Menopause: is there actually anything that I should be 'doing'?

I wouldn't take HRT unless you are desperate. I am not a medical person but there are family members who are and they don't like its connection with possible cancer. Do your research ,Fanny, because there are probably different sorts of medications and some may be safer than others. I had an early menopause and it wasn't particularly pleasant but I wasn't desperate or anything. Just worried more than usual about trivia and had a few hot flushes but there were a few others at work going through it at the same time so we used to laugh and fan each other.

There are many who have no or few menopausal symptoms and I don’t personally know anyone who has used HRT. You will know yourself when it’s time to seek advice if things are unbearable, and in the meantime try not to worry.

Except for the odd night sweat, I had hardly any issues with it, and never took HRT or anything else.

As with everything, lose weight if necessary and exercise. Easy to say more difficult to do.
Wish I had really done more in my 50s to keep my weight down.
And if sleeping is difficult take a piriton sometimes.

I guess it depends if you are distressed by the symptoms and they are stopping you for having a normal life? I’ve been on HRT on a low dose for a couple of years up to January this year when I decided to stop and take my chances, my symptoms were flushes and depression. Even with my family history of breast cancer and my heart condition there are so many medical practitioners that say the benefits outweigh the risks, and the risks are low particularly if you use gel or patches. Incidentally my very good gp told me that HRT only delays the process and you will go through it again once you stop. For flushes there’s a range of things you can use. Check out website, menopause matters too. Best of luck choosing what works for you, it is a bit trial and error. Take care x

It´s been said many times on here before, a healthy diet and gentle exercise, hand in hand with relaxation techniques and generally being kind to yourself.

I started the menopause in my early 50s and it was truly horrendous, I was still working at the time and my work involved dealing face to face with clients. I´d find myself talking to someone and suddenly my mind would go blank and sweat start gushing from every pore in my body. A couple of times, I even had to interrupt the conversation and ask a colleague to take over. I went on HRT (I live in Europe and here only a gynecologist can prescribe HRT, my gynecologist was a woman my age, so she had absolutely no problem prescribing it). I felt wonderful then, the sweats had stopped and I felt quite perky and youthful. After about five years, my situation had changed and I was working from home, so I took a personal decision to stop the HRT and let nature take its course. All the sweating, brain fog and the rest of it came back with a vengeance and I battled with it for the next couple of years. Read up on it and changed my diet, reduced wheat and sugar, stopped drinking coffee, reduced alcohol to the occasional glass of wine and most important of all stopped taking all medicines. I can honestly say that for the past ten years I´ve not had a paracetamol, ibuprofen, zilch, not even been to the doctor´s. I feel great, the sweats have stopped at last, I never get headaches or joint pain, which I often had before. I walk a lot (have a dog) and at the beginning of lockdown I started doing Silver Swan ballet exercises with youtube. I absolutely love doing those and feel a lot fitter. I have also reorganized myself mentally and stopped doing stuff to please other people, if I can´t do it, I just say no.

I realize this advice may not suit everybody and I know, Fanny, that you have mentioned chronic pain and mobility problems. I am just saying what worked for me. If I had to pinpoint the one thing that seemed to make the biggest difference, it was cutting down on sugar, not fanatical about it and I don´t check the ingredients in everything, but don´t eat cakes, biscuits, puddings any more. Maybe a bit of dark chocolate. Recently I had a cream puff and felt quite queasy afterwards.

I'm 62, had my last period at 59 1/2, and I get hot flushes and the occasional night sweats. I haven't seen a GP and I wouldn't particularly want to take HRT, so I carry a small, hand-held fan and bottle of water with me during the day, keep my bedroom window open, and have a thin (4.5 tog, all year) duvet on. I'm trying to lose weight and get fit again. I take a multi-vitamin each day x

Thank you for all of your replies.
I will go back and read them properly.
I forgot to say how old I was when I had my last period. I was a month shy of 48, which seems a bit young looking at some of your posts.
Thank you again

I was 42 I think.

I was so busy with teenagers, full time job, elderly parents and husband with cancer that I didn’t even notice I hadn’t had a period for months!
So I didn’t do anything about it.

30 or so years down the line, I seem to be just fine?

nanna8 has come up trumps yet again with good advice.

Peasblossom I'm tending to think (hope) that I'm going to be like you.
If I am having symptoms, it's hard to know which ones could be due to all my other 'issues', and what is caused by the menopause

I have def started mine but I have had quite a lot of work done on my womb and I think she has given up

High dose vitamin B complex. It will be good for your anxiety anyway and vitamin D.

I tend to be feeling the rage a lot and I never really suffered with PMT

Yes, it’s hard when there are other health issues. My Mum had a genetic condition and early onset osteoarthritis was one of the symptoms along with others.

When anything went wrong it was always hard to untangle exactly what it was from what she already had.

Here’s hoping your menopause is trouble free?

I think most women float through the menopause, FC. I wouldn't worry unless and until you get any symptoms that bother you in addition to the current health issues that you hinted at. I think your GP is quite right to skim past if you aren't feeling anything in particular.