Asking for sharing experiences about menopause changes

I’m beginning with changes. It’s not that my menstruation is disappearing, on the contrary, the changes are that my bleedings are even more plentiful than before. They were already plentiful before but not so much. I even have to take meds to lessen the bleeding. But, my gynaecologist told me that it was the beginning of changes.
I would like to ask you if you are in this same period, are you more emotional, more nervous. I am. I’m already a very sensitive person but I think I’m having more ups and downs now and more problems to regulate my emotions due to these changes.
Are you going through the same?

I am post-menopausal. It happened when I was 52. It didn’t effect my emotions. I did have some hot flashes. Very unpleasant. I started having weight issues and just aging faster, skin is dry etc But I don’t think it effected my emotions

Yes, I knew about the hot flashes.
Maybe it’s only a part of my personality however I feel more irritated when I going through the menstruation.

Thank you @Divine. I’m about to turn my 49 and it’s cool to share with people that are going through something similar.

I was 54 when my periods stopped, but I was going into menopause by my late 40's. My anxiety, which had always been bad, because unbearable. Nothing helped it, despite trying at least 5 meds. Horrible, relentless anxiety. Finally, at age 58 (and on a med that does help, plus therapy) my anxiety level is usually manageable.

I consider menopause one of the key factors that led to my one and only attempt on my life. During the height of it--I was working in a call center where you could not go to the restroom anytime you wanted without effecting your performance statistics (I had one one-half hour lunch and two 15 minute breaks during my 8 hour shift and I am afraid I have always been motivated to perform based on stats). My hot flashes, anxiety and bleeding were terrible at this time and the bleeding leaked right through my clothes many, many times which caused even more anxiety. It was a temporary job (though this is a company that has asked me back many times but now they are gone--bought by another) and when the job ended, I made that one attempt about a week and a half later that put me in the hospital. While in the hospital, I was constantly having hot flashes and the thing about them is that they occur suddenly out of the blue with no rhyme or reason. It is six years later and I am through menopause which is such a relief. No periods and my anxiety is much more manageable now. Eventually, your discomfort will end. Looking back, I needed more mental healthcare during menopause but, unfortunately, I had none. With my husband unemployed at the time given that my wages were low and temporary--I chose to stop taking my mental health medications (I would have had to also pay to see my psychiatrist regularly in addition to the cost of the medicine) thinking I could tough it out. This turned out to be a foolish decision.

There needs to be far more discussion about menopause than there is, in my opinion. Not enough attention is given to it...what to expect, how to survive through it. Menopause was a freaking nightmare for me and I felt so lost with it. And so isolated. I remember my grandmother mentioning that she thought she had "gone crazy" during "the change" - she said that so many years ago. I was young and wondered what in the world she was talking about. When I went through it myself I knew exactly what she meant.

@TunedOut

This is exactly what it’s happening to me. I have to take meds to dismiss my bleedings and I stained my clothes and have to set towels on the bed to avoid spotting the sheets.
Then, I have been noticing these heating flashes from time to time and I see myself more easily irritated.
Last menstruation lasted for 20 days. I always had long menstruations or even two in one month but for so long...

@BethRags

I do totally agree with you. More attention should be paid on menopause and even the menstruation itself because it’s very painful for many women.

I neither knew how menopause felt like, I couldn’t guess it was so bothering.
I remember my mum talking about how she felt and I saw her going through moments when she felt very irritated. And she is a strong woman, she barely complain about anything.

Like you, my bleeding was heavier as I started going into perimenopause, but also less regular. I'm post-menopausal now.

I actually have been most stable since going into perimenopause. The decade before it (my 40s) was a nightmare, but late 40s onward have been the most stable years in my life.

The hot flashes have been the worst part for me. Even though I'm several years post-menopausal, the hot flashes are still horrid. They started around 6 years ago and no signs of letting up.

I am a poor candidate for hormone therapy because of a high incidence of breast cancer in my immediate family, so I just deal.

