Menopause Matters

Bronnie

iloveboots wrote: »

Hi Ladies
Just found this forum, had a read through and thought i would join in if that's okay.

Thanks

Welcome!! :T

joyfull

Hi iloveboots and welcome,

Your symptoms sound extreme and familiar. It's 4am & I've been awake or over an hour. Just had a weak cuppa just for a bit of comfort. Don't usually come on here in the night but .....So nice you've got a supportive GP. I'm Grumpy & irritable after no sleep. Lists, endless lists, pen and paper dotted all over the house - yes.

Just a tiny reminder. We have to be really careful not to ask or offer anything that could be construed as 'medical'. Several threads were closed last night because of this. Chatting is OK.

Anyway, morning all. Big hugs to everyone suffering. In my eyes meno women are wonderful. We have (oh god here comes a flush, i'm dressed like an eskimo and have the electric blanket on - yikes!) wisdom, perseverance, compassion and kindness.

Now to attempt some sleep.


edit - Chat is ok but remember the money saving... 6.17am and still awake. I give up.

esmf73

Please may this thread continue. I'm 37 and felt earlier this year hot flushes lasting for up to half an hour and various other things. I had my contraception replaced (early, according to GP) and after 2 weeks the symptoms vanished! I do however wake early in the mornings and reading just the first page of this am astounded at how the menopause can affect ladies. You don't hear of this side, so I thought it was hot flushes, forgetfullness etc. Thank you for opening my eyes. I'll be reading more x

joyfull

For those of us with long hair here is a good article from the new york times about embracing greys and having long tresses.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/fashion/24Mirror.html?src=me&ref=general

It came from the Long Hair Discussion Community which I love - linked below:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/index.php

I've found long hair to be money saving because I trim it myself - saving about £100 a year. See thread below for how to diy:

http://community.livejournal.com/feyeselftrim


Hope the links work, they don't look right. Think it might be a copy & paste job.

spirit

Morning all,

I had endometrial ablation done (lasered off womb lining) 2 years ago and pretty much immediately I started getting flushes, night sweats, anxiety etc. I briefly went on to hrt but didn't like it so came off it within 6 months. I must have put on almost a stone in that time:eek:

I also tried progesterone cream that a nurse friend told me about. It is good stuff but is not very :money: so I've not bought any for about a year now.

I've been reading here about the magnet and since I have loads of Boots advantage points saved up, will go and get one using that today. If Boots still have their 3 for the price of 2 Protect and Perfect serum then i'll stock up on that too.

I sympathise with other non-sleepers too. I got off to sleep ok last night but woke about 11.30 and could not get back to sleep. A friend of mine recently got me on to listening to talking books. That really helps i've found. I had to scour the car boot fair locally but managed to find a Sony Walkman and a personal cassette player for the books :T

Very often i plug the headphones in, lie back, turn the light off and listen to the book. Very rarely have I managed to listen to the whole tape/CD without falling asleep. I borrow the 'books' from the library and they also sell some off very cheaply that are past their sell by so to speak. I've currently got Anthony and Cleopatra on loan from the library, all 27 hours of cassette tape. Now that's a lot of sleepless nights to fill!

shykins

sounds like a lot of us had a sleepless night. mine was til about 5 then i must have passed out exhausted cos i only just woke up and its 8.45!!!

good idea with the tapes why dont u put a request on freecycle for some, i did this for a blind friend recently and had loads given to us. i just tend to lay there trying to think i dont care about not sleeping thoughts or making plans for the next day - which i am usually too tired to do anyways

agree about the exercise thing, i belong to a health club which has a lot of older ladies as members and i can freely say to them oh gawd hot flush time etc and as they have all been thru it they can sympathise/joke about it. one thing i can say is seeing some of them make u realise getting older isnt all bad they have a great SOH and are determined to enjoy themselves.

i think trying to be positive does help but i also know this is easier said than done at times especially having had an extremely difficult year for one reason and another. all we can do is to keep trying to motivate/jolly on/encourage one another and hopefully we can all get thru it and come out laughing the other end

x

HeidiHi

In my old job I used to be able to have quieter days when I was feeling drained and grumpy from lack of sleep and haemorrhage like periods.

At the moment I work in a supermarket at night, then go from there to an early morning cleaning job, then walk my youngest to school come back and do the housework if I don't have to do things for my elderly parents, then sleep for about 4 hours (If I can) then pick up my youngest from school, come home and cook dinner, ring my parents to make sure they're Ok because they're getting old and having some problems, supervise homework, bath and bedtime and then go to work in a supermarket at night.

I am constantly shattered, and my peri menopausal symtoms are certainly not helping!

Sorry for the moan and thanks for the links.

choille

My anxiety had lessened to a great degree - hurray, as I was finding that unbearable. I'm still waking up at sily o,clock & tossing & turning as I sweat heavily.

Heidihi - what an awful lot of work & worry you have. Can you get social servces involved? Or are they not of a mind to have help in? It's really difficult. You've got the hassle at both ends - kiddies & parents & trying to juggle work, house & not sleeping properly. I can sleep in or lie in rather & try & catch up.

My knees ache & I am really stiff & sore about the joints. I am pretty active but it is hard getting the old legs to walk & bend like the used to. That I find worrying & don't know what to do about. I'm taking fish oil & glucosimine. I am supposed to be getting to see a physio but I am not holding out much hope as a neighbour was supposed to be getting an appointment with one over 6 months ago & nothing has come of it.

joyfull

Morning lovely Meno Peeps,

HeidiHi your schedule sounds punishing, is there anything you can do practically to lessen the load? even cook lots of dinners & freeze them (useless suggestion I know!) but you need support. I'm finding that even 10 minutes lying down with legs raised is replenishing. Rest those bones.

Choille, what a relief with the anxiety lessening. It can ruin a life. I've tended towards feeling overwhelmed very easily and before I know it everything is too much, can't sleep' can't cope. Learning to say NO has been very good for me.

Went to a party last night (it happens about once a year). Mananged to attempt to dance. OMG what a sight that was. I felt all jerky and creaky and kept thinking I was going to lose balance. BF said I did ok but I think he was being kind.. Still it was good MS exercise.

Have a good day. Feet up. Nice cuppa. Think soothing thoughts.

shykins

heidi that sounds tiring without meno let alone with, i echo the others.

choille i agree about the aches etc. i have severe back problems which have become significantly worse since the meno. i have acupuncture which does help but everything just seems to ache so much more and it takes longer and longer to get with it in the morning

joyfull u are right about the saying NO sometimes, as women we take on so much and then become overwhelmed, we feel if we say no people will think bad of us but the meno is overwhelming enough without taking on more

have a good day everyone, catch up on sleep/rest if u can
x