I had a hysterectomy many years ago, but I still have my ovaries. I was taking premarin for about 12 years and felt fine. I came off it because I thought that 12 years was long enough, but I wonder if I have made a mistake because I now feel as though I'm 105 years old as I now have aches and pains all over my body. I'm 62 years old. Could I safely start back on HRT again?

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 multivitamin with high levels of B Vitamins and a separate magnesium supplement to help with supporting your system.

Acupuncture can be really effective for balancing after 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, and  processed foods.

Try to drink plenty of plain water daily. Daily relaxation is also 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 Devils Claw helpful for the joint pain.

You would need to ask your doctor about going back onto HRT. What we often suggest in such cases, is to go back onto HRT at the lowest possible dose and take until your symptoms have resolved.

Then come off again but this time very, very slowly - 6 months to a year - this way the time involved gives your body a chance to rebalance without causing major symptoms again.

Eileen Durward