Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: demobbaby on February 11, 2014, 06:11:44 PM
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hello ladies,please tell me that there are other women who are still experiencing the full range of symptoms 20 years after their last period.Nobody told me it was for life but then nobody told me anything.Doctors(male) in my youth thought the 'change' was simply female hysteria.Female friends who were lucky enough not to suffer hot flushes night sweats palpitations etc. didn't believe me and regarded it as a taboo subject.I am very new to computers and this is the first time I have posted anything anywhere but I am desperate to know if 20 years is more common than you think. demobbaby
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yes it is more common and thank god some drs are waking up to this fact!
My mum swears she had flushes into her late 70s and early 80s.
I know of at least 1 woman ( friend of a friend) who is back on HRT at 73, having tried to stop using it only to feel terrible and have no quality of life.
My own gynae says some women never ever get rid of the flushes.
Can you see your dr and ask for help?
How old are you now?
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Hello and welcome to MM demobbaby
Oh yes, you can definitely get symptoms for many, many, many years…………
Tell us more about yourself and your meno experiences and we'll see if we can help.
Isn't it annoying when friends just dismiss your meno symptoms as nothing just because they haven't suffered.
DG x
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Hi Demobbaby, :welcomemm:
If I've learned anything about menopause from this forum, it's nothing is really common! Everyone has different experiences. Unfortunately that also makes it more difficult to treat.
You will find lots of help and information here!
Good luck
Karen
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:welcomemm:
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hello and many thanks for your replies I feel better already.I am 67 years old now and even after all these years I am shocked by the intensity of my hot flushes and night sweats.On holiday last year (bracing east coast) I was very embarrassed when I nearly passed out in a shop.If I ever find a doctor who is remotely interested I would be hotfooting down to his surgery demobbaby
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There are drs who can help but it's more likely you'd get that kind of help from gynaecologists who have an interest or specialism in the menopause and who are happy to treat you as a person not just a statistic! I know of some who have given HRT to women older than you. Clearly there are risks, which are slightly higher in the 6-70 age range and older, but some women are happy to take the risks if quality of life is dreadful.
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You could ask for a referral to a Menopause Clinic or send a private message to Dr Currie here - though I think there will be a queue for a few days !
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:welcomemm: :welcomemm: :welcomemm: :welcomemm:
Hello there
you sound as if you definitely qualify for HRT. There should be so much more information available about the menopause, nobody should have to suffer in silence for so long.
You can contact Dr Currie, I believe she charges but not a huge amount and if she can get you to where you want to be that has to be worth it.
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thank you to all who have given me advice.As I live in a remote part of Scotland there is no chance of going to a clinic.I would have to ask the GP for HRT.Is HRT still made from horse urine?Hoped that kind of cruelty had been banned by now, surely there is a synthetic version in the 21st century
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ooh no, they do still prescribe premarin but there are way more friendlier and modern hrt's like the patch and the gel, those are bio identical and really do the trick. hope that you can twist your good docs are, ask him about Oestogel, you could possibly just get away with a pump or 2 daily and some progesterone if you have a uterus still.
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Hi and welcome
I agree with others that your GP is talking nonsense. To have put up with symptoms of meno for 20 years without any help seems crazy and you have my admiration for getting through those years with your sanity in tact!
The pins and needles could be carpel tunnel syndrome.
Some how you need to get some advice from someone how knows about menopause and symptom control. Have you tried asking you GP for a referral to gynaecologist at your local hospital? In this day and age there is no reason for you to be having to put up with this situation.
I wish you all the very best
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As you are so isolated maybe an email or telephone consultation with Dr Currie would be the answer to help you to point your GP in the right direction.
I think she charges £15 for this,but others will know I'm sure.
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hello ladies,please tell me that there are other women who are still experiencing the full range of symptoms 20 years after their last period.Nobody told me it was for life but then nobody told me anything.Doctors(male) in my youth thought the 'change' was simply female hysteria.Female friends who were lucky enough not to suffer hot flushes night sweats palpitations etc. didn't believe me and regarded it as a taboo subject.I am very new to computers and this is the first time I have posted anything anywhere but I am desperate to know if 20 years is more common than you think. demobbaby
My last perios was 20 years ago come August I have VA I get the screaming ab dabs
Get sad angry even the odd period pains so sorry sweetie xxxxxxxxx
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DB so sorry to hear you are still suffering after such a long time, my flushes started at 49, became sweats 24/7 at 50, now nearly 65 and still get night sweats about every 45mins..
