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[Jacqueline333]

Hi, I am new to the forum but have found a lot of comfort in reading other ladies posts. I can see I’m not the only one who’s crying for no reason totally flat waking up with feelings of dread and thinking life is almost not worth living.
I’m not taking any medication and don’t want HRT et cetera. I think I’ve been quite lucky really but for the last year I have been extremely depressed and totally flat in mood. I am 59 and two years post menopause.
What I would like to hear about is has anyone come through this and recovered? Does this feeling of depression go away and     if so when? Would welcome any comments.

[EllieJ]

I resisted HRT until my mental health took me down a dark path and I began self harming. I wish I could say it has all been golden light and wonderful since then - sadly I'm having problems with bleeding which is really triggering some health anxiety. I'm sorry this isn't a more positive post - I wish you well and hope we all come through the worst of it soon!

[Dandelion]

Hi, I am new to the forum but have found a lot of comfort in reading other ladies posts. I can see I’m not the only one who’s crying for no reason totally flat waking up with feelings of dread and thinking life is almost not worth living.
I’m not taking any medication and don’t want HRT et cetera. I think I’ve been quite lucky really but for the last year I have been extremely depressed and totally flat in mood. I am 59 and two years post menopause.
What I would like to hear about is has anyone come through this and recovered? Does this feeling of depression go away and     if so when? Would welcome any comments.

Hello
I'm 58 post menopause and I came to say, I am someone else on here, for whom your words could have come from my heart. "I’m not the only one who’s crying for no reason totally flat waking up with feelings of dread and thinking life is almost not worth living." 😢
I also did not want HRT last year.
I'd been on it ten years, but was starting to think it't not all it's cracked up to be.
I was sick of being reliant on pharmacies.
I was symptomatic still, and wondered when I would "get through menopause".
Once our hormones are gone, all of our bodies, from head to toe are at risk of future ill health/loss of independence and shortened life span.
Sorry to say, no one gets through menopause.
The "lucky" symptom free women are not really lucky (sorry) as menopause is silently doing its deadly deed in the background. Not replacing hormones is a serious future health risk.
Every cell in our body needs oestrogen and maybe testosterone, and progesterone for those who still have their wombs.
Also, some don't know they are having symptoms, I had loads I did not attribute to menopause.
Thank goodness a friend told me menopause is for life and about some private meno doctor, the name of which I had heard on here Louise Newson.
All her content is freely available for no cost, plus her balance app, also free.
She delivers it in a way that is very relatable.
Her work drove me to revisit HRT and safeguard myself against future illness.
The NHS can prescribe, although you may encounter gatekeeping, gaslighting, wait lists etc etc
The Dr actually discovered I had been walking around with woefully low oestrogen. Even after two increased to 75mcg I was still level 112, but we are getting there, the Dr and me now.
As we increase the dose it gets a little easier.
Also, I never needed more pharmaceuticals for high blood pressure, statins, painkillers etc, all drugs prescribed to mask symptoms of menopause, and line Big Pharma's pocket.
My choice last year, to come off HRT was not an informed choice as I did not know the risks I was putting my body at by stopping it.
While it's every woman's prerogative to either take or not take HRT, it's vital that choice is informed.

[Dandelion]

I resisted HRT until my mental health took me down a dark path and I began self harming. I wish I could say it has all been golden light and wonderful since then - sadly I'm having problems with bleeding which is really triggering some health anxiety. I'm sorry this isn't a more positive post - I wish you well and hope we all come through the worst of it soon!

Hello
This was me until last year.
Sorry to hear you experienced this too.
Mine came in the form of autistic meltdowns, HRT might have saved me some serious injury.
I have a history of bleeding too.
I used to believe that too much oestrogen = bleeding, so Dr and me reduced.
I used to google the worst case scenario around post meno bleeding.
It turns out my bleeding was caused by not enough oestrogen.
It wasn't continuous, but it got less and less as we increased my dose.

[Jacqueline333]

Thank you for all your post much appreciated

[sheila99]

If you're against hrt and you find it too much you could try and AD. For some women meno symptoms resolve with time but for others they last a lifetime. Unfortunately there's no way of knowing which you are. You could try the natural remedies forum but I'm not aware of anything that would help. Let us know if you find something.

[debbyx]

Hi Jacqueline333

I have just read your post and that is me right now in fact I have written a post just this morning as I am feeling exactly like you .

I am not on HRT and even though I have been given AD I have not taken them I am 63 and 6 years post menopause. 

I have only been getting symptoms for the last two years but not as bad as they are now. I though I was the lucky one and sailed through menopause My GP told me I should be through tall this by now , so it’s great that we have this forum and get help and guidance from everyone.

Just reading your post made me feel a little bit better that we are not alone in all of this. 
Thinking of you. 

[donnarob]

Hi Debbyx

I reached 66 last month and it seems like the more you age, the physical symtpoms get worse.  I suffered a stroke with no lasting symptoms in December 2020 and have been on blood thinners ever since.  So many treatments have been offered to me but I am loathe to even entertain HRT at this late stage in post menopause.

I think it hits you so hard when you lose confidence and the anxiety creeps in, almost like phsycoschematic symptoms if that makes any sense?   I think the main culprit in my case is crashing levels of oestregen coupled with rising cortisol which, in turn, increases anxiety.  I also wake up drenched in sweat and suffer from occasional athrophy.  I do insert Yes´s Vaginal Moisturiser which usually helps but have been uncomfortable this past week with bloating, burping, indigestion with what feels like a lump in my throat. Even a fizzing feeling in my legs and the symptoms follow a set cyclic pattern every month.

[Aubrey]

Hi Jacquline333, and other contributers,

Before I took HRT I also had crashing depression, so painful. I didn't think twice about - to HRT or not to HRT - at the first hot flash I got it and took it because I'd rather function than not. I was delighted to find the depression went away as well as the internal blaze. I still get some of the symptoms, still trying to work out dosage, which is super hard with a reactive not responsive health service, but those haunting ones, like anxiety and depression are gone.

With HRT you can have a go at it, and if you like it carry on, but if you don't you can stop, no harm done.

[Fizwhizz]

Hi, I am new to the forum but have found a lot of comfort in reading other ladies posts. I can see I’m not the only one who’s crying for no reason totally flat waking up with feelings of dread and thinking life is almost not worth living.
I’m not taking any medication and don’t want HRT et cetera. I think I’ve been quite lucky really but for the last year I have been extremely depressed and totally flat in mood. I am 59 and two years post menopause.
What I would like to hear about is has anyone come through this and recovered? Does this feeling of depression go away and     if so when? Would welcome any comments.

It’s the flatness and depression you describe that sent me looking for HRT. Unfortunately I don’t function well without oestrogen. Anti depressants just make me feel worse, I’m already flat as it is. I wish I didn’t need HRT but I just don’t function without it. I’m struggling to find the optimal dose and still feeling very low, flat and down and not fully functioning. I haven’t struggled so much with physical symptoms of menopause but the mental ones affect any quality of life and are quite debilitating in themselves.