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[Kathleen]

Hello tp and welcome to the forum.

I agree with Dancinggirl in that you may want to consider HRT at some point. None of us know what sort of meno journey we'll have or how long it will last so it is worth keeping an open mind. I think the average age for the menopause is 51 and I had my last period at 53 so by that standard you are young!

Best wishes.

K.

[tp]

Hi K, thanks for the welcome

My mum went through the menopause in her mid 40s & I was told I was peri 15 yrs ago so although young, it isn't entirely impossible. I will remain open minded should the symptoms continue to get me down & I really appreciate hearing all your circumstances & advice. I guess the bit I find hardest to deal with is the loss of the real me, I don't recognise this unhappy, paranoid person & I don't like her very much x

[Dancinggirl]

tp - that is really sad to hear.  I do think we have to adjust how we perceive ourselves as we enter this stage in our lives - not expect to be able to do all things we used to do etc. but it really sounds as though you are struggling with anxiety and other aspects of the meno that HRT may well help.  ADs are often prescribed when HRT is more appropriate.  ADs can often have a sedative effect. The effect that the lack of oestrogen has on our mental state must not underestimated.  Just getting a good nights sleep can really transform how we feel.
If you have been going through the peri meno stage for some time then you may well be suffering with a real depletion of oestrogen that could be affecting everything.
I also want to just mention that at this time in our lives a good diet and the use of some good vitamin supplements is often advisable.  I come from a family filled with medicals professionals or all descriptions and they are all adamant that we need to be taking Vitamin D - particularly through winter months.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause fatigue and low mood amongst other very worrying long term problems.  I am also a great believer in Omega 3 for joints, brain and heart function etc.
I used quite a lot of anti inflammatory drugs last year when i wasn't on HRT to help with headaches and joints pains and recently I've developed signs of a stomach ulcer and having to have treatment fro this.  You say you don't want to take drugs - well NSAIDs have some nasty side effects and consequences so be careful.
I think you need to ask for a referral to a menopause clinic or gynae for an assessment.  Many GPs are still very anti HRT because they are not up to speed with the latest findings. Don't let your life slip by when there is help out there.
DG x

[Taz2]

"this IS the natural cycle of life" - tp although this is undoubtedly true it doesn't mean that we have to just give in to having a miserable life once we become menopausal. We are lucky in some ways that HRT has been discovered and can alleviate many of our symptoms especially at your young age. Migraines are "natural" but we do our best to stop them via medication. Heart problems can be "natural" after a certain age but we also do tend to use medication to give us a better quality and length of life.

When I was first going into meno at the age of around 52 I thought that this would be a natural process and that I just had to grit my teeth and get on with it so that I could come out the other side and carry on with my life. I didn't realise that for many women the symptoms continue and that there isn't a "coming out the other side". It is natural but natural doesn't take into account the fact that women do want a life that they enjoy and HRT can give them a lot of their previous life back. I made the mistake of a lot of women on here of waiting too long before starting HRT - I had reached a really low point and it took quite some months for me to get back to the old (almost) me.

Which medication were you given to try to alleviate the hot sweats?

Taz x