What are you symptoms and how do you manage them?

[SarfEast1cated]

Hi there, I am 48 and do still have regular periods, but can see myself hurtling towards old age. I have the following symptoms, and wondered if anyone had any tips to deal with them?

• thickening around the waist and loss of bottom!
• breast softening
• sensitivity to noise
• slight breathlesness - need for constant access to fresh air or feel panicky
• anxiety
• problems staying asleep

I am about to retrain as a teacher so really need to be at the top of my game - any suggestions would be greatly appreciated...

Ditch the notion of 'old age' for a start! Youthfulness begins and ends in the mind!

Weight- low carb ( one portion only most days), almost zero sugar, no booze ( can't- allergic), increase fruit and veg, exercise. Walk a few miles in the countryside several times a week and exercise at home -aim for every other day (lunges, squats, Pilates type exercises)

Not had any others you mention except sleep and hourly hot flushes - sorted with HRT at 53 after all above lifestyle measures failed.

I hear you polly but the middle aged matronly physique and crepey neck are a bit of a give away!

Hot flushes, insomnia, night sweats and a kind of fog of can't-be-arsed-ness. All fixed by HRT which had the added benefit of lifting my mood so it became easy to exercise and eat sensibly again.

So do you just go to the docs and list your symptoms, or do they check your hormone levels and prescribe accordingly?

Do the exercise and you won't have a middle aged physique :)

So do you just go to the docs and list your symptoms

Yes, kind of! But it's best if you do some research yourself first because what is evident from meno forums is that a good number of GPs know sweet FA about HRT and are likely to send you away on the basis that 'it's dangerous' or give you a type that is outdated. the website Menopause Matters is a good place to start, but a word of caution over the forum there. It's a great place to get help but at the same time tends to be overrun by women with problems - and that's a not a true representation.

You don't need blood tests they are only for the under 45s with meno type issues. Read the NICE guidelines. NICE

I'm 45 and the doctor thinks I'm peri menopausal as I'm "too young" oh really

Can't stay asleep
Wake up sweating like nothing I've ever felt before
Almost constant dull headache
Periods were regular but starting spotting and now 6wks plus with no bleeding at all
Not so much boiling hot flushes but suddenly feeling like I'm running a fever throughout the day.

I also have fibromyalgia so a lot of aches and pains/brain fog I put down to that - maybe it's the hormones and not the fibro?!

Dr says to track bleeding or lack of and see how it goes. She's keen for me to go as long as possible without any intervention good for her

For me it is a tendency to anxiety, a few hot flushes, headaches and a few aches/pains. However I found that for me exercise was the best. I do weights at the gym and swim three times a week and upped my walking in between. Hurt my ankle recently so couldn't exercise for a while and the symptoms came straight back.

I also eat a really healthy diet