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Menopause

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Original poster

Ok, so what happens afterwards???

82 replies

ImWearingPantaloons · 15/10/2026 15:54

I’m 54, on HRT which is helping somewhat (think I need a review soon as it’s not working as well as it should).

Starting to get anxiety, and everything sodding well hurts after a day at work.

Knackered my rotator cuff which has healed, now done a mischief to my elbow. The physio I saw told me it’s because I’m not really making much collagen now, so these things are common.

Anyway, my question is all these miserable menopause symptoms are well documented, but what happens when it’s all over and you’re post menopause?

Will I suddenly wake up one morning having slept all through the night bright eyed and sharp minded, with nothing aching and a restored zest for life?

Or is this it forever - creaking aching joints, fuzzy brain, poor concentration, broken sleep, just minus all my oestrogen - until I die?

OP posts:

Crikeyalmighty · 18/10/2026 00:54

Wildgoat · 16/10/2026 17:28

I’m 57, periods stopped about 3 or 4 years ago,I’m back to normal and feel fantastic

I developed some health issues with peri, ie high cortisol, leading to weight gain, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, sleep apnea, And I used mounjaro to drop the weight. I was in a bad cycle,

i now maintain a bmi 20 on a low dose, work out several times a week, eat a health diet, sleep a solid 8 hours a night, and I feel like I did before it kicked off, just with no periods. I didn’t go on hrt. All health issues resolved.

i did develop anxiety also, particularly round driving, but that’s also gone, as have the stiff ankles and joints. The only med I now take is 5mg of mounjaro weekly,

I got stiff ankles too from around50 -every morning when I woke up - weirdly around 57 it totally vanished!

Negroany · 18/10/2026 01:14

OttersOnAPlane · 16/10/2026 07:59

You are likely post menopause now at 54. 80% of women are and all by about 56

This is not true. I'm 57 and still have periods. My mum did until she was 62.

I'm 58 and still have a cycle. It drives me mad people going on as if it's done for everyone by mid 50's and impossible to be over that age.

JinglingSpringbells · 18/10/2026 09:27

Negroany · 18/10/2026 01:14

I'm 58 and still have a cycle. It drives me mad people going on as if it's done for everyone by mid 50's and impossible to be over that age.

Show quote history

It's not impossible of course.

The medical stats are that most women (80%) are post menopausal by 54.
The normal range is 45-55. Average age is 51. (45 is on the cusp of early and many specialists would suggest HRT to 51 for bone protection.)

By 58 you are likely to be 1% of women.

There will always be outliers including very young women who are just 30.

Negroany · 18/10/2026 10:26

JinglingSpringbells · 18/10/2026 09:27

It's not impossible of course.

By 58 you are likely to be 1% of women.

There will always be outliers including very young women who are just 30.

Show quote history

So it's not "all by age 56" then, is it.

Buynow · 18/10/2026 14:17

JinglingSpringbells · 17/10/2026 09:56

For those women who never use hrt and have a really easy peri/post menopause do look after your bone health.

It's a neglected area of women's health and 1:2 women get osteoporosis.

I have two close friends who 'sailed' through menopause' with no symptoms (both on the younger side- mid -late 40s) and both have had fractures in their 50s and one has serious osteoporosis.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society lobbied for DEXA scans for women at 50 ( same idea as smear tests and mammograms) but government refused. This is despite fractures and care in later life costing £millions for the NHS.

You can get a DEXA scan privately for around £200 and they only need repeating every 3years if you have bone loss.

Absolutely.
I avoided HRT because of the (small) risk of breast cancer. I had no idea about bone protection. Ten years later I got breast cancer and was diagnosed with osteoporosis. I have my third dexa scan next week. My bone density improved after three years of treatment on bisphosphonates but they are an unpleasant drug.
In spite of the osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis I am now fitter than ever. I've never been overweight, menopause made no difference to my weight which is the same as it was when I was 20. If I could go back to my teenage self I would tell her that just because you are skinny you should still exercise.

SheIsMenopausal · Yesterday 20:32

So as i was saying on another thread, I stopped my HRT to see if my symptoms had gone (I've been on it 2.5 years - I'm 54 now.), turns out that the brain fog has gone and joint aches aren't as bad, but the flushes and waking every 3 hours in the night came back after about 4-6 weeks....so i'm back on it again. I think that I'll try lowering my dose, then try coming off it again in about a year. Given that some symptoms seem to have gone, I'm hopefult that eventually they'll all go.

ThePoetsWife · Yesterday 21:12

I sleep fine after years of broken sleep, some joint aches due to arthritis and I am slim, active and go to the gym to do weights. Otherwise I can’t sleep or remain alert. No HRT due to breast cancer history.

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