What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Oestrogen

During menopause, oestrogen levels naturally decrease. This can cause symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and mood swings. It is a normal part of the aging process for women. Oestrogen therapy can help alleviate these symptoms. It also helps to prevent diseases such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Among the estrogen products available in NZ, we prefer transdermal estrogen as it associated with the lowest risk of adverse effects.

Progesterone

Progesterone levels also decrease during menopause. It is important for women with an intact uterus to take progesterone in addition to estrogen therapy. This protects the lining of the uterus and reduces your risk of endometrial cancer. Progesterone is also thought to improve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. Micronised progesterone is our preferred method of treatment as it is associated with the lowest risk of adverse effects.

Testosterone

If you are also suffering from symptoms like fatigue, brain fog and particularly low libido after being on HRT for several months, you would likely benefit from testosterone replacement also. Testosterone levels also drop during menopause. The primary indication for testosterone treatment in women is low libido. The goal of treatment is to maintain testosterone levels within the normal range, reducing the risk of side effects.