Page 5 | What's it like on the other side?

Mintyt · 04/02/2023 16:06

Not RTT but not hot and sweaty

JinglingSpringbells · 04/02/2023 16:18

@Zippedydoo123 The advice on calcium supplements has changed recently. (I used to take them as I'm dairy intolerant to an extent.)

They now think that calcium as a supplement may cause deposits in the arteries which can lead to heart attack and strokes.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/calcium_supplements_may_damage_the_heart

If you are eating a normal diet with dairy, green veg, fish with bones (like sardines), and dried beans, you should get the 700-1000mgs calcium a day that you need. Taking more as supplement won't help and may even be harmful.

Zippedydoo123 · 04/02/2023 17:37

JinglingSpringbells · 04/02/2023 16:18

@Zippedydoo123 The advice on calcium supplements has changed recently. (I used to take them as I'm dairy intolerant to an extent.)

They now think that calcium as a supplement may cause deposits in the arteries which can lead to heart attack and strokes.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/calcium_supplements_may_damage_the_heart

If you are eating a normal diet with dairy, green veg, fish with bones (like sardines), and dried beans, you should get the 700-1000mgs calcium a day that you need. Taking more as supplement won't help and may even be harmful.

Wow thanks for that. Yes my diet is sufficient on the whole.

greenspaces4peace · 04/02/2023 18:28

another one late to the party.
no menses! no hormonal food cravings, no monthly breast swelling.
i'm able to wear white pants/trousers. less shaving.
my hot flashes were always minimal and only experienced one night sweat ever.
once i retired the sleep issues improved (workplace stress some performance anxiety etc.) but also the fact that it didn't matter so much if i had a full nights sleep. i could nap if i wanted, i can stay in bed an extra hour in the morning etc.
oh i also got rid of bedroom clocks.

greenspaces4peace · 04/02/2023 18:29

i like watching and listening to dr mary claire haver (the galveston diet) most is common sense but the way she explains hormones and metabolism is great.

CherrySocks · 04/02/2023 18:32

Haven't read whole thread but I'm on the other side. Only related symptom now is hot flushes, but not too often and I know what triggers them, so manageable. It's obviously different for different individuals but for some of us it gets better. (Have other things wrong with me though.....😁)

milkyaqua · 04/02/2023 21:48

crackofdoom · 04/02/2023 13:26

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...🙄

Make up your mind then. You initially said:

I'm on HRT, but still get symptoms- the one which bothers me most is the tiredness, but also aching joints and weight gain.

Maybe adjust your HRT?

I'm a working single mum of still young children.

That might explain the tiredness.

I have found life infinitely better post-menopause, for many reasons. I get regular health checks. My bones are fine, my heart is fine, I have normal bloodsugar levels (no prediabetes). I am no longer dealing with debilitating and terrible chronic pain. I wouldn't go on HRT if you paid me.

Horses for courses, and all that.

JinglingSpringbells · 04/02/2023 22:38

@crackofdoom It's not fair when posters come along and advise that lifestyle will do wonders, especially on the assumption that you are eating McDs all day and swigging Coke.

For some women, lifestyle changes will make a big difference .

However, I'm one where it didn't. And I was very reluctant to admit that I needed more than those.

If lifestyle changes do the trick, great, but please don't feel that women who need more are somehow not trying all those things and are some kind of failures.

We are all different.

milkyaqua · 04/02/2023 22:55

Given that the main risk factors - apart from age itself - for almost all the main "diseases of ageing" are lifestyle factors, it is not unreasonable to mention lifestyle factors when someone complains of perimenopausal woes. She's already on HRT. What do you expect posters to do, remotely adjust her dosage?

Original poster

crackofdoom · 04/02/2023 23:15

milkyaqua I rather expected posters to answer the question in my OP 🙄

(Which many have, and very helpfully, to be fair. Just not you.)

OP posts:

milkyaqua · 04/02/2023 23:23

crackofdoom · 04/02/2023 23:15

milkyaqua I rather expected posters to answer the question in my OP 🙄

(Which many have, and very helpfully, to be fair. Just not you.)

Actually, I have answered the question in your OP. Not sure really what you're on about, or why my posts have in any way offended you. I wrote:

"I have found life infinitely better post-menopause, for many reasons. I get regular health checks. My bones are fine, my heart is fine, I have normal bloodsugar levels (no prediabetes). I am no longer dealing with debilitating and terrible chronic pain. I wouldn't go on HRT if you paid me."

But you seem only interested in the voices of doom, so crack on.

JinglingSpringbells · 05/02/2023 08:18

milkyaqua · 04/02/2023 22:55

Given that the main risk factors - apart from age itself - for almost all the main "diseases of ageing" are lifestyle factors, it is not unreasonable to mention lifestyle factors when someone complains of perimenopausal woes. She's already on HRT. What do you expect posters to do, remotely adjust her dosage?

But you didn't know if @crackofdoom already had a healthy lifestyle. And your manner of suggesting it was aggressive and a bit patronising.

And yes, asking the OP to consider adjusting her HRT would be reasonable. For women using oestrogen gel, that's often the first step (because you do it yourself, without seeing your dr.)

If you have managed your menopause symptoms just with lifestyle, that's great.

But it doesn't work that way for all women, no matter how healthy their lifestyles are.

Zippedydoo123 · 05/02/2023 09:03

A lot of these areas are down to luck of the draw.

midgetastic · 05/02/2023 09:12

Like
Most luck - you can up your odds through the choices you make

milkyaqua · 05/02/2023 09:33

JinglingSpringbells · 05/02/2023 08:18

But you didn't know if @crackofdoom already had a healthy lifestyle. And your manner of suggesting it was aggressive and a bit patronising.

