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Post by Robyn on Aug 23, 2012 6:11:29 GMT
This was suggested by Gelis. A lot of women are really confused by what is happening to them during their 40s and 50s. So many changes are happening, but what's normal, and what should they expect?
Gelis has a list of common symptoms and changes that I'm sure she would love to post.
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Post by Gelis on Aug 23, 2012 6:43:06 GMT
There are all kinds of symptoms which women experience during their 40s & early 50s which take us by surprise. Is this menopause? Am I going mad? What on earth is wrong with me?
We’ve all “always” known about hot flushes – the standard menopausal “joke” symptom. There are, however, many, many others, so I thought it would be helpful to make a “check list” to give those of us who are encountering these symptoms for the first time a clue as to what is going on. I’ve listed them in what seems to be the order of frequency that women report them. There may be others, of course, so please feel free to add them!
Irregular Periods Hot Flushes/Night Sweats Mood Swings Vaginal Dryness Loss of Libido
Depression/Anxiety/ Irritability/Headaches Fatigue/Sleep Disorders Memory Lapses/Difficult Concentrating Dizziness/Irregular Heartbeat/Panic Disorder Weight Gain/Bloating/Digestive Problems Incontinence Hair Loss/Brittle Nails/Allergies Changes in Odour/Itchy Skin Breast Pain/Joint Pain Muscle Tension Burning Tongue Electric Shocks/Tingling Extremities Gum Problems
Osteoporosis
Gxx
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Post by gillypanda on Aug 23, 2012 7:03:01 GMT
Oh my, oh my, I wish this was more widely known. I would add, wind in/at inappropriate times! I was out with a group of ladies "of a certain age" and people kept wandering off to see the views on their own. It was only when one of them admitted to getting terrible wind, that everyone else admitted it too! And gum problems, I hadn't heard that before, but I'm off to the dentist after the doctor as I've got problems with my gums that I've never had before I'm petrified of dentists, and my menopause anxiety and paranoia isn't helping...
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stumpy
Member
"Frankly My Dear, I Dont Give A Damn"
Posts: 370
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Post by stumpy on Aug 23, 2012 7:38:40 GMT
Mine were Anxiety - high no sleep angry/irritated some night sweats low energy now after HRT: low anxiety sometimes sleep is lots better not so angry better energy no sweats NEW: tingling/painful arms & legs...hope thsi goes the longer I am on HRT
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Post by Gelis on Aug 23, 2012 7:41:44 GMT
One of the worst, which I forgot to add: rage - of the red mist descending/wanting to throw things type! I found that very scary, as I'm normally a pretty gentle person.
Gxx
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Post by Robyn on Aug 23, 2012 7:59:52 GMT
I don't think I really had too many peri symptoms. The whole ton of bricks just hit me suddenly when I was 51. I got the hot flushes, but the major problem was severe insomnia.
Prior to that I did have the irregular periods and a lot of problems losing weight, but the main thing I had, which I now realise was part of peri, was frequent peeing at night. Fortunately I used to sleep really well in those days, because I would regularly wake every two hours needing desperately to go to the loo, but at least I was able to go back to sleep very easily in those days. I tried not drinking anything after about 6pm, but that made no difference at all. I could never sleep any longer than 2 hours at a time.
I complained to my then GP about it (who was about 12 years old) and she gave me a really puzzled look and said she would send me for an ultrasound. When that came back showing nothing untoward, she just basically shrugged her shoulders, told me she didn’t know what was causing it, and not to drink anything before bed, and basically made me feel like a freak.
Anyway, now that I'm on oestrogen that problem has totally disappeared, so it was obvious what was causing the problem. I would have been in my late 40s when I complained to the prepubescent GP, so why on earth didn't she put two and two together? She was supposed to be the medical professional, not me. I knew nothing about menopause back then.
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susan
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I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member - Groucho Marx
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Post by susan on Aug 23, 2012 8:17:51 GMT
My worst things in peri wereIn no particular order: Anger Mood Swings General Anxiety (Big time)Health Anxiety Two full blown panic attacks Ridiculous unexplained tearfulness Confident person to a 'wobbler' Weight increase when not eating any extra Formication - for years I was convinced the house had bugs as I didn't know what it was, I was always checking my skin for creepy crawlers Serious Gum Problems Tingling sensations at extremities My worst symptoms Post Menopause - about three years after cessation of periods in my case Crippling vaginal atrophy Still having bad hot flushes (6 or 7 years by then ) Still anxious - but much less than peri, to give you some hope folk Throughout both peri and postJoint & muscle pain, hot flushing, chronic insomnia Also all the usual hair thinning, skin thinning. xxxx
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Post by jacksfullofaces on Aug 23, 2012 9:13:37 GMT
My symptoms no sexual sensations A few flushes sweats at night anxiety gum problems sore skin like sunburn a cystocele a rectocele faecal incontinence urinary incontinence depression anxiety apathy loss of confidence vaginal atrophy insomnia bruising hair breakage - made husband chop it off as I had some left unbroken and it looked weird nails broke This all happened in peri - I ran for the hormones and almost all symtoms have vanished. Jacks
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susan
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I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member - Groucho Marx
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Post by susan on Aug 23, 2012 18:16:37 GMT
Hi Pinky The spellchecker wanted to change it to that word good job I had my wits about me. I hope others know what it is or they will think I have run mad. It was years before I found out it actually had a name. xxxx
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Post by Robyn on Aug 24, 2012 7:30:37 GMT
Boy - just reading how some of you ladies have suffered makes me feel like I haven't done too badly after all. I thought I was a really sad case because of my weight gain, prog intolerence, hot flushes and insomnia (and associated anxiety/depression), but I haven't done too badly compared to some of you.
