Braingonebad,

Let your doctor advise. The whole HRT issue varies from patient to patient. But the general rule of thumb nowdays is the lowest dose possible for the shortest amount of time. Also, there are transdermal patches, gels and creams that can also be used in a very, very small amount. And these were things that were NOT addressed in either study; it was Prempro and an oral tablet. If you read fully both studies (HERs and WHI), they were both flawed in certain aspects. And there was a LOT of panic causing women to abruptly stop the hormone treatment when there was really no just cause.

So, the very best advice I can give is to ask or talk with a Reproductive Endocrinologist who can tailor a specific plan to fit you. By the way, Soy is contraindicated in those that cannot tolerate estrogen. So, make sure you ask the RIGHT questions. And the drug companies are NOT scrambling to make lower doses; they have been around since even I began all of this 10 years ago. Shoot, the dosage of Estrogel and Estrasorb is so small...just a smidge.

For myself, I was on the Vivell dot patch .05 mg for a number of years and was gradually able to reduce it to the lowest dose and then stop. I still use the Premarin cream .625 twice a week as it is needed for vaginal atrophy as well as bladder function (I had a total hysterectomy 10 years ago so ovaries are gone).

Calcium and D is a good idea but estrogen as well helps to prevent bone loss. Again, talk with the doc or a good RE. My own is a Professor Emerita at Indiana University Medical Center and runs the menopause clinic there. She has also written numerous articles about this very subject and lectures throughout the country. The bottom line is...find out what is best for you and in particular if you take any other meds for pain, etc. HRT is NOT a bad thing if you are monitored and have a treatment plan that fits YOU. And it CAN get complicated.