Fatigue

[WillIEverBeASizeTen]

Hello. I'm 55 and my periods stopped between 49-50. The symptoms ive had during the menopause are the usual suspects, thinning hair/weight gain/irritability/very poor memory and very low mood. Flushes occasionally.

I thought I was on my way to the end of the meno, but I now find myself exhausted, wanting to fall asleep at my desk, too tired to do anything. I've had a few flushes too. What I'd like to know is can you start developing other symptoms later on or is this something completely different? Depression maybe? I've never taken HRT, but thinking of AD possibly?

My symptoms have changed over the year. Hot flushes have been fairly constant and my weight gain is shocking, but I'm out of the other side of the low mood and fatigue now. Just joint pain left now.

I found antidepressants really helpful. I also tried counselling but since there wasn't really anything wrong, it wasn't that useful. Mine was more of a chemical depression.

Good luck with it all.

Hi
Menopausal symptoms can last for life. Short term these can include flushes, sweats and mood swings. Long term it can be everything you say you have plus a whole lot more! This is due to a total lack of oestrogen, so the answer is to put it back!

The advice from NICE (guidelines Nov 2015) to GPs ( and women!) is that ADs have no place in the treatment of menopausal symptoms unless HRT is not appropriate for medical reasons. I think they have worded it along the lines of 'ADs have no place in the treatment of healthy women suffering from menopausal symptoms, without a clinical diagnosis of depression.'
Thank God ! - because GPs have been fobbing women off with these drugs for years after the outdated and invalid research on HRT done 12 years ago.

Thank you both so much. I am going to the GP week after next, I will be able to discuss HRT from a more informed position now!