Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – NHS Choices

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment usedto relieve symptoms of themenopause. It replaces hormones that are at a lower level as you approach themenopause.

This page covers:

Benefits of HRT

How to get started

Who can take it

Types of HRT

Stopping HRT

Risks and side effects

Alternatives

The main benefit of HRT is that it can help relieve most of the menopausal symptoms, such as:

Many of these symptoms pass in a few years, but they canbe very unpleasant and taking HRT can offer relief for many women.

Itcan also help prevent weakening of the bones (osteoporosis), which is more common after the menopause.

Speak to your GP if you're interested in starting HRT.

You can normally begin HRT as soon asyou start experiencing menopausal symptoms and won't usually need to have any tests first.

Your GP can explain thedifferent types of HRTavailable and help you choose one that's suitable for you.

You'll usually be started off on a low dose, which can be increased at a later stage. It may take a few weeks to feel the effects of treatment and there may be someside effects at first.

Your GP will normally recommend trying treatment for three months to see if it helps. If it doesn't, they may suggest changing your dose or changing the type of HRT you're taking.

Most women can have HRT if they're experiencing symptoms associated with the menopause.

ButHRT may not be suitable if you:

Inthese circumstances,alternatives to HRTmay be recommended instead.

There are many different types of HRT and finding the right one for you can be tricky.

There are different:

Your GP can give you advice to help you choose which type is best for you.You may need to try more than one type before you find one that works best.

Read more about the different types ofHRT.

There's no limit on how long you can take HRT, but talk to your GP about the duration of treatment they recommend.

Most womenstop takingitonce their menopausal symptoms pass, which is usually after a few years.

When you decide to stop, you can choose to do so suddenly or gradually.

Gradually decreasing your HRT dose is usually recommended because it's less likely to cause your symptoms to come back in the short term.

Contact your GP if you have symptoms that persist for several months after you stop HRT, or if you have particularly severe symptoms. You may need to start HRT again.

As with any medication, HRT can cause side effects. But these will usually pass within three months of starting treatment.

Common side effects include:

Some types of HRT can also cause a small increase in your risk of certain serious problems, such asblood clots and breast cancer.

The benefits of HRT are generally felt to outweigh the risks. But speak to your GP if you have any concerns about taking HRT.

Read more aboutside effects of HRTandrisks of HRT.

If you're unable totake HRT or decide not to,you may want to consider alternativeways of controlling your menopausal symptoms.

Alternatives to HRT include:

Several remedies (such as bioidenticalhormones) are claimed to help withmenopausal symptoms, but these aren't recommended because it's not clear how safe and effective they are.

Read more about alternatives to HRT.

Page last reviewed: 20/07/2016

Next review due: 20/07/2019

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Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - NHS Choices