pud
05-19-2008, 01:23 PM
Hello again ladies,
This is probably for the "older" ones amongst us. I just wonder if I should still be getting the menopause symptoms at 54.
I guess I had a late menopause, started with hot flushes round about the age of 52, then my periods began tailing off. It was when they stopped completely, coming up to 53, that I found my real troubles started! I felt a definite drop in mood, depressed all the time, also began suffering from insomnia (not like me!), and then all the other symptoms, anxiety, panic attacks, weird feelings, forgetfulness, etc, etc, etc, etc happened. The anti-depressants I had for years and which kept me well just stopped working.
What followed has been the most frustrating time of my life! I tried hrt, and it did actually work, then I was told that they should not be prescribed after the age of 53 as the risks from them increase dramatically at that time (just my luck to start a late meno!!), so that was the end of them! I came off my usual anti-depressants and tried 3 other newer ones, all of which increased my anxiety so much at first that I had to give up after a couple of weeks. I may try these again though and try to bear with it - doc said if I can ride it out for a few weeks, then I should feel the benefit.
For now, I'm back on my old anti-depressants and also a cross between a tranx and and a/d, which has helped somewhat, but I'm not keen on taking these long term. Will discuss with my psyc when I next see her. A lot of my symptoms have subsided, but I'm just left with an overall general feeling of unease - what I call a "twittering" in my gut, which is really annoying. It can increase when I'm really anxious about something, but I try to ride it through.
Anyway, wondering if any other ladies are a similar age and experiencing similar things. Also like to hear from those who have come through it, and at what age.
Interestingly, when I started with all this horrible stuff, I said to a colleague, who was 63 at the time how I was feeling. Without batting an eyelid she said "well it's your time of life isn't it?" So it would seem it's common knowledge what havoc the old meno can cause!!
Look forward to hearing from you.
Pud
xxx
This is probably for the "older" ones amongst us. I just wonder if I should still be getting the menopause symptoms at 54.
I guess I had a late menopause, started with hot flushes round about the age of 52, then my periods began tailing off. It was when they stopped completely, coming up to 53, that I found my real troubles started! I felt a definite drop in mood, depressed all the time, also began suffering from insomnia (not like me!), and then all the other symptoms, anxiety, panic attacks, weird feelings, forgetfulness, etc, etc, etc, etc happened. The anti-depressants I had for years and which kept me well just stopped working.
What followed has been the most frustrating time of my life! I tried hrt, and it did actually work, then I was told that they should not be prescribed after the age of 53 as the risks from them increase dramatically at that time (just my luck to start a late meno!!), so that was the end of them! I came off my usual anti-depressants and tried 3 other newer ones, all of which increased my anxiety so much at first that I had to give up after a couple of weeks. I may try these again though and try to bear with it - doc said if I can ride it out for a few weeks, then I should feel the benefit.
For now, I'm back on my old anti-depressants and also a cross between a tranx and and a/d, which has helped somewhat, but I'm not keen on taking these long term. Will discuss with my psyc when I next see her. A lot of my symptoms have subsided, but I'm just left with an overall general feeling of unease - what I call a "twittering" in my gut, which is really annoying. It can increase when I'm really anxious about something, but I try to ride it through.
Anyway, wondering if any other ladies are a similar age and experiencing similar things. Also like to hear from those who have come through it, and at what age.
Interestingly, when I started with all this horrible stuff, I said to a colleague, who was 63 at the time how I was feeling. Without batting an eyelid she said "well it's your time of life isn't it?" So it would seem it's common knowledge what havoc the old meno can cause!!
Look forward to hearing from you.
