Whether you are in the peri-menopause, menopause or post menopausal stages, some problems may be happening to your body that you don't know what to do about. Some common symptoms are these:
- Mood swings
- Lower sex drive
- Hot flushes
- Sweating
- Racing heart
- Headaches
- Vaginal dryness and soreness
- Painful sex
- Painful internal examinations
- Trouble sleeping
However, even when I felt I had missed a period, I still got the usual period symptoms of irritability, clumsiness etc. I think I probably didn't realise or even notice I going through the perimenopausal stage.
You can of course ease some symptoms if they are really bad, such as hot flushes and night sweats by the use of HRT. I did try that but it made me worry even more about cancer.
Sleeplessness became a major problem for me and still is. Doctors generally don't like to prescribe pills to help you sleep. Eventually Nytol (in the blue NOT green box) came on the market and that helped enormously. I only take a 1/4 of the dose (easier to do this with the two a night version as it equates to just half a tablet). I never realised why they don't recommend it for long term use. A recent medical research paper pointed out, in a small scale study, that it can cause weird deposits in the brain. When they talk about long term use in this paper, they refer to people who have been taking it for years. A liquid form is just about to come on the market, caramel flavoured!
Sometimes, I sit up and read with a drink. My choice is Baileys with a little brandy added. I have half an eggcupful only. Just enough to take effect. Alcohol for some people doesn't help as it keeps them awake, it works for me.
More discussions tomorrow on vaginal dryness!
I never really suffered with hot flushes, but did get terrible night sweats, even on HRT patches, although the patches did deal successfully with most other complaints. I stopped using the patches a few months ago, my (male) GP had been 'encouraging' me to stop. I did get a few increased symptoms to start with, but they're mainly easing off now, although I do still get night sweats but not as badly.
ReplyDeleteI think I was lucky really. I had a few hot flushes but nothing too bad, I had intermittent and heavy periods with the worries about being 'caught short' (but then discovered I had fibroids), I did have a few mood swings, but then I did anyway around ovulation and period. The sex side of it didn't affect me as I wasn't!
ReplyDeleteI can't remember whether I had sleep problems now. It's all so long ago and I very much appreciate the way everything settled down and evened out afterwards.
xx
Thanks for this information. I'm in the midst of menopause - last period was in May and I've just turned 55. I take no HRT but recently purchased some over the counter moisturiser to deal with one of the problems which is present all of the time - and thankfully this appears to be working. My biggest problem has been mood swings and insomnia. Both are as bad as each other. I can't wait until I'm fully through this time of my life.
ReplyDeleteThink I must have been Very Lucky as I went through the whole thing with no problems! cant even remember how long ago it was - time flies by.
ReplyDeleteSame here, never even noticed it.
DeleteI too have been one of the lucky ones. I didn't have any problems apart from the sleep thing or lack of it. But I blame working shifts for that although it is a symptom of the menopause mainly due to body temperature.
ReplyDeleteCriky can't wait for the blog on vaginal dryness!!
ReplyDeletei have just started taking nytol (green box, herbal) two nights ago, i woke at 3am this morning with a splitting headache and a raging thirst, not sure if it's coincidence or related, i was wondering if you or anyone you know has any experience of the herbal nytol, i would be interested as i felt so rough this morning i don't know whether to take any more
ReplyDeleteBoth types of nytol cause dry mouth. Valerian can cause headaches and dry mouth, and can make you feel sluggish. If you wish to carry on, half the dose, ie half a tablet. That is why I use the two a night blue version and take just half a tablet, giving me 1/4 dosage. Anymore and I can’t function the next day.
Deletethank you, that's very helpful xx
ReplyDeleteI had my last period 2 weeks after my 60th birthday. Never had hot flashes, although I do get hot and throw the covers off a lot. I have a terrible time sleeping, awake many times during the night and I don't nap during the day. I sometimes take Tylenol pm and that helps. They say it's not habit forming but I don't like to take it too often.
ReplyDeleteI was very lucky. No hot flashes, no mood swings. I have always suffered from bouts of insomnia and those did not seem to get any worse.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
After nearly 10 years of perimenopause, I am finally, at 55, in menopause, having had my last period a year ago last September. The daytime hot flushes are reducing (or perhaps that is because I can keep a bit cooler now it's autumn and not trigger so many) but I'm still having them at night (duvet on, duvet off!)
ReplyDeleteOne of the worse symptoms for me is joint and tendon pain. After extensive blood tests to rule out any other cause, my doc said whilst menopausal arthritis and tendonitis isn't a recognised thing, he's known too many women to have these pains at this time for it not to be a thing. I don't have it all the time, just pops up every now and then.
I had a hysterectomy at 39 and menopausal symptoms (no libido, hot flushes, poor sleep, bladder weakness) by 44 - am now 49 and am on max dose of oestrogen patches (don't need the progesterone as no womb but still have ovaries) I still get hot flushes but not as many and have a lot of joint pain
ReplyDeleteThanks for this mention. Sounds like it’s good to rule out other medical factors and get help.
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