I am so sick of hearing about menopause

I believe I started my perimenopause somewhere in my late 30s. Starting with skipping periods, first one missed in 2012. A few more the next year, and so on. In late 2014, digestive issues started and daily headaches. If I ever took a day off work, it was because I felt really ill. Probably the peri was the cause of it, but I never mentioned that to my workmates or friends. My DH was aware of it though.

I am on HRT and I really had to fight to get the doctor's to take me seriously due to age. Including changing doctor's practice. HRT has helped with my sleeping, got rid of headaches, hopefully protecting my bones. Its a medication for sure, but its replacing missing hormones and I'm lucky that I can have it.

I'm 50 years old and periods have been finished for a while. Glad to have no PMT as it was really awful. Still on HRT and not intending to finish it.

I was happy to read factual information about Menopause and not read other ladies experience's of it. I was watched Davina's show so that gave me the final push to get HRT.

I've never used my peri/menopause as an excuse not to work or look after my daugher (and hubby) but understand that other women have it much worse. I watched my work colleague deal with hot flushes at work. She never went on HRT. She got breast cancer, had to have knee replacements after the age of 55 when she retired.

OP, i hope you have a happy perimenopause !! You never know what its like for someone until you've tried it yourself. Given that there's 34+ different symptoms, you can expect one or two at least..

See the post I just wrote about my friend. I’m sure it’ll be menopause but you must insist on being tested properly

I’m 40 and feel a bit like op tbh. I’m not in peri as far as I know but you hear so much all I can presume is that my life is almost certainly going to shit soon enough. Everything is chalked down to menopause - surely it’s not the root of everything?
I think I could be a bit over sensitive here as I lost a 45 year old good friend last year. She presented to the doctor multiple times with various symptoms and was told menopause every time and sent away with various HRT. Turned out she actually had late stage ovarian cancer plus another cancer, and the HRT unwittingly made it worse - she had died within a few months. No one was willing to consider anything other than menopause because she was a 45 year old woman.

Agree

Menopause had fing broken some of us. If being bombarded means women arnt forced to leave jobs or commit suicide then so be it

Don't worry OP., it probably won't be half ss bad as everyone makes out.
Pendulums seem to have to swing wildly before we get to land in a sensible place (if ever?!)

Replying to @LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway

Oh and in terms for f those having a crap time of it apparently being mean and dismissive to those who sail through many of their contributions have been described as hysteria. So that one goes both ways.

Love it when a poster takes a quote of a post without reading other posts by that poster 🙄

First i haven’t told anyone to STFU so calm down dear. I haven’t said anyone’s different experience is invalid. I qualified my comments in prior and subsequent posts so perhaps if you want to actually meaningfully discuss instead of jumping on a bandwagon you could read the those too and we can have a conversation?

I felt the same as you OP, I was like FFS how bad can it be? I never had PMT or felt like my life was ruled by hormones 😇⭐ I fully expected to breeze through a late menopause, at 50 I was still having regular periods etc.

Then BAM, at 51 I was diagnosed with BC and had to start oestrogen blockers - within two weeks of starting them I was in full menopause, it was worse than the surgery and chemo put together. Looking back, I don't know how I didn't kill anyone (or myself). It's completely changed me, physically and mentally and I will never be the same person again. And I still want to kill people who 'helpfully' suggest I try HRT 🙄🤷

I think there's more publicity about it than there used to be and women are more likely to discuss things relating to it openly rather than it being an embarrassing secret. However I do think that you're alert to noticing it because you're at the age when it's no longer something for much much older women to worry about that's nothing to do with your life, but something that's getting closer to your heels, making you sensitive to being reminded of it.
I feel much the same about funeral plans.

Because semantically, everyone used to talk about menopause 'beginning' but that word actually means the total cessation of menses, so menopause is the final state. It didn't adequately describe the transitional state between having monthly periods to having none at all.

Oohhhh, thank you!

So the women who have had no symptoms of meno or peri are smug now?

I have not seen a single 'smug' reponse on this thread. Just a number of posters saying they have not had the horrific time they were told they would. How unkind to be so demeaning and dismissive of other womens experiences. Can you not just be glad for them that they didn't suffer? Oh dear.

I believe it’s quite small, I assume on account of vaginal atrophy, but I have yet to find out for myself 😆

I was ruminating on this while wondering if my symptoms are perimenopause or ovarian cancer. The symptoms are near-identical. I'm 47, so perimenopause the far more likely scenario. But given my age I doubt I'd be taken seriously if I went to the GP complaining of extremely sore nipples, chronic bloating, fatigue and irregular periods.

WHAT? I'm afraid to ask this, but what's the differerence between a menopause vibo, and a regular one?!

My big issue here is the monetisation of Menopause. Buy these unproven supplements, add this powder with little medical evidence to your tea, smear on this gel that will change your life. It’s never-ending and every 50-something female celebrity seems to be jumping on the bandwagon with either a product line or an affiliate link.
I’m all for information sharing, but I do feel preyed on at times.

That ad is grim too. And as for that ad that had the woman on the loo with her trousers and underpants down. The was awful! 😖 (Unless that was the one you were on about...)

I'm not gonna lie, those ads really annoy me. I HATE them. Not ALL women who have a dry vagina want to make it moist.

Like the ones for pads for women over 45 for when they pee during exercise, or when they sneeze or laugh or cough. NEWSFLASH! Not all women over 45 pee themselves when they cough, sneeze, do sit ups, laugh, or fart!

I don't see anything similar for men! The erectile dysfunction ads are few and far between, and are always after 10 at night! The womens 'dry fanny' and 'piss-pad' ads are always on at bloody mealtimes (lunch and dinner!)

All you smug people saying you don't have any symptoms, you might feel different when your entire physical and mental existence changes through no fault of your own! I think it's great that it's starting to be talked about and understood. It is still hard enough to get treatment; I had to lie to get the Mirena coil and say it was for contraception, when the nurse and myself both knew it was really for HRT!

Exactly. @tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz what a narrow minded comment. Saying any woman who has had an easy time during 'meno' and 'peri' and sailed through it, just needs to STFU because her opinions are invalid and do not count!

Good grief! Women who had a fairly easy - or very easy time are just as entitled to post on this thread about their own 'lived experiences' as those who didn't have an easy time!

Makes me so glad that there was no such thing when I was in my 30s - or 40s! (Or early 50s!) Well, I had never heard of it then anyway.

In fact, everyone I know never heard of it til around 5-6 years ago. Why is it suddenly everywhere?

Well as someone who had to beg my Dr for HRT 7 years ago, I’m grateful millions of younger women won’t have to go through that. I had been through hell for 5 years and been given zero help. Suicide is at its highest rate for women in their 50s, I thought I was going mad and there was no hope for me.

Hear hear with bells on. I had had a hysterectomy, consultant said my ovaries would probably pack up sooner than otherwise, I still had about 6 GP appointments and prescriptions for everything from antidepressants to folic acid. Total disinterest from the medical profession, lack of knowledge, parroting of old myths.

A friend of mine never shuts up about it, I can't take my cardi off without being asked if I'm having a hot do. Erm no Brenda - it's 30 degrees out there, I am slightly warm😂

On a serious note though some women do really suffer and I guess it's good we have more awareness. I have heard of symptoms which I never thought in a million years could be down to menopause