What is post menopause like?

[DustyLee123]

For those of you who are post menopause and not on HRT, what is it like? Do you still get some symptoms or have they gone now?

Dry and absolutely insomniac. Less tolerant/angrier. All other symptoms have gone

Very occasional hot flushes but I mean a couple a year, my hair is dryer and not as thick. Struggle to keep weight off but I think that’s nothing to do with if you are on or off HRT. I’m 5ft 4.5 and weigh close to 10 stone, I used to be about 10 pounds lighter.

@FifiFalafel My back issues are shocking currently, partially genetic so not at the minute, I do tai chi usually and can stand on one leg for a lot longer than 10 seconds.

6 years post menopause here. Now aged 53. I feel horrific. Dry, irritable, exhausted, moody and generally meh!

I have secondary breast cancer, on hormone blockers and cancer medication, so HRT is a no.

Currently trying to find a way out of this shit storm " naturally" but I'm too bloody raging to bother!

Answers on a postcard please! 🙏

its interesting about the alcohol. It was never an issue for me. DH had a job where he was on call either frequently or for long periods and was not allowed to have measurable alcohol in his system when on the work premises so we would spend many periods of no alcohol at all. I never noticed that drinking or not drinking had any effect on meno symptoms although my tolerance is less and I can no longer enjoy red wine. I also went sugar free for 2 months (did atkins) The sweetest thing I ever ate in that time was carrots and not many of them, again no effect on symptoms but of course it may be different for others.

my usual answer. Moisturise skin massively. I use a shower oil instead of a gel, you need to find what suits you. For body I use Cerave Moisturing cream but again you need to experiment. Cool clothes, natural fibres, cool house especially bedroom, increase your watery drink intake massively and swear a lot.

9 years on and feeling very much better than before to be honest as my horrendous migraines stopped with my periods. Such a relief. Was fortunate to have very few menopausal symptoms, but definitely have the extra stone that others have mentioned and it just won't shift! Everyone's experience is different, I know I've been very lucky.

The women you know who have had the best experience did not have a bad menopause. You can't 'holistic' away the symptoms of a bad menopause.

I had early menopause at 42 and by 49 had osteoporosis. No amount of 'holistic' ness or 'keeping moving' was going to sort that out. The woo that is spieled on the topic of the menopause is disgraceful and people need to stop.

Thanks so much to all the wisdom sharers here. Great thread.
I’m 57. Family hx of osteoporosis. I’m on patches since ~50yo. I can’t quite remember 🤔I take vagifem for dryness, and recently started testosterone gel for reduced libido. I’m also on antihistamines for incontinence- another MN tip. I recently tried to cut out the antihistamines and bladder irritability flew up.

I gave up alcohol 8 years ago and did my first half Ironman triathlon this year. I hope to do another with my group of post menopausal friends next year.

All of us should do some strength and balance exercises post menopausally. Many gyms offer a specific program or google something at home too.

My recent Dexa was great and I strongly hope to avoid hip fractures for life. The statistics of people living independently one year post hip fracture are chilling.

My cycling buddy is 69, and she cycled 50k this week. We met at her house so I did 60k.

In summary, I feel great post menopause. Everything is drier, I am slower and weaker than the 20 & 30somethings. More wrinkles and sagging.
I see you’ve specifically asked ‘ without HRT’ so my answer is less relevant. I went on HRT for fatigue post poor sleep, but it then improved so many other aspects of my health and wellbeing

I'm 62 and feel perfectly normal again apart from normal ageing and osteoarthritis.
I have no sex drive at all though, no problem as I'm single.
I think I'm happier and more content than I've ever been in my life.
I prefer cold environments now. I find heat oppressive but don't have hot flushes or anything. Now I understand why my grandmother always had the windows open in winter.
I take the smallest dose of oestrogen to protect my bones and heart and a daily vitamin and mineral pill as I have a very small appetite now. I just can't eat large amounts of food any more.
I hike and do hill walking for health and pleasure. You have to keep active or you start to sieze up.
I never drink alcohol because it makes me feel awful and don't smoke.

@AlisonDonut totally agree!
If you are going to suffer, oh boy do you suffer!

@Blanketyre Vaginal estrogen like GINA are not classed as HRT.
The media is partly to blame for this when they said women could now buy HRT over the counter.

HRT is only systemic HRT- patches, pills, gel etc.

The leaflets in all topical estrogens are the same as those in systemic HRT but UK consultants are tearing their hair out over this and have been asking the manufacturers for years to change it.