Pud
xxx
Sponsor
ebrena
05-19-2008, 05:01 PM
Hi pud, I'm not sure what it is your explaining. But it sounds more like generalized anxiety than menopause. Who said you can't take "lose dose" HRT after 53? Maybe 63. I am 53 and take "low dose HRT" it it has helped me immensly. I don't think you are late in years for starting menopause, what you have for years prior to the build up is peri-menopause. I never went into menopause till 51 and most people I know-the same. I worked with a woman who was 63 years old and was taking HRT for menopause and then began having break-through bleeding so she had tests done-the Dr took her off the HRT because she was not yet menopausal!!! She is what I would call a late bloomer. There is no time frame on any of it. Basically they say to look towards your mother and other female family members to see when they began and yes it can go on for years and some lucky duckies breeze through it. So try to calm down and ride the ride and don't compare yourself to what others are going through. Perhaps now is not a good time to go through changes in your other meds, if they worked before maybe you just need to change the dose. Some Drs will recommend you change to this or that newer one but they don't know how you will react. As for anxiety it may be more pronounced because you are reading too much into a natural life process. I have anxiety disorder and I am bi-polar but I have had these since my early 30's, I think maybe perhaps my anxiety is up a bit more because things like forgetfullness and confusion are driving me buggy, this is the part I am having difficulties with. Sometimes my head feels so full of thoughts and non-thoughts I feel like I am going to lose it. Other peoples stress rubs off onto me too which I need to let go of. I have trouble dealing if someone is flying questions at me and want on the spot answers, I just feel like saying-STOP and go away! I feel like I am on "overload" I call it meno-brain, but I am sure not every one gets it. Good luck to you and if you don't smoke and the HRT worked I would go back on it, but that is me.
ebrena
05-19-2008, 05:28 PM
pud, an example of my "meno-brain" on HRT. I went shopping at the drugstore the other day and took my stuff out of the basket and paid for it. I got to my car and here I was holding my bag in one hand and the stores basket in the other, As I looked at these I realized I still had my house slippers on!
pud
05-19-2008, 05:38 PM
Hi Ebrena,
Thanks for your helpful reply. I think the problem is if you START hrt after 53 Perhaps you started it before that age?, in which case I think it is okay to carry on with it. However, I think I may go and discuss it with my doctor again.
I am prone to depression and anxiety, but it was always under control with anti-depressants until I hit the menopause, and I just don't seem to have been right since then. It is sort of like the symptoms I had before, yet different somehow. That's when I became aware this was not the same as what I had experienced before. From other posts on this board it would seem anxiety is one of the major symptoms women suffer during meno, so if you were prone to it before, then I suppose it's worse at this time. I've had tests and I am definitely menopausal.
I will let you know how I get on. I may go back to the doctor again as I'm not due to see the psyc until beginning of July, which is quite a time to wait when not feeling good.
Keep healing.
Much love
Pud
xxx
Hi pud, I'm not sure what it is your explaining. But it sounds more like generalized anxiety than menopause. Who said you can't take "lose dose" HRT after 53? Maybe 63. I am 53 and take "low dose HRT" it it has helped me immensly. I don't think you are late in years for starting menopause, what you have for years prior to the build up is peri-menopause. I never went into menopause till 51 and most people I know-the same. I worked with a woman who was 63 years old and was taking HRT for menopause and then began having break-through bleeding so she had tests done-the Dr took her off the HRT because she was not yet menopausal!!! She is what I would call a late bloomer. There is no time frame on any of it. Basically they say to look towards your mother and other female family members to see when they began and yes it can go on for years and some lucky duckies breeze through it. So try to calm down and ride the ride and don't compare yourself to what others are going through. Perhaps now is not a good time to go through changes in your other meds, if they worked before maybe you just need to change the dose. Some Drs will recommend you change to this or that newer one but they don't know how you will react. As for anxiety it may be more pronounced because you are reading too much into a natural life process. I have anxiety disorder and I am bi-polar but I have had these since my early 30's, I think maybe perhaps my anxiety is up a bit more because things like forgetfullness and confusion are driving me buggy, this is the part I am having difficulties with. Sometimes my head feels so full of thoughts and non-thoughts I feel like I am going to lose it. Other peoples stress rubs off onto me too which I need to let go of. I have trouble dealing if someone is flying questions at me and want on the spot answers, I just feel like saying-STOP and go away! I feel like I am on "overload" I call it meno-brain, but I am sure not every one gets it. Good luck to you and if you don't smoke and the HRT worked I would go back on it, but that is me.
Thanks for your helpful reply. I think the problem is if you START hrt after 53 Perhaps you started it before that age?, in which case I think it is okay to carry on with it. However, I think I may go and discuss it with my doctor again.
I am prone to depression and anxiety, but it was always under control with anti-depressants until I hit the menopause, and I just don't seem to have been right since then. It is sort of like the symptoms I had before, yet different somehow. That's when I became aware this was not the same as what I had experienced before. From other posts on this board it would seem anxiety is one of the major symptoms women suffer during meno, so if you were prone to it before, then I suppose it's worse at this time. I've had tests and I am definitely menopausal.
I will let you know how I get on. I may go back to the doctor again as I'm not due to see the psyc until beginning of July, which is quite a time to wait when not feeling good.
Keep healing.
