does the menopause ever end?

Errata

Mazza, whether it will kick in or not when you come off HRT is something that your GP can give you the best advice on. You might also want to discuss any increased risk of any cancer so you can make informed choices about HRT.

donny-gal

Mazza

I am in the same boat as you though a little younger, as far as I am concerned I am great on it, in earlier years I had to be on the pill remain civil and be able to work for the 4th week of the month IYKWIM. After being sterilised I was once again put back on the pill (low dose though) until a hysterectomy was an absolete godsend, never looked back. Managed for a while without HRT as ovaries left, but now been on i for longer than I can remember, and as long as they read me the risks and take my BP every six months I can stay on it. If they were to say otherwise, I would probably just buy them when I was in Spain. I did try to come off last year but wasn't meant to be. I will go with one thing though, too much red wine can bring the flushes on even while on the HRT!
DG

terrierlady

my sister has come off hrt tablets but the weight has now piled on her boobs are the worse she seemed to go up at least three sizes due to the tablets but still not lost the weight around the middle is also normal.

[Deleted User]

I'm 50 and suffering from heavy, irregular periods. Am I peri-menopausal or menopausal?? feel very ignorant in not knowing.

Things I've done which have helped:

Tiredness - put this down to heavy periods and started taking iron supplements (Solgar Gentle Iron) and felt better within a couple of days.

Fuzzy headedness - a friend recommended Starflower Oil (via her nutritionist) and within a couple of weeks I was clearer headed (and it helped my breast pain too).

Hot flushes - these started suddenly and were awful; they went from nothing to 6-10 a day! However, they also coincided with my starting a new job that I hated. I was squashing down my feelings, telling myself that it would get better, but it didn't. After 6 months I left and .... haven't had a SINGLE hot flush since!

A book I've found very helpful is "Menopause" by Christiane Northrup, an American Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, who incorporates complementary therapies into her medical practice, PLUS (and I think this may be important) the emotional aspects of various problems. She sees menopause as a life stage (not a problem) and one in which women need to be themselves; to explore aspects of themselves they've never done before; to honour their own feelings; to make themselves a priority (where children, partner, work, the wider family, etc. might have always been). Otherwise (she says) they will have a really difficult menopause.

Wonder if it's true ??

EdInvestor

Corona wrote: »

Hot flushes - these started suddenly and were awful; they went from nothing to 6-10 a day! However, they also coincided with my starting a new job that I hated. I was squashing down my feelings, telling myself that it would get better, but it didn't. After 6 months I left and .... haven't had a SINGLE hot flush since!

IMHO stress has a lot to do with hot flushes, whether the stress is brought on by lack of sleep or other menopausal symptoms, work, money, relationship,children,lack of self-esteem, whatever.

If you can tackle the problems causing the stress, the hot flushes may disappear - or at least be reduced to a lower level. Exercise is a great way of reducing stress.

Ted_Hutchinson

EdInvestor wrote: »

IMHO stress has a lot to do with hot flushes, whether the stress is brought on by lack of sleep or other menopausal symptoms, work, money, relationship,children,lack of self-esteem, whatever.

If you can tackle the problems causing the stress, the hot flushes may disappear - or at least be reduced to a lower level. Exercise is a great way of reducing stress.

Understanding how your body works enables you to take effective action to help it function better.

I am sure everyone is aware the calcium<>magnesium balance works each individual muscle fibre. So I don't have to remind you that to contract a muscle you need calcium and to relax that muscle you need magnesium. You may not be aware that a similar pattern relates to the action of calcium <>magnesium on brain neurons.

I haven't time on this lovely sunny morning to spend explaining in detail how this happens but you can read more about brain nutrition yourself here at Dr McCleary's blog.

Before I went away in my Caravan I was a bit worried because the Car computer logged some 28 different faults and these were being reported all over the car so it was going to cost more to investigate and correct each individual fault than the 2001 Volvo S80 was worth. But as the car was still functioning (despite the reported faults) I decided to go away anyway. It was a cold morning, the Volvo wouldn't start, Checking the battery terminal I found it had come loose. Hammering the terminal back on tight and tightening it up meant not only the car started but also, by magic, the 28 faults on the car information system also disappeared. The point of telling you this is related to the importance of Vitamin D3. I could have gone down the expert route as proposed by the Volvo dealership and investigated each particular problem at £75 hr +VAT & Parts or use a bit of common sense to work out what single factor could produce faults all over the car simultaneously.

