Anyone who didn't have a horrendous menopause experience?

[blankstares]

I'm perimenopausal at 45 and terrified of the menopause. I don't want to lose my sex drive (I love sex!), put on loads of weight, grow facial hair and have insomnia.

Is there anyone who had a mild menopause or who didn't suffer from the above? Am I destined to go through hell or are these symptoms exaggerated? I have spoken to my elderly mum but she can't remember what it was like and friends just moan about the lack of sleep and weight gain. Please reassure me it won't be that bad or there are ways of alleviating some of the symptoms! I already have terrible sleep.

Me. I had the odd warm glow and an increase in migraine style headaches for a while.

I am 60 and don't suffer from any of the above.

Mind you I never suffered from PMS or any other hormonal stuff beforehand either, or had horrific periods.

I don't recall it happening, and as I'm 71 it happened a long time ago, in fact it was before I was 40.

I started hrt when the hot flushes hit me. It switched them off almost instantly and I’ve been largely fine ever since. Yes, a bit thicker around the waist and a good pair of tweezers is quite useful but it’s hardly Armageddon.

The facial hair pisses me off, but the flushes are worst in the winter, so find them quite useful for keeping warm in bed.

I've had insomnia since my mid 40s, but I got used to it, and I like not needing sleep now.

It is easier to put on weight, and harder to lose it, but not impossible. Weighing it all up, I much prefer being 54 to 24, and having no periods is bloody brilliant.

Me! I had a few flushes and weight gain, which I'm working on. I had horrendously painful periods and awful PMT throughout my life, so I am delighted to get shot of all that malarkey. 😀

I had an early menopause. Lots of hot flushes which were a nuisance but that’s about it. I am the same weight now as I was in my early 30s . Was always pear shaped and had no boobs after bf the dc, but they improved post menopause so more in proportion now.

I get horrendous hot flushes and night sweats. I get broken sleep but have found that reducing caffiene, not eating too late and acool shower before bed helps. I'm also going to go and ask for HRT or whatever to help with it.

I'm actually losing weight, but this is planned. Periods are few and far between, and tweezers are useful.

But it's not that onerous actually.

Me! The odd hot flush, no weight gain. I've lost my sex drive a bit, but I do enjoy it when we have it! I'm 52. I do exercise a lot which I think has helped.

I am peri menopausal. I have developed an intolerance to heat and chronic insomnia but that is it. Figure, sex life and brain still quite intact.

You just don’t know until it happens. I’m really suffering yet both my mum and my sister just found their periods stopped one day and that was it, no symptoms whatsoever. I envy them greatly!

no real symptoms. i did have the mirena so that might have helped.

I was dreading the menopause because I had a terrible adolescence, and I somehow thought that emotionally it would be the same. It wasn't. Yes, I had hot flushes and irregular periods, but my mood was very even, and I felt perfectly normal. So from that point of view it was fine and I felt so much better in myself post menopause, as I always suffered from terrible swollen boobs, mood swings, period pains and migraines throughout my period years, which all disappeared, even the migraines.
I had facial hair problems from my 30s, but I think that's genetic. (hairy mother and grandmother!) My sex drive has gone out the window though, but tbh that doesn't bother me. Life is a lot easier for me now I no longer feel like shit for 3 weeks out of 4.

I’m 43 and in chemical menopause menopause for medical reasons. I’m in HRT so no hot flushes really. In fact I am more stable with my moods and my boobs have grown a cup size!

The worst thing about mine is that my boobs have gone massive. They were big before, but they've got their own postcode now 😮

I've always been a hot bod, so the hot flushes aren't anything noteworthy tbh.

Hi Op, I'm almost 48 and have been waiting for the dreaded symptoms for a good couple of years. I have recently given up smoking and so to circumnavigate the inevitable weight gain, I am gradually changing my diet to eat less carbs, drinking loads water and I feel amazing and so proud of myself.
I am keeping body positive by doing gentle easy exercises whenever I can. I sometimes do standing up press ups against the wall or lunges whilst chatting to friends, which has to be annoying but I couldn't give a shit .

I am so prepared for the worst but in all honesty I think that it won't be as bad if you make small changes.

I just flat out refuse to let nature win this one, sorry .

Sorry not me, put on loads of weight, lost all sex drive, went mental and got divorced, Ok now though and it was the catalyst I needed to get rid of my useless husband.
I'm still not hairy though

But bravelurker is right, you definitely need to prepare before hand.

Me. I have a Mirena coil, which stopped my periods, so I never even really thought about it!

Just woke up one morning aged 57 and thought 'i must be menopausal now, surely?' I weigh less than I did since I had my kids, as I've been training for 10k road races, am fitter than I've ever been, have no hot flushes or mood swings. Only thing I have noticed is that the merest mention of sex makes me furiously angry (but I think that might be more down to a 'partner' who thinks sex should be like the porn films and I'm not having any truck with that shit now).

I'm 59.

MIL says she wondered what all the fuss was about that she had heard about.

I have found that my flushes are a food intolerance (I already have some-this is just a new way of showing it) so am really needing to mind my diet.

Me. I had a few long heavy periods (I think the longest was 17 days), and some hot flushes but that was it. I wouldn't call it horrendous.
My advice is to lose weight if you are overweight, get as fit as possible, and to cut out alcohol and caffeine during the hot flush phase.

brave that’s awesome! I’m still a smoker but hopefully I’ll want your approach when I give up (v v soon)

Oh but do cry at absolutely everything, from animal charity adverts to nature programs to seeing pictures of young happy couples with their children. I feel like a tin man who has just been given a heart, It's actually hilarious.

So is it a symptom of the menopause that your boobs get bigger??

I am 45 and in perimenopause with very infrequent periods. My boobs have always been relatively small but I put on a lot of weight a few years ago and they grew (along with the rest of me ). I have now lost 3 stone but my boobs have stayed quite big which is a totally different body shape to the one I have always had. I did wonder if it was because of the menopause

Don't get me wrong...I love it as my body shape is totally in proportion now!

Me. My periods stopped and that was more or less it. I did suffer mildly with insomnia but nothing major. No mood swings, no hot flushes, nothing.

I see someone above said weight might be related. Obviously I have no idea but my bmi is /was 19/20. I am also active and vegan and don't drink. Also the menopause hasn't caused any weight gain (8years post menopause now).

I'm dreading it, as I had a brief period of post natal psychosis after a very bad birth with my twins and have read that the menopause can potentially bring on another episode. The thought of that ever happening again is horrific. If I just have hot sweats, weight gain and insomnia I'll be incredibly happy. (I already have a hairy chin )