to be in tears after this doctors appointment

[oxfordcomma75]

I am forty five and I have just discovered I have high cholesterol and am menopausal. Ok I suspected the latter as I have been having some symptoms. Hot flashes, erratic periods and generally l feeling low. Sex drive low too. Also need to lose weight.
Just feels like nature is playing tricks with me. I have a 20 month old who still wakes at night and I am shattered.
Will probably post is menopause section as I need to decide on hrt.
Posting in aibu for a much needed but gentle kick please.
Thank you

I'm also menopausal, although you will get traffic here, I don't know how many responses will be fully informed, or understanding.

I've struggled on for two years but my symptoms are having a big effect on my quality of life, so I am thinking about treatments.

Thank you birds

48 (but no young DC keeping me awake, that's hard work)

Peri-menopausal and the symptoms are coming thick and fast

Cholesterol (on statins and cut down everything in my diet that I think will help)

Blinking gallstone (oouch) - went to GP with what I thought was ovary symptoms, turns out to be gallstone.

Peri menopausal here too. I'm 49 and heartily fed up with it all. The hot flushes are hideous. Bastard period started today too - it hurts.

I went to the gym this morning, as usual. I'm not letting it get the better of me.

I don't have young children anymore. It must be tough. You have my sympathies.

Can anyone tell me whether peri menopausal is worse than menopausal?
From where I am looking[end of peri I think], menopausal just seems to be that you are through it all?

sympathies - I feel like I've only just got over pregnancy (my youngest is 4 and I'm just emerging from the baby/toddler hell years) and now I'm plunged into peri or just plain old menopause.

Having a 20 month old and dealing with this as well is tough. Women go through a lot.

No wise words, only sympathy.

Thank you. I think I was peri before surprise dd. All l I know is my levels are double pre menopausal levels and my peroids have stopped quite recently After 6 months of regular but light peroids.

Im posting on behalf of my mum who swears by her hrt. She is peri-menopausal and has symptoms so went onto a hrt that is good for use when you haven't finished your periods. She wouldnt be without it now, and she feels so much better.
Hugs, babies who dont sleep are so tough

All my sympathies op. Had absolutely no problems what so ever until a period 18 months ago that just did not stop. No other symptoms just a period that lasted on an off for 6 months.

Have had mirena coil fitted and it's really just started to work ( hopefully) last 2 periods lasted 7 days, regular, light and no pain.

I am 50 now and my youngest is 14 so st least I can sleep so great sympathy for you but please go to get help from a good GP. There is help out there, you get some.

A gentle kick from me. I'm 30 and perimenopausal after cancer treatment. I am your tongue-in-cheek 'It could be worse!' reminder.

The symptoms suck hairy monkey balls, but there are lots of options open to you to help you manage them.

So true iam There is always someone worse off. Feeling a bit better now. Over the shock I guess. My fsh/lh levels are incredibly high yet my last period was only 2 months ago. Trying to make sense of it.

O Iam still breastfeeding too so not sure if Hrt will be possible but hopefully there are some options.

I'm right there with you OP. Cholesterol and the hot flashes. I wish it was all over and done with.

No periods-hurrah says I!

I had my last period at 46 and am in my 11th year of hot flushes.
However, no periods is very good.
(The weight gain and distribution of the fat, however, is not so good!)

My poor Mum used to fog all the windows in the car up when she had a hot flush. HRT did the trick.

Hot flushes aren't too bad. At the moment although nighttime ones are annoying. Its the mood swings and aching limbs and general fatigue which is worse.
Thank you for the replies.

Poor you

How high is your cholesterol? I've reduced mine in 2 months with diet and minimal exercise and benecol yoghurt drink after biggest meal of the day.

It is high. Total 8. Was 6.6 last time. Only blessing is my good figure is fab and trigs low too. Going to exercise more and eat healthier. May be able to persuade dh that it is worth me joining a gym.
Taking up running when he gets home from work will hopefully do the trick.
Thank you.

Ah, sympathies, oxford.

I'm 48 and have 4 yo DS4 to run me ragged entertain me

For everybody's information, technically speaking the 'menopause' is your last ever period, so you'll only ever now in hindsight when it was.
The perimenopause is the time leading up to it and afterwards - depending how long those symptoms last.

Anybody whose periods stop before 50/51ish should have a chat with their doctor about HRT as it would be 'hormone replacement therapy' in the true sense of the word: to replace something that by 'rights' your body should still be making.

Afaik, BFing should be ok as milk production is stimulated by milk removal, so as long as your child feeds it should be ok.

Well done dame
Thank you pacific

Mine was 8.5, it's 7 now, that's only with in a couple of months, so expecting it to come down more. Apparently it goes up when you're menopausal.

Sage tablets are good for helping with hot flushes. They only help some women (I was one of the ones that didn't get any benefit from them) but it's worth a shot. They were recommended by the chemo nurses and I know a lot of people did feel the benefit from them. Holland and Barretts often stock them and they're usually in their penny sale too.

If you start to get hot flushes and night sweats, I swear by using a Chillow. They look a bit like you've gone to sleep on a lilo, but they really work. They stay at room temperature which is cooler than your body temperature. When I started using one, I went from waking up with every hot flush to sleeping through them. They're so good I'm getting my DS one for when the weather gets hotter.

A frozen bottle of water in front of a desk fan is like a mini air conditioning unit too.

Just to say, don't take sage if you are bf as it is a herbal remedy for drying milk up.