I have only just joined this forum.
I believe I probably started having menopause/hormone related symptoms some time before my periods stopped. I didn't know what all the possible symptoms were back then.
Towards the end of my time having periods, they became very light and short in duration. I was pleased. When they seemed to have stopped I thought I wasn't going to have any menopause related problems.
I started really feeling not good and recognising a problem in 2019. My memory was failing and my mental/cognitive ability to cope with everyday work life was not right. I was feeling lower than normal and tearful too. After a temporary job ended I decided to have a rest and see if it improved. It didn't.
So I decided to go to the doctor. I feared what it was since noone had ever told me that menopause could cause it. But because of my age and the fact my periods had stopped I thought it might be related.
I had some blood tests. When I went back for a doctor consultation, they wouldn't say if I was menopausal because I had not written down the date of my last period. I wasn't told that all the symptoms I reported were recognised menopausal ones. I was told that they didn't use the blood test to diagnose menopause and to return in a year's time when I had not had any periods. I felt they totally ignored how distressed I was about my memory problems and low mood - and that I wanted to know the cause. They totally underestimated how bad I felt/how affected I was.
So I felt none the wiser as to whether the terrible low mood/brain fog were related at all.
To cut a long story short, I struggled through the pandemic and beyond. I was grateful for the lockdowns, since by that time I didn't want to leave the house or see anyone. I couldn't sleep and would spend nights thinking of all the mistakes I had made in life and what a failure my life is. I wished I had never been born. I checked my online medical records at some point and found they had actually added a note that I had "minor" symptoms of peri/menopause - I was very angry when I saw that. I got another job and struggled for nearly 2 years. before that job ended.
2025 - I can't live with the depression/low mood. My terrible memory/cognitive problems have hit my self esteem and confidence in my abilities. Everything has been a struggle for years. So I finally went back to the doctors and told them how depressed I have been, how bad my symptoms are and how I feel unable to cope with life or see any sort of future for myself.
I am trying HRT for the first time. I stuck the first patch on yesterday and am hoping it will help. I am also hoping I won't get any bad side effects.
I am hoping I don't get a bleed after being totally period free for years. Fingers crossed on that one.
One physical symptom I had for years before my periods completely stopped was troubling back pain/aches. I hope that the HRT might help with that too.
I wish people had discussed menopause and its symptoms more when I was younger. I had only ever heard of the sweats and possible erratic/heavy periods prior to going through scary/puzzling symptoms myself. It might have helped me, since I was having symptoms for years that were probably connected to the hormone levels dropping, and I never realised. Knowledge helps dispel the fear of symptoms with no known cause. I seriously considered that I had early onset dementia when my memory/cognitive problems started affecting me. Along with the mental health problems, I have very low confidence in myself (I can't trust my own mind - scary).
Does anyone know if HRT might help the cognitive/memory problems? Does anyone have experience of having these problems (and what helped for you)?
