Melting magnificence: Share your despair, experience and tips here

[Wordsaremything]

A new thread for sharing experiences, tips and so on.

To kick off, I have been taken aback by the severity of my symptoms( hourly flushes, night sweats, palpitations, insomnia, stress incontinence, exhaustion and aching hands and feet.)

So far, switching from down duvet to microfibre has helped
As has increasing fruit and veg intake and cutting down on large evg meals and red meat
And taking menopace with sage.
I now have two chilled face flannels in fridge with which to mop my menopausal brow.

But these help only marginally. So am seeing docin early October.

Over to you!

Just to update you, I started Ellesse Solo 2 last week and within four days my twenty a day, all out sweats that needed a clothes change have dropped to a mild glow about five times a day. Still ache & itch a lot. I'm going to try some Vitamin D now!

Great news toofarfromcivilisation! Have you had a hysterectomy or do you have a Mirena for the progestogen part of HRT?

I had a hysterectomy when I was 32 but I still have my ovaries (shrivelled by now no doubt!). I wonder if I could have an even higher dose to rid me of the symptoms completely but I expect there are reasons!
I honestly think the menopause is the worst thing I have ever gone through. I don't say that lightly as I have gone through all sorts including a stillbirth.
At times I have felt suicidal in the worst types of way.
Here's to it getting better!

How old are you now toofarfromcivilisation? Most docs won't go higher than a 2 mg patch - (apart from the horse urine one Premarin which is stronger than the rest) unless for women who have had total hysterectomy with ovary removal. However they will go higher usually with patches - up to 100 mg so if you think a higer dose would be preferable then why not switch to patches? Generally higher doses are given to younger women as well.

I did of course mean 100 mcg not mg!

Well I'm in the thick of it and it's just shite. And I'm on HRT. About a year ago I was getting dreadful mood swings and rages. Bloods confirmed I was peri menopausal. I tried to go natural but the hormonal migraines were hellish (something I've suffered with all my life). Been on HRT for about 8 months now but it's like I've become immune to HRT. The anxiety and rage are back but my cycle is so irregular it creeps up on me so I think I'm going loopy instead. Getting migraines again, pmt like nothing on earth and period pain that is so painful I can hardly move. What can I do? I just want to be able to function relatively normally again. My oomph has just up and left and I feel crap most of the time.

voluptuagoodshag - what HRT are you on and how old are you/where in menopause? it may be that you need a higher dose or else you may be becoming more peri-menopausal meaning greater hormonal fluctuations which could account for your symptoms. HRT does not suppress your natural cycle. Some progestogens in some hRT types are more likely to cause migraines and anxiety, and normal pmt ( including headaches) can be expected if this is normal for you - when changing from the combi tabs to the oestrogen only ones ( ie new pack).

Maybe a change in HRT type/dose would be better?

If you go to the Menopause Matters website all the different types are listed under Treatments (yay it worked - typing the words instead of link thing!)

Thanks, will give it a look. Can't remember type of HRT. Will go and check

Hi, sorry, haven't been around, I'm 51 Bellaciao. Hardly any flushes over the weekend, just the odd glow. I was beginning to despair that I would never be able to wear more than a T-shirt!

Hello All,
Well period came on Thursday finished Saturday and yesterday I was starting to glow again. Lost night woke at four and today knackered again.

Oh the roller coaster of meno! Those weeks symptom-free were such a relief.

Sorry to hear you're suffering, Voluptua. Toofar that sounds encouraging!

I'm on elleste duet. So I don't think the dose is very high. I've actually ran out so since it's so useless I'll see how I go without it again. Am on a high just now mood wise but still tired and hungry despite a massive bowl of porridge three hours ago

voluptuagoodshag Elleste Duet comes in two strengths 1 mg and 2 mg. How old are you by the way? Depending on your age it's advised to carry on with HRT until average age of menopause

Also progesterone and oestrogen have different effects on blood sugar levels and I found norethisterone (the same as in Elleste) affected me in this way - ie hunger including when I stopped the norethisterone. Also in peri-menopause I had that hunger problem (including low blood sugar) especially during the second half of my cycle. Hopefully the hunger thing will stabilise for you.

I'm 46. Only ran out last week so was experiencing the hunger before that.

Three hours is actually a reasonable gap between meals/snacks. I find I can go for four hours by including protein with every meal - a decent amount, not just a sprinkling of seeds/spoonful of yoghurt. Keeps the blood sugar more stable.
Also, for some reason I always feel raging hunger verging on nausea after porridge, even if I've had a few rashes of bacon or a load of chopped nuts with it. Raw oats are fine, though.

Hello All

Just checking back in - week six or seven on alcohol free and healthy living - exercise; lots of veg, all food prepped from scratch and smaller portions .

Still taking evg prim 1000 mg and magnesium ok supplement.

Symptoms completely gone save for erratic cycle. And I have lost (drum roll) a stone!

I'm not foolish enough to think this will be it or imagine these measures would necessarily assist anyone else but for me it is very clear that ' lifestyle' issues were hugely exacerbating my problem.

fantastic.