Hormone Therapy Options

“Hormone therapy is available as a daily pill,
but it also may be taken as a skin patch,
gel, cream, spray, or vaginal ring”.1

Umbrella
What may the Hormone Therapy Options Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • HRT/HT/MHT Dose
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Forms/Medicines/Options/Preparations/Types/Ways To Take
  • Hormone Therapy (HT) Forms/Medicines/Options/Preparations/Types/Ways To Take
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) Forms/Medicines/Options/Preparations/Types/Ways To Take

Not One-Size-Fits-All

Are HT options one-size-fits-all?

No. In HRT: Types, Doses and Regimes the (British) Women’s Health Concern explain:

“Many types of HRT are available and there is not one type, dose or regimen which suits all women. It is important to understand which hormones are used, why and how so that for each woman who chooses to take HRT, the treatment is individualised to best suit her needs, taking into account types of symptoms, medical history, period pattern if present and current national recommendations and guidelines”.2

Options

What are some hormone therapy (HT) options?

On page two in Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Pill or Non-Pill the North American Menopause (NAMS) note:

“Hormone therapy is available as a daily pill, but it also may be taken as a skin patch, gel, cream, spray, or vaginal ring. Non-pill forms may be more convenient. Hormone therapy pills need to be taken every day, but skin patches are changed only once or twice weekly, and the HT vaginal ring is changed only every 3 months. Hormone therapy taken in non-pill form enters your blood stream more directly, with less effect on the liver. Studies suggest that this may lower the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs compared with HT taken as a pill”.3

In Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – How Do You Take MHT? the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health explain:


Hormone Therapy Options“MHT can be prescribed in different dosages and methods, depending on your needs and responses. For example, you might be prescribed pills, patches, gel, vaginal creams or an intrauterine device (IUD).

You may need to try different dosages or methods to find the right combination. Your doctor must supervise this process”.4

Dose

What is recommended about the dose of HT?

In Menopause: Menopause – Hormone Treatments the (United States) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) note:

“Menopause Hormone Therapy should always be used at the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time that you need it”.5

In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): About Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – After You Start Taking HRT the NHS also note:

“You’ll usually start with a low dose, which may be increased later. Your symptoms should improve after a few days or weeks.

A GP will usually recommend a review appointment 3 months after you start taking HRT, or if you change your type of HRT. This is to see how well it’s working. If everything is OK, you’ll usually have 1 review a year”.6

Who is a GP?

Dots and/or DotC (Depending on the Country) a GP may be a registered general practitioner, a medical practitioner, a medical doctor or a doctor.

Vaginal Oestrogen

When may vaginal oestrogen be used?

On page two in the Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause first published online 10 June 2022, one of the recommendations is:

  • “Low-dose and ultra-low dose vaginal oestrogen preparations can be taken by perimenopausal and menopausal women experiencing genitourinary symptoms and continued for as long as required. All vaginal oestrogen preparations have been shown to be effective in this context and there is no requirement to combine vaginal oestrogens with systemic progestogen treatment for endometrial protection, as low-dose and ultra-low dose vaginal oestrogen preparations do not result in significant systemic absorption or endometrial hyperplasia”.7

Health Care Provider

What if I would like help to choose what HT to use?

If you would like help to choose what HT to use, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

On page two in Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Hormone Therapy Options the NAMS explain:

“Each woman must make her own decision about HT with the help of a healthcare professional. If you decide to take HT, the next step is to choose between the many HT options available to find the best dose and route for you. With guidance from your healthcare professional, you can try different forms of HT until you find the type and dose that treats your symptoms with few adverse effects”.8

What if I have any concerns about HT?

