There is hope, stay strong

I am now around 1 year post meno give or take. I just would like ladies to know there is light at the end of the tunnel, although you may not feel like that at the moment. Just remember that an unlucky few continue symptoms for eternity, and as time passes they become less bothersome and mild in comparison for the rest gradually disappearing for good. From my research this is normally 2-3 years post meno, fingers crossed.

The symptoms I remember are as follows as far as I can recall. 1 year ago/present day

No appetite – Eat nothing for weeks on end, just sipped water and ice chips. / Eating normally again

Weight loss- lost nearly 2 stone/Back to pre existing weight

Nausea- constant day & night for about 10 months/Now none

Belching- awful indigestion despite not eating/ As before

Insomnia- totally unable to fall or stay asleep got maybe 3 hours a night if lucky/ Sleep well most of the time waking mainly to pee, usually fall back to sleep but awake for a couple of hours occasionally

Night sweats- OMG drenched need I say more/ Still get these but sleep through most of them certainly not as bad or as many.

Heat Intolerance- This was weird I felt warm all the time 24/7normally cold because of my thyroid, couldn’t bear even a warm shower it had to be cold, the hair-dryer was an absolute no no./ Showering and using hair dyrer as before still get some feelings of warmth but in between feel normal again

Flushes- Lasted forever just finish one then start another, either with or without the sweats. No triggers only very sensitive to temperature to surroundings /Gone from around 40-50 to maybe 3-4.

Difficulty Swallowing/Eating- Like a lump stuck in throat even taking meds was hard because of gagging but was only actually sick a couple of times/No problems now

Tiredness/Exhaustion- probably mainly due to lack of sleep/This has passed

Emotional/Depressive- moods were down and very weepy. If I didn’t have such wonderful kids not sure I would bothered trying probably just ended it all ( hate to admit that now)/Still have a few down days but overall much better

Confusion/difficulty focusing- very light headed and dazed feeling/ Dizzy now and again memory still poor

IBS like symptoms- obsessed with keeping diary of BM/Odd episodes nothing serious

Palpitations- happened a lot/ Still get 1 or 2 but not as often

Chest tightness- very uncomfortable of course I had angina and heart disease, this was definitely anxiety/ Only get this now and again

Pounding heart – I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and hear it in my ears/ All gone

tremors/shakes- Shaking externally and internally. The external was like a constant shiver, internal was like an inner bouncing very hard to explain/Completely gone

restlessness- couldn’t relax or sit still very jittery/ Can now relax

anxiety- WOW never been an anxious person but this was just awful I was googling every little symptom, this made every other symptom worse and lots of crossover symptoms of anxiety itself./ This has gone thank goodness

Panic Attacks- Again never had one before very scary, got so I was afraid to go out, talk to anyone or make or receive telephone calls/ None at all now

tachycardia (100-140)- due to anxiety/ Back to normal.

headaches- terrible pounding every day and night/ Just an odd one now and then

head zaps- would happen day and night like a shock in head/ Get one now and again

feeling something wrong- convinced I had something terminal, Feeling detached from reality/Feel ok now do not worry about health anymore

Dry mouth-couldn’t quench thirst no matter how much I drank/Still get dry some days

Feeling of insects crawling over skin/ an odd tickle now and then

Muscle tension mainly neck, shoulders & backache, and joints aching especially hips, knees and legs/ Now all fine

Skin and hair changes dryer and older looking/ hmm just age!!

Hope this helps someone

 

Thanks. could do with some positive reading

Sue 

Thanks for this.. it really does make me feel a little better as there are so many horror stories on here you wonder if its ever going to end x

Thank you for all this information. I've going going through it now a couple of years. I'm on hrt patches but want to come off them now.

Thank you..it gives me something to look forward to.

