This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Side effects

Authoring team

Side effects are usually observed during the first month or two from commencing therapy (1).

  • side effects may be caused by both oestrogens and progesterones
  • usually settles by the third month of treatment and in patients whom side effects continue, the type or route of oestrogen or progestogen should be changed

Some of the side effects of HRT include:

  • nausea and breast tenderness in 10% of cases
  • weight gain and fluid retention
  • premenstrual syndrome type-symptoms - a progestogen side-effect
  • headaches - a oestrogen side-effect
  • bloated sensation - associated with prostogens which slow bowel action
  • leg cramps - an oestrogen side-effect
  • slight increased risk of cholelithiasis
  • glucose tolerance may be impaired
  • very occasionally, there may be a marked increase in blood pressure

Reference:

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.