Menopause misery !

[Ajwag]

Anybody who’s under active had a really bad time with the menopause?

[littlecandle]

The menopause has exacerbated some of my symptoms, but neither the endo nor the GP care. Everything now is blamed on the menopause, because apparently I am over medicated and have been treated wrongly for the last 23 years. I am not going to bother having blood tests done this year at all, since all they ever want to do is drop my medication to the point that I become so under medicated that I can't function.

[Ruby1]

I’m underactive and have passed through pretty easily. My sister had a miserable time and she doesn’t have a thyroid problem, so I’m not sure they necessarily go together.

I found I was more likely to have hot flushes if I drank alcohol or over-ate. I think stress plays a part too.

Several friends of mine resorted to HRT but I didn’t need it. Maybe pay a visit to the GP and see if medication would help?

[klr31 in reply to Ruby1]

I often wonder if menopausal women need thyroxine as their thyroid levels drop and that those of us who are adequately medicated at menopause don't struggle as much. Just an idea.

Karen

[Ruby1 in reply to klr31]

That’s an interesting idea! We are such complicated beings it’s hard to know, but I’m very grateful for having an easy time of it.

[klr31 in reply to Ruby1]

Me too!

[klr31 in reply to Ruby1]

Also, I was cold such a lot with Hashimoto's that it's nice to be warm sometimes with hot flushes!

[DawnD]

I finished the menopause two years ago and sailed through it. Had some night-time hot flushes, but that was about it.

[LunaMa]

Hi Ajwag - I had a really rough patch last year and started HRT. However I didn’t really notice any substantial improvement in symptoms until I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism earlier this year and started Levothyroxine. Once I become stable on an appropriate Levo dose I’m probably going to stop the HRT, as I think I was misdiagnosed.

Do you think you might be under medicated?

[helen_m]

Yes, I developed hashimoto's and menopause at the same time and had a dreadful time of it as they couldn't figure out which symptoms belonged to which condition! That was 8 years ago. I had to go on HRT as my temperature regulation was awful - it wasn't so much hot flushes as cold flushes - hot, cold, hot, cold every 30 minutes, lack of energy, joint pains, fatigue was bad - but these relate to thyroid too - and all the symptoms of underactive thyroid. Three years ago T3 was added into the mix and I was feeling great for a while but now coming off HRT as I was recommended to by the breast clinic as I've had a few suspicious lumps, so trying to figure out what to do now. Being on levo and T3 does help me massively, so I'm hoping that the menopause symptoms will be lessened by that and hopefully I'll get used to them this time, with one of my conditions treated well. Hope that helps? I subscribe to a lot of herbal menopause emails which have helped a lot - there's a lot of menopausal issues which can be dealt with that way - one of them is the menopause weekly email from A Vogel

[serenfach]

Having been on HRT before my thyroid went south, I know how easy it is to confuse the symptoms. I too have had several breast ops, and some scares, and was told to come of the HRT. After 10 days I was in a right state, so started again.

I then did some research with HRT and breast lumps. Turns out it is around 3 in 1000 that it may affect. I will take those odds not to feel like a slug someone has put salt on!

A few months ago there seemed to be a huge shortage of HRT supplies. My GP was not bothered until I told him to look forward to a surgery full of sweaty red faced short tempered women. He and the brilliant local chemist worked together and found supplies!

I hope you feel better soon, but I would not be in too much of a rush to stop the HRT if it is helping you. HRT helps with osteopetrosis, and being short of thyroid hormones is an osteopetrosis risk.

[Hidden]

Yes, it's been and still is pretty tough for me. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's 19 years ago at age 31 and have been having symptoms such as hot flushes and insomnia for the past three years.

I remember reading Mary Shomon's book "Living well with hypothyroidism" right after I was diagnosed with Hashi's, and she mentions that menopause can wreak havoc on an already fragile endocrine system.

I am not saying that is the case for every woman with thyroid disease, but my mother (who does not have it) sailed through menopause without a single symptom. I don't have any sisters so really nobody else to compare to.

I have been put on HRT (Oestrogel and Utrogestan). While still having regular periods, I used Oestrogel from day 5-25 of cycle and Utrogestan 200 mg for ten days (day 15-25).

I have not had regular periods for the past year, only occasional spotting, so now use Oestrogel daily and Utrogestan 200 mg ten days a month (any ten days is fine according to doctor since there is no longer a cycle).

At first, the doctor told me to go off all hormones for five days and then use Oestrogel and Utrogestan 100 mg for 25 consecutive days, but I actually ended up having more symptoms that way. The doctor said some women feel better when using progesterone cyclically rather than continuously and I seem to belong to that category.

I was then told I could try to use Oestrogel every day and Utrogestan cyclically, and that seems to work best for me. My hut flushes have stopped completely and I can no get a whole night's sleep.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I could add that another symptom that appeared around the same time as the hot flushes was feeling more moody. I am still struggling in that department.

[JOLLYDOLLY]

Hi my lovely,

In answer to your question - yes and no! I was late starting my menopause compared to others, (54) but my periods just suddenly stopped, no warning, no hot flushes even. I do get that pre-period anxiety and tension and maybe more irritable. I think the reason it all suddenly stopped was because my mum passed away and everything suddenly changed. However, for the last 18 months, I have had gyne problems due to a misdiagnosed abscess which came from no where, even ended up with sepsis.

They have checked me for every kind of gyne cancer going as the flipping thing keeps draining and I lose some blood (sorry TMI) and say I am too high risk for any kind of anaesthetic because of my respiratory problems. Had all sorts of scans and now waiting to hear whether I have to see have a colonoscopy.

This is the contradiction - I am too high risk for a small procedure, but "I am not body shaming you, but have you ever considered bariatric surgery?" So I can't have a small gyne procedure, but I could have major surgery where they removed half my stomach??

The 75% of the reason I am big, is because of poorly managed thyroid condition, but evidently that is my fault??

All I know is, I am absolutely cheesed off with getting older as they make you feel like sh#t!

I think this side of it, is worse than having heavy periods.

Sorry for the ramble

So basically I am fed up and miserable about the menopause.

Take care

[Batty1]

NoThyroid and No female hormones = Hell !

[samaja]

Yes until I started bioidentical hormones and gradually got better. The key, however, in my opinion is getting your stress levels and emotions down because they will influence whatever symptoms massively. All hormones are on a loop but the loop really startes in the brain and mind.

[sarosent]

Look up Estrogen Dominance.

I had the same as JollyDolly - my mom passed, I had surgery for scar tissue on my ovary due to past & ongoing endometriosis, then my thyroid went. Blew up like a balloon, mood issues, etc.

What I have learned for me is that endometriosis (heavy periods, cysts) is a symptom of estrogen dominance - more estrogen in relation to progesterone. Too much estrogen doesn't help your thyroid either. Heavy periods don't help your ferritin and not enough iron does not help your thyroid either.

Then when you start menopause, your progesterone plummets but estrogen not as much, plus there are phytoestrogens in foods and chemicals, mimicking estrogen. So you become even more estrogen dominant. Plus for many of us, our livers/bodies have a difficult time getting rid of excess estrogen.

If applicable, look into progesterone replacement too. I use Emerita progesterone cream now.

[lelin]

Dear Ajwag,

I used "Natural Progesterone" cream:

puritan.com/now-foods-brand...

The first moth used was one pumb twice every twelve hours.

Secondly, in the ongoing months I used one pumb per day.

Thirdly, I used twenty-five days every moth with five days off.

It helps a lot to relief symtons and libido is increased.

Isma.

[62greenhouse]

Yes I did. No treatment with hormone therapy as I was told it was contraindicated with Levi.