Deciding when to start hormone replacement therapy can feel like a big step, and it is fine to take it slowly.
Choosing a starting point for hormone therapy
There is no date or age we can name for you. The kindest next step is a conversation with a licensed clinician who can look at your history. Starting is a decision you can make at your own speed.
Jotting down symptoms for your first appointment
It is fair to ask plenty of questions before you agree to start.
Ahead of a first appointment, it helps to write down:
- Which symptoms are bothering you, and for how long?
- What have you already tried, and what did it cost?
- What are you hoping will change in a month, and in a year?
- What other conditions or medicines should your clinician know about?
Bring that list with you.
The first few months of a plan
Ask the clinician what the first few months would look like, how progress is judged and what a pause would involve. You do not need to decide at the first visit.
When you have a quiet moment, it can help to see how health organizations explain the choice. A federal women's health office explains menopause treatment, a hospital health library has a page on hormone therapy for menopause symptoms, and a university health system's fact sheet covers menopause in general.
If timing is your main question, a menopause society press release on ongoing individualized hormone therapy and age limits speaks to it. Mention it at the visit and ask your clinician how it fits you.
Making the choice together
Whether and when to start hormone replacement therapy is a choice to make together with a licensed clinician who has gone through your history.