I have been on HRT for ten years and as I am 69 had decided to stop, but am having terrible night sweats, vaginal dryness and anxiety attacks. Can I go back on my tablets?

Unfortunately, coming off HRT can trigger withdrawal symptoms that can mimic menopausal ones and it can be a miserable time until the body re-balances itself.

I would suggest a female multivit with high levels of B Vits and a separate magnesium supplement to help with supporting your system generally.

Acupuncture can be really effective for balancing whilst coming off HRT so it is worth looking into.

Avoid foods that can stress the nervous system such as caffeine, high salt and sugar foods, processed foods and try to drink plenty of plain water daily.

Daily relaxation is really important for this as it helps to strengthen the nervous system and the stronger this is the less likely you are to get symptoms.

In the meantime you may find sage helpful for the flushes.

If you are finding it really difficult without the HRT you could ask your doctor to go back on a really low dose to help reduce the symptoms for a few months then come off really, really slowly this time at least over 6 months.

Eileen Durward