I'm 52 but feel like 76, menopause has robbed me of my vitality.

[StarInTheHeavens]

I'm well out the other side of menopause, not peri. I just feel like an old woman. I am SO tired. After getting up, showering and eating breakfast I'm ready for a lie-down to rest! I'm not suitable for HRT due to earlier diagnoses & a family history of cancers. I'm not sure HRT improves energy anyway, going by what my friends say who're on it. Dr says my blood profile is near perfect, so I'm not anaemic. I don't drink, don't smoke and take moderate exercise and I'm a sensible weight. Is this it for me now? Is there anyone else on here who's been in this position and managed to get that zing back again? I won't make it to proper old age at this rate as I'll be too knackered to get there!

Are you regularly doing any exercise? I always feel lifted when I'm more active - I go through slumps and feel I don't have enough energy or my bones/joints are too sore but then I get back into PT sessions and feel so much more zingy (good word!) 😉

Sorry just saw moderate exercise (one of my menopausal glitches is not reading or retaining things properly lol!)

I'm older than you by a couple of years, still peri (annoyingly) and on HRT. I drink too much, bit overweight, eat well but also eat crap. I've got plenty of energy but I have a busy life, run my own business that I (mostly) love and have a fab boyfriend who I can do lots of fun things with.

It sounds less like age and more like you're in a rut or maybe have a touch of depression? Have you tried doing a proper 'boogaloo until you puke' cardiovascular workout ona regular basis?

I swim every other day and go on a long walk every day to get my 10k steps

I've never heard of 'bugaloo until you puke' before! 😂

boogaloo sorry

I'm not suitable for HRT due to earlier diagnoses & a family history of cancers.

Probably way off the mark here, but are you completely sure about that? I only say because I have a friend who was refused HRT by her doctor, but did some research and became convinced that it should be okay. She eventually got a second opinion and was told that there was no reason she shouldn't have HRT. Would have saved her 6 months of hell. Your situation may be completely different, but if this is the opinion of 1 doctor, it might be worth getting a second opinion.

Exercise and Magnesium supplements. Changed my life after menopause re: energy levels. Took a while to kick in but felt such a difference when it did. It also helps me to sleep better

Vitamin B12 and Magnesium have really helped me. I'm on HRT which has been a total lifesaver but the energy thing is still problematic for me, hence the supplements.

Before HRT I took 5HTP and St John's Wort which helped.

Are you sure about HRT? Join The Menopause Support Network on Facebook, there are lots of people on there who have started HRT after a second opinion.

Train with weights and do short bouts of hard cardio. Water. Reduce the amount of cakes, biscuits, chocolate. Eat more protein. Grow your own veg and eat it straight after picking.

Ask for a referral to a specialist. Lots of GPs - most in my experience - have no idea about HRT and menopause. You may well not be suitable for HRT, but a specialist might be able to advise a regime which alleviates your symptoms but which does not increase risks. Please ask.

In the meantime there are things you can do to help yourself. I take high dose Vit D daily, and a multivitamin.

I hear you. I'm the same age and haven't had a period since I was 44. I'm not on HRT either; it's never occurred to me to seek it. I do take multivitamin and mineral and iron supplements, plus a menopause support supplement which I think helps me.

I'm a bit overweight but am taking steps to get it down. Exercise isn't easy as I have a limp from an injury and can't walk far before that leg gets tired, but I use a mini stepper with hand weights a few times a week.

I've never been a great sleeper, think it runs in the family, but I use a sleep sounds app through the night to relax me, my sleep is fitful, but at least I get some rest, I feel.

I have a 13 year old (plus two in their 20s), who can be a cheeky sod, but she makes me laugh and helps me keep from feeling too ancient.

I've recently got into a band (singer also has a solo career) and I really enjoy going to their gigs; they hail from the '90s, so their fans aren't so young as to make me feel like an old un, in fact some are around my age anyway. I'm going to more gigs in Spring; it's good to have something to look forward to.

I'm relieved not to have small children dependent on me anymore! The 22 year old is still at home, so DH and I can go off for weekends every now and then and leave the two of them home.

