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Original poster

Fucking menopause can fuck right off

130 replies

FlemCandango · 29/12/2022 12:53

I am lying on the sofa exhausted by the effort of moving a pile of clothes. Because menopause decided that my already heavy and painful periods don't quite hit the spot so last night I had that lift scene from The Shining as my period. Now I am an anemic shell of a person in a cardi on the sofa. Trying to summon the energy to make some tea. I was meant to be shopping with my daughter's, but that isn't happening. Fucking menopause.

I have had some good advice on another thread this one is purely my ranty pity party.

OP posts:
Glitterblue · 31/12/2022 07:21

cushioncovers · 29/12/2022 13:23

Mirena coil
HRT
Lower your expectations of what you can now do in a day.
Find other menopausal women to commiserate with.
It's shite. I'm 52 and feel like I'm 82. My whole body seems to have been replaced with this chunky, achy, itchy, headachy, tired shell of a body.

@cushioncovers I'm glad you said itchy (not glad for you, because it's horrible, but glad I'm not alone!) - my sleep has been so disturbed recently with itching and I suspected it was menopause related because on the rare occasion do have a period, the itching stops for the duration of the period, then returns again when it's finished.

OP I can sympathise with you. I remember my mum having an awful time with it and going onto HRT. I have absolutely no chance of seeing a GP (I'm not GP bashing, just explaining what's going on at our surgery just now). If you phone and ask for a face to face appointment there are never any, you then ask for a phone appointment and get the same answer. They tell you to do an econsult but when you click on the link on their website, for the last few weeks, I've tried every day at some point and it always says "e-consult is not currently available at this practice. Try again tomorrow".

ClarathecrosseyedLioness · 31/12/2022 07:27

I haven't RTFT but just wanted to say ladies, that 'flooding' isn't a symptom of menopause it's an indication of fibroids.

Please get yourself checked out as 'flooding', especially if you are passing huge clots, can make you anaemic and consequently very tired.

NameInUseAlreadyAgain · 31/12/2022 08:12

I’m just 50 and I have started taking Menopace Night which has helped with the non sleeping.

I’m now experiencing dizzy spells that last about 2 minutes. Like I’ve had 40 vodkas …..

no hot flashes yet but there is time

im on the mini pill which means no periods for about 10 years now so that’s one good thing and perhaps they are helping with some symptoms I’m not getting

with a hormonal teen in the house too my poor DH is subjected to extreme hormone tantrums from us both !

Mezmer · 31/12/2022 09:21

MerryChristmasTree · 30/12/2022 23:16

HRT! I’m sleeping and my mind fog has improved!

Long term it can also help decrease the risk of dementia and osteoporosis.

This is what I needed to hear. I am about to start on HRT.

JustDanceAddict · 31/12/2022 09:24

@ClarathecrosseyedLioness - thanks, know I have fibroids too as had scan a few months ago. All the joys!

Eve · 31/12/2022 09:31

I need to sleep! Am awake from 3.30 every night !

have Mirena & patches (50 strength) and sleep is the biggest issue at the moment. Would increasing patch strength help? Can I take the menopace mentioned above with HRT?

Bronzeisthecolour · 31/12/2022 09:37

Hrt and pill for me, so no periods abd I have much more energy now.

OMG12 · 31/12/2022 09:44

I came in here to make a point… now I can’t think what the hell it was! Nowadays if you want me to remember something for more than one minute - I need to write it down

mynamesnotMa · 31/12/2022 09:50

It's incredibly sad some women still think they have to battle through the menopause. Once the hormones go they go. Not everyone has the same symptoms but for me vertigo headaches constant colds anxiety insomnia and inability to remember simple words no sex drive utis dry vag no energy constant aches in legs back and hips have gone.
I'm never coming off HRT. I would be dead without it.

AlmostSummer21 · 31/12/2022 10:00

i have T2 diabetes (no medication, diet controlled, but not at the moment)
high blood pressure (no medication, it makes me too unwell, even the lowest dose possible)
im not sure they'd give me HRT????

im considering a womens clinic because the GP is impossible to get an appointment, if you do it's 30 seconds & everything is because of my weight.

fed up of the brain fog.

periods have pretty much disappeared, but I get to about 11 months and have another one. Saving Grace us that SO FAR they're very light. I had the massive flooding ones a few years ago. GP not interested in checking out fibroids, just said 'menopause'.

someone suggested a womens clinic they'd found brilliant and it had a branch about 39/40 minutes from me, but of course can't remember what it was called or where it was now 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

OldWivesTale · 31/12/2022 10:05

I just feel so angry about having all these symptoms (apart from the heavy periods) and not being able to take anything because I've had breast cancer. There is literally nothing for us to take to help to alleviate the symptoms. I just feel so tired of life.

Neversaygoodbye · 31/12/2022 10:06

I've been on the mini pill (progesterone only) since having my son 15 years ago and still taking it at age 51 so no periods woohoo. I believe you can take it up to 55.

I started HRT 2 years ago due to terrible night sweats, anxiety, mood swings, brain fog etc. and it's made a massive difference.

Bbq1 · 31/12/2022 10:30

I was slammed straight into the menopause at age 38 due to chemo than had to have a non cancer related full hysterectomy at 42. I am on hrt which helps a lot and although I live with the after effects of cancer, it's good to be free of horribly heavy periods. I am on hrt for at least another 3 years.

