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[Hinari hot flush]

Sorry ladies ive  just caught up with all your replies and its shown me what a wonderful supportive community I have joined where nothing is off limits.

My mans been great really supportive and knows sometimes I need some me time to cool down and feel better. Also he isnt as young and slim as he used to be. The beer bellies taken over not that I can talk as someone else said the bellies trying to out do my boobs and my belly is perkier

But joking aside thanks for sharing in the topic you fabulous ladies xx

[Mrs Bella]

Sorry ladies ive  just caught up with all your replies and its shown me what a wonderful supportive community I have joined where nothing is off limits.

My mans been great really supportive and knows sometimes I need some me time to cool down and feel better. Also he isnt as young and slim as he used to be. The beer bellies taken over not that I can talk as someone else said the bellies trying to out do my boobs and my belly is perkier

But joking aside thanks for sharing in the topic you fabulous ladies xx

Glad you are back!
I think a lot of people have benefited from your post. So please keep posting!

[Hinari hot flush]

Sorry ladies ive  just caught up with all your replies and its shown me what a wonderful supportive community I have joined where nothing is off limits.

My mans been great really supportive and knows sometimes I need some me time to cool down and feel better. Also he isnt as young and slim as he used to be. The beer bellies taken over not that I can talk as someone else said the bellies trying to out do my boobs and my belly is perkier

But joking aside thanks for sharing in the topic you fabulous ladies xx

Glad you are back!
I think a lot of people have benefited from your post. So please keep posting!

Thanks that means a lot

[knorman]

I don't mind in the least moving over for the younger women, I've had my moment in the sun!  All I want is to be through the menopause, recover from CFS and have my health back and to feel vital and energetic again. Its that energy that keeps you young and vibrant. Having said that, if someone could wave a magic wand and make my old lady arms look youthful again, I wouldn't turn it down!

[Wilks]

But from what I understand of the menopause, the hot flushes and mood swings will pass, but all the other problems remain (unless you take HRT). And that's the thing that's bothering a lot of us- I don't care about grey hair and lines on my face but I do care about losing my energy and vitality.

[Moe68]

I don't worry about losing my looks, I've found the whole body changing over the last 68 years have found it fascinating. I think it's not what you look like, it's what you feel within. I have my hair done in a good hairdressers and not scared to experiment. I buy clothes from Next, M&S and Wallis, but not always the granny stuff. I think that if you dress nice, that gives up an uplift and makes you feel happy. Never look at the young girls and the way they look, our ovaries have done their job, there's have only just started. I look at my arms and find they have thousands of little creases in them, so what it doesn't bother me, people only look at the face and what you wear so concentrate on these. Also, I've been on the Internet on how to apply make up for the older woman, as I don't wear make up much now I've retired. My daughter has always laughed at my wrinkles and I've said that she needs to take note of what I look like as her body will do the same. When the ovaries no longer work don't panic over it, move onto the next stage in life. Look nice, not glamorous, nice modern haircut (plenty of websites for hairstyles for the older woman), learn to use the eyes, and don't worry about not sleeping a lot, time is on your side, staying up,late is for the young girls and they are only doing what we used to do. Don't panic and smile a lot 

[Hinari hot flush]

I don't mind in the least moving over for the younger women, I've had my moment in the sun!  All I want is to be through the menopause, recover from CFS and have my health back and to feel vital and energetic again. Its that energy that keeps you young and vibrant. Having said that, if someone could wave a magic wand and make my old lady arms look youthful again, I wouldn't turn it down!

Your right having your health really is the main thing.

Ha ha my arms have got a bit bingo wingy over the last few years as well

[jillydoll]

Couldn't agree more, moe 68.
I shop in the same shops as you, and I know I can't wear what the younguns
do, so I dress for me, what suites me, what I like, anyway, all the fashion that's
about now was about when we were younger, it's come around again.
Smile, and be confidante, that's the key.

Jd x

[CLKD]

Why would symptoms remain.  This too is a journey.  I haven't had problems like some of you have suffered but any symptoms I had earlier on, have gone.  I don't remember my MinL or Mum suffering either, it was something they got through ...... Grannies the same.