In Menopause Management: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – How Long Do You Need To Take MHT? the JH note:

“It can take around six months to find the right MHT. Once you’ve found an MHT that works for you, it’s important to review it with your doctor each year”.9

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Hormone Therapy Options?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Hormone Therapy Options?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. BMS & WHC’s 2020 Recommendations on Hormone Replacement Therapy In Menopausal Women
  2. BMS Statement on Testosterone
  3. BMS TV: Bioidentical Hormones
  4. BMS TV: HRT and Bleeding
  5. BMS TV: HRT and Breast Cancer: Overall Risks and Benefits
  6. BMS TV: HRT and the Risk of Breast Cancer
  7. BMS TV: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  8. BMS TV: Urogenital Atrophy
  9. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  10. Continuous Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Tablets, Capsules and Patches
  11. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  12. Dr Louise Newson: The Truth About the Menopause & HRT
  13. Endometrial Safety of Low-Dose Vaginal Estrogens
  14. Endometrial Safety of Low-Dose Vaginal Estrogens [Video]
  15. FAQS: Hormone Therapy for Menopause
  16. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  17. Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  18. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  19. Guidance on Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  20. HRT
  21. HRT & Menopause Extra
  22. HRT – Types, Doses and Regimens
  23. HRT: Benefits and Risks
  24. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  25. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) With Dr Nicky Peel & Prof. David Armstrong
  26. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Alternatives To Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  27. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Side Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  28. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Types of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  29. Hormone Replacement Therapy: Does It Cause Vaginal Bleeding?
  30. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  31. Hot Flashes
  32. Hot Flashes
  33. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
  34. How To Find Relief for Hot Flashes At Night
  35. I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – E9: The Menopause: Can Every Woman That Wants It Have HRT?
  36. Index To Drug-Specific Information [United States]
  37. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  38. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) [+ Video: Is HRT Bad for You?]
  39. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms of Menopause [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP]
  40. Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  41. Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  42. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk
  43. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Venous Thromboembolism
  44. Menopausal Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke
  45. Menopause
  46. Menopause
  47. Menopause
  48. Menopause & Hormones: Questions To Ask Your Doctor
  49. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
    Hormone Therapy Options
  50. Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
  51. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
  52. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 3. The Risks & Benefits of HRT
  53. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 4. The Different Types of HRT
  54. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Treating Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause
  55. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
  56. Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
  57. Menopause and HRT
  58. Menopause, Perimenopause, Hormone Therapy and Other Treatments With Madelyn Butler, MD [Podcast]
  59. Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment
  60. Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause [NICE Guideline]
  61. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
  62. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  63. Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
  64. Non-Estrogen Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms
  65. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
  66. Oestrogen Tablets, Patches, Gel and Spray
  67. Risks and Benefits of MHT
  68. Sequential Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Tablets and Patches
  69. The Truth About Menopause Supplements | Dr Sarah Berry
  70. Therapy for the Effects of Menopause
  71. Tibolone
  72. Tipos de terapia Hormonal
  73. Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  74. Types of Hormone Therapy
  75. Urogenital Problems
  76. Utrogestan (Micronised Progesterone)
  77. Vaginal Dryness
  78. Vaginal Dryness
  79. Vaginal Oestrogen
  80. Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
  81. Video Series-2023: Lifestyle Modification and Prevention of Breast Cancer
  82. Video Series-2023: NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
  83. Video Series-2023: New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
  84. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
  85. Webinars: Previous – Management of Menopause In Patients With Obesity
  86. What Are the Benefits and Risks of HRT?
  87. Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Episode 3: Dr Annice Mukherjee: Your Essential Menopause Toolkit

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Pill or Non-Pill. 2022:2. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 23 August 2023
  2. HRT: Types, Doses and Regimes. Published Date: September 2021. British Menopause Society https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/hrt-types-doses-and-regimens/ Accessed: 23 August 2023
  3. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Pill or Non-Pill. 2022:2. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 23 August 2023
  4. Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – How Do You Take MHT? Last Updated: 08 June 2023 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management#menopausal-hormone-therapy-mht Accessed: 23 August 2023
  5. Menopause: Menopause – Hormone Treatments. Content Current As of: 22 August 2019. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ByAudience/ForWomen/WomensHealthTopics/ucm117978.htm Accessed: 23 August 2023
  6. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): About Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – After You Start Taking HRT. Page Last Reviewed: 09 September 2019. NHShttps://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/about-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/ Accessed: 23 August 2023
  7. Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayesena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:3-4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 23 August 2023
  8. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Hormone Therapy Options. 2022:2. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 23 August 2023
  9. Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – How Long Do You Need To Take MHT? Last Updated: 27 March 2022 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management#menopausal-hormone-therapy-mht Accessed: 31 March 2023
Topic Last Updated: 23 August 2023 – Topic Last Reviewed: 23 August 2023

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