nicolaruijne, maybe you should get a second opinion. My doctor had a pretty good idea of what I shold do abuot that.

It depends on a whole bunch of stuff, like if you had a hysterectomy, or if someone in your family had breast cancer. Your doctor shouldn't just leave it up to you. That's wrong.

It's not just about ERT, there's also HRT.
If you didn't have a hysterectomy, it can help you not to get cancer of the uterus.

Your doctor needs to know your history and then HE should be the one to decide. Like, did you ever have clots or breast cancer? There's other stuff too, that if you had that, you shouldn't have ERT.

Also, sometimes other stuff works good and you don't need to take medicinces. For instance, I couldn't eat hot or spicy stuff when I was having symptoms, that made me get hot flashes, but when I left off the Mexican food, I was fine.

My sister used ERT and she said it made her skin GLOW. Also helped her sleep at night.

hrt keeps coming up with bad stuff attached to it. breast cancer and other types of cancer. lots of other ways to deal with menopause - some really good natural ways as well

first time here and too young for meno but still can you tell me whats ERT?

I cannot help with ERT but I will tell you stay away from HRT. I read up on cancer etc, but missed the part that I would bleed like after I gave birth!

I am on the combipatch 0.05-0.14mg. I have started bleeding miserably, just when I was beginning to enjoy not having my period. AND it is non-stop, for weeks on end.

I do have a Dr. appt to rule out any uterine problems. Maybe i can talk her into saying I need a hysterectomy....

Don't do it. Your body normally reduces hormones because you don't need them anymore. ERT/HRT has been definitively shown to cause breast cancer, so now they don't recommend it unless your symptoms are extreme. I found that getting more exercise/and outdoor activities helped reduce my sinus infections, which were linked to my hot flashes because of the fevers I sometimes would get. I took echinacea for the sinus problems, which helped, but the exercise was most helpful. It's all over within a few years. Don't risk it.