Episode 178 - Stopping HRT: The Side Effect I Wasn’t Ready For

Welcome back to The Menopause and Cancer Podcast. Today, I’m joined by someone whose work has made a massive impact on our community — Mr. Vikram Talaulikar, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine and Associate Professor at UCL. He’s helped shape a groundbreaking part of my book: the table outlining the safety of HRT after all types of cancer. In this episode, we explore what it’s really like to come off HRT after a cancer diagnosis — something some describe as a huge worry. We also hear from Rachel and Jo, two fab women from our community who share their experiences with you. You can find Rachel here https://midlifeinterrupted.com/ and Jo here https://www.instagram.com/jomenneernutrition/?hl=en We talk about:Why stopping HRT can feel so traumaticWhether it’s safer to stop suddenly or wean off slowlyWhat non-hormonal options are available — from medications to CBT and complementary therapiesHow we can better support survivors facing this experienceWe also talk about the survey I’ve launched with Mr. Talaulikar and Dr. Basel Watter, which is helping us better understand the experiences of people who navigate menopause. If that’s you, please take part. The link is here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=8y1ywoOIqkup1ZOI4kKt2B5ITslOQvhElyTxa010jzlUNTdRRFNaRkJBWkk1UzNOTDRaMUE3RDdaTiQlQCN0PWcu And I’ll be sharing a few powerful stories from members of our community who know this pain firsthand.If you're a healthcare professional, Navigating Menopause After Cancer may be a really valuable resource for your practice — and yes, every chapter is fully referenced: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Navigating-Menopause-After-Cancer-comprehensive/dp/1068499907 Episode Highlights:00:00 Intro03:45 HRT Post-Cancer 11:23 Stopping HRT Gradually or Suddenly16:56 Exploring Non-Hormonal Treatment Options19:18 Navigating Post-Menopause Cancer Challenges21:45 Rachel’s story23:40 Jo’s StoryConnect with us:For more information and resources, visit our website: www.menopauseandcancer.org Follow us on Instagram @menopause_and_cancerFind us on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@NavigatingMenopauseAfterCancer Join my NEW blog ‘Still Becoming’ on Substack: https://substack.com/@danibinnington?...Buy my book ‘Navigating Menopause After Cancer’: https://amzn.eu/d/07dUoYBbJoin our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub Mentioned in this episode:Substack: https://danibinnington.substack.com/