In order to absorb optimal amounts of both calcium and magnesium from our diet, we need optimal levels of vitamin D3, but as I keep reminding people The AVERAGE UK ADULT, currently has less than a third the optimal amount of vitamin d, and that is less than half the amount required to optimise the uptake/control/retention of calcium & magnesium. Even at the end of summer the average UK adult does not have sufficient vitamin d status to absorb optimal amounts of calcium.

We Know Dietary Magnesium Deficiency Induces Heart Rhythm Changes, Impairs Glucose Tolerance, and Decreases Serum Cholesterol in Post Menopausal Women but we don't do anything to correct the underlying problem. In order to absorb and retain magnesium we first need to correct our vitamin d3 insufficiency and that means taking an EFFECTIVE amount

In order to understand what is an effective amount we need to go back to basics and consider what the human body over 2million years evolution became fine tuned to run on, so prior to the migration of earlier bands of pre-humans away from the equator to higher latitudes, levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream are estimated to be about 50 ng/ml - 125nmol/l.

If you look at recent work showing how much vitamin d is needed to enable breast milk to flow replete with optimal vitamin d levels and compare that with ample sun exposure we can see what happens to our circulating 25(OH)D and our Vitamin D3 stores.

If you compare those plots you see that up to circulating Vit d levels of 40ng/ml - 100nmol/l our bodies operate on a cash in hand basis and increasing amounts of vitamin d are put straight into circulation to cope with current demands only above 100nmol/l does the body store surplus circulating D3, and having sufficient stores to last through the winter requires a level above 130nmol/l. You can also see the levels the body naturally acquires and NATURALLY plateau's at given ample sun exposure.

You will see from Dr McCleary's anti-excitatory cocktail (to deal with stress) that Magnesium is a major player. But in order to best absorb and retain that magnesium, your body must first have it's current Vitamin d insufficiency state corrected.

As with my faulty Volvo the answer is not to treat each individual symptom but to get to the root of the problem and deal with the underlying cause of the many different symptoms.

Vitamin D is termed PLEIOTROPIC for a reason. If we are ever going to reverse the trend for heart attacks, cancer, Alzheimer's then getting control of calcium/magnesium via optimal vitamin d status seems a good place to start.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency .

annie_tanks

The replies are very honest about the menopause.Ive tried other forums but not as good as this.The menopause is horrible.Its the worst thing a woman can experience,and I hate every second of it all.As soon as I lost both my parents when I was 50 the menopause kicked in.Ive suffered all the classic sweats,weight gain on boobs and tummy ,and oh the sleepness nights,and now mild depression having motivational problems..ie go out and meet people.My doctors were useless offering HRT,anti depressants,that I do not want.I find it extremely difficult to be the dynamic person expected at work.Its a slog .I could do with some help to cope .

vivmagb

Just read your post, I thought this discussion had dried up but you seem to have started it again. I was nodding my head as I read your post, I used to have loads of get up and go until I came off the HRT now I feel tired and listless all the time. I'm still debating whether or not to start taking St Johns Wort to try and tackle the depression as I'm sure that the tiredness feeds the depression and the depression feeds the tiredness. I can't talk to my doctor as he doesn't seem to have any idea what I'm talking about and just tells me very patronisingly that it will end. If I decide to take SJW will post and let you know how I get on.

annie_tanks

Vivmagb,thx for the reply.I know exactly how you feel.Im on my own and Im not sure that helps.How couples manage is beyond me.Ive tried STW and is slays me.Yes it takes the edge of life in a nice way,but it leaves me more sleepy than ever.Give it a try.I have to push myself incredibly hard to go exercise etc,that does help.There must be 1000's of ladies suffering out there,with no help.Working I suppose helps,but I would prefer to exit,but cant for financial reasons,as is most people working.The wost thing is not appearing to be that crusty menopausal lady that every-one avoids.There is no easy path forward is there.Im determined to keep going though.

Pollycat

I'm very interested in this thread.

I'm 55 later this year and thought I was menopausal (rather than peri-menopausal) as my last period was mid July 2006!
A whopping 21 months ago!
Before that one it was a 7 month gap.
Until yesterday - I just can't believe it - I really thought I'd done with all that.
I've been doubled up with pain too (my periods were always painful).
Is this normal?

I seem to have got away quite lightly with other symptoms, the occasional hot flush, some tiredness but other than that, I'm in quite good health.

Sorry if this is not OK to post as it's a medical sort of issue.
Thanks
Polly