To ask if there's anything GOOD about the menopause?

[scampimom]

Think I'm approaching menopause, and have made an appointment with the doctor to check, and maybe talk about possible treatment. But the more I look online for info about menopause the more depressed I get. It appears that what I have to look forward to is getting even fatter, losing the thickness of my hair, bones like porcelain, skin like leather, foof like the Sahara, sweats and tiredness, rage, sadness and sagging.

Does anyone have any positive experiences? The only positive things I can find all seem to centre on being in your 50s and having children who are grown up, thereby allowing you freedom to suddenly take up rock climbing or ashtanga yoga or cruise the world. But I'm early 40s and my DD is 4.5, she'll not be moving out much before I retire.

Tell me there's an upside to being a middle-aged dollop with a face like beetroot every hour or so?

I had a hysterectomy & although I kept my ovaries I had horrendous menopause symptoms. Hrt has them under control

On the plus side I have no more fucks to give. I speak out much more then I did clearly, assertively & eloquently. I don’t know where it’s coming from sometimes.

Oh I had my hair done last week. It started to rain when I came out of the hairdresser, I saw a woman wearing a see through plastic head scarf & thought I wonder where I could get one of those

A tip for anyone getting night sweats.

Get silky pillow cases. When you wake up in the night boiling hot, just turn the pillow over and the underside is lovely and cool. It's like having a pillow sized ice pack in bed.

Thank you Fontella.

I suddenly realised I don’t know much at all about HRT and should do some reading.

Chillow pads are good too for keeping your head from getting that erupting volcano feeling.

I had a hysterectomy at 44 kept my ovaries though, was peri-menopausal late forties early fifties for a couple of years, occasional hot flushes, achey & mood swings about two years years ago the night sweats started with a vengeance & insomnia kicked in, the sweats & hot flushes make my palpitations a lot worse(I have a heart condition) which can be a bit scary at times.
I haven’t put on any weight though, have always been very slight, skin & hair still pretty good so it’s not all doom & gloom, plus I really don’t care what anyone thinks of me, life’s too fecking short to care about nonsense.
I think will broach hrt when I next see my consultant as the night sweats & palpitations are really getting too me.

puppy

I did chuckle at your leg in and out of the bed as that’s me totally. Still better then periods though

I'm 54 and haven't had a period for ages and ages. I had about a month of getting a few mild flushes, and last year I was quite tired in the evenings, but that's it. Do you think I'm done? It's just that someone I know said they got complacent for similar reasons, and then it all hit the fan.

I haven't noticed any symptoms at all

I had awful symptoms....anxiety, depression, night sweats that felt like I was floating, vaginal dryness...

Hrt really helped and added oestrogen for the bones.

wool duvets for the night sweats, it works.

I’m nearly 50 and probably heading towards proper menopause as started about 37 with peri menopause.

My hair is still v good though!

puppy, i do that with the leg in and out the duvet! i used to sleep like a log ( as they say) but now its just a few hours here and there - want to sleep at 3 in the afternoon, then go to bed and its all over the place.
i crave the days i dropped off and woke up in the morning after 8 hours or so - not any more.

I'm not having too bad a time, the odd hot flush if I get stressed and insomnia being the worst symptoms. I find it interesting that women report fewer troublesome symptoms in societies where older people are revered and respected and wonder how much of ours is aggravated by the psychological negativity of ageing and feeling "past it"

One of our GPs has an interest in women's health and is very into lifestyle as a treatment for illness. She says reducing sugar and carbs in the diet can have a better effect on menopause for a lot of women than HRT

Forgot to mention she also recommends Estring for vaginal symptoms rather than cream or pessaries as it is less messy. It is a soft silicon ring which you insert and leave. It releases estrogen slowly for three months before needing replacing

Just for interest
I’m on hrt for horrendous symptoms.

I have never eaten sugar, life long vegetarian, never eat junk, some caffeine in tea. Exercise loads, hiit, weights, Pilates, run, walk everywher.

Made no difference, doesn’t work for everyone

@AgeDefyingLizHurley

Ideally, a window of opportunity of 10 years is often quoted by doctors from the British Menopause Society. It might be worth paying for a private consultation for speed - research some names. Louise Newson is a start.

Also - have you had a Dexa scan to assess your bone density?

My periods stopped at least two years ago and I'm 56 now. I was on HRT for about a year as I suffer dreadfully with depression but I stopped taking it and don't really notice any difference other than my periods have stopped. I'm wishing my hair to hurry up and go grey so I don't have to bleach it before dyeing it pink or purple but it looks like I've got my mum's type of hair which wasn't completely grey in her 80s! I'm fat but a lot of that is living on cars due to gastric problems. Periods just stopped and that was that.

Cars?! CARBS!

Im 61 and my periods stopped 6 years ago
6 years with no periods , pmt, period pain, flooding overnight, planning holidays and activities around logistics of dealing with blood.
No more migraines, had them from 13-55 exactly same span as periods.
Bit dry in vagina but weekly pessarysorted that out.
When we are out now with the step daughters I really feel for them when they are having heavy periods and can see looking back how my daily life was structured around bleeding!
Menopause for me wasnt too bad.
Only downside is insomnia, havent slept properly for ten years.

What's good about it? Nothing at all.

Which is why I'm on HRT.

toomanypaws, that did make me laugh - living on cars!! i love carbs though - pasta, bread, pizza, all the stuff they tell to stop eating. in fact stop eating anything nice seems to be the mantra - i am hoping my periods have stopped now , but still a few months to go till i really know.
it is nice not having them and dealing with really heavy ones was a pain in later years.
The feeling down , losing my mojo bit I am struggling with just now, but could be because its winter time, although i dont mind colder weather usually.

I'm off to the doc this morning to check if I am peri-menopausal. Periods have become a nightmare last 3 months, everytime I think they have finished they start again. It feels like one constant period since October, no other symptoms I've noticed.
Have had an ultrasound and blood tests and assuming all clear (I know U/S was fine) doc has recommended mirena.
I haven't needed contraception for 9 years since I had tubes tied so a bit worried about this. Has anyone had similar?

I have been vegetarian for over 30 years. I exercise regularly, walk over 8 miles a day and have never smoked. I avoid processed food and I had the menopause from hell.

If my GP told me to avoid sugar and carbs to cure my symptoms I'd be getting a new GP. Mood swings and hot flushes? That is the least of it. 6-8 hot flushes an hour at times. Such severe joint pain and stiffness that I could barely walk and had to be helped to stand up. I was unable to drive my car as my arms were so bad. From 8 miles a day I was reduced to struggling to get around my own home.

Herbal remedies made no difference at all

2 weeks on HRT and all the symptoms went. Came off it 6 months later and they were back. I'm now on it forever as far as I'm concerned.

No periods.
No period pain.
No contraception.

What's not to like??

@elphame snap