In the past, we have advised collaborating with a healthcare provider on stopping Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and transition to alternatives.
However, due to several incidents where the tapering process was not adequately supervised by medical professionals, we want to clarify the correct method based on decades of research and successful outcomes in helping others transition smoothly, without withdrawal symptoms.
A Case of Why Weaning Off HRT is Important
One case involved a woman who reported severe side effects after being told by her doctor to stop her HRT over just four days. She was instructed to reduce her dosage to 3/4, then 1/2, then 1/4 of her HRT, and begin using our ProMeno Wild Yam Cream the following day.
Unfortunately, over the course of the next two weeks, she experienced some of the worst symptoms of her life, which she mistakenly attributed to the Wild Yam Cream. In reality, she was undergoing significant withdrawal symptoms due to the abrupt change in using HRT. It's not surprising, considering she had been on HRT for over 6 years.
Some of these withdrawal symptoms are listed below, however know that if you gradually wean off of HRT you will not experience withdrawal symptoms.
- Hot Flashes: Sudden feelings of warmth or intense sweating, often occurring at night.
- Night Sweats: Excessive sweating during sleep, which can disrupt rest and comfort.
- Mood Swings: Increased emotional sensitivity, irritability, or bouts of depression and anxiety.
- Fatigue: Persistent feelings of tiredness or low energy levels.
- Insomnia: Difficulty falling or staying asleep, leading to restless nights.
- Vaginal Dryness: Reduced lubrication, which can cause discomfort or pain during intercourse.
- Joint Pain: Increased stiffness or aching in the joints.
- Headaches: More frequent or severe headaches, potentially linked to hormonal changes.
- Decreased Libido: A reduction in sexual desire or arousal.
- Weight Gain: Unintended weight gain due to hormonal imbalances or changes in metabolism.
When you discontinue hormone replacement therapy (HRT), your body may experience increased hormonal imbalances due to its reduced ability to produce its own hormones - which is the reason why a withdrawal may occur. Over the course of HRT, your body becomes accustomed to receiving external hormones, which can lead to a decreased natural production of estrogen, progesterone or testosterone.
Without these supplemental hormones, the body can struggle to recalibrate, often resulting in a deficiency. This lack of natural hormone production exacerbates the withdrawal symptoms, as the body grapples with the sudden change.
Gradually Wean Off with Herbal Support
To ensure a safe and effective transition, medical experts recommend a process known as Step Down Dosing. The longer you have been on HRT, the more gradually you should reduce your dosage.
If you have been ON an HRT for LESS than 2 Years - then take 2 months to wean off.
If you have been ON an HRT for OVER 2 Years - then take 4 months to wean off.
If you have been ON an HRT for OVER 6 Years - then take 6 months to wean off.
To do the math for this, take your regular dosage, and divide it by the months you're looking to wean off.
Example: You want to wean off in 4 months - so divide your dosage by 4. Reduce the dosage by that 1/4th amount each month. Follow this pattern each month to reducing the dosage, until fully weaned off.
For those looking to completely reduce the chance of any withdrawal symptoms arising during this transition, we recommend adding some herbal supplementation. This can be in the form of a tea, liquid herbal supplement, or even just transitioning onto an HRT-alternative such as Wild Yam Cream.
Some of the herbal ingredients you may want to be looking for are Nettle, Red Clover, or Black Cohosh (only if one is known to experience severe night sweats / hot flashes).
Transition to Wild Yam Cream from HRT
Firstly, know that our ProMeno Wild Yam Cream is a replacement for Hormone Replacement Therapy -- meaning that you should not use both at the same time without starting the transition period first.
Side effects of using both of these at the same time usually results in severe mood swings, irritability, and general "feeling unwell" -- simply stop use of the Wild Yam Cream if this has accidentally occurred.
To put it simply, as you reduce your HRT you can start to slowly introduce the Wild Yam Cream routine.
Let's go through an example together, because this can be confusing. Let's say I'm on a hormone patch, and I am going to take 4 months to fully wean off.
The first month, I'm going to cut my patch down to a 3/4th dosage. Meaning I am taking 1/4th less the first month.
After this first month, I'm going to introduce the Wild Yam Cream at a 1/4th dosage.
So now I'm going into month two -- I'm going to cut my patch down to 1/2 (half) the dosage. Meaning I'm taking 1/2 less than the original dosage. I am now going to start using 1/4th the dosage of the Wild Yam Cream daily at the same time.
At this point we should start monitoring our bodies as well. Normally, one will not experience any side effects, as long as a weaning off process has been started already.
Now let's continue to month three -- I'm going to cut my patch down to 1/4th the dosage. Meaning that I'm taking 3/4th less than the original HRT dosage. Now, I'm going to increase my Wild Yam Cream use to 1/2 (half) the dosage.
At the end of this, going into the final month 4 -- one can either stop using the HRT dosage altogether if it feels right. Or, you can reduce it by half of 1/4th. (So 1/8th of the total dosage.) Either way -- at this time you can increase the Wild Yam Cream to full dosage.