Why doesn't anyone tell you Menopause isn't really about lack of periods

[MrsPelligrinoPetrichor]

...and EVERYTHING about how-

• make up you have been wearing for years suddenly looks shit

• Hair that has been behaving itself quite nicely with certain products nit require completely different products but you are yet to find them!

• Skin seems to be a completely different colour now and requires new products

• See above for hair colour

• Watery eyes that the optician says is normal and common in women over 50

• Glasses for reading !

Omg no wonder they call it the change ,everything flipping changes!

[quote eurochick]@RonaldMcDonald how do you get melatonin?[/quote]
I buy the melatonin gummies online. They are great.

My symptoms vary but this week, joint pain, anxiety on waking, watery eyes and keep getting recurrent conjunctivitis from rubbing my eye, also new this week ridiculous brain fog that meant I couldn't do a simple addition!

Well I no longer have any of the symptoms of PCOS. I really, really had awful greasy skin and hair, acne like a teen and hair all over my legs. BUT it just seemed to stop, my skin actually has to be moisturized now! and my legs are more or less hair free. How weird is that?

I had aching joints, headaches, murderous rage/tearful mood swings, insomnia, low energy and brain fog.

I watched the Davina documentary, signed up to the Breathe app and called my GP to tell them (not ask) I wanted to try HRT. She was brilliant, talked through symptoms and prescribed Evorel Sequi. Within two days all of the above symptoms had gone.

I'm coming to the end of my first batch now and it's not 100% perfect - I had the heaviest period I've ever had, but it only lasted 3 days so I'm sticking with it. I know it's not suitable for everyone but I would encourage anyone that can to try it as it really is life changing.

I had aching joints, headaches, murderous rage/tearful mood swings, insomnia, low energy and brain fog - now what was me anyway... my periods just went full ‘shining’ then stopped.

I’m still a miserable old cow with a terrible temper though.

[quote eurochick]@RonaldMcDonald how do you get melatonin?[/quote]
I buy when in Spain or from an online pharmacy in Andorra

Simple google search and they are the best things ever

I can't say I miss having periods! Skin elasticity is gone for sure, and I developed patches of psoriasis. BUT on the plus side, as a pale-skinned hairy Celt, I no longer burn at the slightest hint of sunlight, in fact can even tan a little now, and my legs and arms much much less hairy than ever before (true, some has migrated to my chin..)

I think our bodies do adjust and compensate after a while of having lower hormones. I'm around 10 years from my last period and almost all my symptoms have settled apart from chin hairs like wire that appear as if by magic - I can check in the mirror there are none only to find one about half a cm long an hour later!

I am obviously older but feel better and am probably healthier now than then

I'm about 6 years in
My findings about my own body trying to kill me:

The waves of fatigue , sometimes just out of the blue I feel like I could fall down tired

My hair has grown well (just past shoulder length) and I don't mind the grey . But it's dry . And my scalp hurts sometomes .

The waking with drenched hair from night sweats . Have to wash my hair every 1-2 days

Smelling weird , like pencil sharpenings or wood shavongs , no idea why

The apron of pouchy skin hanging there on my thickened waist

Skin is well behaved but I use serums not heavy creams

Suddenly forget how to do things (especially on the computer . Things I do all day )

Eyesight is going

Fearing for the lives of the males in the house (DH DS and male cat) when DD is hormonal , I'm hormonal and female cat is just wicked

My hair has become much drier and I now use shampoo bars from Gruum. Hair feels so much better than with regular shampoo. Probably helped by the fact that I no longer dye it.

