Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Toodle Pips on July 13, 2018, 10:30:26 AM
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As I said in my newbie post, I am 54 and believe I am peri but this hasn't been confirmed. I have night sweats, and have done intermittently for three years, heavy periods that have become more regular, struggle with sleeping, have had palpitations and panic attacks in the last two years, but not for a while now, and anxiety and digestive problems.
Call me naive but I actually thought that once periods cease, then so did the other symptoms. That s what I read on other sites. But reading through posts on here it looks like that it goes on forever.
Do we actually ever get through this and stop having the horrible symptoms? I keep reading articles in the papers from ladies post menopause who state that they now have a new lease of life. Are they lying? 😕
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Hi everyone is different I think. I got a lot worse three years post meno, but HRT has improved things a lot. Hopefully, everything regulates and we feel "normal' again x
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So hope so Dotty. We shouldn't have to go through this x
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I agree Toodle Pips. Like you, I thought your periods stopped and that was it. Menopause has made me very, very ill!
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Oh no Dotty. So sorry to hear that. I hope things are improving for you x
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Yes thanks Toodlepips. I'm much better now after 5 months on Oestrogel, Utrogestan and Testosterone x
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That's great that it is helping. I am very reluctant to go down the HRT route, but you can never say never x
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I am also confused. My symptoms have only really started in the year since my periods stopped. I am definitely going to make sure my daughter is more clued up about this than I was
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Hi Toodle Pips
HRT has definitely helped me and made me able to function again . I was very ill this time last year . I too was adamant that I wasn't going to take hrt despite my best friend urging me too. But it got to the stage where I had to take it. I couldn't carry on as I was. However, every woman is different and you have to make your own mind up. I can only speak for myself . But I would urge anyone to find out the facts and not listen to rumours about hrt. X
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Hi Toddle Pips. My symptoms are very similar to yours. My periods started to change at 46. Things came to head with bad insomnia which fuelled anxiety (mainly health anxiety). Then I had 8 months when I felt much better; calmer, less 'buzzy' and 'fuzzy', gut better, no real reason for this. Recently it all came back. I wish I could persuade my GP to do some hormone tests as I found HRT made the anxiety much worse. I have no idea if my hormones are high/low or swinging wildly. I don't know why they don't just take 100 women who suffer and test them every day whilst keeping a diary. Crazy that this is such as inexact science when so many of us suffer in the dark. hate to say it but if it were men ....etc...etc
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The menopause comes in two parts, short term symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats - although they can be very long term for some - and long term symptoms like osteoporosis, insomnia, cognitive function, bladder problems, VA. So it's a gamble and you don't know if (a) the most obvious and supposedly short term effects of the menopause will indeed be short term or (b) if you are going to be affected by the long term effects of the menopause.
It's a judgement call and you have to decide if you want to live with debilitating menopause symptoms and/or want to risk the long term symptoms. Everyone seems to have a different view on it but I decided a long time ago that I will be taking HRT for life. I don't want to risk not taking HRT and I don't want to live with menopause symptoms. I feel bloody awful when my oestrogen levels are low even though I have never had hot flushes or night sweats.
One word of caution and some may not like this but a lot of women are menopause deniers. I'm sure a lot of women have a bit of a purple patch when their periods stop (nobody likes periods and yes, it is great to not have them) but the question is how long does that purple patch last? Do thesse women go on to develop health problems caused by oestrogen deprivation? Who knows. What is important is that you know what your options are and you make that choice.
I don't expect everyone to agree with me but that is my personal view.