Hot take: is menopause so bad?

[Anonymous]

Ok. Hear me out please. I get night sweats. I get hot flashes during the day. I can’t sleep though the night. I have facial hair. I have belly fat. I weigh about 10 lbs more lbs more than in my 20s. My hair is naturally grey. I have wrinkles.

Is this really all that bad? Can’t it be a normal part of aging?

I mean. I pluck my facial hair. I run to combat too much weight gain. I get facials. I dye my hair.

But I don’t feel devastated that I’m experiencing symptoms of older age because, well, that’s just life.

When I get night sweats I kick off my blankets. Is that really too much of an inconvenience? I mean when I had babies and they woke me up every 2 hours that was much much worse.

I just don’t really understand all the complaining about menopause?

[Anonymous]

I just don't like my new neck or the weight shifting downward to my belly and hips. The rest doesn't really bother me.

[Anonymous]

I'm in peri. I'm just so angry all the time, can't control my moods. Everything itches, informally in my clothes, just so much malaise. And it came in suddenly and now it's here and I want my old body and brain back from 2 years ago.

[Anonymous]

The insomnia is killing me. The rest isn’t so bad.

[Anonymous]

Mine also included rage and horrible anxiety. Which is even less fun when boiling hot. Also my nipples were tender for 6 months straight, my urine smelled weird for a few months, flooding periods.

Not a big deal at all. Once I got on HRT and a SNRI. It took a lot of chemistry to function. Now it’s much better.

Everyone has different symptoms. I’m very happy yours are manageable and you love your body. Truly.

[Anonymous]

It's the not sleeping that is killing me. I am exhausted all the time

[Anonymous]

I’ve been thinking about this lately too. I’m 58, been in menopause for 9 years and my ten year window to start HRT is closing soon.

And now with the FDA removing the black box warning about breast cancer and CBS new breathlessly announcing it on the air recently, I’ve been thinking should I make an appt with my gyn to discuss it?

My only current complaints are weight gain (I’d take OP’s ten lbs in a heartbeat!), some brain fog, and not a lot of motivation. I have maybe one hot flash a day that isn’t bad, I sleep pretty decently, and I use local estrogen for vaginal atrophy.

But do I go on it to prevent bone loss and cognitive issues down the line, when I’m fine now?

Ugh.

[Anonymous]

I have it easy so can't complain. Having said that, turning 60 next year is shocking to me.

[Anonymous]

The physical symptoms for me aren’t that bad, but the mental fog terrifies me. I took one of those dementia tests the other day and was never so glad to draw clock faces, count backwards by sevens, and think of words starting with d in my life. There are days when I can’t remember anyone’s name or any proper nouns at it’s annoying and scary.

[Anonymous]

Insomnia and brain fog nearly broke me and I literally started to think I might have early onset Alzheimer’s. Night sweats, 15 lb weight gain, irregular periods, chin hair, persistent weird metallic almost burning taste in my mouth, and breast tenderness weren’t fun either, but I could have dealt with those things as simply part of the aging process. The not sleeping and not being able to think clearly were truly awful and I’m glad I started HRT because I can think and sleep again. I’m also finally able to move the number on the scale (a little) too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been thinking about this lately too. I’m 58, been in menopause for 9 years and my ten year window to start HRT is closing soon.

And now with the FDA removing the black box warning about breast cancer and CBS new breathlessly announcing it on the air recently, I’ve been thinking should I make an appt with my gyn to discuss it?

My only current complaints are weight gain (I’d take OP’s ten lbs in a heartbeat!), some brain fog, and not a lot of motivation. I have maybe one hot flash a day that isn’t bad, I sleep pretty decently, and I use local estrogen for vaginal atrophy.

But do I go on it to prevent bone loss and cognitive issues down the line, when I’m fine now?

Ugh.

I’m also 58 and have been on it for several years. I love it. No hot flashes or brain fog. Mostly I like because of how relaxed I am. I’m in a pretty stressful job, and I’m very chill as compared to years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok. Hear me out please. I get night sweats. I get hot flashes during the day. I can’t sleep though the night. I have facial hair. I have belly fat. I weigh about 10 lbs more lbs more than in my 20s. My hair is naturally grey. I have wrinkles.

Is this really all that bad? Can’t it be a normal part of aging?

I mean. I pluck my facial hair. I run to combat too much weight gain. I get facials. I dye my hair.

But I don’t feel devastated that I’m experiencing symptoms of older age because, well, that’s just life.

When I get night sweats I kick off my blankets. Is that really too much of an inconvenience? I mean when I had babies and they woke me up every 2 hours that was much much worse.

I just don’t really understand all the complaining about menopause?

I couldn’t stand my DH’s body heat so I started sleeping on the sofa with a fan aimed at my body.

My vagina thinned out so sex became painful with bleeding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Insomnia and brain fog nearly broke me and I literally started to think I might have early onset Alzheimer’s. Night sweats, 15 lb weight gain, irregular periods, chin hair, persistent weird metallic almost burning taste in my mouth, and breast tenderness weren’t fun either, but I could have dealt with those things as simply part of the aging process. The not sleeping and not being able to think clearly were truly awful and I’m glad I started HRT because I can think and sleep again. I’m also finally able to move the number on the scale (a little) too.

Can you please share the details of your hrt regimen?

[Anonymous]

I’m 61 and I thought I was mostly past the night sweats but the insomnia is wrecking me so I take melatonin nightly and the night sweats are back.

Does melatonin cause night sweats?

[Anonymous]

OP I really think it's external pressures that make it so hard. If we could all go be swamp witches we would all be very happy.