I have recently become extremely tired by the afternoon. At weekends I often have a nap. I'm so glad I work from home as I don't think I could cope with being in an office. I'm not sure if this is menopause or anything relating to covid (which I think I may have had last year) or the vaccine

@IvorHughJarrs

I think our bodies do adjust and compensate after a while of having lower hormones. I'm around 10 years from my last period and almost all my symptoms have settled apart from chin hairs like wire that appear as if by magic - I can check in the mirror there are none only to find one about half a cm long an hour later! I am obviously older but feel better and am probably healthier now than then

Some do I am sure and this is the issue - everyone's symptoms may vary but there are common features and the length and severity of the suffering varies from person to person. I don't agree though that they adjust - you continue to live with hormone deficiencies . It is every woman's choice but my choice is not to have them and to take HRT and to try to have quality of life in the years that I have left . My skin is great , my hair is thick , I don't have any signs of osteoporosis currently .

Did anyone start HRT with no symptoms? I have zero menopause symptoms and I'm nearly through the other side. I'm in perfect health and look great, still youthful with young woman's body shape. Skin and hair doing well. Obviously I want this to continue, and also stave off the health issues, but I've not heard of anyone in this position getting HRT as everyone seems to get it in response to problems. Or possibly I still have enough hormones that the bad stuff hasn't started yet, and so should wait until it does. It's very confusing. Anyone else in this position?

@5128gap I would suggest that you go to a private menopause specialist clinic and discuss this with a doctor . How do you know you are nearly through the other side if you have no symptoms ? They will test your hormone levels and advise you .

[quote MrsMaizel]@5128gap I would suggest that you go to a private menopause specialist clinic and discuss this with a doctor . How do you know you are nearly through the other side if you have no symptoms ? They will test your hormone levels and advise you .[/quote]
I went over 12m with no period and I'm 52 so thought that was it. However, I then had another period so now not sure. (I know that can be a red flag btw, but it was very close to the 12m 'cut off' and absolutely a normal period in every way, so not concerned that it had any other sinister cause)

@5128gap ah Ok I get that you are talking about periods now - the transition stage . The after symptoms though can last for many years .

[quote MrsMaizel]@5128gap ah Ok I get that you are talking about periods now - the transition stage . The after symptoms though can last for many years .[/quote]
Thank you. Yes, I foolishly thought that once the magic 12m had passed it was done and I'd luckily sailed through. I'm now coming to realise I may just be benefiting from some lingering hormones. I will look into the private specialists as I'm sure my GP will have a if its not broke attitude.

I used to be pear shaped, now I'm pear and apple shaped - fruit salad.

Watery eyes! Something else to add to the list! I find it's taking me longer every day when I wake up to focus my eyes on eg the clock on my phone. Also starting to struggle with small print in general. Of all the symptoms (and there is increasingly many) this is getting me down (although of course this just could be ageing in general). My eyesight has always been uncannily excellent so to have it start going downhill is a shocker.

Also thickening waist (balanced out by matronly boobs for the first time in my life) is a bit of a downer, but jowls even more so I find - can't cover them up and forget about it!

Hi any ladies had positive results with HRT for dry eyes

Not on HRT but I have to do lots of 'maintaince' for my dry eyes, really have to stay on top of it- warm compresses twice a day and drops.

Peri has worsened my pre menstrual symptoms which now last for days, on an erratic schedule so that’s been nice.

Why doesn't anyone tell you Menopause isn't really about lack of periods
Not a very style and beauty reply but the thing about peri that's floored me is the flooding. I'd assumed - because until about 2 years ago there was such silence everywhere about anything menopause related - that periods ending meant just that. They'd get lighter, more infrequent before one day you realise that was the last one. No-one told me they make such a show of the closing down sale!
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That's what's happened to me, I had one huge,almighty period period where I could barely leave the house for a full week and that was that but the other symptoms have been awful. It's so different for each person. I'm glad there's more talk about it these days.

The flooding is awful!

I've never experienced that before! I'm now relieved if the start of my period coincides with my non working days so I don't need to leave the house.

The flooding is horrific - I’ve always been quite heavy, but the don’t wander 10m from the bathroom flooding is something else entirely. I also had sore joints, night sweats, awful mood swings and my hair just fell out - my hair line receded by about an inch! After a year on HRT my hair is growing back in and my hair line is returning to its usual position thank god.