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[KarineT]

Hello,

For those of you who are not on HRT and are postmenopausal,  have your symptoms disappeared  or are disappearing  and you are feeling better?  If so, how long did it take after your last period for this to happen?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Kathleen]

Hello KarineT

 One GP told me that all meno symptoms resolved after three years period free though unfortunately that was not my experience.

Take care and I hope you get the reassurance that you are looking for.

K.

[Taz2]

I've asked a couple of post meno friends this afternoon both in their sixties. One had her last period fourteen years ago at the age of 53. Never taken HRT. Her hot flushes are much less now but still troublesome a few times a day. Vaginal symptoms painful so is considering Vagifem on advice of her doctor. Her energy level is good but pain in her wrists, elbows, feet etc. She feels better than she did in the beginning though. The other one had her last period at 56 and had bad flushes and sweats for the first three years plus insomnia and lack of energy leading to having to take time off work. She's now 65 and back to full time working. No active sex life due to vaginal dryness and soreness. I've also got a close friend of 68 who has never really considered menopause. Periods stopped at age 51. No hot flushes. Vagifem though for vaginal pain and dryness.

No two people are the same.

Taz x

[KarineT]

Thank you both for your replies.

What bothers me is the low mood and anxiety which I hope will go away.   Maybe I've got a bit of a journey left.

[Kathleen]

Hello again KarineT.

I understand where you are coming from and I admire your optimism!

Unfortunately believing and hoping something will happen doesn't guarantee that it will. There is no rule that says we all spring back into our old selves one, two or three years after our last period. There are plenty of women on this site who are very post meno and still having issues and  I am one of them.

I can only suggest that you keep your situation under review and be open to trying any treatments that may help you in the future.  I think experience is key and as Taz2 says, we are all different.

Take care.

K.

[Joaniepat]

Hello KarineT

 One GP told me that all meno symptoms resolved after three years period free though unfortunately that was not my experience.

Take care and I hope you get the reassurance that you are looking for.

K.

Goodness, GPs do talk cr*p sometimes  . What evidence could there possibly be for that?
JP x

[KarineT]

Thank you all for your replies.

Most GPs don't know anything. This means that one of 2 things can happen.  I either get better or I don't and if I don't I'm buggered for the rest of my life.  It's beyond belief that just a single hormone can wreck havoc on the body and mind.  Especially oestrogen which is primarily a sex hormone and is part of our reproductive system.

[Grheliz1]

It doesn't have to wreak havoc. You can replace the lost oestrogen.

[Taz2]

You should be able to replace the oestrogen with HRT and apart from the usual ageing process you'll be feeling ok.

What is your main symptom which is causing you to feel so dreadful?

Taz 

[KarineT]

It's mainly low mood, anxiety and internal shaking at moment. At times i also feel lethargic, spaced out and very tired for particular reason.  The strange thing is that I don't really get hot flushes but cold chills instead.

[Taz2]

This sounds like anxiety. I think you've had recent blood tests to rule out other causes? Are you sure it's Meno related? How is your sleep as poor sleep can lead to anxiety symptoms. Have you been offered HRT or any other treatment for the anxiety? Sorry too many questions 

Taz x

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies

My trusty meno book mentions internal shaking as a  menopause symptom so I have always attributed  it to low oestrogen. I was also prescribed Venlafaxine when I first went on HRT and despite it's claims to help with anxiety, my shaking continued. Btw the shaking/jittery /quivery sensation can stop as suddenly as it starts!

There may of course be other medications or treatments that could help so it is worth keeping an open mind and doing some research.

Take care ladies.

K.

[KarineT]

Again, thanks for all your replies.

The anxiety and shaking episodes can be be troublesome.  They can indeed start unexpectedly.  Sometimes it can happen several tines in a day, it can last one day or  more.  It's unpredictable and inconsistrnt.  Sometimes I think it doesn't make sense at all.  Also, at times it can be accompanied with dizziness, a blocked nose and ear.  I sometimes feels like I have the flu as it also drains my energy.  My sleeping patterns vary.  I would say I sleep fairly well except that on some nights, I will start feeling warm in the upper body and face at around 1am and I have to take my top off.  Obviously, it wakes me up but I go back to sleep straight away.

I had some a meno/thyroid combo blood test back in January this year.  My oestrogen level was 586 pmol and thyroid was ok.  With the 586 pmol oestradiol, it suggested that I had entered the menopause but I haven't had a period for 15 months now, which mus tput me in postmeno category.  I am going to do another thyroid test but a full one this time to make sure nothing has been missed and that the anxiety/shaking episodes are, indeed, meno-related.

[Wrensong]

Sorry Karine, I can't remember whether we've chatted before about low blood sugar as a possible cause of . . . 

anxiety and internal shaking ... lethargic, spaced out and very tired

.  If you haven't read up about it I think it might be well worth your while.  Hypoglycaemia tends to become a problem at menopause & learning how to keep blood sugar levels as stable as poss can help with a large array of unpleasant symptoms, including those you've mentioned above & the dizziness you talk about here . . .

Also, at times it can be accompanied with dizziness

Another possibility springs to mind, especially if your dizziness episodes are severe & make you nauseous - vestibular migraine.  The sensation of blocked ear & nose would tie in with that.  VM episodes can occur without headache but do usually affect people who've previously had another form of migraine (don't know whether you have?)  Maybe have a look at that condition to see whether you think it fits the dizziness.

[Robin]

Hi Katrina,

I had all of the symptoms you describe and more, a lot of which I had no idea could be menopause related. All either improved significantly or disappeared completely once I had a high enough level of estrogen in my system.