What should I expect from hormone therapy?
Hormone therapy can be administered in many ways, including injections, pills, vaginal rings, creams, and pills. There are also different types of therapy:
- Progesterone therapy can be used to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer when estrogen is taken alone. It can also help regulate the menstrual cycle if you are still menstruating.
- Estrogen therapy can relieve the symptoms of menopause, so you can live a more comfortable life.
- Combination therapy uses both progesterone and estrogen to replace the hormones your body stops producing after menopause.
If you still have your uterus, you will take progesterone with estrogen since taking estrogen alone increases the risk of endometrial cancer. If you no longer have a uterus, you likely will not need to take progesterone.
Most patients will begin experiencing the results of their hormone therapy a few weeks after beginning. If you do not experience any changes after three months, your dose may be adjusted.