Much love
Pud
xxx
Hi pud, I'm not sure what it is your explaining. But it sounds more like generalized anxiety than menopause. Who said you can't take "lose dose" HRT after 53? Maybe 63. I am 53 and take "low dose HRT" it it has helped me immensly. I don't think you are late in years for starting menopause, what you have for years prior to the build up is peri-menopause. I never went into menopause till 51 and most people I know-the same. I worked with a woman who was 63 years old and was taking HRT for menopause and then began having break-through bleeding so she had tests done-the Dr took her off the HRT because she was not yet menopausal!!! She is what I would call a late bloomer. There is no time frame on any of it. Basically they say to look towards your mother and other female family members to see when they began and yes it can go on for years and some lucky duckies breeze through it. So try to calm down and ride the ride and don't compare yourself to what others are going through. Perhaps now is not a good time to go through changes in your other meds, if they worked before maybe you just need to change the dose. Some Drs will recommend you change to this or that newer one but they don't know how you will react. As for anxiety it may be more pronounced because you are reading too much into a natural life process. I have anxiety disorder and I am bi-polar but I have had these since my early 30's, I think maybe perhaps my anxiety is up a bit more because things like forgetfullness and confusion are driving me buggy, this is the part I am having difficulties with. Sometimes my head feels so full of thoughts and non-thoughts I feel like I am going to lose it. Other peoples stress rubs off onto me too which I need to let go of. I have trouble dealing if someone is flying questions at me and want on the spot answers, I just feel like saying-STOP and go away! I feel like I am on "overload" I call it meno-brain, but I am sure not every one gets it. Good luck to you and if you don't smoke and the HRT worked I would go back on it, but that is me.
ebrena
05-20-2008, 01:05 AM
Good luck pud and hope you feel better soon. I do admit my anxiety disorder increased with menopause and sometimes I felt like I was vibrating internally-awful feeling. I am not a person to relax much, I could be sitting starring into space but I am thinking over time while doing this. Stressful situations do me in-I used to be able to handle it but now I feel like I could explode either flip out on someone or break down and cry, I become confused easily and my husband has no idea how my head feels when I get like that and if he is asking me snap to questions I am floored. I just look at him and have to leave the room. I hope it is not forever.
rheanna
05-20-2008, 03:59 AM
pud,
I am 59 and am definitely officially post-menopausal. I don't know exactly when I "crossed over" because I have been taking HRT for almost 20 years. At the moment I am using the patch for estrogen, and taking progesterone pills every 6 months to induce a period. My periods occur only when they are induced by the progesterone, so that's how I know that I'm post-meno.
I understand that there are folks who have high risk factors and should not take hormones at all. Among the risk factors are heart problems, high blood pressure, a history of cancer (uterine, breast, etc), and/or close relatives with any of these problems. There are probably other conditions that would preclude the use of hormones -- I am not a doctor so I don't know all the details, I just do a lot of reading. Many women decide for personal reasons that HRT is not for them. And some women have negative responses to any of these meds.
BUT.... age is not one of the reasons to avoid HRT. Those studies that caused doctors to freak out about giving HRT to their suffering women patients were not applicable to all women. My understanding is that they didn't do a good job of screening out the women who should not have been given hormones in the first place - the ones with high risk factors. And they tested only a particular form of hormone, which means that they were assuming that all hormone preparations would give the same result -- which I don't think is the case in real life.
In other words, my doctor does not accept the sweeping generalization that hormones should not be used to help women go gracefully through menopause. He looks for risk factors to decide whether HRT is appropriate to consider, he gives exams every 6 months to see if anything needs to be adjusted or changed, he asks extensive questions at each visit about how a particular prescription is working, he makes changes based on what he hears from his patients and what he finds in his exams. He says that theoretically, as long as the exams show no negative health effects, a woman can stay on the hormones indefinitely. As he is constantly reading the literature and examining his patients and listening to them at each visit, he may change his mind in the future. But for now he feels that the use of HRT is decided on an individual basis.
The key here is that I was pre-screened to see if I had any risk factors, and I am examined every six months to see if there are any indications that the hormones are no longer appropriate for me. I am not automatically disqualified just because I am a certain age.
I really hope that you can find a doctor who is open minded enough to evaluate your personal situation, and not deny you a potential aid for this difficult time. There are lots of forms of HRT. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find something that agrees with you. And it may even be that none of them agree with you or that your risk factors make you not a candidate for them. But your age alone is not a reason to withhold HRT from you.
