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[Padine]

("Up until I was 50, I thought sex wouldn't happen at all"  what I meant to add was most definitely after 60, there would be no hanky-panky! Sorry, senior moment  )

  Blitzen, I was on the Meno support one, with isoflavones and not sure what all else but it made me feel comfortable and no lady-odours. Return as a man? Yes and at least 12" taller too!

 Can we think of our own motto as we are a senior age now? Night Owl, you get the prize for having youth on your side! 

[Postmeno3]

Does Dr. Newson not have material on postmenopause? I just watched a couple of long videos and am not aware of it being mentioned at all. I do notice in a leaflet of hers that there has been no research done on postmenopause so there is little evidence about how best to support it.

[hotmama]

Ooh yes that would be great. I’m 71 and on 50mcg patch oestrogen only (no womb thank goodness!). Was a latecomer to HRT at 64 and intend to stay on it for the rest of my life. Still get hot flushes at night  but have just started oil of evening primrose in the hope that will help. Also take Omega7 sea buckthorn oil, vit B complex and vit D. Night Owl am very interested in Riboflavin which you mention you take for migraine. Has it helped? Have suffered since the age of eight and still get them although they have changed in frequency and severity.
My libido is still the same, unfortunately my husband’s has fallen off a cliff! Can’t bear to think I shall never have sex again but he’s a great husband in every other way so can’t complain!

[Postmeno3]

Had your libido fallen off before going on HRT, hotmama? Did you have problems getting it prescribed? Age/cancer etc "risks" thrown at you?

[Night_Owl]

Hotmama, my migraines came back with a vengeance when my periods just stopped.

I think the Riboflavin does help, took it years ago and then forgot about it - haven't had a hideous 3-dayer in bed since I've been taking it. Could be worth a try, though as always it is recommended to take for at least 3 months to notice benefit, it "seemed" to be sooner than that for me.  Forgot to add earlier that I also take coQ10 for migraine, it is quite expensive though.

I'd eat chopped up toenails if it kept migraine at bay!  I had to give up HRT as it worsened migraine, sensitive to the slightest fluctuation, gel and patch both seemed to give spikes.  Hey ho, we're all different. 

The Migraine Trust mentions Riboflavin and CoQ10:

https://www.migrainetrust.org/living-with-migraine/treatments/supplements-and-herbs/

My libido departed years ago - but it doesn't bother me.  Fortunately hub is more or less the same.

[Cazikins]

Brilliant idea. I hope the admin/moderators will consider this suggestion.

I'm 63 & but still need support & advice & friendship from my meno buddies.
I'm still on HRT, low dose Femosten & only 1/s tablet a day. Came off it for 3 months in January but the hot flushes, tearfulness all came crushing down on me again.
I now have Lichen Sclerosis thrown into the mix & beginning to feel my age. I've put on 1/2 stone in the last 6 months but it feels more like a stone  .
I feel fat, tired & sometimes lonely.
I have a very supportive (8 years younger) husband - who is understanding but it's probably not what he was expecting when we got together over 20 years ago.

Let's hope we can get something going here ladies.

Cazi xx

[Wrensong]

Yes, good idea Padine.  Happy to compare notes with other postmeno women.
1) Age 59, nearly 9 years postmenopause.  Didn't start HRT until 3 years post, took it for 2 years, then had a long break.  Back on it now 2 years, low dose.  Migraine since 18, hypothyroid 27 years, chronic pain.
2) Yes, still have flushes, easily manageable by day but they wreck my nights, being still intense & slow to pass.
3) Supplements: Vit D after testing low, B12 after testing lowish & because hi-fibre, wheat-free, low gluten diet contains little meat.  Recently started sea buckthorn for dryness.  Probiotics on & off for slow transit (+ natural yoghurt).  Took B-group @ RNI for years, ditto lactase (for gastritis), currently having a break from both.  Though it felt like the missing piece of the puzzle before peri started, now struggle to tolerate magnesium as too diuretic & worsens my night sweats.  Nuisance as it used to help with sleep, gut function, mood & stress.  Recently started again, taking just 50mg - a kids' formula, but again seems to be worsening overheating at night so may have to stop.

[Postmeno3]

Are you all feeling it would be good to have a whole new section (with a bold blue header) just for postmenopause??

[Whatsupwiththis]

👍👏 yes postmeno3.  I have to admit except for a few months of crying jags, I went through meno without issues.  I had also quit smoking at the same time so not sure if my nastiness was due to meno or quitting or both.  At 68, got my very 1st UTI with painful urethra.  From that point, UTI after UTI.  Finally confirmed I had GSM (Genit something or other) or VA is simplier terms.  Then HELL broke lose.  It has taken almost 2 years to get 80% better and still have discomfort sitting.  That's about as simple as it gets.  I was refused systemic HRT due to age and extreme hypertension but fortunately Vagifem and Estragyn have certainly been a god send.

[hotmama]

Postmeno, no, my libido hadn’t changed before I went on HRT and I feel a bit cheated that sex is no longer on the menu but have to come to terms with it. I didn’t bother going to my GP about my menopause related symptoms, I went straight to private gynaecologist because I felt I needed as much info as possible and also to spend time discussing it. My mother had breast cancer which is what caused me to delay going on HRT but my symptoms were so bad and after 12 years and with other health problems I felt my life wasn’t worth living. Once my GP received the letter from my private consultant she was happy to prescribe the patch on the NHS.
Thanks for the info on riboflavin and coQ10 Night Owl  and I’m so sorry to read that the HRT made your migraines worse. They are horrible and I live in fear of them.

