Hi
I found this wonderful site 4 years ago when the menopause madness hit. I thought I would tell my story in order that it may help someone as I know that reading other women stories was so beneficial for me. When I look back at the last 4 years I hate to think what I have cost the nhs in appointments, tests, etc. and do wonder if it could all have been avoided.
I was 48 when I had my last period and for the next four years I had hot sweats to varying degrees but managed it ok and naively thought that I was sailing through menopause!!! The next four years I will try and put in chronological order:
1. Stabbing pains in left side of head - blood tests showing nothing.
2. Pins and needles in hands and feet - after some while saw neurologist who found nothing.
3. Joint and bone pain all over which was so bad I couldn't sit, lay or stand - various X-rays showing nothing apart from wear and tear.
4. Crying all the time, was truly like the niagra falls all the time - prescribed various antidepressants.
5. Diarhoae - various medication to try and stop it. Then had a camera up and down which showed nothing.
6. Anxiety where I couldn't eat or breathe properly - stronger antidepressantx.
7. Tinnitus - told had to live with it.
8. Mouth ulcers - prescribed ointment.
9. Cramp - prescribed quinine which didn't help.
10. Insomnia, went from sleeping really well to getting through work on no sleep at all.
11. Constantly burping and full of wind - more medication!!
12. Foot pain which was/is so bad that unsure whether I could continue working - various trips to specialists etc and decided that being flat footed was causing all the pain.
13. Muscle pain all over - blank look from doctor!!
14. Numb feeling mostly in fingertips and feet - more puzzled looks.
15. Some spotting whilst using various hrts and had 2 stays in hospital for investigations.
16. Dry eyes - eye clinic and nothing found.
17. Fuzzy head with a feeling that I was wearing a metal hat.
I may have left some things out but during these years I was initially up against a brick wall with my gp who wouldn't prescribe hrt as said I would only get all the symptoms back again when I stopped. I managed to get hrt off of another doctor in the practice when my own gp took early retirement (probably because I drove him to it). So started a rocky road with 5 different types of hrt resulting in now taking 2 pumps of Estrogel and utrogestan all the time. A few months ago I paid to see Nick Panay in London who a few ladies had seen on this site and have to say that he is the only one that has actually sat and listened. I spoke of my concerns of being 56 and not being able to stay on hrt for ever as gps have such a different view. He said that he had women in their 80s on it.
I cannot say that the above list has all disappeared and I do have days that my head is all over the show, I feel weepy and I hurt but feel that hrt has helped me cope as a whole and do realise that these days pass.
I was told by one gp that they had one lecture in their training on menopause, not sure if more money was invested at this point that there would be a better understanding.
I'm not sure where I would be now without the knowledge and help I gained on this site.
Thank you.
Lesley xxx