OK, I'm off my soap box now.
:angel:
--Rheanna
I am 59 and am definitely officially post-menopausal. I don't know exactly when I "crossed over" because I have been taking HRT for almost 20 years. At the moment I am using the patch for estrogen, and taking progesterone pills every 6 months to induce a period. My periods occur only when they are induced by the progesterone, so that's how I know that I'm post-meno.
I understand that there are folks who have high risk factors and should not take hormones at all. Among the risk factors are heart problems, high blood pressure, a history of cancer (uterine, breast, etc), and/or close relatives with any of these problems. There are probably other conditions that would preclude the use of hormones -- I am not a doctor so I don't know all the details, I just do a lot of reading. Many women decide for personal reasons that HRT is not for them. And some women have negative responses to any of these meds.
BUT.... age is not one of the reasons to avoid HRT. Those studies that caused doctors to freak out about giving HRT to their suffering women patients were not applicable to all women. My understanding is that they didn't do a good job of screening out the women who should not have been given hormones in the first place - the ones with high risk factors. And they tested only a particular form of hormone, which means that they were assuming that all hormone preparations would give the same result -- which I don't think is the case in real life.
In other words, my doctor does not accept the sweeping generalization that hormones should not be used to help women go gracefully through menopause. He looks for risk factors to decide whether HRT is appropriate to consider, he gives exams every 6 months to see if anything needs to be adjusted or changed, he asks extensive questions at each visit about how a particular prescription is working, he makes changes based on what he hears from his patients and what he finds in his exams. He says that theoretically, as long as the exams show no negative health effects, a woman can stay on the hormones indefinitely. As he is constantly reading the literature and examining his patients and listening to them at each visit, he may change his mind in the future. But for now he feels that the use of HRT is decided on an individual basis.
The key here is that I was pre-screened to see if I had any risk factors, and I am examined every six months to see if there are any indications that the hormones are no longer appropriate for me. I am not automatically disqualified just because I am a certain age.
I really hope that you can find a doctor who is open minded enough to evaluate your personal situation, and not deny you a potential aid for this difficult time. There are lots of forms of HRT. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find something that agrees with you. And it may even be that none of them agree with you or that your risk factors make you not a candidate for them. But your age alone is not a reason to withhold HRT from you.
OK, I'm off my soap box now.
:angel:
--Rheanna
pud
05-20-2008, 01:19 PM
Thanks rheanna,
I have made an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow and am going to ask him to put me back on the original hrt I had, which I think did really help. My problem is that because it did help, I just stopped the anti-depressants I had been taking dead (that was NOT a good idea!) when in fact I should have had the hrt as well as, not instead of, the anti-depressants! Either that or maybe he could try me on one of the more modern anti-depressants for my bad anxiety.
Don't know how you and others feel, but I would rather risk a shorter, happier life than a possible long and miserable one! I know that seems a bit extreme, but when most days are a struggle, it makes you feel like this.
Hope you are okay.
And get on your soap box as much as you want!!
Thanks again.
Pud
xxx
I have made an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow and am going to ask him to put me back on the original hrt I had, which I think did really help. My problem is that because it did help, I just stopped the anti-depressants I had been taking dead (that was NOT a good idea!) when in fact I should have had the hrt as well as, not instead of, the anti-depressants! Either that or maybe he could try me on one of the more modern anti-depressants for my bad anxiety.
Don't know how you and others feel, but I would rather risk a shorter, happier life than a possible long and miserable one! I know that seems a bit extreme, but when most days are a struggle, it makes you feel like this.
Hope you are okay.
And get on your soap box as much as you want!!
Thanks again.
Pud
xxx
liverpool sue
05-20-2008, 03:10 PM
pud, just a little question, and somewhat off topic. i was wondering why you quote when you're answering a post, particularly when you're answering the post directly before? no-one else seems to do it, and i was just wondering.... it means a lot of scrolling down to read things. not being critical, and no intention to be offensive - just wondering at the value of doing this.
reanna's replies are great aren't they? she's a very knowledgeable lady and manages to explain things so simply. hope you get some answers at the doctors, pud.
sue
reanna's replies are great aren't they? she's a very knowledgeable lady and manages to explain things so simply. hope you get some answers at the doctors, pud.
