DOES THIS SOUND VAGUELY FAMILIAR?
…“Crippling anxiety, sleep issues, panic attacks, lack of energy, weight gain, intense sweating, no sex drive, dry hair and brittle nails.” – Just a few of the 219 comments expressed by women from around the globe in response to a 2011 blog I wrote titled, “Menopause and Anxiety” for HealthyWomen.org.
It turns out anxiety is not the only thing about menopause plaguing the 6,000 U.S. women who reach menopause each day.
“I’M NOT BOTHERED BY MENOPAUSE”
…Says hardly anyone.
THE STORY
I’ve been blogging since 2009 (that’s a long time, in blogging years). Never has any one blog post ever gathered so many comments (and the comments continue to roll in four-plus years later).
SO, WHAT DO ALL THESE COMMENTS MEAN?
Women need other women
Women need a sense of community
Women need commiseration
Women need to feel heard
Women need to share and express themselves
WHAT WOMEN ARE SAYING
Basically, that menopause has ruined their lives. Or if not ruined them, changed them (and not for the better).
“ I need help.”
“I have no patience.”
“I have crippling anxiety.”
“I get awful panic attacks.”
“I have sleep issues.”
“I feel sooo old.”
“I used to be energetic.”
“I’ve gained so much weight.”
“I have brittle nails and dry hair.”
“This is so much worse than PMS.”
“Who is the menopause expert?”
“Will it ever stop so I can be my old self again?”
“I’m tearful and afraid.”
“Brain fog…mood swings.. I’m worried about driving.”
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
Hot Flashes: You may not be able to eliminate them, but you can get enough relief to make a difference in things like sleep and your sex drive. The North American Menopause Society suggests trying things like lifestyle changes, nonprescription remedies, hormone therapy (estrogen alone if you’ve had your uterus removed; if not, then estrogen plus progesterone is suggested) and non-hormonal prescription drugs. Click here to read more. And here are some via The Mayo Clinic
Mental Health: Indeed, menopause can wreak havoc on your psyche, confirms the brain & spine team over at Cleveland Clinic. It may start out as sleepless nights, feeling more tired than normal and moody and short-tempered (or what I like to call “prickly”).
Oh, I almost forgot – there can also be problems with concentration and memory.
So many women go on to experience anxiety and/or depression, which can be especially crippling if they can’t find relief. Read more about that here.
(Yes, changing estrogen levels could affect your mental state. And no, it’s not all your imagination. That calls for a toast.)
WHO ELSE YOU CAN TURN TO
Many women complain that their current healthcare professionals are either poorly educated or uninterested in the subject of menopause and as a result, are ill equipped to offer helpful advice.
What to Ask When Seeking Help With Menopause…
Are you a NCMP or NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner? These are practitioners who are skilled at providing healthcare for women in perimenopause and beyond. The National Menopause Society has established this competency exam for all licensed healthcare providers; if they pass they are awarded with certification that they have expertise in the field.
WHAT ELSE?
Having personally been privy to a host of these discomforts, I’ll add my two cents. I MADE IT OUT ALIVE!
Since I’m a breast cancer survivor, taking hormones was a no-no. Fluoxetine, prescribed by my GYN, helped with my irritability. My hot flashes gradually subsided after about I-don’t-want-to-tell-you how-many seven years.
My Non-Drug Drug of Choice
Exercise. Yeah, I know, I think it can cure all ills. Well, not all, but many.
Whether it truly helped with my menopausal symptoms or just took my mind off them matters not. And it’s good for things that this so-called midlife puts you more at risk for, like osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, weakening bones, insomnia. Think I’m wrong? Just look at this study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. Even if you never exercised before, it’s not too late: being fit in middle may make you a healthier older adult.
And who doesn’t want that?
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Carol Cassara says
November 23, 2015 at 2:03 pmDon’t hate me–I’m not bothered by menopause. I had very few symptoms and those I did have were minor and I coped with them. I know I’m lucky.
Stacia Friedman says
November 23, 2015 at 2:24 pmWhen I suffered from all the symptoms mentioned in this posting, I refused to take just Premarin offered by my gynocologist. I had done my homework and knew that millions of women in Europe were getting much more relief by taking a combination of Estrogen and Testosterone. The American version is Estratest. It dramatically eliminated all my menopause symptons. No more night sweats. Not more fatigue. And my sex drive was back. My only regret? I stopped taking it because of a medical media scare suggesting that HRT was not cardio protective, even though there is no history of heart disease in my family. I miss my Estratest the same way I miss my libido, memory and collagen.
Tam Warner Minton says
November 23, 2015 at 2:57 pmThe thing that I hated were the hot flashes which invariably came when we were out to dinner with friends, or at a movie. UGH. Other than that, I went through it really early, at 40, and it started when I had a MAJOR back surgery, so I didn’t notice it as much I would have otherwise.
Cheryl Nicholl says
November 23, 2015 at 4:07 pmMenopause is a bitch. There’s just no other way to define it. Mine started around 50 with me noticing that my feet and hands were on fire. Strange. Of course this was only the beginning. However, my experience was that it lasted about 6 years and has now gone away. For me the brain fog was the most unexpected. I couldn’t string a sentence together. I am currently back to normal.
Irene S. Levine says
November 23, 2015 at 5:10 pmNice to be over that!
Lois Alter Mark says
November 23, 2015 at 7:31 pmThis is great information. Menopause can make you feel crazy and, honestly, misery loves company!
Roz Warren says
November 23, 2015 at 9:24 pmI had an easy menopause and what you say inspires me to be grateful for that, and to be aware of what other women are going through. I still get hot flashes from time to time, but am able to ride them out. Thanks for the reminder of how how lucky I am.
Lisa at Grandma's Briefs says
November 23, 2015 at 10:16 pmI guess one advantage of having MS is I’m unsure if it’s menopause or the MS causing some of the crappy things that go on with my body and brain. 😀 Nothing too major, though, regardless. I hear horror stories all the time but have yet to experience much worse than minor hot flashes and a foggy brain. Thank you for the info!
Kimberly says
November 23, 2015 at 10:27 pmHow lucky we are to now have the community of women on the internet to share our stories with. So very different than our grandmother’s world. Information is key and we have so much at our fingertips. Thanks for revisiting a topic of such broad interest.
Kimberly
Carolann says
November 23, 2015 at 11:58 pmOh yeah. It can be rough indeed. I can’t stand the hot flashes – for me, that’s the worst of it. Thankfully, they are leveling out. My hubby can actually feel them from a few feet away when we are sleeping lol. I always laugh when he says, uh-oh, she’s hot flashing lol.
Lisa Froman says
November 24, 2015 at 3:14 pmYep, menopause has taken more than it has given. For sure. I like the way you wrote this!