Hi Carina, I know you’re still young but I wondered how you feel about HRT for post menopausal women with Lipedema. I have sleep issues and they seem to improve if I am on hormone replacement therapy patches.
Hi Connie, thanks for asking. I'm not at that stage yet, but my lipedema is very sensitive to hormones, so I've been reading the studies to be prepared.
The honest answer is that we don't have good studies on HRT in lipedema yet. What we have is a lot of plausible biology and very mixed patient experiences, so I can't tell you it helps or that it harms. Better sleep on patches is common in menopausal women in general, since night sweats and hot flushes often ease, so what you describe makes sense whatever the lipedema is doing.
I also think we have to look at our health as a whole. Estrogen matters for bones and for a lot of other things, and sometimes something that may make lipedema worse is still the right choice for the rest of the body. If it gives you proper sleep, that is a real benefit. I'd talk it through with your doctor and keep an eye on how your legs and swelling respond.
I'm actually thinking about running a survey on this, to hear what women with lipedema experience on HRT. It wouldn't be proof of anything, but it would be better than nothing for now. Would you be up for sharing your experience if I do? 🤗
Yes Carina I would be fine with doing that.
Hi Carina, I know you’re still young but I wondered how you feel about HRT for post menopausal women with Lipedema. I have sleep issues and they seem to improve if I am on hormone replacement therapy patches.
Hi Connie, thanks for asking. I'm not at that stage yet, but my lipedema is very sensitive to hormones, so I've been reading the studies to be prepared.
The honest answer is that we don't have good studies on HRT in lipedema yet. What we have is a lot of plausible biology and very mixed patient experiences, so I can't tell you it helps or that it harms. Better sleep on patches is common in menopausal women in general, since night sweats and hot flushes often ease, so what you describe makes sense whatever the lipedema is doing.
I also think we have to look at our health as a whole. Estrogen matters for bones and for a lot of other things, and sometimes something that may make lipedema worse is still the right choice for the rest of the body. If it gives you proper sleep, that is a real benefit. I'd talk it through with your doctor and keep an eye on how your legs and swelling respond.
I'm actually thinking about running a survey on this, to hear what women with lipedema experience on HRT. It wouldn't be proof of anything, but it would be better than nothing for now. Would you be up for sharing your experience if I do? 🤗