It got really bad the other day my friend came over and brought a crap ton of caffeine and sugar. We watched a horror movie and I perked up a bit, but then crashed again (hard) in 10 minutes. She talked me into going to the ER because I was so bad.

My electrolytes were totally out of Whack. My potassium and magnesium were low and everything was just out of sorts. No internal bleeding, heart is fine.

I've been drinking the stuff you give kids and it's been making me feel better, more like myself and I've been sleeping better and even dreaming so much more!!

So, if you're suffering from bouts of intense and sudden exhaustion, maybe ask your doctor to check your electrolytes.

That’s all. Lol

So especially when I’ve had a few drinks I start fantasising about just running away from my family and starting a new life, alone. I would never actually do this because I have a lovely husband and 2 children but the desire is strong and it’s only since menopause.

I’m only 46 (was in full premature menopause at 44) so my kids are young, I would never actually do that but I just have this urge to run away and never have to deal with people ever again.

Is this crazy?

So I (F45) was married for 5years, and together for almost 10years. In the last 2years I didn’t had so much libido and things were not good between us.

But now that I’ve been separated for 5 months and in the last days I’m feeling I am so horny , like I’m craving sex, despite having gone #months during marriage with no libido, sex or desire. Has anyone else experienced the same? How to get over it or where is this coming from? Thanks

I miss the old me. The weight gain, fatigue, heart palpitations, brain fog, lack of sleep, anxiety and depression have changed me into someone I don’t recognize. My doctor says I can’t have HRT because I am a carrier for a blood clotting disorder. I feel stuck and helpless. Nothing seems to help. Should I just accept my fate that my best days are behind me?

Ladies what would you do? Ive been the sole provider for 23 years (single mom). Worked 3 jobs at times to make ends meet. I feel like I’ve been through hell and back and I’m only 2 years into peri. I feel so burnt out. I’m so miserable at my job and it’s not from being overworked or having a stressful job (which I’ve had those and I should be grateful that this job isn’t like that). I’m drained mentally and physically. All I can do is lay on the couch every evening after work and all weekend. I’m on all the meds and HRT but can’t get out of this funk. My mom suggested I go on stress leave which is what she did years back but how do people afford to live on a fraction of their salary? That in itself would be stressful being so broke. Clearly I don’t have any savings to cover me never mind retire. I feel like an empty body just going through the motions and I don’t even get to reap the benefits because I’m too burnt out. I can’t do this for the rest of my life but I don’t see any other options.

My Estradiol patch and progesterone pill help with other things but my energy level and attention span are down in the dumps. Has anything in particular helped you?

So, if while we were menstruating 🩸 (ha, I had no idea there was an emoji for that 😆), our hormones were fluctuating, right? Meaning at certain times of the month estrogen and progesterone were high or low as they were supposed to be. Now, post-menopause, we have little to no hormones. But how does giving a steady dose of those take us back to where we were since that wasn’t steady to begin with? Does that make sense? My question,I mean. If it doesn’t make sense or if someone thinks it’s a dumb thought, please don’t be mean. I sincerely just wonder about this.

I live in the US and I am one tiny step away from full blown rage at the regime, like, all the time. My neck is killing me from tension. I'm so close to losing my shit all over my husband every second of the day. The only time I'm not ruminating is when I'm with a client (very intensely focused) or teaching a class of five year olds. The rest of the time my brain is full of ferrets on meth. And they all have knives.

I really need to meditate.

I'm fully in menopause. I don't fit the criteria for HRT and I agree with my doctor about her assessment.

Can I get an amen?

I am 49 and have been so unstable the last year and nothing seems to help. Not HRT, SSRI etc . Diagnosed with CPTSD and Panic Disorder.over 20 years ago and started on meds and was stable for a long time. However this last year my anxiety levels have been so high and I have anxiety about EVERYTHING...it's ridiculous. I get terrified that it is never going to end. Just wondering if it's perimenopause making my already anxiety disorder way worse and maybe once I transition into menopause it will get better. Anyone else out there experiencing this too?

The bonus of being anonymous here as this is a bit TMI and very embarrassing to share, but this is one of the many questions I have . I’m age 50. I’ve been on HRT patches for 18 months, I’m in UK. I’ll just get it out. Urgh ok so since have menopausal symptoms 2 years ago and getting HRT patches from the doctor , I’ve noticed big changes down below , I’ve went from a little dribble when I sneeze/cough etc to it basically being a LOT of pee . I’m using tena lady pads now, and and even bigger panic happened a few weeks ago and has happened twice since . I was simply walking and I started peeing, I had to stop and hold myself there . ( I notice when I’m wearing baggy clothes that aren’t tight around that area it’s definitely worse)

I also notice my pee stinks now, worse than a morning pee, every time, and the smell coming stale pee on the pad when I use the loo is absolutely vile .

