Menopause

[Poptart4]

There have been alot of stories in the press about celebrities going through menopause. The latest being Lisa Snowden. See Daily fail.

At this point I will hold my hands up and say I now very little about menopause even though I'm a women in her late 30's. But these horror stories are really scaring me. Does every women going through the menopause go through hell? Is this what I have to look forward to? And do these symptoms (memory loss, depression, rages, sweats... God knows what else) eventually stop?

I can't believe no one has ever talked to me about menopause before. It wasn't even mentioned in school.

[quote Jewel1968]@Shehasadiamondinthesky that is really interesting. If it wasn't for osteoporosis and other physical complications of menopause I think it could be a gift. The hormones that makes us the caring ones, the ones that compromise are on the wane and we could become more like you. The problem for many as described here is the symptoms are hugely problematic. I am not on hrt but am thinking about it for bone reasons - history of osteoporosis in family.[/quote]
Hi Jewel, I did have awful symptoms too like hot sweats and anxiety but I found that HRT got rid of most of that and I'm still on it at 60 because I am concerned about osteoporosis.

It wasn't that bad for me. Very very heavy periods during peri. No hot flushes at all. And that was that.

I don't plan to come off it

No me neither. My consultant and I have come up with a regime that I can continue with indefinitely. It's not 100% perfect but definitely good enough

@Teenagetrouble

Glad it’s being discussed more and that NICE now are recommending HRT and more and more GPs are aware of this. For those who have sailed through that is fine - but HRT also protects against hidden things like osteoporosis and dementia and heart disease. Worth reading up about even if you don’t have to take it to alleviate symptoms.

Dementia? Not according to Alzheimers UK

“Hormone replacement therapy

Some women choose to have hormone replacement therapy (HRT) when they go through menopause to help relieve some of the more unpleasant symptoms, such as hot flushes and mood swings. HRT is usually a combination of oestrogen and another hormone called progesterone, although there are different types.

Studies looking at whether replenishing oestrogen levels using HRT can reduce women's risk of dementia have been inconclusive and contradictory. For example, some studies of women who were already using HRT during menopause found that their risk of dementia was lower than those not on HRT. However, other studies found no strong evidence for this. There is some evidence that HRT may even increase dementia risk. Clinical trials looking at the use of HRT to treat Alzheimer's disease in women, rather than prevent it, did not show any beneficial effects on cognition.

Until there is better evidence, the potential benefits of HRT as a way to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease do not outweigh the potential risks of HRT, which includes an increased risk of certain types of cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Hormones may still provide a way to treat or prevent dementia though. Researchers continue to look for other hormones, and other ways of using oestrogen, which could be safer and more effective. More research into why women are more likely to get dementia than men is also important to help us understand exactly what causes it.”

[quote Stellaaaaaaaah]@DramaAlpaca, hi, what supplements do you take? Thanks[/quote]
@Stellaaaaaaaah just seen your message, sorry

I take Menopace, usually the one with calcium, Boots Red Clover & Soy Isoflavones, Vitamin D 2000 and Zinc. Do they help? Well, I think so anyway.

My mum had a horrible experience with menopause and still has problems to this day, my grandma on the other hand never had any problems with it. To be honest I'm dreading it...

I am a bit worried that all this publicity and all the positive MN posts are covert marketing by Pharma but maybe that's nuts. We already know that infant milk manufacturers use social chat forums to promote their products.

Not in my case........

I am not sure of the statistics but by far the majority of women have symptoms. I think it is around 25 per cent that have no symptoms whatsoever.

The majority who have symptoms will all have different experiences. A bit like periods really
Some suffer and some dont.

I had a good few years of erratic periods and nerve/sleep complaints. No hot flush or night sweats ever.

I am still relieved the periods are over...

I feel I have more control of my life again!

@Deadringer

Well celebs always get everything much worse than everyone else don't they? I am 57 and apart from a few very heavy periods near the end, and a few months of sporadic hot flushes i didn't really have any symptoms. I didn't go to the doctor during or post menopause so not on hrt or anything else. I think luck plays a part, but having said that i was never a particularly hormonal person, never had pmt or anything like that. I don't sleep as well as i used to though but i don't know if that is connected.

I dont think slebs get it worse. I've had a not so great time up to now but not life altering symptoms. Few hot sweats, brain fuzz, achey limbs and godawful sleep and random periods. A friend has terrible hot sweats (full change of clothes needed) thought she had early onset dementia but no periods at all. Other stuff too but I cant remember them. Part of the problem is the different way each woman has symptoms and of course how we cope is markedly different too.

This post took an age to type because all the words fled