Women who have been through meno without HRT

[Sarcelle]

I am on my "journey" without HRT. Symptoms fairly mild/manageable.

I was surprised to read somewhere that only 20% of women take HRT. So lots who don't. My question is about the effects of getting through it without HRT - what happens to you after meno?

I have read loads about the meno (it's confusing!) but there seems to be a suggestion that you should be on HRT, not necessarily to ease horrendous symptoms, but to maintain good health afterwards - because of hardening of the arteries, osteoporosis etc.

So are lots of women post meno who did not/are not on HRT ill and feeling crap all the time with a myriad of complaints?

I think I am looking for evidence that you can thrive, age well, feel great after meno without having taken HRT.

So GrannyFallops, do you think the OP was 'menopause shaming' when she asked

I think I am looking for evidence that you can thrive, age well, feel great after meno without having taken HRT.

or did you miss the bit where notnowok said

I am not saying it is all psychological, or that some women don't suffer.

It's a thread about women who have not used HRT. That doesn't make it anti-HRT nor does it shame women who have used it. It's a discussion about not using HRT.

It’s been a year plus since my last period, I’m not on HRT due to family history of breast cancer.

I have had severe hot flush problems which are not just feeling a bit hot, but accompanied by terrible feelings of anxiety where you genuinely think you might die. This has led to sleeplessness and fatigue.

However, I have had spells of several weeks where my symptoms have completely disappeared and I think yay I’m through it. Then the symptoms return for several months. And on and on.

I worry about osteoporosis etc as I’m not on HRT.

Other than that I haven’t really had any other symptoms. I’ve not consulted a doctor about any of it either. I would if I felt I needed to.

I didn't really even notice going through menopause, apart from a couple of "warm" flushes. No osteoporosis either. That was 17 years ago when I was 50. The absence of periods was very welcome though.

I'm 49 and not had a period for around 2 and a half years, and didn't take HRT for various reasons...

The worst bit for me was the hot flushes and palpitations. I still get both of them sometimes, but much less often, and much less intensely. Oh- and the anxiety - that was greatly helped by cutting out alcohol.

I feel pretty fit really- no periods, haven't gained weight ( 7 and a half stone) and feel pretty much how I did in my 20's. I'm very active with a dog and a horse, and looking forward to 50 next year!

I haven't felt any different since mine a few years back. I had a couple of weeks with mild hot flushes, and that was it, astonishingly as I'd expected worse.

@SassitudeandSparkle no, I didn't miss that.

She said it right after she stated that the women she knew who had it rough during the menopause were, to quote @Notnowok

quite dramatic and self obsessed and had endless problems needing antidepressants and sick days.

Oh, and also her 'sahm' mum, who loves to 'wallow' had a tough time, the implication being that all these women should've stfu, and if they'd been more focused on their careers, they'd have been ok.

It's great if you didn't need any help during the menopause. But just like childbirth and periods, let's not put down those women who do or imply that 'it's all the head' or that you're just not keeping yourself busy enough.

I'm 61 and went through the menopause 10 years ago. I sailed through it with just the occasional hot flush and no HRT. As far as I know, I'm in good health now - fit, not overweight and normal BP. I worry a bit about my bone health but walk everyday and no symptoms. My mum had a similar pattern (they do say you're likely to have a similar meno to your mother) and she's 87 and no significant health problems.

I'm on HRT. I had fairly delightful puberty and periods throughout so I guess it's the Karma referred to above!

I'm thinking about asking about getting testosterone too as one of my main gripes is the clumsiness and brain fail and apparently testosterone helps with that.

SassitudeandSparkle

I think the menopause shaming comment was aimed at notnowok who wrote the biggest load of c...p ever.

She said she wasn't saying menopause was 'all in the mind' then went on to confirm that she really did think it was all in the mind of mainly silly stay at home women who focused on it too much.

Unlike G Greer (who I can't stand) - and even got that wrong as Greer used HRT for a while!

what's scary about this thread and others is still the lack of knowledge amongst GPs and woman about HRT.

There are 2 posts here from women who believe

1 You can't use HRT if you have migraine (yes, you can.)

2 You can't use HRT if there is a family history of breast cancer (yes you can unless it was both your mum and a sister who had BC before the age of 50-ish)

3 You have to stop HRT at some point (you don't- ever.)

Queen, for me it was a sister, three aunts, four cousins (two of whom also had ovarian cancer) that have had breast cancer before 50. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong but a lot of official websites etc seem to say because of the increased risk generally, those with a family history should avoid.

