does the peri meno affect your memory?

[ssd]

I'm 50 and at peri stage, I'm finding the last year my memory sure isnt as sharp as it used to be, I'm forgetting things that I planned last week etc etc

is it my age or does this time in my life have a bearing on my memory?

am a bit worried, my memory was always really sharp but I've seen a difference since my periods went haywire

I rely heavily on post-it notes. And I have reminders for just about everything in my phone - it's permanently telling me I have to call that person or sort that meeting or pay that bill. I don't trust myself to retain information anymore. I'm on HRT which I think has helped - but more with mood swings than memory.

Re exercise - is there someone you can go with who will nag you into submission? I've started swimming again with my teenage DS3 - I needed someone to make me get off my arse and out the door. Left to my own devices I wouldn't do it. But once I'm in the pool I do feel better for it.

post it notes and writing it down are the way forward

I think it's also pressure of FT job - I'm so exhausted when I get home and I want to spend the time with my kids (well, I say 'with' which means they deign to spend 5 minutes with me whilst they eat their tea then go straight up to their rooms!!). The time when I was running three times a week I was also out of work (hey, to keep fit I just need to be unemployed, there you go).

Everyone just wants to relax of an evening and I've got no one else to go with. I'm rolling with the no exercise at the moment. At some point something will change and I'll get the urge again.

I'm struggling even with writing notes down - quite often I get a thought and I think "Oooh!" and literally by the time I've reached for a piece of paper and a pen, I've forgotten about it!

Pollyanna we could be twins. It's sad. Also I cannot problem solve or make confident decisions about even minor things. I too cannot exercise I feel like I'm made of lead. I was so athletic a couple of years ago think 10km and swimming fast lengths and yes after a bout of sinitus have given up altogether. I'm hoping someone will join the thread to give us some hope for the future. I just think maybe we are the generation that think we can stay young forever.
I recently joined a club. When they went round the room asking each person to introduce themselves and talk about why they are interested in said topic I literally couldn't think of anything to say! I mumbled my name and spoke in squeaky voice and came across really odd with nothing to add, just flat.

Sorry that was really long and I forgot the paragraphs!

I'm 45 and my brain fog was getting ridiculous along with having low energy, anxiety, insomnia and night sweats. I didn't know if the memory/brain fog was just age or hormonal. I had the Mirena 2 years ago which helped with heavier periods and PMT but I started feeling worse again last year so asked the GP for HRT. I've got estrogen patches and after a bit of trial and error have found the right dose for the time being and 2 months on I really feel quite different, it's amazing. I can remember stuff again, can think more clearly, feel less anxious, calmer and more energy and more on top of things again generally.

I wanted to make bad jokes about not being able to recall..... But I'll just join in and say yes, my peri memory is worse than ever.

Once your periods stop it will improve, well except for the physical symptoms hot flushes maybe. If it is any comfort my DP now has a terrible memory so I have to remember everything for both of us. We have pads in the kitchen to write things down he uses them far more than me.

my periods seem to have stopped for a good while now, but I can't remember when the last one was so not sure whats going on

Why wait until your periods have stopped to get yourself back?

I used to be a bit wary of hrt TBH as I thought it had a lot of side effects and caused cancer etc, but I'm on a wonderful bioidentical hrt... literally the exact same as your body makes itself.

It's the type all the fantastic French women use, and it suits me perfectly with no side effects bar the lovely ones, like that I can remember my point mid sentence, and I can write a paragraph without wondering what I was wittering on about.

My dcs are much happier with me too, as is my DH who thought I was becoming a bit fretful and anxious about things.

I still have periods, or withdrawal bleeds, and no more night sweats, no bone and joint aches, no vulvular irritation, no itchy, creepy skin feeling, no more worries about my health or why do I feel like crap. My skin and hair looks très chic and I'm happy as a clam.

As my hrt is bioidentical the risk of cancer is negligible and all my worries have evaporated. I'm much calmer, happier and mentally on the ball. I sleep better and am losing weight as my get up and do has returned.

I wish I had gone on hrt about three years ago actually, now that I think about it in hindsight.

Have a look at Menopause Matters for their checklist of physical psychological and emotional symptoms. All the things you talk about are symptoms.

You don't have to wait to have no periods to start hrt. You can start it in peri...
My one is "sequential", and I have withdrawal bleeds.

The "continuous" type is given to women who's periods have stopped.

If you want the name of my bioidentical hrt it's ...
Oestradiol gel and
Utrogestan micronised progesterone.
Its pharmaceutically made, and I pick up my script from Boots.

Have a look at professor Studd's excellent website on the menopause and women gynaecological health. He's head of the gynaecologists' association in the U.K. and knows his stuff.