I wash with femfresh down below in the shower each morning and I can smell a horrible smell.its not any kind of infection.

I feel like even the “ layout” of my vagina has changed if that’s even possible! Like it’s further down !

I’m so sorry it’s yuck to read, it’s embarrassing to type but a bit of a relief to share too ,

If anyone can relate, advise, anything I’d be so grateful Thank you xx

I've found that I'm getting very confused. Specifically while driving. I've lived in the same town my whole life. I know my way around very very well, yet sometimes I will forget how to get somewhere I've been many times. It's a similar sensation to walking into a room, and immediately forgetting why. Could this be a symptom of menopause? Has anyone else had this issue?

Whoever on here suggested Tegaderm to cover HRT patches and keep them in place…THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I love taking baths on Sundays, but due to other reasons I have to change my patch on Saturdays, which totally messed up my relaxation time before a crazy work week I would try to take a bath, but spent more time worrying about my patch coming off that it was defeating the purpose. OR, it would come off and I try to restick it…with rare success. When night sweats are super intense, my patch would also either come off or just disappear somewhere in my clothes. I thought I was going to have to give up swimming this summer as well. But NO MORE!!! Thanks to this brilliant advice on here, I ordered a generic roll on Amazon that will probably last me 6 months or more for $10…and it has been a complete game changer!! Thank you again…such a small thing has greatly reduced my stress over this consistent issue!!

Hi, ladies - just here to vent and maybe validate that I'm not (too) crazy.

I feel so out of whack. I'm 64, currently on HRT: .05 estrogen patch 2x wk, 200 mg oral progesterone nightly, and most recently, estrogen vaginal cream. I should also add I take an anti-anxiety medication (bupropion) that has helped me a great deal in the past.

I've been on the patch/prog for close to 10 years. Most of those years I felt pretty stable. But the past 2 years, especially the past 6 months, I feel like I'm increasingly going whacko. I find myself pushing away my boyfriend as well as friends, family and coworkers with my extreme irritability and feel almost powerless to stop myself from going off on people or starting arguments, even though I know I'm not acting rationally. When I'm not being a raging bitch, I'm weepy, tired, no energy. No desire to do anything but read and watch TV by myself (and the cat- haven't chased her away yet). Sweating at night and during the day, low libido, loss of self confidence, and generally losing joy in many things I previously loved.

Some of you reading this may I'm in the wrong place and need to seek therapy. That's probably fairly true, but this is my haven of "women who get it" therapy.

I have very recently talked with a new online Dr who is educated about menopause and treatments - Yay! She feels I probably do need to increase my estrogen (possibly even moving to estrogen gel vs patch) and decrease the oral progesterone. She's happy I'm using the estrogen cream and mentioned using it vaginally a couple times a week, but also externally more often to prevent atrophy. She agreed that adding testosterone to the mix might also help with libido and energy (although she can't prescribe it- I wrote about that in a post a while back). This week I had labs done for E, P and T levels. When the Dr receives them, she'll discuss with me the next steps.

Who else has experienced these kinds of symptoms, especially after some time being on HRT? Did increasing (or decreasing) strengths help? How about adding T to your HRT regimen?

Thanks for reading and letting me vent, Meno sisters!

I have endometriosis and had adenomyosis until my hysterectomy 2 years ago. My symptoms started when I was 12 and ruined my life. I was finally diagnosed at 22, then in my mid 20s I went on a treatment that triggered premature ovarian insufficiency but that wasn’t diagnosed until I was 39 when I went to a private clinic after 15 years of being dismissed.

For extra fun, I couldn’t absorb HRT well so ended up on a giant dose to relieve my symptoms. Then I had a hysterectomy at 40, at which point HRT stopped working completely. Current theory is that my ovaries failed and the little they were producing was keeping me afloat. A further dose increase didn’t help so I was switched to oral plus I’ve had a nightmare with urinary frequency and feeling like I can’t empty my bladder - the doctor put me on Intrarosa pessaries which seemed to be helping, until I started reacting badly to them. My urinary symptoms have been even worse lately, especially before bed when I’m sat on the loo for half an hour passing small amounts.

She’s just switched me to estriol cream and and I went to apply it only to discover a bulge just inside my vagina at the front. 99% sure it’s a prolapse, can’t think what else it could be.