sue
jill60
05-21-2008, 05:07 AM
My Mother is 74 & she still takes hormones. I know a couple of women that are 54 & still have periods & haven't started menopause. From what I have read menopause goes on forever. If you have your ovaries they slowly stop producing hormones which would be menopause, you wouldn't start producing lots of these hormones again to get out of menopause. Now this is the way I understand it. I had a hysterectomy & also had my ovaries removed so I was in surgical menopause. I take bhrt & I feel pretty good. You would need to go to a compounding pharmacy & they would prescribe meds to suit your needs.
jill
jill
Mel52
05-21-2008, 10:22 PM
Pud, I am 55 and I am still a sweating, red-faced, sometimes pimple-faced, big bellied, sleepless female who sometimes wants to slap whoever said it is great to be a woman. My doctor had told me his belief was hormones should be taken for the first 5 years after menopause. I refused because my mom had breast cancer and because of a back injury 3 years ago, I haven't been active enough to not be concerned about a blood clot. I have not heard of any age limit to taking hormones
cmpgirl
05-22-2008, 03:48 AM
Hey Pud, I'm still in peri, but my cousin who is 58, had her last period at 53 and is still having symptoms on and off. If you remember in a thread a bit back, I mentioned I had seen my GYN for my annual and asked him a lot of questions about peri and meno. He said the "average" age for last period is between 51 and 53, and that symptoms can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years after, not always severe, but not uncommon.
I hope you get some answers and some relief. Hugs, cmpgirl
PS Ebrena...Loved the comment about the slippers. I did the same one day, but I was releived to see they were my suede slip-ons that look a little like clogs! This is why I call it mentalpause!
I hope you get some answers and some relief. Hugs, cmpgirl
PS Ebrena...Loved the comment about the slippers. I did the same one day, but I was releived to see they were my suede slip-ons that look a little like clogs! This is why I call it mentalpause!
pud
05-23-2008, 01:42 PM
Hi Liverpoolsue,
I'm doing it again I think, but I'm not quite sure what you mean??!! I am no computer wizard, any technology and I'm stumped. Perhaps you could explain what you mean.
Thanks.
Pud
xxx
pud, just a little question, and somewhat off topic. i was wondering why you quote when you're answering a post, particularly when you're answering the post directly before? no-one else seems to do it, and i was just wondering.... it means a lot of scrolling down to read things. not being critical, and no intention to be offensive - just wondering at the value of doing this.
reanna's replies are great aren't they? she's a very knowledgeable lady and manages to explain things so simply. hope you get some answers at the doctors, pud.
sue
I'm doing it again I think, but I'm not quite sure what you mean??!! I am no computer wizard, any technology and I'm stumped. Perhaps you could explain what you mean.
Thanks.
Pud
xxx
pud, just a little question, and somewhat off topic. i was wondering why you quote when you're answering a post, particularly when you're answering the post directly before? no-one else seems to do it, and i was just wondering.... it means a lot of scrolling down to read things. not being critical, and no intention to be offensive - just wondering at the value of doing this.
reanna's replies are great aren't they? she's a very knowledgeable lady and manages to explain things so simply. hope you get some answers at the doctors, pud.
sue
liverpool sue
05-23-2008, 03:13 PM
i see the mods have removed your quote of reanna's post, so i imagine there's some substance in what i was trying (and failing) to explain. it's just that on my computer all (or most of) your posts show you 'quoting' the post you're replying to, and it means a lot of unnecessary scrolling down to read further new posts, particularly when you quote a very long post as in reanna's case. i believe it can slow things down technically too. i'm no computer whizz either, and actually have no idea how to quote someone if i wanted to!! as i say, i've not been aware of anyone else doing it this way and wondered what the value is of doing so? i believe we all realise who everyone is replying to without having to quote them in our responses. maybe it's just the way your computer is set up, or maybe you're used to doing it that way, or maybe you just like to do it that way! whatever, it's no big deal, i was genuinely just asking the question.
sue
sue
liverpool sue
05-23-2008, 03:17 PM
p.s. i just press the 'post reply' button at the top or bottom of the page i'm viewing, type in my reply in the box, and then press 'submit reply'. maybe you do it differently - no right or wrong, just different.
sue
sue
pud
05-23-2008, 06:32 PM
Hi Liverpool Sue,
Okay, I get it now, hence this reply done this way!
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Pud
xxx
Okay, I get it now, hence this reply done this way!
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Pud
xxx
liverpool sue
05-24-2008, 04:40 AM
no probs, pud. hope you have a sunny bank holiday week-end, both with the weather outside and the prozac inside!!
sue
sue