Wednesday 16 October 2019

Post menopause

Thanks for the shoutout re joint pain. My bones ache occasionally and I do have OA in my hands which flare up occasionally. My shoulders ache but kill me in bed, now I know why!

I haven't covered everything mentioned on my first post as there is plenty of help online. I hope though that you might have learned something new. If you have any other information or helpful tips, please chime in.

The post menopause stage of life is different again. Okay, your periods have ceased - hooray - you can't get pregant, sod it/hooray depending on your point of view. Hot flushes have stopped - yay!

Your breasts may changes shape, shrink, hang lower - doesn't everything! Time to get fitted for new bras.

Fat distribution around the body changes. It often moves away from the hips and thighs and onto the waist. Probably where the term 'middle aged spread' came from. Adjust your diet, exercise more and generally look after yourself to keep your weight down.

Going to the toilet for a wee can change. You may feel as though you are weeing round a bend, or have trouble starting and stopping. You may feel you need to go more often and now. You may wake in the night to go thereby further reducing your sleep.

Coughing, sneezing or laughing can lead to leaking. If you have examined yourself throughout your life, you will notice things have slipped a bit lower. Another thing the gynaecologist told me about fat redistribution and loss of collagen was this.  Everything used to be plump, now its not. The underlying support structure of everything has reduced leading to several postmenopausal problems. When you used to wee, it just came straight out, now it comes from ever so slighly inside you and at a different angle. - see here for most things.

Bone density will change. Again, HRT can help with this but a good exercise routine, including yoga and walking, plus possibly increasing your intake of calcium rich foods would also help if you want to help yourself without HRT. Its up to you.

Your blood pressure may rise, mine certainly has. My blood pressure has always been low, around the 100/70 mark. Now it often rests at 125/80 or 130/90.

Your skin will probably become more dry. Reducing the use of soap and bath products will help, as will increasing the use of moisturisers.

Apart from everything slowly heading south, the biggest thing for a lot of women is hair loss and hair growth where you don't want it. I have spent two years getting rid of thick, dark hairs on my top lip and around my chin. Some of the little blighters come back, weaker than before. I get them zapped again and for the most part, seem to have won this battle.

Hair thinning and hair loss is a royal pain. I have tried various hair products, all to no avail. I have tried eating better, massaging, vitamins, all to no avail. I stopped dyeing my hair and allowed myself to go grey. Yes, I do look older but my hair, though thinner, is in a lot better condition. This is an ongoing battle. I may not win it and if it all becomes too much, might just think about shaving my head and going bald!

So there you go. Taboo broken or at least I hope broken into. Thanks for reading.

8 comments:

  1. I'm 25 years past the menopause and I still get hot flushes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blimey, maybe you should be Captain Hotstuff!

      Delete
  2. I'd also forgotten the joint pain! About a year ago (I must have been peri-menopausal) I started to suffer with the most excruciating hip/back pain, even a few small joints were affected too. I researched it and put it down to falling oestrogen levels. I seemed to go from being fairly fit and active to virtually stiff and hobbling. Even in bed I couldn't get any relief. I started a bit of home Yoga and a few other self-help exercises and gradually it's got better. I can now once again jump out of bed in a morning rather than rolling out on my side and then hobbling. I think my body must've adapted after the first drop in hormones.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for your frank insight. Totally agree with everything. All I can say is thank god God for te#na lady (or cheaper own brand products) and the recent TV adverts on the subject is breaking a lot of taboos. As for hair, new growth around neck has left me with a 2inch band of dark hair across the back below white/grey sort hair style.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are welcome. Just wish my hair on top would stop thinning.

      Delete
  4. I am way over 60 and used to have lots of aches and joint pain. Then tests showed that my Vitamin D levels were low. My levels are now (with supplements over last 2 years) between 60-70 and I feel so much better! Many older people have low VitD levels. Even my 94 year old mother even feels better since she's been taking regular VitD supplements. Old Age - not for sissies! Hang in there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very true about old age in general. Thanks for your comments.

      Delete

I love hearing from you, will read all your comments and try and answer any questions you leave. Please leave comments in English. Don't forget to come back and read my reply! All comments are moderated so if you try to link it to a commercial web site, it will not be published.