Melting magnificence: Share your despair, experience and tips here

[Wordsaremything]

A new thread for sharing experiences, tips and so on.

To kick off, I have been taken aback by the severity of my symptoms( hourly flushes, night sweats, palpitations, insomnia, stress incontinence, exhaustion and aching hands and feet.)

So far, switching from down duvet to microfibre has helped
As has increasing fruit and veg intake and cutting down on large evg meals and red meat
And taking menopace with sage.
I now have two chilled face flannels in fridge with which to mop my menopausal brow.

But these help only marginally. So am seeing docin early October.

Over to you!

[pinkfrocks]

At the risk of repeating myself, this will be my one and only post on your thread.
HRT. Can't see the point suffering all of the above when there is something that can help with very small risks ( yes ok, people need to decide if it's small to them.) As someone who was sure I'd manage without it, I've eaten my words because quality of life is important. But additionally, I do all the things you are doing- watching diet, exercising, managing my workload as much as possible even if it means earning less, and maintaining a positive attitude.

[Whatevva]

Glad your duvet has helped things a little.

As I said elsethread, I had night flushes for many years. I believe this is because the progestogen in the contraceptive pill (there is a lot of it compared to hrt and pop) raised my basal body temperature to the point where I overheated easily. Menopause makes the temperature range you are comfortable at narrower. Now that I am not taking coc, I do not get these any more, but I am cold all the time and I get too hot and have to strip off in exercise classes.

My tip, probably contrary to others, is to have a consistently warm room (about 16C) and light comfortable duvet, a strappy nightdress so you can expose bits, socks that slide off when your feet have warmed up, and drink plenty of water during the day, and have some by the bed to drink at night as this will help cool your core temperature.

Now I have aches, which have been partially helped with vitD3, and urge incontinence which is intermittently helped with vagifem and hrt and drinking plenty of water, but heathcare people keep saying that I should have oxybutynin or something of that sort and I am not keen on having that for the rest of my life .

[Awks]

I have seborrheic dermatitis after 49 years of clear skin. It's just wonderful, am loving life at the mo. Chin up, everyone (apart from us all with acne, obvs)

[BIWI]

[suzannecaravan]

For me it's been sleep hygiene, I seem to need less of it post menopause, being strict about getting up early rather than sleeping in to catch up if I've had a restless night. ?
I can't sleep with any kind of duvet, I have a very thin blanket ?

[ShotgunNotDoingThePans]

I found sage tablets made a huge difference to the night-time flushes. Have had aches and pAins for years, but Am wondering (clutching at straws?) whether it's hormone related, and whether some form of hrt might help. I'm not good with long-term drug regimes, though; I tend to come out in a rash then get told to stop tAking them.
Awks, I cleared my seb derm earlier this year using honey and coconut oil. Then I discovered Moogoo Scalp Cream (which you can now get on prescription), and it got rid of the last lingering evidence.

[Wordsaremything]

Hello all! Well the last few days have been marginally better. Have finished the multi vit with sage some while ago. Don't think it made much difference. Improved diet has def made a difference. See doc on 9 October.

Other symptoms which may or may not be relevant: aches and pains in joints and pins and needles in hands and feet. Hair-used to have to wash it every day. Now it will last 2 or 3 .

Also, bizarrely , I feel far less compassionate and empathetic than I used to be( news stories on TV etc) could this be related to drop in oestrogen?

How is everyone else doing?

[suzannecaravan]

I feel far less compassionate and empathetic than I used to be( news stories on TV etc) could this be related to drop in oestrogen?

I recon this is why 'the patriarchy' wants women on hrt...it helps to keep us self sacrificing and submissive, when the hormonal balance tips we get inconveniently pragmatic and start to put out own interests first

just my little theory

[pinkfrocks]

who is the 'patriarchy'??

Are women not scientists or doctors?

Most women report that their male GPs would rather walk over burning coals than prescribe evil HRT.

(Has Suzanne's van morphed into a caravan, BTW!)

[suzannecaravan]

easy now Pink
it was just a lighthearted post

[pinkfrocks]

Really? Oh as you were then.

[roundandroundthehouses]

Seriously, though

[BIWI]

And hoorah for that! I'm loving the fact that at this stage in my life, with my DC both old enough to look after themselves, I can think about putting myself first.

[suzannecaravan]

when I'm wearing my tinfoil hat everything is a conspiracy perpetrated by some 'archy' or other:o

[ivykaty44]

What foods are you eating that help?

[ivykaty44]

Or what foods are you avoiding that helps?

[roundandroundthehouses]

So there may finally be an aspect of this that we can look forward to

[elderlyhippo]

I find that quite a lot of my hot flushes are red wine driven (pity).

They've worsened a little recently, as they used to be at night only (sticking limbs out from under the duvet helped) but now I'm occasionally randomly sweaty during the day. Sounds as if sage might be worth a try. Are there any other reputable supplements?

(no HRT, but would consider it if daytime flushes went from occasional to frequent)

[orlando11]

Hi everyone - my name is Maggie and I have reached the grand age of 51 and experiencing many of the above symptoms.

I have started my own blog which you can visit here: maggieray.simplesite.com

I would love to hear from anyone who just needs a friend and is feeling very lonely like me.

Maggie

[pinkfrocks]

Read your blog Maggie.

Tell us a bit more about your HRT regime. If you are using gel but have not seen any improvement, what dose are you on? Were you told to titrate to get symptom-relief? Also, do you still have a womb because if you do then you should have been prescribed a progestogen to use as well- which one is it?