What's it like on the other side?

[crackofdoom]

I've never seen this question asked, yet surely it's the most important one of all. What's it like once you've been through the menopause? Does it get better- ever?

I'm on HRT, but still get symptoms- the one which bothers me most is the tiredness, but also aching joints and weight gain. Is this the new normal, or can I look forward to a future in which I get my energy back?

I prefer to take as few meds as possible. I take garlic capsules and many other vits/supplements and am dubious about meds as also very very prone to side effects plus aware that there is a financial incentive behind the medicine industry so avoid like the plague as much as I can.

I was going to ignore that, but I'm a bit cheeky perimenopausal wanker aren't I, so I'm going to have to ask zippedydoo what not- for- profit organisation gives her her supplements for free 😆

Sorry, but...I am pretty poor. I am surrounded by hippies and off gridders telling me that HRT is inferior to Macca, lions mane mushrooms, fancy phytooestrogen capsules, whatever....my Facebook feed is cluttered with ads for herbal supplements promising menopausal miracles for their products. My HRT is FREE (because I'm a poor person that gets free prescriptions). How much are all these bloody supplements?!

Personally, I'm not as worried about Big Pharma as I am about Big Snake Oil! 😆

I find cannabis to be very medicinal, fantastic for sleeping and lifting the mood

How much are all these bloody supplements?!

You don't have to spend anything on supplements. But in your opening post you complained, as the doctors say, of tiredness, weight gain, and sore joints.

If you lose weight, and include some gentle form of exercise you enjoy, you may find your sore joints vanish. I'm surprised the HRT hasn't helped with that. You may also find at a lower weight and doing some exercise, like walking daily, that your tiredness vanishes. I do think lifestyle factors are important in how we age.

there is a financial incentive behind the medicine industry so avoid like the plague as much as I can.

Have you looked at the profits of the vitamin / supplements industry at all?
And their dishonest marketing of almost everything that is unnecessary if people eat a healthy diet?

Your ultra dry mouth is caused by low/no oestrogen, so HRT will help. In the interim, Biotene mouthwash is excellent. Your need to pee four times a night should vanish too.

OP, if you still aren't feeling great, then your HRT prescription is no longer fit for purpose - the right dosages should remove any issues. If your GP can't help, insist on being sent to someone who is bettered placed to help. (

I agree!
the truth is in order to be healthy you need to eat boring plain healthy food and exercise a lot, particularly strength training, which is great if that sort of thing floats your boat but most people find it very unpalatable 👀

This is an excellent post.

I also wanted to add dental issues need to be considered too as lack of oestrogen can cause dry mouth which can lead to gum shrinkage and tooth loss.

I also want to highlight the following:

I was worried about a poster here who said she had an easy menopause at 44, because now anyone stopping that early would be strongly advised to use HRT up to 51 at least to protect their heart and bones.

Yes, I concur with this absolutely. As someone who is post-menopause at 46, I plan to be on HRT until 51, if not longer.

Fucking hell. Some of these comments 🙄

For the record: I'm not overweight. I normally eat EXTREMELY healthily (we're talking vegetarian, bake my own sourdough bread, sprout my own sprouts, veg from the allotment, ferment my own kimchi kind of level). It's just becoming increasingly difficult to maintain my weight, so I've been low carbing for the last month. Haven't had any alcohol for a month. Do yoga 3-4 times a week. Swim. Go on big hikes whenever I can. Would love to do MORE exercise, but I'm a working single mum of still young children.

It ain't lifestyle...🙄

Thanks for the info. My meds cause a dry mouth too. It is improving so am going to wait another year.

I get LOTS of side effects from both my meds let alone trying a third but I do appreciate the advice.

I am long past menopause. The symptoms have all gone. I sleep well. I feel good. I never take any medication so my tips are:

Keep your weight down. No excuses.
Keep exercising as much as you can.
I rarely drink alcohol because it makes me feel too dehydrated now.
Eat a healthy diet.
No eating in the evening. This massively helps with sleeping and repairing the body.
Caffeine free tea reduced my symptoms of dry mouth.
I know it sounds like the fun is being taken out of everything, but I am now running and making new friends and feel the healthiest I have been for 20+ years.

It's available in the dental section of Boots, others chemists and a myriad of supermarkets too. No prescription needed, nor will it interfere with your meds, so why wait another year?

I cannot fathom why you (or anyone for that matter) would put up with dry mouth rather than buy some biotene mouthwash 🤷🏻‍♀️

Well, ageing brings physical issues for both men and women. Feeling more tired is completely normal for both sexes. We can't stay 25 for ever.

But as someone who had to wait until age 56 for periods to stop, I can't really see any negatives because I am just glad they're over. I suppose I am officially menopausal, but I don't think about it because it's not an illness and not something for which i need "treatment" or medication.

I'm happy to refer to myself as "old" though, because I'm a realist!

Yes I hear you. I have ordered the Biotin mouthwash just now from Amazon. It was the HR T I would prefer to wait. My periods did not stop until age 56 so not too concerned ref any bone protection from HRT. I take calcium and vitamin d daily too. I definitely feel more balanced and liberated since the periods stopped lol. And yes I do see that the vitamin industry has a vested interest in making money....!

from what I understand ref genetic history if our lifestyle is different then we can influence our outcomes. For example my uncles with heart attacks they largely all smoked plus the different diets those generations ate (many saturated fats) will not have done them any favours. I have never smoked and have enjoyed fruit n veg plus barely drink. I am sure all these factors have a bearing.

A nurse once told me our health is largely down to a combination of genetics to lifestyle choices and to luck. I really do not think we are totally doomed to our genetic make up.

Oh one more thing to say on this thread that may be of help to others is I find weight management easier now since the menopause though I do keep a limit on bread consumption.

I could still do to lose half a stone but overall fairly happy with my weight since the menopause... Oddly enough.

I’m the early menopause person. So I should have had HRT??? I guess it’s too late now. 😳

@Soothsayer1 where do you get your cannabis from? I'm considering trying it for shite sleep.

Thanks

Would love to be in the other side of this shit. Menopause started at 48 and I'm now 51.

Hrt has done precisely sweet FA for me. That's trialling a number of doses and types. My sleep doesn't happen unless I take amitriptyline. My brain fog continues and frankly I'm done with it all. I'm tired and fed up.

Now looking at cannabis!

My brain fog has gone after changing my cooking slightly. It took 2 months but using ground turmeric in my home cooking has worked wonders. Remember to use ground pepper at end of the cooking to aid absorption.

The friend who told me was male so I was very sceptical but it has definitely worked.

HTH.

@PointersPlease I started 8 months ago, aged 58 and roughly seven years post menopause (not sure exactly when as I had a Mirena coil) and 14 years after starting perimenopause. I wish I hadn't waited so long, I feel amazing. My GP thinks I have to come off it at 60, but I'll be fighting that. I plan to be on it forever.

@DramaAlpaca what hrt are you on?

@Runaround50 I'm on Oestrogel 2 pumps a day, and continuous Utrogestan 100mg. I was originally on one pump but asked for an increase to 2 recently. It means I no longer need the Vagifem I'd been on for ages. I really do feel great.

@DramaAlpaca that wonderful to hear. I mso wish hrt would work for me too.

You’ll just have to take the bus or the train. On thé plus side, men won’t hit on you as a lone female traveller. Some of them may even offer to put your bag in the overhead rack. 😏

Yes, and of course it's not that men won't hit on me because they don't find me attractive any more, but because they're scared of my menopausal assertiveness, right....right?? 😆