RoyFuckingKent · 31/12/2022 10:47

How have you lot got pill AND HRT!? My GP prescribed Evoril Sequi and told me I could no longer be on the pill.
That said, it was a bit of a fight to get him to see things my way in the first place so I don’t think he’s especially clued up.

cleowasmycat · 31/12/2022 11:00

I have implant and have HRT. The progesterone you have to take with oestrogen isn't enough for contraception.

cleowasmycat · 31/12/2022 11:01

Bbq1 · 31/12/2022 10:30

I was slammed straight into the menopause at age 38 due to chemo than had to have a non cancer related full hysterectomy at 42. I am on hrt which helps a lot and although I live with the after effects of cancer, it's good to be free of horribly heavy periods. I am on hrt for at least another 3 years.

Hi, why would you stop HRT in three years?

beguilingeyes · 31/12/2022 11:05

AlmostSummer21 · 31/12/2022 10:00

i have T2 diabetes (no medication, diet controlled, but not at the moment)
high blood pressure (no medication, it makes me too unwell, even the lowest dose possible)
im not sure they'd give me HRT????

im considering a womens clinic because the GP is impossible to get an appointment, if you do it's 30 seconds & everything is because of my weight.

fed up of the brain fog.

periods have pretty much disappeared, but I get to about 11 months and have another one. Saving Grace us that SO FAR they're very light. I had the massive flooding ones a few years ago. GP not interested in checking out fibroids, just said 'menopause'.

someone suggested a womens clinic they'd found brilliant and it had a branch about 39/40 minutes from me, but of course can't remember what it was called or where it was now 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

The Newson Clinic do video consultations. That's how I got mine. Menopause provision in this country is a crime.

Bronzeisthecolour · 31/12/2022 12:57

RoyFuckingKent · 31/12/2022 10:47

How have you lot got pill AND HRT!? My GP prescribed Evoril Sequi and told me I could no longer be on the pill.
That said, it was a bit of a fight to get him to see things my way in the first place so I don’t think he’s especially clued up.

I saw a gp who specialised in women's health. She put me on mini pill - cerezette i think- and hrt gel and progesterone. I would go in and tell gp that's what you want.

Bbq1 · 31/12/2022 16:50

cleowasmycat · 31/12/2022 11:01

Hi, why would you stop HRT in three years?

Show quote history

Because I've been taking it since I was 40, I'm 49 now and my Gp said i will try coming off it at 52. That's a total of 12 years I will have been on hrt. She said it's 52 because apparently most women have gone through the menopause naturally by 52. If I have by then I will be able to come off it. If my symptoms reoccur I will be straight back on it. At the moment, I definitely need it.

Mezmer · 31/12/2022 19:52

I have a question. I had to give up jogging/Zumba/cardio in my mid 40s despite being quite fit as it exhausted me so much that I couldn’t muster the energy to do anything for the rest of the day. It used to GIVE me energy and now exercise just taketh away.

was that due to peri do you think and if I took HRT would I once again be able to manage cardio again?

I used to love that post run feeling and I miss it.

Mezmer · 31/12/2022 19:53

I just put it down to aging but I’m wondering if it was hormonal.

Flipthefrugal · 31/12/2022 20:52

ClarathecrosseyedLioness · 31/12/2022 07:27

I haven't RTFT but just wanted to say ladies, that 'flooding' isn't a symptom of menopause it's an indication of fibroids.

Please get yourself checked out as 'flooding', especially if you are passing huge clots, can make you anaemic and consequently very tired.

It can be a symptom of peri menopause.
I found peri worse than the menopause in terms of periods and flooding.
As you go into peri you have anovulatory cycles which can lead to flooding( I was blue lighted to ED)

There are so many symptoms of peri/ menopause and its up to the individual as to whether they want to try HRT.

I'm afraid @Chicca1970 periodontal disease and tooth loss is a very poor prognostic indicator of health.
Not something that's talked about in menopause but lack of oestrogen affects the mouth and saliva production.
I had dry mouth, VA, joint pain which was so severe I could barely walk, insomnia and brain fog.
If someone told me to just exercise that away they would get a pelaton bike shoved up their arse!
I'm on patches and feel absolutely fantastic, run, swim, cycle,sleep like a log and they will have to prise it out of my cold, dead hands.
There will be an end to this op,please see your GP.

cleowasmycat · 01/01/2023 13:11

"Bbq1" you don't need to come off HRT. Your GP is wrong. Your body won't start producing oestrogen again and HRT will protect your bone density and brain health.

cleowasmycat · 01/01/2023 13:13

Mezmer · 31/12/2022 19:52

I have a question. I had to give up jogging/Zumba/cardio in my mid 40s despite being quite fit as it exhausted me so much that I couldn’t muster the energy to do anything for the rest of the day. It used to GIVE me energy and now exercise just taketh away.

was that due to peri do you think and if I took HRT would I once again be able to manage cardio again?

I used to love that post run feeling and I miss it.

Basically yes. HRT will help.

CoQ10 · 04/01/2023 15:45

Here for solidarity too.

Having gone 38 years of light, 5 day periods, I was awake til 3am on Xmas eve with weird goings on in my belly. Woke up knackered on Xmas day and literally flooded.

Felt shit all day, really nauseous and it was only after 2 glasses of bubbly that I started to feel better (had to be done!!)

I'm on HRT and hadn't had a period prior to that for about 4 months. Is that normal and should I expect more heavy floods in the future?

Otherwise I sleep fine but anxiety, irritatabilty and lack of confidence at work still alive and well.