I haven't had period for two and half years ,I'm 51 can't take hrt cos I've had a few mini strokes .wish I could ,I'm going through hell weight gain .even though I'm eating healthy hot flushes ,night sweats can't sleep .plus anxious all the time ,just want to feel like me again ,

Somewhat shocked that anyone can think that busy women don't suffer from menopausal symptoms.
I was a single parent, 2 teenage children, worked full time (secondary teacher) and cared for elderly parents for the last few years of their lives. I started having severe menopausal symptoms at 45, right in the middle of this. God knows how I would have coped without HRT, which I am still on as I still have a cycle 20 years on...so 20 years of perimenopause, what joy (and it's official, not a figment of my imagination, I'm just an outlier). And I still work 4 days a week, though not in school.

My periods stopped nearly 5 years ago and I've managed without HRT. A family cancer history put me off the idea of asking for it.
But big lifestyle changes made this possible - cutting stress, healthier diet (alcohol and caffeine caused flushes so I massively cut back) and I cut down on carbs, especially at lunchtime as they made me more tired.
I found alcohol would make my joints ache more too.
I also take a daily vitamin supplement and exercise regularly, especially yoga.
Using meditation before bed helps me with insomnia (that was the worst part).

No periods now for 3 years, age 52. I had 6 months of feeling quite low at 48 but guessed it was menopause aa periods became heavier, but only came alternate months, and was kind to myself. My mood improved but from 49 to 51 came painful joints, hot flushes, restless legs, night sweats and sleep was hard to come by. I then embarked on a fitness regime which i believe councided with the tail end of menopause and ive felt great for over a year.

Last period nearly 5 years ago at 46, no HRT. Had hot flushes but managed these very successfully with soya isoflavones. Some palpitations, some mood swings but all symptoms had abated within a year of last period.

No issues this far down the line, but I do take a calcium/vit D supplement and have bones checked every few years anyway as I have Crohns.

What's surprising about this thread is that the stats show that 75% of women have quite bad meno symptoms, sometimes lasting for 15 years or more (my consultant tells me they see women in their 80s who have never got rid of flushes , and they have women in their 90s on HRT. I heard that the queen and the late queen mother are / were on it but who knows!)

YET on this thread most women are not suffering that badly enough to ask for help.

@Sassitude
The difference between OP and Notnowok was that OP was asking out of genuine interest wether it would be possible for her to not use HRT. she wasn't criticising women who do or holding non use of HRT up like a trophy to be won.

Notnowok was criticising women who use HRT and making herself feel superior. She prefaces with, Two of these women were quite dramatic and self obsessed and had endless problems needing antidepressants and sick days, the rest of us just got hot and stuck the fan on. No one went on hrt, followed by I am not saying it is all psychological, or that some women don't suffer (quick damage control).

How on earth does Notnowok know that these other women weren't genuinely suffering? is she a doctor? she clearly despised these women for their perceived weakness in her grand opinion, despises SAHM and clearly loathes her mother who suffered for 10yrs.

Also, I think giving up meat helped with the symptoms (I'm pescatarian now and make sure I eat enough iron and calcium as well as a multivitamin).

It's worth knowing that the menopause has 2 stages;

flushes , sweats etc are short term symptoms. (But for around 20% of women can last 20 years or forever.)

But estrogen receptors are in every organ of our body ( as stated by the meno dr on the BBC1 prog last night.)

Loss of estrogen affects joints, pelvic floor, bowels (HRT protects against bowel cancer), brain, bones, heart , lipids, insulin levels/resistance, vagina and bladder.

It may be several years after flushes have gone that these other symptoms or diseases kick in to do with loss of estrogen. Many women do not realise that their many symptoms are part of estrogen loss and put it down to 'old age'.

You can offset some of these with exercise and diet and lifestyle.

Queen the reason why this thread mostly has women who are not suffering badly enough to ask for help is because the OP specifically asks for experiences of women who have gone through meno without HRT. It's a specific group of women, not a representative sample.

I'm 59 and nine years post menopause. Fortunately I've not really had any symptoms so haven't needed medication. None of my close friends are on HRT either.

One of the reasons I starting running was because I had an early menopause and wasn’t on HRT. (It was also to prove that I was still alive after two spectacularly awful surgery-ridden Crohns years, during which I also went through the menopause).

I am in my 50s, 6 years without a period. I put it down to heredity and good luck that I haven't had it too bad. Never had a flush or night sweat. My mother and aunt were the same.