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[Ju Ju]

Some women do sail through the menopause. For me, the usual well recognised meno symptoms were not severe,but the hormonal effect on existing health issues has had a huge impact.   

[devonhil]

I do thing there's a stigma around talking about the menopause - much more so than menstruation which a lot of women talk about quite openly. Women don't even discuss menopause much with other women (let alone men).

I'm perimenopausal and mentioned it to my mum who's quite a shy person. She told me she went through the menopause at 42 and felt (and I quote) "a freak". She never discussed it with anyone and it makes me so sad to think she went through all that on her own. What's more she now, at 74,  has the classic symptoms of osteoporosis which may well be because she didn't get the hormone treatment she really needed being so young.

Like lots of you on this thread, I always thought it was something I needn't think about until well into my 50s -  I got my first symptoms around 40.

I so hope that suffering in silence is on the way out - if we don't talk about menopause how are we going to educate all those HRT-phobic GPs! 

hil

[Ju Ju]

You're right. Other than the "Is it hot in here or is it me?" kind of comments, menopause symptoms simply aren't discussed.

[Dorymai]

Ladies, isn't it good to talk!! I think I am becoming a 'meno warrior', as now I understand a little better what is happening to me, I have no problem at all in telling people why I feel so c**p! Only yesterday a lady, 48 same age as me, went home from work ill and her colleague, 30 something, was explaining all the symptoms she was having that were making her feel so ill. I piped up 'perhaps' its the menopause, the reply was 'no it must be something really serious to make her feel that bad'! This is such a typical reaction and I have to admit, probably one I would have had myself before I experienced it for myself but when it is trivialised in this way it does make my blood boil!   

I am struggling at the moment trying to get some weight off and even bought a treadmill for some power walking (never been able to jog) but can't use it as my hips hurt so much if I do. I am determined to do something though but I do feel like I'm doing battle with my body at the moment!

[Maggies]

Hey Ladies

Thank goodness I am not alone and neither will any other lady reading info on here. I was '50 this year, have no female relatives older than me to ask......shocked to realise ( ha I am a nurse) but work with children...that my six weekly periods, hot flushes, mood swings, dry brittle hair etc etc were the peri menopause....great and boy it as been hard since then......

I tell every one about the menopause to raise awareness no gents we ladies haven't all gone potty. My husband just does not get it! I need hugs and love and understanding.

For now I continue a journey of treacle some days to get through this horrid time in my life but will come through the other lighter side smiling.....

[Larney]

I hear you! I had no idea of ANY meno symptoms other than hot flushes. And I thought that they would be over after a few months. The only public awareness seems to be to laugh at 'ladies of a certain age' if someone is a bit hot. Hardly surprising that many medics are so clueless. I was really lucky with my GP surgery when I was having a hysterectomy, but having moved house I've joined a large practice and have seem four different doctors, all of whom have no idea what I'm talking about.

[Maggies]

Hey

Ladies, I just have been reading menopause for dummies.....got it off amazon so now know I haven't gone potty! the progesterone causes my fatigue the oestrogen the anxiety and palpatations.....ahhh now I understand when OH says I am paranoid or other horrid things....... OH on his way out for good xxx
 

[Chrislm]

Interesting about our mums isn't it?

My mum sailed through the menopause at 50. She didn't even know she had gone through it until about a year later and she realised she had a stockpile of tampons! (She didn't tell me this until I told her I thought I had started to go through it last year unfortunately, otherwise I might have realised sooner).

But what has really struck me is that I have been really healthy and fit all my life. I have never been overweight, or even underweight, in my life. I have always eaten fresh food and I deal with stress really well. Yet I was having a really difficult perimenopause pre HRT.

My symptom free mum however has never exercised in her life ever, has nearly always been overweight, hardly eats anything that hasn't been processed and lives her life in a perpetual state of self induced anxiety.

So much for a healthy diet and exercise being able to sort meno symptoms out!