The Mad, Bad Menopause Thread

shykins

i didnt bother going to the Drs (until nothing else worked) especially as i read they cant give you a definitive answer as to whether you are menopausal or not.

the herbal stuff kept me off HRT for 4/5 years but they dont all work for everyone so its trial and error i guess

HRT as i understand it is for the symptoms rather than where you are exactly in your journey

74jax

I am 41 and in the menopause - though through medication rather than naturally....


I've been really lucky, just night sweats - which are horrid, as I'm boiling and clamy and then get really cold (as I'm clamy - yuck).


Other than that I've not had anything.


I have had headaches........... not sure If that's a symptom or dehydration due to the night sweats....

calicocat

calicocat wrote: »

OMG that post is so funny.


Well i've started this malarki it seems.

Would someone throw me into the sea..!!!! Getting a lot of 'heatwaves' as I call them. Have lost my brain several times. On occasions want to push people over as so annoyed. ..(for no real reason). Have aching joints in my ankles and hips at times. Can't remember much. Go off on random rants about things then the next day think to myself Jesus you lunatic.

Periods.....now this is odd. I work on a female ward....so lots of other female hormones for mine to 'click' into...however don't have periods for around 3 months at a time....unless i'm working with one person in particular....

I am actually on fire whilst i'm writing this. I am annoying others at work as keep putting all the fans on, and haven't bought any sweaters for winter.

I ended up here by punching in menopause, but had thought this would be on the health boards......guess this means I could be in for more rage and total breakdown of communication with friends and family.

Howdie folks,

Short update on my menopause story. Not long after this post I went into full head-on train crash type of scenario on and off. Periods just stopped altogether (not a problem), lost at least 70 % of brain function (emailed all co workers to inform them of this.. :eek: ) .

went out NYE, had to leave party as looked like I had just come out of the shower within half an hour, memory and concentration were terrible, was easily annoyed by anyone I considered to be an idiot (80% of the human race if not more).

Went onto Venlafaxine for the flushed, had to come off this as could have had a stroke BP went so high (brilliant for the flushes though). Went on another tablet (low dose fluoxetine) with another to take on and off as needed. This made me feel quite sick most of the time, so emailed everyone at work and told them I was going part time using holiday until I felt better with them (emails included top bosses that really didn't need to know)....... :rotfl: :eek:

Oh, and generally felt like I had been hit by a train and couldn't sleep at all, so ended up So tired it was ridiculous....and the weight gain is a total bummer and just won't budge yet.

This train wreck lasted around two years, I am much better now, the brain fog has mainly lifted, and the flushes are better and less frequent, although do pop by surprise at times.

So it doesn't last for ever folks.........there is hope out there.

Some things can still trigger flushes, I drink de-caff coffee and tea now as that effected me hugely.

Thankfully alcohol didn't bother my symptoms at all.

I remember being at someone's 50th over this time, there were about 11 women in the toilets all talking about it and carrying fans..:D.. I can remember one woman saying she found the best thing was to drink your way through it.... :rotfl:


I'm hoping the worst of mine is over....but you never know, as I have heard symptoms can go and come back again.


It gets better, honestly. So try not to get arrested folks in the meantime. .

Happier_Me

At least your sense of humour has remained intact over the last few years, Calicocat! Although I'm not sure whether to feel relieved my symptoms aren't as bad as yours or terrified things are going to get worse and I could end up unemployed or imprisoned or both:D

I can completely relate to your post though and I have come to the conclusion I do need to be more proactive in managing my symptoms, instead of just struggling through it. My husband is keen for me to go to the GP, mostly because he's scared for his own well being at certain times of the month. I suspect I am more likely to get treated for the migraines than for my extreme mood swings though.

time2getalife

Hi I've just came across this thread, after reading the posts I think I have had it easy.
I hadn't had any periods for 3 mths when I went to the doctor, I was worried as my sister had womb cancer. I was 45 when I went to the doctor he did a blood test which indicated I was post menopausal but not completely as I hadn't been period free for 12 mths.
I'm not sure when my peri menopause started as I have only had vague symptoms. Last year I has hot flushes for 3 mths, not had any since. As for mood swings etc I split up with my ex over 5 years ago and it was a very acrimonious split( he had affair and left) I put my mood swings and erratic behaviour on the split and all that caused.
When we were together I occasionally had night sweats but I put that down to sleeping next to him as he was like a radiator . I can't tell when I started mine as I can't put my finger on any symptoms over a period of time.
I can't even go by my mum and sisters , mum had an early hysterectomy not sure why, 1 sister I don't speak to, other sister had hysterectomy due to cancer.
I hope you all find some respite from the symptoms soon and thank my lucky stars that mine has been the way it has, and that I don't suddenly get symptoms down the line. I'm now at 6 mths without a period so praying it don't suddenly just arrive .

Mupette

calicocat wrote: »

memory and concentration were terrible, was easily annoyed by anyone I considered to be an idiot (80% of the human race if not more).

