• bloating,

• mental depression,

• thrombophlebitis (inflammation of the wall of a vein),

• elevated blood pressure,

• reduced carbohydrate tolerance,

• reduced glucose tolerance,

• skin rashes,

• hair loss,

• abdominal cramps,

• vaginal candidiasis (thrush),

• jaundice,

• nausea,

• vomiting,

• cystitis-like syndrome.

Although research has not shown that women on HRT gain weight – other than the weight gain that would normally be associated with ageing

- I find that it is one of the greatest concerns of the women who come to see me. Their main complaint is the ‘sudden’ increase in weight (and increases in breast size by up to two cups larger) soon after starting HRT. I also see women not on HRT and the weight gain is definitely different between the two groups.

So this is a prime symptom that makes women want to stop taking HRT. They are also concerned about psychological changes — feelings of being suicidal, feeling ‘not there’ and headaches. Organizations like the Amarant Trust, the UK charity that promotes the use of HRT, have drawn attention to the fact that many British women who try HRT give it up after only a few months. It believes the reason is that women do not persevere for long enough, do not try alternative HRT products, and that their GPs do not spend sufficient time and effort explaining the therapy to them. There are, however, many GPs who have reservations about the over-prescribing of HRT. Many women feel perfectly well on HRT. But it is not surprising that others come to the conclusion that the side effects they experience are worse than the symptoms the HRT is designed to ‘cure’. And as the years roll on there is increasing evidence that taking HRT involves some serious health risks that many of us would rather avoid.