Hi, I am 51 and 2 years post meno. I currently have Mirena coil, and use estring for bladder symptoms, and oestrogel 1 and a half pumps daily, this keeps most of my symptoms under control.
What exactly is 'Going through the menopause'? As I see it, we start having various debilitating symptoms at some point in the years leading up to our final period, and according to what we are told, are considered to have 'gone through the menopause' once we have had no periods for a year.
However, do the debilitating symptoms disappear along with our periods? 'Hell no!'
I have a friend who had a hysterectomy, last year, one ovary was left, she had very few symptoms of meno prior to this, but now she is having hot flushes, she says she can weather them , as this seems to be her only troublesome symptom, and her GP has said they will probably stop fairly soon! … how does she know that?
I have another friend, who has had the mirena coil for years, her current one has another year left, she has hot flushes, brain fog, night sweats, her GP has said this mirena will see her through!… see her through WHAT
From my understanding, it's not something we 'Go through' it's a permanent change isn't it? Ok so the hot flushes might disappear if we're lucky, but what about bladder issues, VA, anxiety, etc etc
We aren't going to magically start producing our own hormones again, so how do we get over it?
Does is get better once our bodies eventually adjust to life without our female hormones? Or do we face the next 30 ish years with troublesome issues?
Just can't understand WHY we are told we "go through the menopause'and phrases such as,' this will see you through' are used, as if all will be fine on the other side!… how many of us are still waiting for all to be fine?
Ok I'm mostly fine thanks to HRT, but I am still having anxiety at times concerning my feelings of having 'given in' to HRT, feeling like I've failed for not having 'gone through' the menopause naturally, and worrying about the health scares surrounding HRT.
I personally can't see how, without using HRT, my bladder issues would ever become normal again, even though my GP said as she sees it, the HRT will help relax the bladder to enable it to not have to empty so frequently, and over time it could be that it would remain so should I stop HRT.
Sorry for long post, it just feels like we are led to believe that normal service will be resumed once we have 'gone through menopause' but I can't see how!