Menopause at Work

I'm 72 so the workplace and the menopause doesn't affect me. However, listening to the discussions on Breakfast this week I'm surprised that this is still an issue. When I was about 45 my periods stopped and I went to my doctor for HRT. She thought that I was too young and said I should have a blood test. Unfortunately when I went for the blood test I had a slight period so the test couldn't be done. I had it done soon afterwards and it showed that I was pre-menopausal and she prescribed HRT. I was talking to my DH about this and he remembered that my main problem was in requesting medication that wasn't made from the urine of pregnant mares. My GP agreed with me and prescribed something else. I was lucky in that the symptoms I had were very slight. I took HRT for at about 5 years. So, it seems to be that things have gone backwards, rather than forwards. Why is this? Is the urine from pregnant mares still used to make HRT or have we moved on from this.

It's also strange that the subject is taboo. My friends and I, all of a similar age used to compare notes and talk about it all the time. We all worked in environments where the majority of the staff were women so that may well have helped.

I went through the menopause while I was working. I worked Nightshift in a busy Nursing Home.
The main problem I had was organising myself and my staff. I made sure that I did the same things, in the same order every night, otherwise I'd have been lost! My staff were fantastic, I relied upon them a great deal. I had what I described as a "wooly brain". I wrote myself lists at home, for the things that needed to be done, so that I didn't forget the important stuff.
I didn't want HRT as some of my female relatives had suffered breast problems, fortunately no cancer, but you can never be too careful.
It took several years, but now at 67 I'm back to my "normal self".
I still have night sweats, but no hot flushes during the day.
Physically I have remained strong and active. I have a little arthritis in some joints, but I don't think it's related to the menopause, as I started with some symptoms before me periods ended.

Prempak, and Premarin are still being used ,i thought it was not used anymore but there is a petition on facebook to have it banned,
Poor horses, its barbaric what happens to animals in the name of medicines and cosmetics
The first HRT i was given was Prempak, until i found out how it was made,then i refused it for something else
You would think after all these years it would have been stopped,
The poor horses have to stand non stop to get this

I was working in quite high powered job during the menopause, which involved putting together proposals and presenting to clients.

I too had occasions of woolly brain, and worried about hot flushes in front of clients. Also found I was more emotional and lost confidence. Not good!

I was on a low dose HRT, and just about managed to get through.

It always seems to me that the only people who talk about the menopause were people who unfortunately suffered through it. I was all set for mine. I'd bought the books, had all the evening primrose oils etc all ready then - nothing much. Periods just stopped! Life went on as before.
Please understand that I'm not denying the problems others undoubtedly have but just want to wave a flag to remind you of us lucky ones.

The hot flushes were horrendous. I worked in a mainly male environment- they would have known what was going on but never said a word!

I was on HRT for at least 10 years- not long after stopping I had a nasty dislocation and # of my ankle caused by osteopenia. A waste of time taking the HRT for so long.

I tried all the herbal things, black cohosh, sage etc etc.

The other thing that was a big worry was the unpredictability of periods, I remember having to make a really urgent dash to the ladies, when getting off the train on the way to meet a client and being very aware that I was losing very heavily.

A few moments more and I would have had blood stained trousers, it was that bad, even though I was wearing a pad.

Like Jane, I had a straight forward menopause, a bit of flooding, developed fibroids, but as they go with the menopause, they were diagnosed and that was the end of it.

I have seen friends with quite troubling menopausal symptoms, but I do wonder if more was talked about the range of reactions in the menopause and that as many as 40 percent of women this passage in their life can be relatively symtomless, it would be reassuring for those approaching it.

The 40% is a figure I read some time ago. I think it significant that when I tried to check this figure this evening, no matter how I worded my google search, all I got was information on the symptoms and problems of the menopause absolutely nothing to say that some women have very few problems.

I do not think it helpful for women that this stage in their lives is treated as a period of invariable ill health and bound to be full of problems and difficulties, wen actually a significant number get through with little or no problem.

I suppose the menopause is an industry with perceived needs to meet thus products to sell.
I worked full time during my menopause and did a PhD on the side. Not being smug, just trying to show the other side of the menopause. It's not an illness, just a stage in life that can have side effects for some. I'm going to write a letter for my DD to open when her time comes. It will say 'Don't panic!'

I'm with Jane10 on this one. I suffered a bit - panicky feelings, flushes, sleeplessness and, worse of all, tiredness - but I took it as a phase which would pass.

I was not given HRT by the quack doc and told to "get on with it".

Although I was cross with the quack it DID give me an opportunity to look at my health more holistically, lose a bit of weight and get a bit fitter. I felt much better then and kinda empowered.

I'm finding all this happy-clappy sharey menopause dogma a bit much now.

I couldn't help noticing on watching all those women on breakfast telly last week that maybe, just maybe, they could feel better if they were carrying a bit less weight? (Obviously not every menopausal woman is overweight).

Hope that's not coming across as judgy (probably is).