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!

It's a line from Good Morning Vietnam. Basically, when I go for a run at least once a week i push it really hard until I feel like I might throw up. 😊

I agree with a second opinion on hrt and also vit d supplements.

I ditched all caffeine and even decaf drinks 4 years ago and this has really helped with tiredness, energy slumps and anxiety.

How is the quality of your actual sleep at night? And how is your mood? Could you be depressed? Do you have a stressful life?

My mood is good, that's one thing I'm thankful for. Sleep isn't what it used to be. I often wake at 3 and can't sleep for another 2hrs.

Absolute bollocks.

Some women get no symptoms at all, some get horrendous and debilitating symptoms. It is the luck of the draw. Unless you are a doctor and have done a peer reviewed study of your findings of course?

Eat vegan, run and drink loads of water. It has worked for me my vegan friend who is doing all this is having a terrible time of it.

Bingo! No wonder you're tired!

I’m on HRT and have just started up (again!) testosterone due to awful fatigue and lack of energy. It’ll take 2-3 months to take effect! This morning.. I have had to take caffeine tablets to get me through the day.. it’s ridiculous.. but, most days, I drag myself to the gym for 40 min cardio workout in cross trainer. That makes me feel much more alert and energised. On the days I don’t.. I just feel debilitated.

I wonder if you can look into whether you can use testosterone only?

sorry, not alot of help but ALOT of empathy from me.

Marmunia10661975
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

That's pure luck, and/or largely genetic through your mum to a certain extent.

I am a confirmed omnivore (and always have been), guzzle diet coke like it's going out of fashion (water is boring!) and was on the pill before I had my first DS. And I've had almost zero symptoms (bar the odd hot flush) throughout peri and now (what is rapidly hurtling towards) the full definition of menopause.

But then, my mum and maternal aunts sailed through the menopause too. My aunt is still (in her late 70s) an absolute health nut (ran her first marathon as a veteran in her late 50s!) whereas my mum is more like me. Either way, I'm finding it relatively easy too. Whereas my veggie (trying to be vegan) SIL (who's a few years younger than me) is finding peri really hard. Guess what, her mum did too...

Make of that what you will, but being vegan, or even taking the pill in younger life, and drinking loads of water, isn't necessarily anything to do with how you experience menopause. Most of it really is down to luck and your maternal genes 😳

I was like you before I started on HRT. Drained of energy and a bad sleeper. My sleep has improved since taking HRT and even if I do have a bad night I still don’t have that horrendous feeling of exhaustion. Like PP have said, check again about HRT.

I would get a second opinion on hrt. Its a matter of weighing up risks. I know women who have had cancer who are on it as their quality of life without it was so low they were willing to accept the increased risk of cancer returning. Its a very complex area that you need a real HRT expert to guide you though. The final risk/ benefit decision is obviously down to the individual

TBH was on the Pill for 20 years,am a big meat eater and do very little exercise apart from walking
Am having a very easy menopause
Please don’t try and make women feel guilty for choices they have made ( which almost certainly had no bearing on how their menopause is )

how far do you swim every other day (or for how long), and how long is your daily walk (or how far)?

walk is 2-3 hrs, swim is 10 lengths if I'm tired and up to 25 if I'm not.

That is quite a lot of walking. Have you tried cutting back a little to see how that impacts on your energy levels?

Another one saying check again re cancer and HRT. I'm on HRT now (my Mum died from oestrogen sensitive breast cancer) - although Dr did check very carefully. My friend has recently been treated for both cervical and womb cancer is also on HRT.
Risks are smaller than benefits for many women.

I think you are doing too much walking and not enough swimming.

I assume the pool is 25m? I'd do a minimum of 20 lengths.

And cut down the walk to an hour a day, you don't need to do more.

Although you say weight training doesn't appeal, it's worth considering. Do you have any bootcamp type sessions near you? I would never do it if I didn't do it with other people. It's not really weight training as we do body weight exercises but occasionally we get the tyres or kettle bells out. It does make a difference. Or you could buy a kettlebell and watch videos but you need to be really motivated to do that I think.

Are you eating enough?
i wake at night if I’m hungry ,I sleep better with a bit of food in me .
could that be why your waking at 3 am ,and missing 2 hours sleep a night is bound to make u tired in the day x

I will add that HRT may not make any difference to energy levels or improve sleep. I have been on different preparations, strengths and regimes and it hasn’t left me energised and the only improvement in sleep is that I no longer have night sweats or flushes, I still have shoddy sleep.

You are through menopause, HRT is not going to make a difference now unless you stay on it for the rest of your live.

I am menopausal and I find have less energy to want to do things, but once I get going its okay. I just arrange things so I have to get up and do them.

If it's the sleep issues (it's amazing how many of us wake at 3am) try the reverse lie in. I heard about it here. Go to bed at 9pm, get ahead of the day from 5am!

What is your diet like? At the risk of being shouted down, low carb(ish) was a game changer for me. No bread, rice, pasta, potato or sugar. I’m not much of a fruit eater, but pretty much stick to berries. And no processed food, beyond the obvious. Minimal alcohol. I’m 54. Of course if 8 go out fir a nice meal, i might have dessert. But not often.

I hear you on the sleep. Your pattern was exactly mine. I take magnesium tablets which seem to help.

I’m peri , don’t drink , am veggie and run .. I can confirm that these things do not prevent symptoms .. peri has shattered my running pace and my sleep .. hope you find a solution OP

From talking to friends, the biggest impact seems to be genetics. If your mum had an easy menopause, chances are you will too.

I'm sorry you cannot take HRT. Maybe you could ask a different doctor?

The only thing that worked for me was HRT.