God, think I may be going through the Menopause!!!!!

[carla]

No one writes about it. Got to go to bed now. Any advice?? XXXX

Scream at your family for 5 years. Blame everything on it. Get away with murder. Secretly take hormone replacement and actually feel fine.

Flum, how do you actually know?

don't know anything about menopause i am afraid. jenni murray has written a good book on it IIRC - think it is called - Is it hot here or is it me?

got to docs to check things/hormone levels out maybe?

Don't know when my mum hit that age .. does it start off with irregular periods ... or am I being paranoic

Hello old woman here - menopaused at 36 - no symptoms apart from no periods! have had no hot flushes, no depression no nothing - its been fab - started my periods at 16 finished at 36 - who could ask for more!

sorry I'm no help if your suffering!

what symptons you got?

JoolsToo, one of the few symptoms I've got now is ... SHIT. D'ya think it a possibility

J'ya mind me asking .. just for sure ... how did you REALLY know?

I really knew cos I stopped having periods - but hang on - what happended was I had one period a year for about 3 years but, and I find this odd about myself - it never occurred to me that something could be wrong - because I was so well - I just enjoyed not having periods! Then eventually I started reading articles about HRT and it (then) being hailed as a protector of your heart etc - so went to the GP who confirmed it and I went on HRT - this was about 3 years later! Have to say though both my sister and mother menopaused in their 30's. I really haven't been UNWELL at all though.

No vaginal dryness if thats what your thinking

Sorry for delving in, Flum, but do they just completely disappear, or go away gradually. Sorry for everyone else.

Don't know anything about it - that pleasure's yet to come - but another book recommendation is Germanine Greer's The Change. Supposed to be good (but I haven't read it yet, so don't blame me if it's not!)

I don't blinkin' know anything about it either...

Same as Jools Too except I had my last period last Jan at 39yo. They had been every 6 months or so for the preceeding 18 months. No other symptoms at all, went to docs ages ago and did a blood test but haven't been back since.

Wasn;t keen on HRT because of all the adverse publicity due to health risks but since never had any side effects less reason to need to resort to that.

But I should go back to docs...

Carla, I'm sorry I don't actually know. I'm just using the joyful anonymity of the interweb as an excuse to use pithy and useless comments. It seems to irritate my family (for some strange reason)so you copt it. Apologies for trivialising your issue.

All I can say is my mum found it very tough, she also hit a 'life' black spot around the same time and had some depression. She did go on hormone replacement therapy and said it was wonderful. But there are so many different kinds and associated risks it is a very tricky decision.

Carla: here's a couple of websites
here

and here

a couple of the other joys they don't mention are thinning scalp hair, and increased facial/body hair. My periods haven't stopped, but have gone irregular and only last a day or two. I think I'm fully entitled to make the most of my mood swings with all that lot to contend with seeing as I'm only just 40!

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Last week in the paper I noticed a kit is coming onto the market (like a pregnancy test)which will test you for the menopause. Think it's about £15(!) and will be available in places where you'd normally buy a pregnancy test. A website was given by the manufacturers: www.viellemenopausetest.com (I won't attempt a link cos they never work for me)

I'm sure I have a few symptoms too and my Mum had the start of hers early. I had this checked out a while ago, and was told my symptoms (horrible, horrible night sweats) were stress. I'm still experiencimg this though and will be getting myself checked out again soon, I think. If it is an early menopause, shouldn't we all be taking extra calcium or something to protect our bones?

I went to the doctor about a year ago as I had missed 2 periods in a row and have never missed one in my life before (except when pg). He laughed, said its undoubtedly your age and they might never come back - bye. They came back the very next day and have had them every month since. As I'm 48 I'm not worried if it does happen although my mother didn't stop till she was 55. The only symptom I get is that I feel very stupid and can't think straight the day before my period starts.

Thanks to you all, and I'll definitely look out for that kit, tghq. Just reread all of this and am at my 11.09 posting last night. It was meant to read 'It was a S*t symptom', not that I'm oozing s*t!!!!!

Hi Carla,

I lurk around now and again as I'm an over-anxious granny and like to try and keep up to date with any health issues.
Ref your menopause queries - what happened with me was that my periods became irregular just after my 40th birthday, 3 month gaps then every 3 weeks and then got hot flushes. Stuck it out for 5 years as I didn't want to take medication, then started fainting attacks with no warning, very unnerving! Went to drs, and was then on HRT for 9 years.
But my main point is (yes I will get there - is that the doctor can do a blood test which will give your oestrogen levels and that shows if you are actually menopausal or peri-menopausal (the run up to the actual). My oestrogen levels were on the floor and because of the fainting and possibility of osteoporosis etc I rather unwillingly took HRT.
Hope that's helpful.

That's a very interesting post grannyl, as I don'y know what to think about HRT. I guess its a case of benefits outweighing risks in your case? I'm trying to beat off future osteoporosis by doing lots of weight-bearing exercise at the gym.

Hi Cam,
Yes, don't want to hijack thread and talk about my menopause But yes, the fainting attacks were apparently a hormonal thing, never had them in my life apart from when pregnant or menopausal. And asked the doctor if they could come when I was driving, as they really did give me very very little warning and she said, yes they could, so decided it had to be HRT. Also I apparently had lots of the possible factors for future osteoporosis, early menstruation (age 10), smallish build, under 5' 4" and mother with arthritis.

Hi. I found this book very helpful, lots of info but easy to understand. It's called "Coping with the Menopause" by Janet Horwood. It's published by Sheldon Press and is available in bookshops for £6.99.
I'm finding the menopause very hard and seem to have just about every symptom going!
Go to your GP, Carla, and have your hormone levels tested. That way you'll know for sure.
M.