Good Morning everyone. I’m a new member and so pleased to have found this great resource😀.
I’m interested to hear if anyone else has good stories about being post menopause? My menopause came fairly (46) early and I took Elleste Duet for nearly two years to get me through the onslaught of psychological and physical changes. Then the national shortage happened and I couldn’t get on with the alternative I was offered, so came off HRT completely, at which point the whole shebang hit me - hot flushes, weight gain, brain fog to the point I was losing my mind 🤯. I asked for a prescription of Vagifem, which sorted out the vaginal dryness about a year ago but otherwise decided to power on through. The worst of the symptoms subsided eventually. Then, recently, I read about the benefits of HRT on bone density, cardio vascular health and cognitive aging, so went back onto it, this time being prescribed Fem Conti 7. I’m only 50 now, so thought that perhaps I should take advantage of these benefits. The patches took me right back to a peri-menopausal state - wild mood swings, tender breasts, break through bleeding and water retention, so I came off it after a few weeks.
So two questions/points: I hadn’t realised the benefits of being post menopausal once you have weathered the storm - emotional calmness, clear sense of purpose, and a new sense of ambition, confidently assuming no period will interrupt swimming, thicker hair (?!). But there is very little out there which highlights this perspective. Is anyone else enjoying being on the other side?
2) the vagifem is effective and I’d like to continue that indefinitely. Does anyone know about the long term risks associated with that?