Q: I'm 62 years old and have been taking hormone therapy for about 15 years. If I stop, what will happen? Will I get my period again? Will hot flashes return? Should I stop all at once, or over a period of time? What advantages might be lost? Is there information available elsewhere that addresses such questions?
A: Some women are able to quit hormone therapy cold turkey and have minimal or no side effects, while others soon experience hot flashes again. You won't get your period again, but since it's hard to tell how stopping cold turkey will affect you, gradually tapering off hormone therapy over a period of several months is probably a good choice. Some physicians recommend using hormone patches instead of pills, and just cutting them into smaller and smaller pieces to help you adjust.If you have hot flashes, these are the guidelines to minimize your discomfort: dress in layers (so that you can take your sweater or jacket off when you get hot), have a light and heavy blanket on the bed so that you can easily remove or use either or both, keep the house or office cool, and avoid spicy foods and hot drinks. Hot flashes should go away in a short time, especially since you are over the age when most women have them.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health recently concluded that the long-term risks of taking hormone therapy outweigh the long-term benefits. In a study called the Women's Health Initiative, women taking hormone therapy were more likely to have heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, and breast cancer compared to women taking a placebo. For these reasons, experts advise that a woman take hormone therapy for the shortest period of time and at the lowest dose possible in order to manage the transition to menopause.
By the way, some of the women in the study were very upset to learn that they would have to stop taking their hormone pills - but some of the women who were most upset later found out that they were only taking placebo - the "phony" pills with no hormones.
The proven benefits of hormone therapy, decreased risk of broken hips and decreased risk of colon cancer, don't make up for the risks and are lost as soon as you stop taking it. So, consider taking calcium and Vitamin D pills, which have been proven to be just as effective as hormone therapy in preventing broken hips. One study suggests that taking hormone therapy for more than 10 years might protect against Alzheimer's for the rest of a woman's life. However, since that benefit is not proven, it is not a good reason to continue hormone therapy.
Scientific evidence seems to support the use of hormone therapy only:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/women/index.htm
http://www.womenshealthnetwork.org/publications/fact.php
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