To be furious about inevitable menopause

[Fragmentedbrain]

I don't have it yet, 43, feel on top of the flipping world professionally and emotionally (that hollow dragging anxiety of youth is all gone).

But I know that any bloody moment now the brain fog and anxiety and insomnia and prolapse will come for me and ruin it.

I'm so damn angry.

Also, does anyone know if I could just start taking the contraceptive pill now and maybe stay on it for a decade and come out the other side without any of the symptoms?

I’m 46 and I don’t give it a second thought. Every other bugger does though, it’s all you ever hear about.

When I was 40/41, loads of people tried to convince me that I was having perimenopause symptoms. I get like shit, brain fog all the time, tired, horrendous anxiety, periods were haywire. What was actually happening was that I was 15 stone overweight (yes, 15), ate junk food all day long and drank too much. I knew that’s why I felt awful and my hormones were all over the place. But the gaslighting was insane. My dr even said I should start to consider HRT (no, I was just fat and unhealthy).

I lost all the weight, cleaned up my act, stopped drinking and magically, I felt wonderful and my periods have been back to clockwork ever since.

Why would you have a prolapse with the menopause??? 🤷‍♀️ Just ask for HRT.
Hrt was a miracle for me. Gave me high libido.
Energy. Lovely skin / nails/ hair.
Wish l could have stayed on it forever.

I didn't know about this app - thanks!

Mm I fear I should quit the sauce too I just love a wine so much.

Because decreased estrogen levels can cause a weakened pelvic floor. 50% of women aged 50-75 will have a prolapse.

I only had hot flushes

I'm 47, I've had on/off insomnia for probably a decade, and I had awful periods for 2 years before having the mirena coil. Had that 2 years ago and barely have periods at all now. So far nothing else too terrible.....it might start to be horrendous tomorrow, but so far, life is ok...

Respect!

That’s not what the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says:

• Pelvic organ prolapse is common, affecting 1 in 10 women over the age of 50 years. Mild prolapse often causes no symptoms and treatment is not always necessary.

I went on HRT at the first minor sign. I’m mid 50s and feel great. I met a 90 year old the other day who’s been on HRT since she was 50 and she is living her best life! Definitely don’t lose sleep over worrying about it before it happens!

As someone who has negative and severe symptoms I think you are being very over-dramatic here!!

Many women do find that menopause doesn't cause them any issues at all. Their periods stop and that's it. Lucky them. It's not a foregone conclusion and the fact that you are aware of what could happen means that you are likely to recognise the cause of your symptoms and treat accordingly. Part of the reason I was so bad was because I didn't recognise what was causing my symptoms even though i'd had a hysterectomy, and neither did multiple GPs. Now I'm medicated, I'm fine.

Are you mixing up prolapse with vaginal atrophy / dryness? Because they very much not the same thing.

"affecting" is the key word. The 10% will be those who are symptomatic.

I understand one tends to lead to the other if left untreated.

God the prospect of being reliant on my GP for the rest of my life is so distressing. I know people just live with it and I'll have to too.

Couldn't agree with this more.

I'm 66. I went through menopause. It did what it said on the tin - my periods slowed down and stopped. I didn't need contraception any more, Two good results.

Also, they hadn't invented perimenopause when this happened, so no idea what that was. I think the OP is overreacting to the medicalisation/monetisation of a perfectly ordinary physical process.

OTOH, if you're ILL (eg prolapse) I'd get that checked out.

I've had absolutely no symptoms at all apart from my periods stopping. As someone who has regular iron infusions due to severe anemia from an auto immune disease it's actually improved my health!

I'm 49 and on the combined pill (without a monthly break) for the oestrogen. I intend to do a straight swap for HRT at 50. So far so good with symptoms.
My mum went cold turkey off the pill and had horrendous symptoms. She was crazy lady for a few years and now has osteoporosis.

Just because they (inaccurately) called the months/years leading up to the cessation of menstruation 'menopause', that doesn't mean symptoms didn't exist. The unflattering stereotype of the plump, grumpy, over-heated, dried-up middle-aged with embarrassing 'women's problems' wouldn't exist otherwise.

Snap! I'm in my 60s now. Hot flushes were really the only thing for me, and I didn't find them that much of an issue. Didn't take HRT. I do get tired more easily and have some joint achiness, but frankly that's probably age and being a bit overweight and not as fit as I should be. Fortunately never had the brain fog or anxiety. All a walk in the park compared to menstruation and all the fun and games of endometriosis, which just disappeared.

I sailed though it (done and dusted by 46 after peri symptoms started at 41). Dry vagina only, which is treated.

I’m nearly 58 and I haven’t got any grey hair either!

Not everyone has a torrid time - wait and see.

This sounds familiar. Have you posted about this before. A terrifying thread about collapsing uteruses or some such?
Anyway I am post meno and have none of those issues.

Yep; but actually the night sweats / hot flushes subsided on their own within a year or so. Still get them occasionally if I have more than one glass of wine, so that keeps me on the straight and narrow. I started the vaginal oestrogen when I had a couple of UTIs and probably would have benefited from starting slightly earlier (only in the last year or so).

Mirena coil is worth considering now. Light/no periods. Reliable contraception. Lots of women sail through perimenopause and menopause with a coil. I personally also use estrogen patches.
It's not necessarily as bad as you're imagining. It can be horrendous for some women but plenty of women have a fairly easy time of it.

I am over the moon about no periods! So liberating.

My mum had a miserable menopause. I sailed through.

Don't trouble trouble til trouble troubles you 🙂