And yes, asking the OP to consider adjusting her HRT would be reasonable. For women using oestrogen gel, that's often the first step (because you do it yourself, without seeing your dr.)

If you have managed your menopause symptoms just with lifestyle, that's great.

But it doesn't work that way for all women, no matter how healthy their lifestyles are.

Show quote history

It is not aggressive to state facts!

Most so-called diseases of ageing are linked to lifestyle, and can be ameliorated with lifestyle changes in many cases.

I didn't manage my "menopause symptoms" via lifestyle, actually, but as my pain was hormone-related I have no desire to reignite it via HRT.

NattyNamechanger · 05/02/2023 09:35

Zippedydoo123 · 04/02/2023 13:26

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.

Show quote history

The dry mouth was my worst symptom, it drove me mad.
My dentist said its completely ignored in the UK but back in his home country oral health after menopause is a massive concern and taken very seriously.
It's literally the gateway to health and has massive implications for heart disease and stroke.
Literally never giving up HRT unless I absolutely have to.
Wierd how people won't touch HRT but take all sorts of wierd, expensive , untested supplements.
Word of warning , my Dh works in hepatology and has seen an massive increase in women with liver failure due to mixing supplements.
Proceed with caution!
All the patronising advice about eating veg and exercising can do one as well.
I'm a daily swimmer, runner and fit as a flea but lack oestrogen.
Of course it has to be our fault if we have symptoms 🙄

buffydavis · 05/02/2023 09:43

I don't think anyone has sait it is somebody's fault if they have symptoms, just said what works for them and in some cases tried to help the OP with her stated joint pain. Should we apologise for saying life is good after menopause?! i thought that was the question.

Zippedydoo123 · 05/02/2023 09:46

I find my supplements very cheap and would not be without them. Max 30 or 40 a month but I do not smoke nor drink and I believe in taking care of myself as best as I can. I am careful with money as have no choice but to be.

Getting my oral spray today so await the outcome!

NattyNamechanger · 05/02/2023 09:46

didn't manage my "menopause symptoms" via lifestyle, actually, but as my pain was hormone-related I have no desire to reignite with HRT

Which is fair enough but its not really relevant to the joint pain women suffer which is related to lowering levels of oestrogen,then is it?!

My joint pain was excruciating. I carried on exercising, was on massive doses of painkillers and utterly, utterly miserable.
Within a week of starting HRT it was...gone.

NattyNamechanger · 05/02/2023 09:47

buffydavis · 05/02/2023 09:43

I don't think anyone has sait it is somebody's fault if they have symptoms, just said what works for them and in some cases tried to help the OP with her stated joint pain. Should we apologise for saying life is good after menopause?! i thought that was the question.

It was the banging on about it as of we haven't already tried that!
I'm loving life after menopause btw

Alphabetasoul · 05/02/2023 09:49

It's brilliant. No more pmt , no more pads and tampons and you truly don't give a shit what anyone thinks .

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 05/02/2023 09:58

I’m loving it. I didn’t find going through the menopause too bad. Now loving no periods, no pmt, no mood swings. Haven’t even had to think about going on HRT it’s been a breeze. I’m tiring a bit more but think that’s just the difference between early 50’s and late 50’s.

loving life, but it is flying by.

JinglingSpringbells · 05/02/2023 09:59

Zippedydoo123 · 05/02/2023 09:46

I find my supplements very cheap and would not be without them. Max 30 or 40 a month but I do not smoke nor drink and I believe in taking care of myself as best as I can. I am careful with money as have no choice but to be.

Getting my oral spray today so await the outcome!

You spend £30-£40 a month on supplements?

Goodness.

That's a huge amount. TBH you probably don't need any of them if you have a healthy diet. The vitamin industry preys on people's lack of knowledge and their idea that 'more is better'.

milkyaqua · 05/02/2023 10:00

Which is fair enough but its not really relevant to the joint pain women suffer which is related to lowering levels of oestrogen,then is it?!

I have joint pain from a particular condition, which I see no alternative but to treat with the supplements that OP has mocked, as I don't want to go down a surgical path.

However, I found fish oil very effective, within 4-5 weeks of starting on a higher dose, for my sudden all-over aching joints that were menopause related.

People suggested gentle exercise, daily walks - that has also been helpful for me in maintaining lower levels of pain. OP blew that off furiously, saying she went on these long hikes and so on. That's not the same thing as gentle daily exercise.

NattyNamechanger · 05/02/2023 10:09

milkyaqua · 05/02/2023 10:00

Which is fair enough but its not really relevant to the joint pain women suffer which is related to lowering levels of oestrogen,then is it?!

I have joint pain from a particular condition, which I see no alternative but to treat with the supplements that OP has mocked, as I don't want to go down a surgical path.

However, I found fish oil very effective, within 4-5 weeks of starting on a higher dose, for my sudden all-over aching joints that were menopause related.

People suggested gentle exercise, daily walks - that has also been helpful for me in maintaining lower levels of pain. OP blew that off furiously, saying she went on these long hikes and so on. That's not the same thing as gentle daily exercise.

Ok you said your pain was related to hormones so you had no wish to take HRT.
Which is fair enough.

The increase in joint pain during peri/ meno is due to lower levels oestrogen, it is hooked up to receptors in every tissue of our bodies.

Not sure what you are getting at really as your posts are contradictory.
How can it be caused by hormones and also caused by a lack of that hormone?