Menopause is really not that bad.

[DaisyRayi]

Misleading title kind of hoping for more traffic.

I could probably do some research and read up about it but what exactly is it that happens to women when they go through menopause.

You hear about women having their careers ruined etc.

Not comparing things but during pregnancy and post patrum I was feeling very doom and gloom but only realised the feelings were due to the pregnancy hormones now that I’m back to normal.

I’m 40. And exactly, I wanted to hear about the various experiences from real life.

There is no such thing as a stupid question.
There really is.

How does HRT keep you "compliant"?!?

Only if it’s asked over and over again. It is stupid not to ask because of fear of reaction.

This, HRT is medication it isn't new and fangled and definitely not to keep women compliant. It really eased me through menopause. I've not had a period for 2 ish years so I think I'm probably through it and feel OK off HRT.

It's the opposite. Women have whipped up the issue due to years of being ignored by GPs who think things like pain, vaginal atrophy, prolapse and bladder dysfunction are just something women have to put up with. Or are ignorant about the relative cancer risks and will not prescribe HRT.

I'm not saying that the corporate world does not then jump on the bandwagon but the origin is a real issue of women being ignored and dismissed by the medical profession.

Hrt does help but it can cause cancer, research it, it's true. When a woman on hrt has breast cancer, they stop the hrt straight away.

Yes HRT sometimes causes breastcancer especially if you take it for a long time.

A question is only stupid if it's asked over and over—or it's something that you could have easily found out yourself with some quick research.

It doesn't just effect the person it's the people around them. I work in a heavy female environment and have watched super switch on, organised, amazing multi tasking women crumble - they keep forgetting things, can't multi task anymore, can be incredibly irritable and mood swings, everyone is tip toeing on eggshells. It's shocking the impact it can have and the person themselves doesn't realise why

How on earth do you figure that HRT makes women ‘compliant’? Quite the reverse. Makes them have stronger bones, less chance of dementia and the energy to stand up for themselves. If you didn’t need it, fine, but most women would, in my opinion, benefit from it. Menopause is a hormone deficiency condition.

Menopause is a hormone deficiency condition.

Menopause is a natural change. If women need or just want to use HRT, that is their choice, and good for them. Those who don't, are not deficient in estrogen.

I will be your " research" case study if you like.

Surgical menopause last November.
No HRT as I've developed secondary breast cancer. Also on hormone inhibitors. Fucking brutal!!!!

What exactly is it when a woman goes through the menopause?

Your oestrogen levels plummet and do not return. As a consequence, some experience symptoms of anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, vaginal dryness, suicidal thoughts, hot flushes, mood swings and insomnia. That's to name a few. So, if you are unfortunate to experience some or all of those day in, day out, life becomes tough and careers potentially affected.

Definitely do your research.

Rich? How?

There is a slightly higher risk but not very much higher for most women and the risk of things like osteoporosis is much higher.

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/benefits-and-risks-of-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/#:~:text=HRT%20can%20slightly%20increase%20the,combined%20HRT%20for%205%20years.

HRT can slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. If you've had breast cancer you'll usually be advised not to take HRT.
The increased risk is low: there are around 5 extra cases of breast cancer in every 1,000 women who take combined HRT for 5 years.

Lots of things that are natural aren’t that great for us.

Oh and I forgot to mention potential vaginal atrophy. That's a god awful conditions, linked to lack of oestrogen again. This can lead to bladder issues and weeing every 5 minutes!

Are you actually a woman or a man posing as a woman? Because I fail to understand how, as a woman, you can be so fucking ignorant about something that is a certain for any woman who reaches menopause. Yes, you could read up about it and you bloody well should.

Easily rectified with Ovestin or Vagifem. Systemic HRT may or may not help, and approx. 50% of women on systemic HRT need to use vaginal estrogen as well.

I know women who didn’t even know they had gone through menopause, not a flush, no brain fog, just sailed on through.

Me - every symptom going. And I’m definitely not a hypochondriac. Crime scene periods, flushing like there’s no tomorrow, aches pains, tears and tantrums. Complete shit show. I abhor feeling under the weather in any way. But I found work almost impossible because of the back to back flooding periods. It upended my life but I’m pretty much through it now, although it has certainly changed me and given me even more respect of women who went before me, who were made to keep silent and had little medical help.

“why not educate me”?!

one of the side effects of menopause for me was zero tolerance for lazy CFs who can’t use Google.

YABVU for the goady thread title “for traffic” when there is a whole Menopause board on this site that you could have gone to to educate yourself.

Except for the farting, all of that is my experience and I hit menopause about 12 years ago. All of those things are still very much the case.

The worst - and in the past 6 months it's become hideously worse - is the insomnia. I go weeks on one or two hours' sleep (and it's broken sleep at that) per night. I'm currently in a long phase of it. Nothing works for me. It's utter torture.

Thanks to everyone. It’s been interesting to see what people have to say. Beyond the actual symptoms of the menopause itself it’s interesting to see how emotive the topic is for some.

Also very interesting the point about how it impacts people in the workplace that might work with someone badly impacted by menopause. One for another ‘click bait’ thread.

It was really bad for my mum - she was a total nightmare to live with at the time and desperately unhappy and angry but we didn't really know why. I only found out fairly recently that her own mum took her life at the same age. Probably for the same reason.

It can be debilitating for some.

It's this kind of comment that has meant women have been putting up with having their awful symptoms dismissed. Unless you have had suffered the effects of menopause like many women have then you need to take a seat.

My symptoms have been horrendous and HRT has been a life saver for me. A lot of women are dealing with teenagers going through puberty while going through their own awful menopause, sill expected to work and carry on with their lives as if nothing is happening to them. I am incredibly happy that doctors are starting to take it seriously.