[Lamplighter]

Yes Padine, that is a good idea and I certainly would be interested, being very definitely postmenopausal (12 years in fact, since 53) and started HRT five years later (put up with some horrendous symptoms till I finally realized that menopause wasn't just going to go away).  Until recently I've been really ignorant of most of what's involved in being menopausal and postmenopausal, and still am to a great degree, so a dedicated thread or section would be brilliant.

As for supplements, went down the road of trying all sorts of things, from Primrose oil, to Pine Bark and Grape Seed extract, to vitamin E, to Magnesium, to Adrenalcare amongst others, and now fish oil - for various bits of postmenopausal ailments.  None of them made one iota of difference and in the end I got fed up of chucking things down my throat when there seemed no appreciable benefit to be had.  Once I've finished the fish oil that will stop too.

And yes, I still get hot flushes - though much diminished since the sheets soaking wet waking up roasting twenty times a night days.  These days they are usually caused by a (slight) change in body temperature, either via shower/bath, or having a hot drink, or external temperature changes and luckily only last twenty minutes or so, and aren't that bad that throwing off a few layers of clothes, throwing open the doors and windows and using a hand held fan don't help.  I use an air conditioner when I come out of the shower though as if I don't I end up hot flushing for quite a long time, and using a hairdryer now makes that even worse. 

Looking forward to seeing a sticky or even a separate section.  Thanks for the interest.

LL

[jules55]

Yes it's a really good idea, be happy to share notes with other post members.
I'm 61, and have been post menopausal for 4 yrs now. I've never had hrt, although looking back on the last 15 yrs, I should be on it. Through peri, I was really suffering with Anxiety, internal shakes, bowel and digestive issues, bladder problems , the list goes on. I had loads of tests, which all came back normal, so the DR decided I had anxiety, and gave me Propranolol. The words Peri Menopause were never mentioned, and before I found this site, I had never heard of Peri menopause! Moving forward to the present, I'm still on Propranolol, it does help the anxiety, but not the hot flushes, or the light headedness I get sometimes, I have zero intolerance towards my oh, and lack of libido, and the list goes on.
So yes it will be lovely to share our stories xx

[Nita5691]

Yes think this would be a great idea

[Diamonds and pearls 53]

Happy to join too and to share thoughts and  experiences with other members. I'm late 60's and  began hrt about 12 years ago and have continued on it since, apart from  a couple of  enforced breaks due to bleeding.
Happily tests and scans showed no underlying issues and  l was able to return to hrt; Am now on Femoston conti and Ovestin ( as and when needed) but only got the Ovestin as V. A went undiagnosed and l kept being treated for cystitis. I  had to request it myself  eventually ( after reading up on here) and this is keeping me reasonably comfortable. I do still have to go through the process of stating that l want to stay on hrt each time l have a new prescription but l quote the NICE guidelines and insist for me the advantages outweigh the risks.
 I don't understand how Drs can think that we are going to 'get over' meno because we have reached a certain age! For many women untreated symptoms are lifelong and the casual prescribing of antidepressants for what is a hormonal issue is wrong on so many levels.

[Hurdity]

Hi there

I'm no lady but I'm most definitely post-menopause being late 60s!

I started HRT in late peri (aged 53)when hot flushes and night sweats became unbearable and incompatible with full-time working and have been taking it ever since apart from 3 months 10 years ago when I stopped.

They (patches) stopped all flushes and sweats pretty quickly as well as my hotty spotty face (?Menopausal acne?). The only time that the flushes returned was when I stopped and also when I restarted I took a lower dose which worked for  a while but when the flushes returned i went back to the old dose. Also a couple of years back I changed to gel and the flushes/sweats began to return, so rather than try to tweak I went back to what I knew worked.

Six years ago I started testosterone (pea-sized blob) for low libido and that also helped muscle aches and pains though these have returned recently to some extent probably due to age related hormonal decline (?).

I also use Vagifem and estriol cream for VA (or GSM!).

I take supplements only minimally as it's best to get as much as you can from diet - unless this is difficult due eg to conditions which limit absorption. I knock back the odd spoonful of cod liver oil during winter months when vit D stores may be running low but get out into the sunshine (what sunshine?!) as much as I can all year round. In winter also pop the odd vit C pill now and again and sometimes have a glug of iron tonic because the HRT I take is cyclical so still get a bleed. (I don't really think I'm low on iron though.).

Plenty of exercise is also very important so I try to do lots of walking and fitness classes when they're running (currently online).

I do get migraines which are a right pain but I'm not sure what the cause is - often on the progesterone part of my cycle so that's probably it....

Other than that fingers crossed I am healthy - I get all the screenings that are offered.

Re a separate section. The only thing about having a sticky thread I do find eg I rarely read them even though  someone might have just posted anew. Also the fact they are long running means that individual topics get lost in the thread so would involve reading it all through - but some may find that useful?

If you have a completely separate section -  where would you post about different HRT regimes which are applicable to both? Or studies etc? Not sure really but I do understand the thoughts behind it!

Anyway I will go with the flow....

Hurdity x