Snap nong! That's why I love my hrt.
I'm me, back again, but better!

Such a relief to know I wasn't suffering from Alzheimer's, depression or rheumatism. I felt terribly ancient, worried, lack lustre and so, so tired.

It took me about a week for the hrt to start working and I haven't looked back.

There is hope and light at the end of the tunnel.

My skin is terrible and I constantly feel like my skin is crawling (it isn't, I promise!) and I'm always scratching! So Dorje did you go to the GP for this and did you have to persuade them/argue your case?

What happens if you're already on a contraceptive - how can they test to see if you're in menopause or not if you're flooded with chemicals that cause you not to have periods?? Would I have to have the Implanon removed in order to have these drugs?

What if hrt isn't the way to go though ? I was on it last year, and had to come off it as it made me much worse.

I also can't sleep.
It's like all the things I forgot in the day come back to haunt me ...

I went to get my levels checked and they came back normal. I know the tests are innacurate so the tests aren't that helpful. I don't think my GP will give me hrt. I have been in for lots of things recently and they seem to bat me away all the time.

The pains and aches are awful. I hobble first thing in the morning. They won't give me hrt cos of high blood pressure 😕

Calm you need to see another GP or talk to your current one. High BP is not listed as a reason to withhold HRT. The usual way to manage this is to treat your BP with meds or with lifestyle measures, then give you HRT as soon as it's under control (and depends how high 'high' is!)

HRT when it's patches or gels is not known to raise blood pressure. There is a slightly higher risk of blood clots with pill forms of HRT so you'd best avoid those.

This is from the NICE guidelines

Cardiovascular disease

1.5.4 Ensure that menopausal women and healthcare professionals involved in their care understand that HRT:

does not increase cardiovascular disease risk when started in women aged under 60 years

does not affect the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

1.5.5 Be aware that the presence of cardiovascular risk factors is not a contraindication to HRT as long as they are optimally managed [This would include high BP].

Lots of women here are not being assertive enough with their GPs!

If you want HRT and say you understand the small risks and don't have serious illnesses that prevent you using it, your GP should not withhold it. They have to give you sound, medical reasons why they won't prescribe it.

If you have tried it and not got on with it, maybe try another type because there are many different types and ways of using it- pills (the least good), patches, gel, with a Mirena, etc.

Don't be batted away by drs- it's YOUR body and life!!!

I'm keeping an eye on this as I'm waiting for confirmation. Last six months or so I've been less focused, forgetful, short-tempered, periods fluctuate in regularity and heaviness. Itchy, tired, upset at nothing.
For the past three weeks or so I've been experiencing mild anxiety like symptoms - feeling light-headed, feeling as if my heart is pounding, generally 'jumpy. I've just had one lot of bloods done (thyroid function, liver function, red blood cell count, test for diabetes) and have been advised by the receptionist that two results were 'borderline' - although I'm not really clear what was borderline or what is suspected - other than my iron is a bit lower than normal (it's been borderline for 10+ years).
I'm speaking to the GP this afternoon so I will ask for some clarity as I know they want to do repeat tests.
Is anaemia related too, does anyone know?

This is me. No periods for 2 years and the night sweats are driving me mad. I was awake from 2.30 last night. they have spent ages checking I don't have cancer (had other symptoms that made them suspect ovarian cancer.
And I suffer from depression and anxiety.

All clear on the cancer thankfully. You have inspired to to book yet another appointment with the GP, managed to get a cancellation for tomorrow and I am going to show them this and get HRT.

Thank you!

And my ability to type is shot to shit as well 😀

pollyperky is a bloody saint on these threads, she knows her stuff all right!

did any of you see the tv prog last week all about the menopause, with Kirsty Wark? it was great, maybe get it on catch up, think it was called "Everything you need to know about the menopause"...or some such, I forget the name

NOt everyone can take hrt, with Grandmother, Aunt and Mother getting breast cancer I decided to go cold turkey. tis a bugger. Middle of winter no heating allowed in bedroom and duvet on of on off so tiring. Last night took me nearly three hours to finally crash and sleep.

I know that my consultant would 'allow' you to use HRT based on what they have said. This is that two first degree relatives have had a diagnosis at a young age (ie before 40-45) is a risk factor, but even that is not a definite 'no'.

I know that in your shoes I might arrive at the same decision, but at the same time thought I'd let you know what some consultants believe.

There are many different types of HRT now and they can be tailor-prescribed to take into account risks like yours. Some types are thought to have a higher risk re. BC than others.

I'm not trying to persuade you to use HRT at all, but what I might do if I were you and suffering so much, was to have a mammogram, have them annually (I pay for my own anyway more often than the NHS does them), see a specialist, and use one of the safer types of HRT.

It's worth knowing you might have options if you feel worse.