Oh my you have no idea how much I needed to read this today! Just came from doctor visit because I've been so tired, blood pressure low and my heart racing. Heat intolerance is so bad right now ....I live I Georgia so that doesn't help. My whole body feels like it's 20 degrees above normal for days at a time and the I feel like I'm freezing....yikes! You give me hope! Bless you!

Thank you sooooo much ! Your story is my story too including thyroid . I have hyperthyroid in addition to my perimenopause . I have all 66 symptoms and skin burnings . Had to exclude peripheral neuropathy and many more . I went through a divorce (extremely sad story ) was in stress because of that . Then shortly started burnings that started in my groin area and then extended to all body . Was diagnosed with Graves' disease . Do not want to take any hormones but in thyroid medicines . Walking and exercising a lot and taking a very low dose of ZOloft . My GYN first adviced to take it only 10 days before my period to alleviate PMS but since I have my periods at different times 20 to 28 days apart it was hard to calculate . So I ended up taking 50 mg a day . It helped me with panic attacks and changed my attitude towards my burnings . Also I finally found very nice GYN who cares . That made sense too. Thank you so much for your support and sharing .

Thank you for sharing and letting us know that one day there will be a light!

I almost cried reading this. Thank you for letting us know that it's possible to overcome all those awful symptoms!

Thanks so much for offering us a ray of Hope. It's so nice to hear someone has got out the other side and is feeling much better. I hope my anxiety will disappear.

Debbie x

This helps enormously, thank you sooooo much

Very helful. So good to know there is light at the end of the tunnel x

The zaps and palpitations IBS symptoms and tremors are the worst for me

Thank you again!

Me too!

X

bumblebee, I'm in tears. Literally. My mom has been gone for 12 years now. I've had no-one to talk to. Just knowing that someone has been through what I'm feeling now and is starting to actually feel better gives me so much hope! Thank you

Thank you. This does help me. I have had mild symptoms for a few years but 3 months ago...BAM.... Very bad symptoms hit me almost over night. I have many of the ones you had. The anxiety and panic attacks and the detachment are the worst symptoms for me.

I am glad that you are feeling better.

It is a relief to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Take care.

This is very good to hear.  I also have anxiety, difficulty swallowing, stiff bones and muscle aches, zaps tingles in my head and tingles in my body.   Did you just tough it out or did you take and type of hrt?   I am taking hrt for about 4 months now.  My anxiety is better but my stiff bones and muscles aches are horrible.  I did start taking many supplements also.  I just wonder if years from now if I wanted to go off the hrt if my body starts from square one again and I have to go through all the symptoms.  Is hrt just holding the symptoms off while on it?

Hello.

I have difficulty swallowing too. I clear my throat a lot. Even though there isn't anything in my throat. It feels like I am swallowing past a lump.

Rather naively I didn't realise my symptoms were due to menopause I had a hysterectomy aged 29 now 51. I was so busy going back and forth to A& E convinced I had some disease, I just sensed something wasn't right When I finally clocked on and saw my gp Hrt was not an option due to medical issues. I have rode it out it's been hard at times. Yes you are quite right when you come off Her even if you are then postmenopausal you will get menopause symptons as you wean off. To minimize this come off very very slowly and gradually. I had hrt after my hysterectomy for 3 years when my remaining quarter of an ovary went into shock,my Dr took a year to wean me off and all was fine my ovary had kicked in. Then I hit natural menopause and got to do it all again! Hope you are soon better

Thank you for that, I suffered moat of them two, I'm two years post meno and things did get better but I am getting the odd symtoms still popping up, so I'm not sure if it's finally over quite yet!

Hello there..was just wondering how you re faring with this swallowing issue..I am feeling miserable atm with the same issue..cant think of eating as I feel scared that I might choke..have you found any relief? Please could you kindly share.( btw I do have terrible reflux)

Thank you so much

 some of  mine symptoms gone..but still going through the crap I pray every night for the heat to stop but thanks for putting up feel better post, makes also feel there is light at the end of the tunnel God bless you.