Conditions
Menopause
The menopause is often called the ‘change of life’ and is not an illness, but a stage in a woman’s life where she stops ovulating and ceases to menstruate. It is preceded by a period known as the peri-menopause, where the symptoms of the menopause start, and the post-menopause where the symptoms cease. It is unusual because it can affect women in many different ways, and some will pass through it with barely any symptoms, whilst others suffer severe and distressing complications that require medical help.
The most common symptoms include hot flushes, which are often red and patchy and night sweats. As a result of both of these, a woman’s sleep may be disturbed and this can lead to irritability and problems with short-term memory and concentration. Another common symptom is vaginal atrophy, more commonly known as vaginal dryness. This manifests itself as an itching and dryness that can make sex very uncomfortable, though this can normally be treated with oestrogen cream and vaginal pessary. Other common symptoms include urinary infections, such as cystitis.
Only around 1 in 10 women will need to seek treatment for menopausal symptoms, and the most commonly prescribed treatment is Hormone Replacement Therapy, or HRT. This replaces the missing oestrogen and can relieve all the symptoms of the menopause. An alternative to this is Tibolone, which is a synthetic steroid that acts in much the same way as HRT.
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I am 50 and have a coil fitted. My period last up to 8 days and are very heavy. When I have finished my period get a watery discharge (it has a slight musky scent) for about 3-4 days afterwards. Why do I get a watery discharge for about 4 days after my period? it is so much that I have to wear a towel, it costs me a fortune in sanitary products.
Hi im 24 have 2 children the youngest is nearly 2 i am not pregnant i have been having hot sweats and at night too i have also been having my periods every 3 weeks for the last 2 months on and off i get stomache pains on the left side and i have also for years suffered problems with stools and get very bloated as i only go every 3 weeks to ince a month and whilst pregnant suffered very bad piles i have started having nose bleeds and headaches on and off in the lsst few months im not sure whsts wrong with me the doctors here just say its cos ur body is going back to normal after child birth when i take any kind of contraceptive pill i just have constamt periods non stop ive tried every kind of contraceptive nothing agrees with my body so play safe with condoms please tell me whats wrong with me
i am 52 yrs old, i stopped my periods completely over three years ago, about the past two weeks my breats have been really sore and my nipples,i could hardly touch them and today l started a light bleed but have the heavy feeling and sicky feeling like l was about to start a proper period. Is this normal after so long
i am 44 and have been having nigh sweats for years, finding it verry difficult to loose weight althought i exercise and watch my diet ad now only get my period very heavy for one and a half to two days a month. I also et lightheaded, disorientated and forgtfull. Am i peri-menopausal and do i eed to see my doctor?
Hi, have you had your thyroid levels checked? It sounds as if they could be low. I suggest you go and tell your GP how you are feeling.
is it safe to have unprotected sex if you have had no periods for 14 months and are of the menapause age
l am 56 years old - l had a hysterectomy when l was 32 - 24 years ago - l started my change about 3 years ago, but still l have no sexual appetite at all, the thought of sex sometimes makes me cringe, but l love my husband very much, and would desperately love to go back to a normal sex life - what can l do??? l dont want to go on HRT - DEFINATELY
I am 45 and for the last year or so I have had really bad itching of the vagina. It starts a few days before my priod and lasts a few days. is this part of the menopause. It is driving me to despair, HELP.. Is there any creams that would work effectively?
i am 50 years old i have had a full hystererectomy, 12 years ago, stop taking hrt about 6 years ago my gp took me off it saying i have been on it long enough but my hot sweats are worse they re every day and night i have about 30 in the day and about 20 in the nite when will it stop, its getting me down now,
hi pam,i had a full hysterectomy about 7-8yrs ago.....a gp cannot make such a decission,you should attend a menopause clinic 2x a yr in your local gynie dept-they will decide if you should re-start your hrt or if not how to manage the symptoms,im on 4mg a day but still sweat allday an through the night,im told the side effects due to the surgery will not stop,but may subside,if i were you i would insist my gp re starts the hrt or ask for a second opinion or change gps... thats pure wickedness! all the best! jan x
I am 51 and have been having hot flushes and night sweats for 2 years, I cannot take HRT as i have had breast cancer, I am now taking a herbal product from solgar called PM Phytogen complex, platinum edition, which you can buy from health shops. Also A Vogal menoforce sage tablets that you can buy from boots. I only get 1 or 2 flushes a day sometimes none but no night sweats. you have to take them for 3 or 4 weeks before you notice the change.
hi im Val and im 51 and i had a hysterectomy but left my ovaries intact when i was 40 ,but for the last few weeks i have been having hot flushes in the day time that last for bout 5mins and i also have been wakeing up a few times though the night with hot flushes that last about 5 mins
hi im 38,been having stomach trouble for years now.I get cramps,bloating is that bad i look pregnant,sweat so much at night,no energy all day long,just want to sleep been told i have ibs as i got the bloating,vomiting sometimes and feel weak but im not convinced please help me chele.x
Hi Chele, I'm 40 and have been suffering the same troubles as you. My tummy can swell up to to stupid sizes, almost 2 dress sizes. There is no pattern or trigger either. I have bought some nice maternity stuff to accommodate it. The sickness is a rarer part to it so I'm told and like you I feel wiped out. We are just special. Ha Ha Tina.
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