No Symptoms

Surely as women we can simultaneously be very happy for those who don't have any symptoms while showing empathy for those who do. Those who don't are fortunate. I agree totally that education is key. The menopause is something we don't talk about enough. It often takes a long time for women to put together all the symptoms and realise they are menopause-related. Not all doctors are especially helpful, or even knowledgeable. The much demonized HRT gives a whole host of protection to our aging bodies that again, are not talked about enough so women can make informed decisions rather than those based on attention-grabbing headlines aimed at selling papers, not helping women. I went into menopause at 41, a few months after my husband died suddenly. I didn't have hot flashes, about the only symptom I'd heard of, and it was 3-4 years before I joined all the dots of my different symptoms to realise they were due to the menopause. Went on HRT and have never looked back. Am still taking it at 64 as when I stopped it, one of the key, very inconvenient, symptoms came back. Let's support each other and help prepare younger women, giving them the information they need.

The menopause was a right pain!

I was working in a very responsible job, travelling to see clients etc, did a presentation to Heads of Departments at Harrods among others (yes, really!) and needed to be well presented and confident.

Difficult to pull off when you are having a major hot flush and just want to remove your jacket and stick your head out of the window.

Getting off the train and literally running to the nearest loo because you can feel the flooding, worrying it's going to go through the trousers of your smart suit.

But one of the worst aspects was when I had to come off HRT, my confidence went to pot, on occasions I would feel as if I was about to have a panic attack.

Wasn't too bad in the office, had a very supportive and understanding team that I worked with, but harder to manage in client (or potential client) meetings.

Had my last period at 48 (60 now) They has always been irregular and it took a while before I realised that that was it! Took my daughters on a very hot 18 th birthday holiday the following year and remember having an almighty hot flush in 40 deg of heat... but that was that. Thank goodness. And I’m very grateful as some friends have had an horrendous time.

I found some of the hormonal changes a challenge at times but nothing that I couldn’t cope with. I find as an holistic therapist, that everyone seems to be different. Some people find it an easy, seemingly uneventful time, other than periods stopping....others have some issues...but I hate the way it’s often ‘medicalised’ as if something’s wrong, when it’s a natural process, even if it is challenging at times.

Me too . 10 years ago at 54. A few irregular periods and some " tropical moments " and then nothing. No HRT . Been fine .
I think this is a common occurrence it's just that we only hear from the poor souls who have a bad time of it .

I was 55 when I went through the menopause, once my periods stopped I was absolutely fine, no symptoms at all.
I looked forward to the end of periods because I suffered from ovulation pain as well debilitating pain during the first day of period.

Had a cool s o no periods for years then aged 52 started with severe hot flushes lasted 4 years then stopped .I'm healthy i run 4 times a week but I gained loads of unmovable weight

Perhaps it’s because we are a fairly down to earth lot who accept that as we age, things deteriorate. Men have their own problems too.
I don’t think women are ‘in the dark’, we know all about the menopause, it’s effects and what we can do about it. If aspects are severe, we act on them.
I personally had a few hot flushes. Now I have vaginal atrophy...I use oestrogen cream.
Stress incontinence...I did pelvic exercises and now have no problems. Waterworks problems...none.
Low libido... mine improved ( probably due to the man I’m with) Osteoporosis ...tested and no problem.
Osteoarthritis ...no.
Sleep problems I’m busy and I walk 5 miles a day. Sleep like a baby.
I’m 67.

I had very painful periods in my youth and was pescribed very strong painkillers. This disappeared after I had children and I went through menopause without any problems, apart from my very last period, months after the previous one, which suddenly appeared while on holiday and completelyy unprepared!
I worried about getting night sweats as I've always suffered from excessive sweating and hate hot weather, but even that didn't happen and my excessive sweating has got a little better with age. It does seem unfair that some people suffer such terrible symproms but I'm grateful to be one of the lucky ones!

Blossoming! Don’t you mean “the menopause you deserve?” rather than “expect”?
I cannot believe you actually said that!
Everyone is different. I’d love to have “expected” a nice way run through! After all I’m Mrs average. No real problems at all through periods and childbirth. I’m 61 and look much younger (thankfully) but I never expected the menopause I got! However, I am glad your expected menopause was good.

