Menopause - Do you talk about it with others?

Hi Elusive, and I am getting into my perimenopause now and am so upset, you have no idea :( as it is too early for me to be there. I should be calling tomorrow and ask what the blood exam results are, and we will see what should be done and using what type of hormon treatments, as I really, really cannot have this happen to me. My bones have been a big trouble for most part of my life, as these are breaking very easily, so I cannot imagine what osteoporosis would mean for me if I let it happen. I just received the book that I purchased online 2 weeks ago: Preventing menopause at www.preventingmenopause.com And I'll make them send a copy of it to my doctor too, as he doesnt know anything about it, as most doctors don't. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it to anyone here. We should NOT let this happen to us dear friends. We should be presented with the opportunity to postpone it for 10, 20 to 30 years!!! I mean it. menopause is so bad for women's health, and we shouldn't be accepting it and learn to live with it, not at all. TheFortunes

Well I started mine last year as I went to the doctor because of certain Signs I had and she tested me straight away on it lol and yep it is I had already asked my Friend what signs she has so I did have an Idea what it was

Off and on for the past few years I've been getting a few symptoms. There have been a few times when I get unusual chills and now I'm getting I guess you call it, the 'nite sweats'. Drives me crazy. I wake up with my head covered in sweat. I'll be 50 in February and I guess I need to have menopausal blood work done at my physical soon. The thing I'm worried about is that the few doctors I've talked to about hormones say, if you take them or not you have a chance on getting some sort of cancer. So they told me it was a personal choice whether or not to take them; I don't know what I should do. It's crazy that 'we' women have to go through this at what should be the best years of our lives but, I guess there's nothing we can do about it. Part of life.

I have no problem talking about anything. I know what you mean ...when I spoke of my menopausal symptoms, I would get a look of shock and no response or very little. However people would be happy to tease me if I blushed and say I was having a hot flush. That's unkind. My problem is not menopause however, I'm incontinent and have been since the birth of my daughters over 35 yaers ago. It's been steadily getting worse. There are a couple of issues about this condition I'd like to discuss but people back away and are embarrassed for me it seems. And when I bring it up in a women's group and no-one responds....I AM embarrassed. I feel very alone with this condition.

You mean now I can claim a reason for my craziness. I am 54 and just started the madness this year. So tell us more about the symptoms? Let's talk.

When I first started recognizing symptoms in my mid 40s, Elusive, I talked to my mother about it a lot. I also talked to my doctor. They were both very helpful, but the process really did take an emotional toll on me. I consider myself fortunate because I was already in counseling which helped me a great deal. I have been talking with my oldest daughter about it recently since she is getting close to that age.

It is interesting that you bring this up. I am 49 1/2 and I am going through menapause. Not perimenopausal, as I think that happened gradually over the past few years. I haven't really talked about it to many people, although I mention it to my husband every now & then. Nor have I bothered going to the Doctor to have one of those tests, to see if I am really in menapause. I don't take any medication & hormones for menapause. My periods have almost ceased, but not quite. They come & go, very irregularly & they are very light. I haven't had one for the 2 to 3 months. I also get hot flushes & night sweats. The night sweats are very obvious. There I am, with no quilt at all on, & hubby is all rugged up. Apart from the above, I don't have any other significant symptons. My depression did worsen early this year, & my Doctor put me on antidepressants, but I don't think it was menapause related. At the time, there were other reasons to have caused depression, which I still believe to be the case. The only issue at all that I am concerned about, is that I have heard that with the decrease in hormones, one can be more prone to osteoporitis (not sure of spelling) in later years. As that runs on my Mothers aide of the family, I do wonder if I should be taking something to help prevent this condition? Thank you for startiung a great discussion.

I was 50 a few months ago. I have been going through the dreaded perimenopause for about the last 3 years. I'm not afraid to talk about it - it's perfectly natural- I just wish the damn thing would hurry up and be over with! I don't have hot flushes too badly - only occasionally - my main problem is that I am just so tired all the time, and I can just burst into tears for no reason which I never did before. I also don't have a period for 3 or 4 months, and then get one that lasts for about 6 weeks - and it's so heavy! I had surgery and loads of tests done last year to check that there was nothing sinister going on behind this bleeding - and they said - no - just hormonal, and it would probably carry on til I was about 55! Was that meant to cheer me up - LOL! I refuse to take HRT or any of the other hormones - I try to just eat natural foods, take some vitamins and supplements, take exercise, and live as normal a life as possible. I won't let it beat me:-))

There are still some subjects that seem to be taboo and this is one of them. I have never understood why the menopause isn't more openly discussed and that information isn't freely shared. I hit my menopause in my mid forties and although I got away fairly lightly, I was still surprised that no one seemed all that keen to discuss the issues it raised.

I always talk about these things..I mean allwomen in the world have to go through it1 What is left to be ashamed of? The mass media throws all the sexy stuff in our faces and every one talks about every thing else including gays and lesbians and that isn't a taboo subject any more. So I think menopause comes way down the list of taboos for me. I am always talking about these health conditions that affext us and how we can naturally go through this with minimum impact..Good on you for bringing this up lol.

I am happy as happy can be to say I have entered menopause!!! I started my period on Christmas Day, not my favorite present. On December 2 nd I turned 10 years old and Christmas day was my first day. I'm not honestly sure excately how old I was when the period was gone but I do know it was somewhere between 52-54. The funny thing is I hear about all these woman who talk about the hot flash I've never had one but that's OK I can deal with that. hehehe. Take care my friend.

Gosh, I've never been embarrassed to discuss it, as you said it is completely natural. I went through it in my forties, actually I was done with my period at 47 and I sure haven't missed it! I guess I was one of the lucky ones because the only real symptom I had was hot flashes. Annie

It's good to talk about it with friends who are going through the same thing, or have already gone through it. I had perimenopause in my late 30's and was through menopause at 47. I'm so glad I don't have to go through the monthly thing any more. I went through 6 months, without a period, and then we went on a cruise, and it came back for a last appearance. I just had to laugh, thinking, it had to go on vacation with me, the first real vacation my husband and I finally went on.

Yes, I talk about it to others. The problems I have are memory, hot flashes, night sweats, and high blood pressure. I tried ginkobilova for the first one, but made my BP go up. Too bad, I seemed to remember more. The next two, I tried progesterone yam cream and black cohash. Seemed to work for awhile, on three weeks and off three weeks. My HBP I had to go to a doctor, all the herbs didn't work and some made me worse. Also my heart beats very fast, so my bp pills also slow down my heart rate. Interesting topic, take care.

I should, i am an obgyn