I did start HRT just before I reached 60, due to exhaustion...I use Femseven Conti 50 patches, they helped greatly with day sweats, still get the odd one, but not every 20mins!! this changed my life so much..but sadly night one's roll on...xx
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My Gp upped my dose on patches form 75 to 100 . I was still getting some flushes and she said lets get rid of them by upping the dose ----- was a bit anxious but now 8 months later - no flushes and feel really good,mild anxiety has gone too, I have been on hrt for 7 years.
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Morning Ladies, having tried a few HRT tabs, with no change at all, I then tried the patches, Everol Conti made me feel sick with bad headaches, did read on hear its the prog content, that causes this....so GP put me on Femseven Conti 50 different prog, and no sickness or bad head, so stayed on them, sadly 50 is the highest dose, so cannot increase dosage..as far as I know there are only 2 patches, did think about asking for his advice on estrogen gel, wondered if a 'pump' form would just give me that added bit, but scared on raising the subject to much, due to being 65 in the Summer, don't want him to suggest I stop HRT, I just could not cope with sweats 24/7 again..
I have tried 3 times to come off HRT, just stopping and then cutting bits of patches, as soon as I get to 1/2 patch the sweats come back, my last try I did make it to 19 days, but I was a wreak, so put patch back on, it took a further 9 days to get day sweats to stop, when they did, it was like winning the Lotto....now when I get the odd daytime hot flush, I can feel its trying to 'break out' into a full blown sweat, but the HRT seems to stop it!
W.R was so pleased to read you are free of them.. :-*
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I get so upset and angry that our lives can be made miserable because we are denied the opportunity to use our own intelligence to make a decision about the quality of life we have. Other medications are prescribed even though they carry risks and side effects but somehow HRT is in a class of its own. Why?
I think it is positively medieval to let women suffer when there is a remedy (HRT) available. Now we all have to work much longer how can it be a level playing field if at 60 women are denied HRT which makes life “do able†for all those extra working years past 60.
Lubylou
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That's just it - I couldn't cope with the work I do without HRT ie with flushes, pelvic aches and the like - even if the symptoms eventually went eg after a year, I would not be good at my job while it was happening. I think that is the same for most of us now the pension age has changed and the research/medical profession needs to catch up with this!
Hurdity x
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Haven't posted for a while but this is exactly my views. If you start with meno early and they expect you to work until you are nearly 70 but take away your work-life-saving drugs then how are you supposed to cope?
All that will happen is ladies in their 60's will get the sack because they can't perform their jobs then it will cost the country more because then they'll have to claim benefits!
When I saw the gynae a couple of years ago, even though he was older man he was very modern in his views and was quite happy for ladies to stay on it if needed and know the risks. However, you are right about other drugs and interestingly I know some people are being pulled off statins because of the side effects. Problem is if you are constantly taking drugs for blood pressure and statins how do you know what your under lying natural levels are doing?
My doc initially only said 3 years for HRT and I've gone past that but I'm not that old for meno so hopefully there won't be a problem until I'm 60 because I have a suspicion I'm going to be one of those people who will always have the flushes and sweats. If I'm stressed or worried they show up again despite the HRT...grrrrr!
They seem quite happy to stuff older people with all sorts of drugs to keep them going but not HRT. Even a low dose, if it didn't get rid of them totally would help a bit and make it a tad easier to cope. If you eat healthily, keep hydrated, take some exercise, keep up with the screening then that would minimise some of the risks?
Ok rant over :)
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Usually HRT will still be prescribed over sixty but you do have to say that you accept the risks. I feel that the fact that even amongst meno consultants there is such a difference of opinion just makes us more worried and unsure of what to do. I don't think they have any idea how horrible you can feel while having all the symptoms and even if we don't have to work why should we just subside in a puddle of tearful sweatiness for the rest of our lives?
I'm just starting month seven without HRT and this week there seems to have been a slight change in the number of sweats but I haven't been at work so maybe that's the difference - less stress?
Taz x