I was still having periods age 55, but becoming irregular. Same for my mum and grandma. Then unluckily diagnosed breast cancer, oestrogen receptive. Final period a few days before first chemo, which I was told, would stop my periods for good. It did. Emotional on many levels. Now on hormone suppressant tablets (anastrozole) 5 years, half-way through. Tablets have caused numerous side effects, though aches and pains much better now. Hot flushes are completely manageable for me. Some bone thinning but nothing alarming. HRT completely out of the question for me because of oestrogen. Luck of the draw I guess.

My periods stopped about 8 years ago maybe 9. I had a couple of flood periods , one randomly six months after I thought I was through it. It was the last. I didn't take hrt as I wasn't having issues. My mother, my grandmother, one of my best friends and another colleague at work all had gotten times with menopause. I was definitely in the minority. My biggest "whoohoo" I could wear white !!!! And have no fears

Me too ! Just stopped hardly any problems felt a bit hot at times but never anymore than that I count myself lucky !

Same here. It was actually a relief when my periods stopped, as they'd been heavy due to fibroids. I was worried about the menopause and I expected hot flushes and never had them. No symptoms whatsoever.
I have acquaintances who had a difficult menopause so I keep quiet and sympathise with them.

Apart from hot flushes now and then I was fine as was my mum before me. I am now 60

Much the same here.
But you are right it isn't popular to mention being symptom free!

My periods were every 28 days until I was 56. I the had a light one one month .... then they just stopped ....no more periods! I had a few hot flushes at night afterwards, but that's it. 4 years down the line and the only thing that's changed is that I took control of my eating habits and lost 7 stone. Win win for me ?

I was too busy working at the hospital to bother or worry about what was going on with my bodily functions

Not sure about aging and menopause at my end. I have heard that once menopause hits is when you do start to look older. But I (not menopausal) have no wrinkles. My mother (definitely well past) also has no wrinkles. I think that part is largely genetics for me.

As for the rest, I'll wait and see. I don't plan on HRT though.

Yes. It's absolutely unfair to somehow blame the unlucky women for their own menopause miseries by their own lifestyle choices.
This thread is to give a voice to those who don't have problems and are completely overlooked otherwise.

I had heavy and painful periods too, and actually looked forward to the menopause, thinking my suffering would end, but instead, I developed many of the horrible symptoms listed by Esspee (and I'm not even 60 yet!)

I'm not overweight, eat a good, varied diet, and am very active, exercising regularly.

I am genuinely happy for those women who sail through the menopause, but can't help feeling very p****d off by posts from those who condescendingly suggest that women who are less fortunate have probably brought it on themselves by not being positive enough or through an unhealthy lifestyle etc.

I and my Mum always suffered from terrible periods, painful and heavy, I had 2 awful pregnancies, but no Menopausal symptoms at all.
Maybe I will have problems due to lack of Oestrogen at some time, but if I don’t have any menopausal symptoms I’m not likely to be offered HRT am I?
So we will see.

Thank you Maggiemaybe just what I wanted to say.

Well, thanks for that, Esspee, but I prefer to think I've just inherited good genes from the many women in my family who did not become wizened old crones in their mid sixties.

Perhaps you should seriously consider that some women on here who are not as confident as I am could be very upset by your comments.

Are you medically qualified, by the way?

Blossoming the point I was trying to make is that the publicised problems of the menopause, the non taboo ones such as hot flushes and mood swings are NOT the main problems. The ones that you never hear talked about (waterworks problems, declining libido often associated with vaginal atrophy, back pain, osteoarthritis, sleep problems, premature aging, osteoporosis etc.) are what I am drawing attention to and Jaxjacky it is not inevitable you will suffer these symptoms but it is very much age dependent. The longer you live without oestrogen the more likely you are to suffer osteoporosis is an example and Maggemaybe you are approaching the age where these longer term symptoms start to show themselves. I wouldn’t wish any of them on anybody. What I wanted everyone to be aware of is that sailing through the menopause when only considering the early appearing ones is inaccurate. eazybee puts these symptoms down to old age but most of those on HRT manage to avoid them.