It is possible to have an easy menopause?

[OhBeAFineGuyKissMe]

I know on a help board there will be a massive selection effect by people asking for help, but I wondered if there are any stories of people having an easy menopause?

I’m 45 and had some peri symptoms, a couple of night sweats before my period, increased clumsiness, quick to anger/teary. But that all stopped about 6 months ago. My periods just seem to be fading away, last one was only 2 days and barely needed a panty liner.

Could I be one of the luckier ones or are is it waiting around the corner to jump out at my when I least expect it?

@CentrifugalBumblePuppy You have a lot to contend with!

With all your spine issues, have you had your bone density assessed ? If you have had low estrogen for 15 years then it needs assessing.

Just for the record, you probably could use HRT.
Strokes in the family is irrelevant. Modern HRT used as transdermal does not have any stroke risk.

Medical advice on BC in the family is that there have to be two close immediate relatives- a mother and sister- with BC before it's regarded as an issue. And if there is that family history, the advice is to have the BRACa gene test.

Not trying to suggest you use hrt but just updating your beliefs, as it's all changed with the newest types.

My Mum didn’t have any symptoms. She said her periods just petered out when she was 50 and that was it. No hot flushes, night sweats, depression etc. She never suffered with her periods, either.

I'm 46 and on HRT... 10 months and counting since my last period, worst of symptoms over the pandemic. The flooding was horrific, brain fog abounded and concentration plummeted.

I put it down to trauma and stress of divorce and a few other shitty things going on at the same time.

Now I have occasional hot flushes, my sleep has improved and my mood feels more stable. HRT seems to have helped.

Mother has surgical meno at 46 but has never discussed it with me or my sister.

@JinglingXmasbells it is what it is 😂
Thank you for the information about the HRT, that’s really kind! Mum’s breast cancer was (and I’m going to muff this up, it’s a high pain day so my brains a bit space cadet lol) estrogen positive, so my GP water to err on the side of caution. I have used HRT before to help stabilise levels after having my daughter (my GP, lovely lady, now retired, liked having a bit of fiddle with things, had a theory low estrogen levels were behind Post Natal Depression, so prescribed HRT instead of antidepressants). It stabilised bugger all & I turned into Satan Incarnate. That’s possibly why I haven’t really pushed the HRT route 😂

I’ve had bone density checks at the Royal Free, everything is within normal levels (I live in an area of the country where water has some of the highest levels of calcium carbonate, anecdotally osteoporosis seems to be rarer in these parts according to the radiographer lol). I use a high level calcium & vit D supplement too, and my micro fractures are likely caused by mechanical means rather than structural deficiencies.

It’s a (literal) pain in the arse (if I could pull out my sciatic nerves, I’d probably skip through the town, hoisting them aloft like flags behind me). Crutches, sticks and a fistful of the good stuff keeps me tucking along!

I’m on rolling surveillance for my spine & the beetus anyway, so I’ll have a chat with my GP about HRT. Thank you again though, I can go & look at the research with fresh eyes thanks to your advice.

(Very un-Mumsnetty thank you hug 🤗)

My concern is that we focus on periods stopping and hot flushes but the real issue here will be later life health. Lots of women seem to think ‘ooh periods have stopped yay I’m sorted’ but that’s not really the issue - it’s what lack of oestrogen means for our bodies.

Women have been defined in terms of their fertility/lack of it/periods but what we really need to know about is if we need to protect our health (bone, brain, heart).

No periods for two years, they gradually petered out, so I guess I'm through it with no issues.
It grates when there is a bragging rights competition it also grates when women in their 50's are seen as having hormonal struggles which affect their performance adversely when some of us can continue without any issue. Menopausal challenges are constantly in the media.