What got you out of the menopause slump?

[lechatnoir]

I'm sure my feelings are familiar to many: totally lost, shadow of my former bubbly outgoing self, stopped all form of exercise - I literally have zero motivation for anything added to low mood, occasional rage, irrational tears, uncontrollable comfort eating and no libido. I want to shut the world away.

But I don't really. I want to find that spark that will make me go back to running & yoga, make we want to socialise, eat better and find me again. So those of you that are exercising and doing g all the right things to support a tricky peri journey, what helped you get started? I'm on HRT but probably due a review as I'm definitely getting worse not better!

Can you increase your oestrogen?
And I feel the same. Where did the old me go, the one who drove across the country to go to a gig alone 🥺

I'm in the exact same place about to increase my oestrogen and add in some testosterone and pray for my spark back, because grumpy and anxious is bloody annoying me.

Following. I feel the same. I’m not on hrt, I have tried it but found I wasn’t good on the progesterone phase, so angry and unreasonable and hated my DP.

I’ve gained weight, I just want to want to eat all the time. I’m unmotivated and getting behind. And I spend too long reading crap on my
phone. I have started exercising weekday mornings for 30 mins and will force myself
to do it. Feel a bit better after that. But really need this week to work on not eating everything not pinned down.

@DustyLee123 YES dusty that's the sort of thing old me would jump at - now I can't even be arsed to get dressed up for the local pub!

@greenrollneck I will certainly be asking about both these in my review next week. No idea if they are amendable to testosterone but I can't keep on like this - I'm existing rather than living and it's no fun for me or my long-suffering family 

@fruitbrewhaha I keep telling myself a daily workout would do wonders for my mood (& waistline) but never start! How did you get yourself going ?

Urg for me it's self discipline with exercise . I follow ex army motivational mindset people.

Evening primrose for rage.

Low dose citalopram for anxiety plus magnesium glycinate.

Good amount of veggies and fruit for electrolytes.

Higher protein diet.

I also carb load so I eat more when I know I need the physical or mental energy and less carb when I am on autopilot and don't need it.

I pay for a couple of exercise classes. I'm much less likely to miss something which is costing me money, and which wouldve messing other people about if I didn't turn up.

@EBearhug that's a good shout about booking a class - no chance I'll be leaping out of bed for a run anytime soon but actually getting out of the house for a few hours in the evening to a pre-booked class might also stop me eating rubbish and generally slumping on the sofa all evening. I did force myself to do a 15 minute wake up yoga video today and I feel so much better for it which I already knew I would but it still doesn't motivate me to do it.

@FunkSoulBother interesting ideas. TBH I've been quite lazy about the whole thing and not really looked at dietary changes or supplement. I must look into this a bit more thanks for the prompt.

I’m looking for tips too. I make myself walk and try to eat ok but I’ve lost interest in food and everything else really. I’ve stuck an extra patch on now so up to 50mcg.

Rationally my head knows I need to dig my way out of this funk but I just can’t seem to motivate myself to do so. Things I used to enjoy don’t appeal anymore and I want to hide away but then I feel upset by the lack of connection with life. I think the lack of joy and flatness is something I’m experiencing and it’s horrid. I’m not sure about trying testosterone either. I already have extremely fine hair and am worried about having even less of it as I’ve read it can cause hair loss. 🤷‍♀️

Hrt
Exercise
Walking everywhere
Stopped drinking
New job

Testosterone

HRT, antidepressants and and a low carb diet, I feel like 25 again.

I must emphasize that I had to try a few different types of HRT to get it right, the progesterone was a real problem for me and it used to give me low moods, I’ve now found a micronized progesterone which summits me and I take it vaginally.

I also gave up alcohol; I had too as I had developed a drink problem. This has had a positive effect on both my physical and mental health.

Time

I am older so my menopause was before the time when it was so prominent and when we were told not to have HRT as it would cause breast cancer.
I'm glad that has all changed for younger women but do wonder if the high publicity has made women feel worse as none of my friends suffered to the extent we hear of now (and yes, we did talk about symptoms and I do recognise that some things we didn't realise were symptoms may have been and that some women suffered terribly but we all came through it)
Looking back I think the things we did were largely diet (mediterranean or low carb being the most successful and exercise (walking or exercise classes)

I've gone on Mounjaro, the new weight loss jabs, to try and lose weight and it seems to be helping me a bit in other ways.

Also joined a gym which has a nice pool so when have energy can maybe just make it there and float around a bit. It has body balance classes which are nice and gentle too.

Following for ideas. I'm so meh that I'm even bored of myself.

Sertraline. And wine.

Ironically getting breast cancer, coming off hrt and taking time off to slowly learn better eating and strength training routines, then moving on to things like sit training and polymetrics. (And recover from surgery, radio etc)

I'm still learning a lot and I have rest days/ weeks. Tamoxifen is sometimes a bugger.

Med diet plus beans, nuts seeds berries and tofu (high protein plants) and the 30 plants a week business.

Took time, not a quick fix.

I initially felt great on hrt but it didn't last as covid infections and lifestyle wasn't great. My immune system seems much better <touches all the wood.>

Stacy sims - loads of advice from her book next level roar.

And when to eat carbs!

There's hope and it gets better, one day you wake up and you realise you are back to something more like the old you...but possibly one that might only drive a quarter way across the country for a gig rather than half.

Get your hrt reviewed, I had testosterone for a bit and it really helped to give me a bit more get up and go, Also different hrt helped me sleep.

I'm 56 now and probably through it but I've had to come off hrt after 7 years on it.

My top tip would be don't let your health go, exercise, check your blood pressure, try and keep the weight down, get your bloods checked...then when you are feeling better it'll be easier to get back in shape.

It gets better!

Stopped drinking. Alcohol makes menopause symptoms loads worse unfortunately - it affects your sleep, your tiredness levels, motivation, and is full of calories. Also you're very unlikely to want to exercise if your brain is looking forward to the dopamine hit of a glass of wine - it's a quick fix.

If you hate running etc., book some nice indoor gym classes, and commit to a morning or evening walk. Get headphones and listen to an audiobook or podcast.

I dragged my creaking body to a swimming pool. Splashed out on a fancy membership with jacuzzi and sauna, which while I was in there was a temporary cure. Gradually got back into the gym from there.

I took a supplement from Boots called The Complete Woman and it seemed to contain everything in one tablet which suited me. My dh is medically trained and approved it. No HRT.
I started circuit training as that was new to me l found it great. I very rarely drink and never at home. My biggest issue became an overactive bladder which took over my life and caused me terrible distress. I got botox eventually for that which proved life changing.
So overall supplement and exercise. Keep the wine away.

I gave up work which helped enormously with the anxiety and allowed me to go for long walks during the day, not being forced to get up and excercise before or after work. Just me and the dog chatting to each other in the wind and the rain was good for my mood.

I am very fortunate I could afford to do that.

Cutting out the booze also helped.

I felt the same and eventually had private consultation with menopause specialist who diagnosed progesterone sensitivity. My HRT was changed and now take progesterone in a different way (not orally) so it’s not going through my whole system, this really helped and my mood lifted. The other thing I did was a few sessions with a personal trainer to get me moving and in a routine again. Both options were expensive and not sustainable for me in long term financially but I was in a terrible slump and needed to get out of it.

Definitely get a review. I was on the wrong combination and I'm pleased with how I'm feeling these days.