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shimmy
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Post by shimmy on Aug 24, 2012 8:30:21 GMT
Peri Hot flushes Heavy periods itchy skin (especially head) thought I had nits - even went out and bought a nit comb. Dizziness burning tongue anxiety tmj worse palpitations Post Night sweats/ not sleeping anxiety/palpitations aches & pains vaginal dryness concentration tiredness hair/skin much drier Recently started hrt - hopeful things will improve
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Post by Robyn on Aug 25, 2012 5:55:22 GMT
Well that's the interesting thing Bella. All during my fertile years I never had any problems with anything. No PMS or PMT, my periods were always as regular as clockwork and I rarely even got cramps that needed anything more than just an aspirin to control. That's why I used to be so cocky about menopause. I just assumed I would sail through it, like I've sailed through the rest of my life.
It's still a bit too early to know where I am with everything yet. I've only been on the Premarin just over two weeks, and I'm not taking any more Utro until at least the end of Sept because I want to give the Premarin a chance to get me sorted out, before I start adding progesterone back into the mix.
Also add to the mix the Diazepam that I have to take just to sleep and I've got a lot of things going on in my poor little body. And as usual I'm too impatient and I want to reduce the diazepam too quickly to get off it, so I've been suffering a slight smattering of anxiety again the last couple of days. I really have to start practicing what I preach about how to reduce sleeping medications, so I'm now determined to just up my dose a little bit and reduce it reeeeeeaaaalllllly slowly.
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stumpy
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"Frankly My Dear, I Dont Give A Damn"
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Post by stumpy on Aug 25, 2012 10:29:10 GMT
A youngish female locum GP to said to me once (when I was up there thinking I was going mad - but no I was peri)...."i think maybe try not to start HRT Mrs***, its only hot flushes for 6months or so".
I laughed in her face!!!
Bless her, I wish I could be a fly on the wall in 10-15yrs time.
Its hard to get a GP to take it seriously, especially if they are very young, or a male older GP. So wrong.
Stumpy xx
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susan
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Post by susan on Aug 25, 2012 12:47:30 GMT
A youngish female locum GP to said to me once (when I was up there thinking I was going mad - but no I was peri)...."i think maybe try not to start HRT Mrs***, its only hot flushes for 6months or so". I laughed in her face!!! Bless her, I wish I could be a fly on the wall in 10-15yrs time. Its hard to get a GP to take it seriously, especially if they are very young, or a male older GP. So wrong. Stumpy xx Pity you couldn't have taken me along Stumpy. i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa394/Cybe2005/smiley-happy065.gif [/IMG] I was still having them at 53 when I went on HRT, which finally got rid of flushes ironically it was the crippling Vaginal Atrophy that sent me to the GP. I have never run out of a room quicker with a prescription in my life I knew for approx 25% of VA sufferers that vaginal oestrogen on it's own won't be enough, so I talked about having had hot flushes for 6 or 7 years, which was true. I sat opposite a 60 year old lady at work who started on flushes at 51 and although I dont sit with her now I know is still getting them at 66 - 15 flippin years poor thing. She said when the hot flushes started she had finished her period a couple of years. She went to her GP about HRT and was told that if she wanted it she would have to start bleeding again, so she didn't bother. Surely the GP realised she was post menopause by enough to prescribe a no-bleed. She has suffered for years because of one cr@p GP appointment. xxxx
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stumpy
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"Frankly My Dear, I Dont Give A Damn"
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Post by stumpy on Aug 25, 2012 13:40:23 GMT
Hi Susan
The flushes are bad enough if thats all it was.
As we all know, they symptoms/problems change daily. Return when they feel like it too.
Her face was a picture when i burst out laughing. I said i wish thats all it was.
Stumpy xx
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susan
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Post by susan on Aug 25, 2012 14:01:10 GMT
Hi Susan The flushes are bad enough if thats all it was. As we all know, they symptoms/problems change daily. Return when they feel like it too. Her face was a picture when i burst out laughing. I said i wish thats all it was. Stumpy xx Her time will come Stumpy All women are different, a lot do eventually seem to get rid of their hot flushes after a few years, but some poor women seem to have them for many years or in the worst case senario for life. xxxx
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Post by Klop on Mar 24, 2017 7:55:50 GMT
Nice things you wrote. I liked it. Thanks for that
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