[Wilks]

CLKD- many symptoms remain because once your oestrogen is gone, it’s gone! So unless everything is kept reasonably under control with HRT, all the problems associated with loss of oestrogen (like VA, joint pains, risk of osteoporosis, dry, itchy skin, etc) stay with us for the rest of our lives.

So in many ways the menopause isn’t so much something you “go through and come out the other side”, but a permanent change.

[tika]

"CLKD- many symptoms remain because once your oestrogen is gone, it's gone! So unless everything is kept reasonably under control with HRT, all the problems associated with loss of oestrogen (like VA, joint pains, risk of osteoporosis, dry, itchy skin, etc) stay with us for the rest of our lives'

So in many ways the menopause isn't so much something you “go through and come out the other side”, but a permanent change"

Sorry have to disagree with this Wilks, not everyone needs HRT ( those who have complete hysterectomies probably do need it if suitable) to keep the above at bay, the body continues to make estrogen or estrone from body fat and adrenal glands and for a lot of women this is enough to not suffer from above mentioned. At least 50 percent of women don't suffer from dry itchy skin , VA or osteoporosis, my self included. The ovaries continue trickling out hormone post menopause and for some women its enough to keep their body and looks, along with a healthy lifestyle, attitude etc.

[Wilks]

tika- I’m sorry if my comment was unclear. I am certainly not suggesting that every woman needs HRT. What I’m saying is that for those women who DO have troublesome symptoms, such as those I listed, they don’t disappear magically once you have “gone through” menopause.
I’m happy for you that you don’t have those problems, but you only have to spend 15 minutes looking at this forum to see that many women do. Look at the “burning club” thread- there are women who have to use various products to manage VA and that’s for life, it’s not a transient thing like hot flushes.
So, once your oestrogen is gone, it’s gone! If you’re fortunate enough that you’re still producing oestrogen way beyond menopause, fabulous, and I agree you don’t need HRT.

[tika]

Its useful to know that the symptoms talked about above can occur in many well before menopause in their fertile years and have their full quota of hormones!

Medication such as antihistamines, ADs etc  can cause internal dryness, many drugs cause itching of the skin. Dryness of the vagina can be caused by taking birth control, aching joints occur at any age, and not every woman who does not use HRT is doomed to get osteoporosis.

I am well aware that many women on this forum suffer from VA and need continual treatment hormonal or otherwise, I wanted just to point out that this was not the norm for every woman, and not every woman needs or wants to take HRT.
 
I was not being smug ( I have noticed that on this forum women who say they have had relatively  easy menopause are seen as smug or deluding themselves but of cause they are happy for them...)  or thinking myself fabulous! just stating a truth.

It does put you off posting. 

[CLKD]

Each Journey is different.  One shouldn't judge others by their own experiences though it is nice to have experiences shared.  As I have said, my Grans lived to the ages of 80+ years, had lovely skin and didn't take HRT.  It simply wasn't available. My Mum now 91 has not taken HRT nor did my late MinL - she lived until her mid 80s.  I haven't needed HRT apart from treatment for vaginal atrophy.

Some ladies find that if they stop taking HRT to see where they are, that symptoms have either gone or are still troublesome enough to warrant a return to HRT.

But the process does work itself out in most cases.  Hopefully for those that require on-going treatments, the GP won't say 'no' after a certain age!

[dangermouse]

I've got the arms issue! It started when peri peaked a couple of years ago where I can see cellulite now and I look more chunky in strappy tops. Prior to that I only had it on my thighs and bum and never put weight on above my waist. My face looks a bit younger, possibly due to surging oestrogen, than a few years ago as haven't changed my moisturiser. It's the only good thing about the high oestrogen right now! Gone up 2 breast sizes too.

My older friends who've been through meno are split into half that didn't notice much then or now and those who'd suffered terribly in peri but who said they feel the best they've ever felt post meno. They didn't take HRT as it wasn't advised as much 5-10 years ago.

I don't know anyone who's had VA (didn't know what it was until read about it here!) but maybe not something people talk so much about!