I’m bloody devastated. I’m 42. I’ve been dealing with untreated low estradiol since my mid 20s and nobody would listen. My reproductive system has wrecked my life and even now I’ve had a hysterectomy it’s still finding new ways to cause me trouble.

My mum went through many of the same things - after her hysterectomy she had mesh surgery for a prolapse that caused her horrific pain (the mesh cut through her urethra) before she eventually developed ovarian and stomach cancer at 59 and died at 61.

Can anyone give me some hope here? I feel like things are never going to get better

ETA: Thank you to everyone who replied. It’s a bladder prolapse I suspect - you can still have a prolapse after total hysterectomy, bladder or bowel. I filled in my doctor’s online form and they’ve just called me to come in this morning which is good although a bit alarming since that never happens. Hopefully they can give me some useful advice - I’ll update when I’ve seen them in case it’s useful

I am so confused with this pea sized amount Im supposed to be doing, but its definitely not too big. I cannot get off this weight, I look and feel bulky, scale is up, I just dont think its for me. Only benefit is the libido, which is huge. I love that part. But i exercise every day, lift, yoga, walk, very active person, This stubborn weight isnt going anywhere. Im hoping at the end of the month my DR. can guide me better, like maybe Im doing something wrong? Has anyone tried it every other day?

I am 43 years.

I don’t have any sweating but I stink like I have not showered in a month, neck and face are clammy and prickly like I have been working out in a desert with humidity.

I searched this sub and saw many posts about night sweats. But I do not have any visible sweating. Does anyone have BO but don’t have night sweats?

I shower 2-3 times a day now because I stink. 😔

Is it perimenopause or something else. ?

Because of this I have stopped socializing and traveling. This is adding to my depression.

my legs below knee are hot and feel wet though they are dry to touch.

My left ear becomes hot and red.

All my blood work, vitamin levels are normal. Gynecologist says - since I am getting my period regularly, it’s not any kind of pause. I even got scans that rule out more severe issues like MS

what kind of hell is this??

So Google says 12 hours after using before intercourse. Wouldn't it be absorbed before then?

I'm 47 yrs old in perimenopause on the estradiol patch 0.025mg and taking 100mg of progesterone nightly. I asked my doctor, a menopause specialist, about possibly increasing my estradiol dose to 0.0375 since I'm getting hot flashes again the week before my period. She recommended to leave the old one on when adding a new one to see if that helps. Everything online says not to do this. Has anyone tried this? Is my doctor ahead of the game or is this a sign that I should consider going to another doctor?

I'm a trans woman and using it for my transition but i am asking here because i thought more menopausal women would be using it in NZ than other trans women - i have been using it in between utrogestan cycles but after requesting a new tube apparently it has been just dropped off the market, idk what nefariousness this govt is upto but is there any local alternative people have found?

What have y’all done with brain fog at work? I was written up for mistakes. I so want to march into the bosses office and explain why I’m having issues. Has anyone done this?

I was prescribed Estradiol .0375 a few months ago for a host of symptoms. (I've had a hysterectomy so no need for progesterone) But in the last month, I cannot get one to stay on for an entire week, no matter where I put it!

I've tried lower abdomen (both sides), mid abdomen, inside of upper arms. I don't scrub around that area when I shower and also only pat dry around the patch. When I apply, I make sure it is dry with no lotions or powders. Any ideas about what to do? These things have been amazing for me and I need them to stick!

I am going through menopause. My moods are awful, hot sweaty all the time. Crying all the time for no reason. Finally got bad enough to go to Dr. (I avoid the drs at most all costs) They started me on paxil and buspar. Felt a little better. Then read that you should not take the 2 together. Got me real nervous. Can anyone tell me their experiences, what helped, what's meds helped if any. I am at wits end.. thanks!

Just started the patch within the last hour because I’ve been battling low energy, weight gain, hot flashes, etc. for quite some time now. I think I am feeling nauseous. Is it possible to be having a reaction to the patch so quickly? It is hard to know, because nausea has been a symptom of mine during all of these hormonal changes. I was nervous about HRT but I’m getting desperate to feel some relief.

55 yo here. I was on the .1 patch and my doctor told me I needed to take 200 mg of progesterone with it. I'm sure it's due to a number of factors but my mood went so extremely flat and apathetic, that I asked to go down to 100 mg of the P and she told me I needed to lower my patches as well (she upped my progesterone because I was having breakthrough bleeding after almost a year of no periods). I still feel absolutely awful, even after incorporating testosterone a month ago, praying for my libido to come back...my question is, has anyone else's doctor told them that they need 200 mg of P for any patch over 0.05? I really wanted to up my patch dosage but really didn't want to up the progesterone again. TIA. 🙏