Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jeepers]

Hi

Interesting thread.  I'm in the same camp as Kathleen.  I was blissfully unaware what peromenopause was, apart from my periods being more erratic.  My libido sky rocketed though (bonus).  Menopause came and went, and I thought I'd cone through unscathed.  Two years post meno, and it all hit me, joints, skin problems, super high anxiety, gatro problems, bladder weakness etc etc.  At the start I was adamant that I would not be using HRT, but eventually something had to give.  HRT hasn't made everything disappear unfortunately, but I think its helped a bit.

Jeepers xx

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

Jeepers - we do sound very similar. Perhaps some women find that their hormone levels reduce gradually which helps their body to adjust whereas for some of us it hits us like a train lol.

Wrensong - thank you so much for the link. My trusty menopause book states that suffering symptoms, especially the emotional ones can easily lead to actual depression which is no great surprise I suppose.

KarineT - I understand that you want to remain positive and many women get through this time in their lives without any problems. Others suffer for a while and then they are okay.  Perhaps some women simply have more oestrogen receptors than others so that oestrogen withdrawal, which is what the menopause is, has more of an impact on them?

Wishing you well ladies.

K.

[KarineT]

Thanks everyone for reading my post.  It's good when things like this can be shared.  Should the situation get worse, of course, I would have no alternative but to resort to HRT.  My reluctance is because the progesterone part can cause withdrawal bleeding.  Do all progesterone hormones do that? I understand that there are two types of HRT.  One for the over 50s and for women who are younger.  Is that right?  Also, I often read people referring to conti and sequi, presumably it's continuous and  sequential.  Which age group is each form for?  Progesterone (Utrogestan), I think, the only one provided by the NHS, can cause mood issues, as I've found out on this forum and I"m trying to minimise this. I believe that there are HRT alternatives but they are private and cost a fortune so they are not for everyone.  And, of course, there is the breast cancer issue that worries me.  Finally, If I start HRT, when will I be able to stop, if at all?  There's no certainty with all of this and it's frustrating.

[Wrensong]

Karine,

Before puberty, when the body didn't produce any oestrogen, there were no issues due to the lack of it so why is it different with menopause? Is it because the body relied on it for so long from the time the ovaries started producing it?

I can't answer your questions I'm afraid, but I think it's good that you are trying to stay positive about the future & with any luck you will be one of the lucky women who do feel pretty well postmenopause.  For some of us though, unfortunately it doesn't seem to be a question of if we wait long enough our bodies will reset.  We will be living in a hormone deficient state for our remaining years & we have to make choices about how to address that situation if the consequences for us as individuals affect QOL too badly.  I don't think anyone in their right mind takes the HRT decision lightly, but for some of us there comes a point when it feels the best thing we can do.

My Mum suffered from depression & anxiety for many years before she passed away from breast cancer in her 70s, more than 20 years ago.  She was postmenopause at just 46.  To my knowledge no-one ever suggested her poor mental health might be related to menopause & she was never on HRT.  It saddens me to think that had someone made that connection it might have made her latter 3 decades so much easier, happier & more fulfilled.  Her antidepressants & medication for anxiety were pretty inadequate & she suffered greatly, especially from a sense that no-one understood how unwell she was.  How much better placed we are now that menopause is becoming less of a taboo & information is more accessible to us all.  The cliche knowledge is power was surely never truer than it is for menopausal women?

You've said you have no other health conditions, I think, so this seems to bode well for your chances of feeling better emotionally once hormone levels plateau.  Stay positive, but please don't let your malaise continue longer than it has to for want of trying a different approach that may make all the difference.

Kathleen, you're very welcome!  I have followed your story on the forum for some years & my heart goes out to you.
Wx

P.S. Karine - sorry you were posting again while I was.  No time to write more now, but I'm sure someone else will come along to answer your latest questions.

[KarineT]

Wrensong, thanks for your reply.  That's absolutely awful what your mum went through!  Nobody knows what it's like unless it happens to them.  If a depletion in oestrogen has the capacity to wreck havoc like this and make someone's life a misery then that's really, really bad.  Unfortunately, doctors don't seem to recognise the link between depression and the menopause.

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

KarineT - Perhaps your best strategy is to see how you feel but keep things under review regarding HRT in the future.

Wrensong - thank you for your very kind words, much appreciated.

Wishing you both well.

K.