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[KarineT]

Hello,

Did you find entering menopause worse than perimenopause?

Thanks

Karine

[CLKD]

Nope.  What do you worry about the most?  Peri is usually when we become aware that The Change is imminent but it can be several years.  Menopause literally means 'last menstrual period' but it can be 12+ months B4 we really know they have gone ;-).

[Jeepers]

Hi karine

I think it varies a lot from woman to woman.

I had no symptoms in peri, and my libido went sky high . Passed through menopause and was fine until about  a year later, then all ,y symptoms came crashing in.

Others find that peri is hell, and things improve post meno.

Sorry, that's probably no help at all is it?

Jeepers xx



 

[Kathleen]

Hello Karine T

I think experiences vary not surprisingly.

My periods were regular right up until the day they suddenly stopped so  peri menopause wasn't too bad.  My symptoms became more problematic during menopause and after three years period free they were  much worse so I tried HRT.

 Some ladies here suggest that a bad peri menopause means an easier time when periods cease and that seems to have been the case for me.

I am sure other ladies will be along soon to post their experiences.

Wishing you well.

K.

[KarineT]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies.

For me, I think it all started in 2015/2016. I was having heavy periods around that time which seemed to last more than 7 days.  Then in October 2016 I missed my first period.  From 2017 to 2018 I was having a period every other month. In March 2018 I thought I was having stomach issues as I often felt like there was something stuck in my throat and I would often feel sick. Then around May 2018 I started noticing something else.  Dizziness.  This would happen almost every day and it got to the point where I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. In the autumn of 2018 the dizziness appeard to have subsided and I thought that I would be fine.  From January 2019 to March 2019 I had a full period every month. Then from April 2019 it was every 3 months.  At this time the dizziness came back and in July 2019 I started feeling low and anxious.  I had my last period in January this year and I get dizzy, low and anxious on a regular basis. It looks like I have entered the menopause  and I do hope that it will become easier for me in the years to come.

Karine

[CLKD]

HORMONES   

There may be an element of low oestrogen causing the dizzy feelings or you may have a trapped nerve in the upper Cregion of the neck.  Do your symptoms co-incide with when your cycle would have been because the ovaries don't completely shut off and sometimes have a flurry 

Is there anything that is particularly getting you down? 

[KarineT]

I have to say my partner was having work issues as he was out of work for one year and a half and I was worried.  But now he's working.  The anxiety especially kicks in in the morning for not reason.  I don"t think anything bad when it happens so it's got to be hormone related.  At one point I sought advice with a mental health specialist as I thought I had GAD but this is not the case.  The dizziness is a horrible feeling. Also it can make someone feel spaced out.

[CLKD]

Yep. Weird and not so wonderly at times!

[Kathleen]

Hello again ladies.

KarineT - Can I ask how your mental health specialist was able to rule out a GAD diagnosis?

Your anxiety experiences certainly mirror mine and those of many ladies here but we are often told not to blame the menopause for everything so your insights would be very helpful.

I had a little dizziness years ago but it passed quite quickly.  A friend of mine had many episodes during her menopause but the symptom also resolved and she is fine now. Hope that helps.

Take care.

K.

[KarineT]

Hi Kathleen,

After ruling out that my dizziness problem was not csused by my ears or a neurological disease I did some research.
I needed to figure out what could cause me to feel frequently dizzy because my gp was useless. I found that dizziness can be psychogenic and linked to an anxiety disorder such as GAD.  Based on this and the fact that there was nothing medically wrong with me,  I referred myself to a therapy centre to make sure my dizziness was not psychogenic.  I was already thinking about CBT because I was worried.  With the therapist we ruled out that I didn't have GAD.  I still couldn't figure out why I was feeling dizzy.. I have now concluded that it can only be menopause-related.  Before I was in denial and really didn't think that it could be a symptom.  This appeared in 2018 and it was quite scary because I was alright before that.  There is not much information about the menopause and most of us expect to get hot flushes only but there's a host of symptoms.

[Kathleen]

Hello again KarineT

Thank you for your comments. I recall my friend was certain her dizziness was related to her menopause and now she is through that phase in her life she is fine.

Wishing you well.

K.

[Hurdity]

Hello,

Did you find entering menopause worse than perimenopause?

Thanks

Karine

Hi Karine T.

This is an easy question to answer. In a word "No" !! The reason is that I started HRT when I was in very late peri-menopause (very infrequent periods with long gaps between them eg several months) and I am still on it 13 years later! Peri-menopause was a time of fluctuating hormones, lots of tears, lots of flushes and sweats which came and went as my hormones went up and down and as soon as I started HRT all the horrible symptoms went never to return ( except when I stopped!). Also for some women it is the hormone turbulence which causes many of the unpleasant symptoms and once you reach menopause you don't at least have this any more. However for some women flushes and sweats and low mood can go on for many years in an oestrogen deprived state (and other symptoms appear like VA and long term effects eg osteoporosis), but help is at hand in the form of HRT! At some point I will try to cut down, indeed have already started very graudally I think by cutting a slightly bigger amount off my patch, but now there are no limits on staying on HRT provided your health does not mean it is inadvised, what's to lose?

Hurdity x

[KarineT]

Thanks for your replies.

Hurdity, what are the odds of getting osteoporosis if you're not on HRT?   I don't know the percentage of women who get it but obviously not everyone does thankfully. I just hope that I won't be one of them if I don't go the HRT route.

I am currently on herbal remedies, with vitamin  D and other nutrients.  For the mood and anxiety issues, which are the symptoms troubling me most,  I'm using bach flower drops.  They were made for me based on my personality traits.  I have just started taking these so I have to give it some time.  If it does not work I will then go on HRT and if conventional HRT is not for me I will try BHRT as a last resort.

[Sparrow]

I had a very long peri, with symptoms reaching a peak in the last two years.  After that I improved very quickly.

To be honest I'm glad to see the back of my hormones and feel much better without them.

So the menopause itself was a relief after a horrible peri.

[CLKD]

Osteoporosis - do members in your close family have it diagnosed?  A scan of the pelvis is the best place to show how healthy over-all bone might be.

Good exercise regime. Brisk walking 10 mins every day encourages good bone health.  A diet full of green veg., lots of fruit, proteins: cheese, meats, chicken: teens now that are picky with food stuffs, will be more at risk as they age.  How was your diet over the years?

Bones need activity in order to maintain 'growth and repair'.  So walking, which we are designed to do, is the best starter.  Skipping anyone  ...... hopscotch?  Swimming once/twice a week encourages good muscle power in a gentle way.  Good muscles help bone health. The first muscle to atrophy when a person is immobile is the thigh so doing quadriceps exercises - which can be practised anywhere - is also suitable to keep bones healthy.  I danced from 8-18  , sometimes 2-3 times a week in my teens; as well as having to endure cross country  but it was supposedly 'good for us'.  Not on a cold windy day across wet fields it wasn't  ! 

Same as the jaw bone - which requires chewing and talking to remain healthy.  We are built to be active ;-).  [note to self  ]

Maybe decide on a weekly exercise regime and take a good look at your diet?  Batch cooking is helpful for those in a busy household, it means that we don't grab rubbish when hungry ;-)