The hot flashes are a hell on earth. Even though I haven't had a period for nearly 4 years I still have an occasional hot flash. UGH.

Yes, I forgot to mention that though my periods had always been very regular and usually only lasted 3 and a half days--when I was working in that call center, they would go on for weeks. It was making me extremely anemic. It felt like it would never end. Long periods are the worst.

'My foster parents fought all the time about my mom's menstral cycle.. A woman's menstral health is probably the number one cause of domestic violence. My foster father never got physically abusive but they had problems respectfully communicating sensitive issues and life became more difficult for her. It was obvious she wasn't completly well or emotionally supported- Life was constantly stressing her out and making her feel fearful. Her body could not naturally do what it needed to do. She always told me to eat when I am hungry. But she was too depressed to. She would be upset, then called hysterical. He didn't understand all of these outside factors were causing her emotional harm. It is a natural thing she needed to deal with and he could have been more supportive of her. She almost let go completely of everything. I was worried about her. Then, around the time of our last move, she thought she got menopause for good. My foster dad was forced to give her space and let her heal herself in her own time. Now she exercises all the time and won't talk to anyone because she still feels fearful. We encourage a relaxed environment but keep to ourselves and keep ourselves busy. We are less concerned with what she is doing and give her space. My foster dad supports her more because he loves her.'

Hot flashes were really bizarre for me as I am normally always cold. It was always in the middle of the work day. In two minutes I’d be all covered with sweat. It felt like furnace blowing on me. And then it would go away like it never happened. Was so unpleasant. Even though I had no emotional changes, these hot flashes were enough to drive me bunkers.

So, girls, as you describe them, I haven’t experienced these hot flashes yet. I guess the sudden hot I feel and the sweating could be due to a side effect from my antidepressant medication.

To be honest, it’s scary to think that they are still to come.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AzulOscuro So, girls, as you describe them, I haven’t experienced these hot flashes yet. I guess the sudden hot I feel and the sweating could be due to a side effect from my antidepressant medication. To be honest, it’s scary to think that they are still to come.

Some antidepressants do cause hot flashes. I found Pristiq to be so helpful for depression, but I'm finally stopping it because I can't stand living with the hot flashes anymore (it causes them).

Menopause was the best thing that happened to me. I’ve been much more stable since and the hot flashes do stop. I’m another one that couldn’t be on hormones because of risk factors but when it was over no more migraines and much much improved stability

This comedian does a good job singing about menopause to the Yesterday tune by Paul McCartney:

Estrogen, my ovaries make it only now and then,
look, I'm getting grandma's bearded double chin,
Oh I believe in estrogen.
Suddenly, I am twice the girl I used to be,
I don't want a hysterectomy or hormone replacement therapy,
Why do I sweat in my sleep, have weird dreams, I couldn't say.
I say lots of things wrong and now I long for Estrogeeen, Estrogen;
My ovaries make it only now and then and I am getting a hot flash again..

Unfortunately, hot flashes can go on for years and years for some people. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/...o%2011%20years.

This source says if your hot flashes started before you stopped menstruating (me), they can go on for 9 or 10 years. I'm in year 6 or 7 of hot flashes myself. I get them at least once an hour 24/7. It's miserable. But yes, my mental stability is SO much better now.

Omg. 9-10 years! Mine thankfully stopped in about two years. Mostly it stopped when I officially entered menopause (12 months after last period). Omg you have yours every hour! It’s insane

But my skin got drier, hair thinner and skin turn duller after menopause. Bottom line I started aging. Before menopause I showed very few signs of aging

Yeah divine your right about the thinning hair and skin. In a way I was grateful to look older cause I always looked much younger than my age. But the other side effect I’m not so pleased with is that my metabolism slowed down. I can’t eat the same as I did for years. But still overall I’ll take it, the stability is worth it.

I also always looked younger than my age, but no I am not grateful to look older. Ha I’ll take younger look any time! I gained weight too, my gyn says that the way to fight is to reduce portion size. No need to starve or limit foods, just make smaller portions. Ugh that doesn’t seem to work