OMG that is me and what i think at the moment

I may only be peri but i have been so bad tempered for about 5 years, i am hated at work which is sad because i am fundraising right now for life saving MS treatment in Russia so i really need a lot of love and support, and all i have managed to do is create a persona of a nasty middle aged woman who rarely smiles and complains a lot, i am dying inside because of this person i have become, and even when i have tried to explain my behavior i am ignored, constantly off sick with the MS which exacerbates the menopause symptoms.

I kicked my son out because i felt he was taking the pee out of house rules, 2 years later he has grown up to become an amazing young man. Husband walks on egg shells, i am spiteful and nasty and nothing he does is right, i really can't go on, i feel i hate everyone. currently on PremPak C but i don't think its enough, no sleep, hot flushes (don't mind those in winter) constant bad mood, fatigue with MS and this, frustrated with life

calicocat

Mupette wrote: »

OMG that is me and what i think at the moment

I may only be peri but i have been so bad tempered for about 5 years, i am hated at work which is sad because i am fundraising right now for life saving MS treatment in Russia so i really need a lot of love and support, and all i have managed to do is create a persona of a nasty middle aged woman who rarely smiles and complains a lot, i am dying inside because of this person i have become, and even when i have tried to explain my behavior i am ignored, constantly off sick with the MS which exacerbates the menopause symptoms.

I kicked my son out because i felt he was taking the pee out of house rules, 2 years later he has grown up to become an amazing young man. Husband walks on egg shells, i am spiteful and nasty and nothing he does is right, i really can't go on, i feel i hate everyone. currently on PremPak C but i don't think its enough, no sleep, hot flushes (don't mind those in winter) constant bad mood, fatigue with MS and this, frustrated with life

You might need something to help with your mood, most anti-depressants help with the flushes and with the mood obviously. It might be worth mentioning this to your GP if you havent already.

I put up with my symptoms for around 3 months and decided i wasnt putting up with that once the flushes got to around 40 a day and the sleep deprivation at night...plus more hot sweats, and went straight to the gp. Hrt doesnt work for everyone, it may not be working for you.

Thankfully my collegues are quite ok with me, despite the fact that i still plug in a fan wherever i am on the ward, have windows open , and they are sat around in cardigans and hoodies. I was a bit of a tyrant at times, but would just say to people that if i was being a !!!! to tell me , or would pre-warn people with a jokey email how i was feeling. (with a veiled threat of dont take on a woman with menopause symptoms like mine as you just wont win ). When i knew my sense of humour had got up and left , was when i went part time for a couple of months to take some time out and catch up on sleep, which worked, you could maybe think about doing that in the future.

As much as you can, you have to get some sence of humour with it, find a friend you can talk and laugh about it with that helps.

luckily for me my mood wasnt effected too bad, i just knew i was a bit snappier, and thought most people were idiots in private, however due to brain fog, it was actually me being an idiot alot of the time i just couldnt see it. If you are finding how you react uncontrollable too much of the time see the gp again, its worth a shot.

However i must say, the first gp i saw i thought was an idiot, so went to see a different one... :rotfl:


good luck , it wont last for ever.

SuzieSue

time2getalife wrote: »

Hi I've just came across this thread, after reading the posts I think I have had it easy.
I hadn't had any periods for 3 mths when I went to the doctor, I was worried as my sister had womb cancer. I was 45 when I went to the doctor he did a blood test which indicated I was post menopausal but not completely as I hadn't been period free for 12 mths.
I'm not sure when my peri menopause started as I have only had vague symptoms. Last year I has hot flushes for 3 mths, not had any since. As for mood swings etc I split up with my ex over 5 years ago and it was a very acrimonious split( he had affair and left) I put my mood swings and erratic behaviour on the split and all that caused.
When we were together I occasionally had night sweats but I put that down to sleeping next to him as he was like a radiator . I can't tell when I started mine as I can't put my finger on any symptoms over a period of time.
I can't even go by my mum and sisters , mum had an early hysterectomy not sure why, 1 sister I don't speak to, other sister had hysterectomy due to cancer.
I hope you all find some respite from the symptoms soon and thank my lucky stars that mine has been the way it has, and that I don't suddenly get symptoms down the line. I'm now at 6 mths without a period so praying it don't suddenly just arrive .

I really feel for all the people who are having such a horrendous time, but it is good to hear from someone like you who does not appear to have had such bad symptoms.

It would be useful to hear from other women who have been through the menopause without it affecting their lives so badly.

shykins

My friends periods just stopped, no hot flushes, no bad moods, nothing!! They just stopped

Lucky moo lol

ElusiveLucy

I turned into a monster about a year ago and ended up spending a lot of the time in tears. Eventually I went to the doctor's as I felt unable to do my job and they put me on Citalopram. They started at the low dose which stopped the tears but nothing else, then upped it a bit. I've been on it ever since and feel like it is just about making me normal again. The only thing it hasn't helped with is my memory, which is now terrible. Hopefully that gets better over time as I think my work colleagues are getting fed up with me forgetting things.