I do like a drink, but I'm sticking to weekends only as I'm trying to eat moderately and stay off the booze during the week.

I do like to swim a bit, but have been off it due to a neck and shoulder injury, I'll try to get back to it in the Spring.

I do creak a lot more now, I know I'll never be as agile again as I was in my 20s, but I'm not dead yet!

I hope you can get your zing back somehow, OP, pass some around if you end up with a surplus! 😉

I have had no symptoms of menopause despite being through it. The secret is not to mess with your hormones in the first place. I've never taken the pill or anything hormonal. Eat vegan, run and drink loads of water. It has worked for me.

How is that in ANY way helpful to someone who cannot change what medical decisions they have made in the past, and who is suffering right now?

Have you had your vitamin d levels checked? That can make a huge difference to energy levels and how you feel generally.

I definitely lost my vitality after my early menopause but now I'm 60 I'm finding its come back. I go out with friends all the time and I'm doing overtime at work without feeling knackered.
I have improved my diet 100% though. Bread and milk make me bloat - they never did before - so I don't have those with great results and I stopped eating processed foot - I eat only homemade food.
I don't eat meat or drink alcohol and everything has improved as a result.
Your body changes post menopause and the things you can eat and drink change too.
I take multivitamins and minerals daily, turmeric and probiotics.

This is really unhelpful and dangerous advice and this is from a person who runs to deal with menopause symptoms. Not everyone has the same menopause you saying run and eat vegan messing with your hormones makes it worse could not just stop people getting the help they need but could lead to suicide. That’s not even a huge stretch either so many women even vegan runners completely lose themselves during their menopausal years.

OP I agree with others hrt might still be a possibility for you seek help of a menopause expert though not just your GP. I also agree if you can exercise really helps. Lift heavy weights and do a bit of cardio.
Davina McCall says wear nice undies.
running has been my saviour but it’s not for everyone, and it’s really shit as I am injured training for a marathon so all my menopause paranoia has come back. So it has its downfalls. Good home cooked food plenty of greens and protein. Read Menopausing or better still listen to it when out walking. I cried, you look like a loony but it’s cathartic.

take care of your self 🙂

Are you overweight? I have the same but I am considering if the fatigue is fatty liver / pancreas issues

This is not helpful in any way.

Yes. Vegan whole food diet, brisk walk every day, D3, B12 supplements, keep my BMI to around 21, get 8 hours sleep per night minimum, and when not working, doing essential chores or having fun, feet up, relax and rest without guilt!
I take HRT now too for bone health, but its made no positive difference to my energy/wellness which was high from the above. If anything I'm a bit more tired and headachey on it than before.
(It might be worth checking your sleep quality if the quantity is ok btw)

What you type was my life before peri and I have been to hell and back on the devils handcart during my meno journey. I have friends who were the complete opposite of me (inactive, ate badly, drank, smoked etc) and they have hardly had a single meno symptom.

I’m 50 and in the same boat. Now my dd is 18 I’ve decided to go to India for a month to get out of my rut.
Feel it will either make or break me!

Lol @Marmunia10661975

i would maybe see the gp again op as the criteria for hrt changes regularly.

What were your energy levels like before?

My energy levels have never been brilliant, but did take a nose dive during the menopause. I’m much older than you, so very much post menopausal. My energy levels have got a bit better, but not as good as when I was in my fifties, before the menopause.

I took HRT for a good while, but it made no difference to my overall energy levels. It helped as it lessened the hot flushes which were stopping me getting a good nights sleep.

Over the years I have tried pretty much everything. Diet, exercise, blood tests etc. I have come to accept this is just how I am.

I have been taking multivitamins for a while. In the summer when I can have a day in the sun I always feel better. I’m not buzzing with energy but always felt as you would after a good nights sleep. In the winter I get as much light as I can or use a SAD lamp. I think it helps.

My energy levels before were brilliant, if I wanted to dig the garden I went out & did it. Now I can't even consider it. I do take a high dose daily vit D so that should be ok. I eat a very healthy diet, all home cooked. I weigh 10 stone. I guess I could go weight training or something but it doesn't appeal very much.