No woman using topical estrogen should be thinking they 'are on HRT'.

Old ladies in their 80s and 90s are given it for VA etc.

But HRT isn't medication- it's just replacing your own natural hormones that you've produced happily for years with transdermal body-identical ones.

The issue with hormonal contraceptives is that they are (often) oral and NOT body-identical ie: they don't fit the receptors properly, which is why women often get a lot of unwanted symptoms.

HRT will prevent so many chronic conditions that we will develop once our Oestrogen receptors (which are absolutely everywhere in our bodies, from brain, heart, joints, GU tract etc) are no longer receiving Oestrogen.

Listen to the podcasts on the Balance website & they will open your eyes - even the first one alone says it all.

I'm 62 and feel perfectly normal again apart from normal ageing and osteoarthritis.
I have no sex drive at all though, no problem as I'm single

I'm almost 60 and still enjoy sex and don't feel either achey or old!

I don't accept those things are things we have to put up with. Ditto a broken hip!

@herbetta So what are the poor beggars ( like me) who can't take HRT meant to do then? Wait for all these "unwanted chronic conditions" to come along and bite us on the bum? Great; can't wait!

My mum is almost 83 and has never broken a bone, as with all the women in my family.

Except my parenternal g'mother who did have osteoporosis despite never smoking or drinking, she ate well, drank milk, cooked from sractch, walked everywhere as she didn't drive and lived alone for the last 30 years of her life. She is my only concern family history wise!

I'm 10 years in, no HRT.
Previously I was very cold intolerant now I find it very hard to cope with the heat.
Generally I feel fine, no aches and pains, I've always been extremely health conscious and I exercise regularly.

I am 2 years post menopause. I had a couple of months with night sweat and low moods,but no hot flushes or other symptoms.I now feel fine, but I really focus on diet and fitness. I don’t have the dry skin or hair either.

I'm not sure that it's helpful to look at menopause as a deficiency disease.
I see it as a natural process and our bodies are set up to have lower levels of estrogen in the third stage of our lives.

I’m five years post-meno. I had terrible anxiety in Peri, which stopped immediately post-meno. But the physical symptoms are MUCH worse post than they were in Peri - Joint pain, migraines, exhaustion, flushes and night sweats, along with brain fog and insomnia.

sorry but can I point out again that the "natural process" also set us up to mostly die shortly after menopause. Evolution didn't design the female human body to live on as long as modern women do. Many women now live as long, or longer after menopause than their fertile adult life before it. True many of us do well with little or no medical intervention, me among them, but some do not.

Yes, but overall, women are living much longer. They are expected to work, juggle life admin, maybe teens and supporting elderly parents. This is TOUGH if you are struggling with meno symptoms and god alone knows what else health wise.

Wouldn't you agree?

Absolutely great!

Not working any longer?

As usual there are the advocates for and against HRT. People are so different. Some people drink a lot. Some don't. Some smoke. Some don't. All of these external factors play an immense role in how your menopause plays out. You are the best cheerleader for your body - listen to it, educate yourself and take action if you feel it is needed. I want to live as long as I can and will do whatever it takes to do that and have a good quality of life. Someone said " I feel like my younger self again" . I feel like the best version of myself apart from the obvious and unavoidable ageing that takes place in our bodies. I'm not going to put up with aches and pains that are not necessary. I'm not of the view that this is natural and normal. Yes it is part of it but why should we suffer? Men get enlarged prostate which is part of the normal ageing process - why are they not castigated in the press for wanting to improve their quality of life? We don't see that, do we? The press loves to knock women and HRT .

I'm 54, I feel generally fine. Main thing is sleep feels more disrupted and I get tired in the evenings.

And I feel like I don't want to plan too much for the weekend after a week at work. When I meet up with friends, I prefer a Saturday afternoon walk and a coffee rather than a night out.

I do exercise and eat well and have lost some weight, which overall has made me feel better. DH and I like walking and hiking and hope to keep that up for as long as possible.

Also everything dryer overall. Hair, skin and the other bits, but nothing some moisturiser and lubricant won't fix.

And I find I feel awful if I drink alcohol. These days I might have a very small glass of wine a couple of times a month. It's our 2 year wedding anniversary on Tuesday so we have a Mini (187ml) bottle of Prosecco to share for the occasion, half of that is enough for me!

Glad my DS are (almost) grown up now and at 6th form/uni, so can manage their lives pretty independently.

I think that’s a really important point. My sister is going through menopause whilst juggling a 10 year old and a very stressful job. That just wasn’t that common 30 years ago