Feeling so Awful

[LavenderRains]

Hi all.
Just want to whinge about my symptoms really. I assume it's menopausal. Just wondering if anyone feels the same or if there is something else wrong
I'm 50, have a mirena coil (for heavy bleeding)
I am so bloody hot, as the time. Work is dreadful as the uniform makes me so hot and sweaty.

I am sooooo tired and reckon I could sleep all day and night.

But, sometimes wake up at 4am and can't go back to sleep.....

Everything hurts, my legs feel like ton weights and moving is such an effort.

I am sat in bed now on my day off willing myself to get up as I have lots to do.

Can't have HRT (I don't think) due to breast cancer in family and I've previously had thrombosis.

Am I normal??

I was recommended Sage for sweating. Took it in tablet form but didn't work

I've had breast cancer so can't have HRT. Also surgically induced menopause. I got a referral to my local menopause clinic who were great. I've been prescribed citalopram for flushes and it is working well. Sleep and mood are better too.

weebara how long did it take to help the hot flushes?

It's just that my GP has suggested Fluoxitine which is also an SSRI.

Also does it help the 'sweatiness' that happens generally, not just during a flush IYSWIM (or is that just me )

A couple of weeks, if that. And yes, it does help the general yuck. I stupidly let it run out and I'm now back to being sweaty again!

Thanks weebarra, that sounds tempting. I think I'm going to give it a try.

Hmm thanks weebarra that's interesting.
A friend of mine makes sage tea with fresh leaves from her garden. Not helping with flushes yet but she reckons it's improved her memory

Lavender- SSRIs and other ADs are licensed for use for meno in women who can't use HRT. However, the latest NICE guidelines ask GPs not to prescribe them for women who are not depressed and who could use HRT.

Transdermal HRT is not associated with any extra risk in DVT and actually has beneficial results on blood lipids.

why not do some research yourself on this so you can decide what you'd like to do? There are plenty of research papers all online about HRT risks / benefits, issues around previous blood clots, breast cancer etc. There are even some consultants who say that HRT is not a no-no even for women who have had BC (I saw a link on another forum but can't remember it offhand.)

The BMS' view is that HRT may promote the growth of an existing small tumour but doesn't cause BC.

Your cousin's experience are too far removed from you to be relevant. Many women ( inc me!) have no contact with cousins so have no idea.

Thanks polly
It was the GP who said no to HRT. I am happy to give anything a go!
I will indeed do some research, thank you.

Lavender - might be a good idea to ask to be referred to your menopause clinic. They really do have specialist knowledge and cover situations like dvt, breast cancer risk all the time so are up to date with all the research. I was really impressed by them.

That's a good idea but not all areas have them.

The BC issue re. cousins is really not an issue.

My consultant says that BC risk is defined as 2 close relatives (mother or sister) before the age of 40.

Only 5% of BC is hereditary anyway.

Polly - you are right of course, but...I am one of the 5%, I have the brca2 gene. Before I was diagnosed, I knew of only one case of bc in my family (paternal grandmother), died when my dad was 18. Because my cancer was genetic, my whole family (other than the DCs) were tested. My dad and sister are +ve, but no one else is. Genetics are weird!

I didn't even know menopause clinics existed! Will check out my area

I need some help coping with constant sweats and lack of sleep ..my GP will not give HRT because of a mild stroke I had 6 years ago. I am 56 very healthy now .not over weight and work full time ..I exercise regularly and eat a fairly healthy diet .. I am continually sweating and I mean continuous and my sleep pattern is gone due to night sweats I am exhausted Rosemary

wee I am sorry to hear that. My post was really aimed at Lavender, not women who are in a very different situation.

Abraxas Sorry to hear about your stroke.

I can't comment on whether you should or should not have HRT BUT all I will say is that if you read meno forums (or have friends who use HRT/ are menopausal) then you will find that there are many different opinions from drs on what women can use. I've had a consultant gynae for many years (rated one of the best in the country) who I saw pre- meno and stayed with for meno treatment, and their opinion on so many meno issues was completely different to what friends were being told or having treatment denied by GPs.

GPs are not experts, sadly, and tend to play very safe, and are not always up to date with meno.

I'd really suggest that anyone who has a complicated medical history and is getting nowhere with their GP finds a consultant who is clued up on meno and all the different variations of HRT or other drugs. Even if you have to fork out £200 for a consultation it's worth it to get expert advice . The NHS is so broke that unless you are really lucky, meno treatments and further training are not a priority for most GPs.

Polly - I wasn't having a go at all, or trying to derail the thread, it was more that, if I hadn't had cancer, my sister would have been recommended to have HRT, but as she now has a 45-90% chance of getting bc she won't be.
Obviously, I'm not suggesting that everyone asking for HRT should have genetic testing!

Sympathy OP and everyone else. But surely anyone would be knackered on a 13 hour shift! No wonder you're tired. That's crazy hours. Not done shifts like that since I was in my twenties. Respect to you.

Exhausted and zero motivation for anything. Two stone overweight. (I thought it was just one until I stood on the scales. )

But, as someone who has felt freezing cold all her life I quite like being hot all the time. At least I won't spend nine months of the year wrapped in a frumpy fleece dressing gown on top of my clothes.

I found L-Tyrosine (amino acid health supplement - online or Holland and Barrett) helps with the exhaustion, as does cutting out sugar and drinking loads and loads and loads of water.

It's fine, Wee - I didn't take it like that :)

I'm 36 and suffering all these things. People ask me why I'm dripping in sweat and I don't know how to say it's early menopause

notagiraffe 13 hours is torture but I only do 3 a week, still completely wiped out afterwards tho! Hence on my days off u don't seem to have any energy left.

Do you know, a year ago I tried googling all the unpleasant aches and pains I had with 'menopause' and every single bloody one came back as a symptom of menopause:

dry mouth
not sleeping
nightmares
headaches
ocular migraine
psoriasis
leg cramps
abdominal aches
high temperature ALL THE BLOODY TIME

So you have my sympathy. Haven't had a period for over a year and still getting most of the above.

ARGH

I hate the leg cramps. They are weird. Like bone pain.

Lavender :( I'd stay in bed guilt free for a day after 3 x 13 hour shifts!

notagiraffe I don't do 3 in a row. Even 2 in a row kill me. I have to have a day off in between!
And don't even get me started on nightshifts!

Today after having no periods for a few years as I have the mirena coil I had the joy of a period ffs!! What's that all about? As if I haven't got enough ailments 😞