OS menopause memories?

moneyistooshorttomention

LameWolf - since you say the fact that your hair is falling out in handfuls is down to the lupus (ie rather than menopause/low iron/one of those things/etc/etc) then surely the NHS would prescribe a wig for you to use in those circumstances - or don't you fancy the thought?

chrissy59

reading all posts i must be one of the unlucky ones as last year bout september i started getting hot flushes and night sweats they started off not too bad so i thought i could put up with them and after 3 months they started to get really bad. i was sweating all the time and my hair was soaking at back. i used to change my clothes at least three or four times a day. night sweats were just as bad i couldn't sleep for more than two hours and woke up drenched. i used to strip off and often was sitting up half the night because i couldn't sleep. and was permanently tired. got some tablets off doctor which worked for two months then they came back again so i have had to go on hrt and i have my life back again and feel a lot better.

milasavesmoney

As the saying goes... When I asked God for a smoking hot body, menopause is not what I had in mind.

moneyistooshorttomention

I've not heard that phrase before Mila - "smoking hot body":rotfl:. Guess that's a U.S. one?

But - yep...I had to laugh at that.:)

lessonlearned

Chrissy - you are not alone....

Both my sister And I had to give up and go the HRT route. My poor mum was quite jealous of us because she had to go through it without and had the most dreadful time.

Maybe it's just family genetics but we all struggled and I just thanked my lucky stars HRT was available.

I took it off and on for nearly 25 years, only coming off when I was 60. I worked with my GP gradually reducing the dosage over 2 years and taking supplements and complimentary medicines to ease me over the transition.

Ladies don't feel ashamed if you need HRT, you are not a failure. There is no shame in it. Yes there a few risks but there are also a lot of pluses, in my case increased protection against osteoporosis - something else that runs in the family.

Just work with your GP, monitor it closely and take the lowest dose that works for you.

Tipsntreats

Oh my, I have missed a lot!
Hester, have you tried bleaching the hair? A facial bleach of course. This will make the hair less brittle, and maybe then try plucking.
I am always shouting to myself, bring back my oestrogen, it's just not fair. There is an oestrogen cream, I don't know where you are meant to apply it.
I am coming back soon, to discuss vaginal dryness. This is something I suffer from.
Tips x

dandy-candy

There's certainly no shame in taking HRT! It just some people would rather not for various reasons, which is why I thought a thread for those doing it "old style" would be helpful. But it's lovely to hear from everyone about their experiences

Hard_Up_Hester

T&T, thanks but it is too big an area to pluck and some of it is already white some there is no point in bleaching it.

beecher2

I'm 2 and a half years into perimenopause (not that I'm counting) and things have been pretty bad for about a year and a half. The worst things is having much heavier and longer periods than before, flooding episodes and total unpredictability. I can cope with the nightsweats and hot flushes, maybe because I'd always expected that side of it. Don't like the migraines, muscle problems heart palpitations, breathlessness, anxiety - you name it, I've had it!

What puts me off contemplating HRT is the thought of going through it all again once I came off it - feel I'm better battering through. If only I had an end date, I think it'd be much easier to deal with. Just keep telling myself 'this will pass'!

I really wish women were more open about what goes on, I genuinely had no idea it'd be like this.

Hard_Up_Hester

beecher, have you tried giving up caffeine, I found my palpitations stopped when I eliminated it. I still get panic attacks, but then I've usually got a lot to panic about!

As for the flooding, I remember it well, I used 2 internal and one external and that seemed to cope with most things.