Menopause really sucks!!!

[Notsonifty50]

I am almost 51 & being absolutely battered by the perimenopause.i started running in my 40's in 2018 & absolutely loved it...I got so much from it.i have done C25K several times since then.in 2022 I injured myself...caused by the stupid lack of hormones & had to stop for 18 months.started HRT in March 2023 & in October was back at it which felt great.i got to week 9 run 1 then illness took over...I started again...& again...& again...each time getting to only week 4 or 5 before stopping due to ill health.well I am back at it...just completed run 1 of week 6 & my body is falling me so badly.i am aware that my hormones are messing about & I need more HRT...but its SO soul destroying & disheartening to literally drag myself round these runs with zero buzz at the end.i was just wondering if anyone else on here is in the same situation at all?it's SO SO hard & so sad 😞 I feel like I am fighting a losing battle.i have put on so much weight in the last 6 months.i don't drink I don't eat takeaways or binge on junk food...work is also such a struggle.i am a domestic cleaner & have been for 18 years & for the most part really enjoyed my work.now I dread it & struggle up & down stairs & getting down on my hands & knees is another battle entirely as is getting up from that!!!if anyone else is in the same boat how are you coping?

[Suebedoo]

I am older than you and have kind of come through the other side. I adapted my exercise and did a lot of HIIT type training for a while. The most important thing though is to try and lower your cortisol levels. There is a lot out there on lowering them and intermittent fasting may also help. I too put on weight which has been the thing I found the hardest when I had been lean for so long. You will come through this and once your hormones settle a bit things will improve. My PT at the time encouraged me to do yoga and or Pilates to help with aches and pains and the going through mud phase. It did help.

Also if there is a menopause cafe or something similar in your area, you might find it useful to join.

[Notsonifty50 in reply to Suebedoo]

Thankyou ♥️

[Rainbow2468]

Hi i too suffer with my joints and yes getting up and down is a nightmare. I'm currently suffering from shocking water retention which has put my weight up. I'm trying peppermint tea as this was recommended, I'm not on hrt as i just can't face anymore medication long story there. But i am taking vitamin d. My joints have got worse in part i believe to the water retention, but it has gine down a little over the last week so I'm hoping that's the peppermint tea. Feel free to ask anything. Sending you a big hug too xx

[Notsonifty50 in reply to Rainbow2468]

Ah bless you...its so hard isn't it!!!I started HRT in March 2023 & the first 6 months was a bit rubbish...at my 6 month check up my testosterone levels were desperately low & the oestrogen wasn't working.so a bit of a tweak & I was a different person 🤩 the new combo worked perfectly & I felt incredible hence why I managed to start running again.but for the next 6 months after that I was poorly with everything going & it was relentless so I didn't really get to feel the benefits & kept having to stop & start running.i had another appointment in March & I was all over the place.since then I have gone downhill so fast because my hormones have obviously plummeted.when HRT works it works so well & is really easy to apply.but there is no control over our bloody hormones & they seem to just do whatever they like when they like!!!😳🤦‍♀️I am permanently exhausting & feel like I am just about to get my period at any moment...all the time...

I feel very resentful & feel like my body has been stolen.i really feel for you...HRT can be really helpful & it's not at all like having to take normal meds.i take turmeric for joint pain but my joint pain is bad so who knows if it's working...I guess if I stopped taking it then it would probably be way worse!!!hugs to you too x

[Rainbow2468 in reply to Notsonifty50]

Hi I'm reluctant to take it as it can cause bleeding. I'm on prostrap as my bleeding became so irraratic, heavy and prolonged. It is just horrible isn't it, what we have to put up with. Hope you have a lovely day x

[Notsonifty50]

Ah thats a shame 😞 thankyou & the same to you x

[sungirl55]

Just be glad you don't have the vaginal trauma like me. My vaginal tissues started to atrophy due to low estrogen and I started getting UTI's after every single time of intimacy with my husband. No hot flashes, but terrible fatigue. Good news is that the fatigue lifted but the vaginal stuff is forever. Now I have terrible muscle clenching in my pelvic floor because of the pain and trauma of all the UTI's and atrophied tissue. I have to take vaginal estradiol cream forever and applying every other night is painful. Soooo, after all that, just try to look on the bright side. You're symptoms hopefully aren't forever.

[Notsonifty50 in reply to sungirl55]

Oh you poor thing that sounds horrendous 😞 I assume you have seen a specialist for this?I really feel for you

[sungirl55 in reply to Notsonifty50]

Oh yes, I've seen many doctors, tried botox to relax the muscles and many medications. My brain is stuck in panic mode and I don't know how to make it feel safe and let go of the muscle tension. If you ever start having vaginal changes, just get on the vaginal estrogen as soon as possible before your symptoms get too painful.

[Notsonifty50 in reply to sungirl55]

I'm so sorry this has happened to you x

[Cellothere]

Wow! his thread could have been written by me so I really feel your pain Notsonifty50. I am 51, almost 52 and over the last 4 years have put in 2 stone. I haven't changed anything about my life style although stress levels have gradually risen. I can't intermittently fast due to Gilbert's Syndrome - it just makes me feel unwell and go yellow, but I am cleaning up what I am eating and trying to become more aware of when I am eating out of an unmet emotional need rather than a physical need.

I started couch to 5K recently and like you keep having to go back to the beginning due to illness. I injured my leg really badly last year and that also seems to get triggered if I run for more than 3 minutes, but I am just pacing myself and listening to my body (which mainly moans at me!) and going backwards when I need to. Something is better than nothing after all!

I tried HRT last year and it went really out of balance. I looked very bloated and puffy and started to go into a rage which I could not switch off until I stopped HRT. I use the vaginal one intermittently now, which helps with skin issues. Having said that I feel mainly terrible. I have masses of anxiety, keep subconsciously holding my breath and making weird random noises in my throat, which I am sure is anxiety based. Everything I do for work feels like a huge hurdle and the sense of constant panic is exhausting.

I hope that you find some moments of respite and peace. Nobody warned me that peri-menopause would feel this horrendous. I feel lost in myself and in my pudgy fat-suit. I can barely fit any of my clothes and live in smarts joggers.

Thanks for sharing your experience as it has reassured me that we are not alone - this too must surely pass and we will find ourselves again on the other side.

[Notsonifty50 in reply to Cellothere]

Ah bless you...I really do feel for you.its just so awful isn't it!!!I really do keep hearing the sane phrase over & over again...that awful feeling of feeling lost...losing who we once were...I absolutely hate it!!!if I had sat around not bothering to look after myself then I would take it on the chin & say fair enough...you deserve this...but I havnt & I dont!!!I feel like everything is a fight for survival!!!😫 I really hope that you can find some peace & manage to claw back a bit of who you once were...big hugs x