When HRT Isn’t the Answer: My 6-Week Journey | by Do Capo | Oct, 2025

On July 7th exactly, I published an article here about how ideal it is to take HRT (hormone replacement therapy). Before making the decision to accept the prescription, I read quite a bit about the subject.

I learned that in many cases, accepting the prescription is a cultural matter. And I felt that my GP’s recommendation was the right one — I felt an enormous imbalance within me, mental and physical exhaustion, as well as the figurative and literal weight of uterine fibroids. I agreed with my GP to do a two-month trial and return for a follow-up appointment.

The medication is not immediately available at just any pharmacy in the Netherlands, where I live. In fact, the national health system dictates that your GP prescribes your medications, which you can only pick up at a pharmacy that is registered in the system as the closest one to your home. If the pharmacy doesn’t have it, they will take care of sourcing what was prescribed and notify you when it has arrived. This happens quickly. Then you can pick it up personally or request that they place it in an automated pickup locker. When your medication arrives, they notify you and give you the code to open the box and collect it. It’s simple.

When my GP prescribed it, it was different. The pharmacy called me to alert me about whether I was really aware of the consequences of taking Femoston, the brand of my HRT.

I had never before been called to ask if I was sure about taking something. I haven’t taken too many medications in the past either, but this was apparently different. They read me the pros and cons over the phone, something my GP had already told me. At home, I read the contraindications, and there it was explained that Femoston is not ideal for people with uterine fibroids. I called my GP, who in turn consulted with a specialized hospital and came back with the green light. I started two days later. The pharmacy had warned me that I might have negative effects in the first two weeks, but that if I could endure them, I should keep going. And so I did. The first two weeks went very well for me.

At 4 weeks, everything changed

Heart palpitations. Uterine cramps. And dark thoughts appeared… I didn’t realize at first that it could be the pills. Because I also had problems at work. I associated it with that. But the dark thoughts became recurrent, the urge to cry for no reason, the lack of motivation for even the smallest things. The stress at work became unbearable and my GP recommended antidepressants. That’s when my world stopped.

I immediately called a friend who knows me very well and told her about the antidepressants, and both she and my family later were also surprised by my GP’s response. (I have nothing against antidepressants since many people benefit from them, but I wasn’t sure they would be the ideal solution for my case). My reaction was to read the contraindications of Femoston, where all of this that was happening to me appeared as side effects. I stopped it immediately. I went on a trip. I went to detox from it, to cleanse my system, so to speak

The HRT Detox

The first week was without changes even though I had already radically stopped taking Femoston. It wasn’t until the second week, and with calmness, that I began noticing how my real self was returning. In 4 weeks, I can say that I found myself again. And when I returned to my GP at 6 weeks, I was certain that I would move forward without HRT but with a UFE (uterine fibroid embolization).

The wake-up call

This experience taught me the importance of listening to my body and advocating for my own health.

This is my personal experience. Always consult with your healthcare provider about your individual situation.

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