{"id":22514,"title":"Menopause Symptoms. What are they? And my story.","description":"With 90% of women experiencing symptoms of the menopause and 85% of women having menopause symptoms interfere with their lives. What are those symptoms?","content":"

Menopause Symptoms. What are they?<\/h2>

Written by Jo Gibson<\/u><\/a>. July 2023 <\/p>

My own experience of the menopause and it\u2019s long list of symptoms is not a happy one. I\u2019m currently on a cycle of experiencing a wet, cold British winter where I feel cold one minute and 100 degrees the next. Yes, it\u2019s those damn hot flushes, or also called hot flashes. And the migraines that last days, what a joy those are. I\u2019ve suffered with migraines for over 25 years but now they are a constant drain on me and my everyday life. These are just of two of the symptoms I suffer with and unfortunately I\u2019m not alone in struggling with the consequences of menopause.<\/p>

\"MenopauseWith 90% of women experiencing symptoms of the menopause. 85% of women having menopause symptoms interfere with their lives. And 47% of women have taken time off work due to menopause symptoms. To me, those numbers are staggering and quite often it\u2019s something we will do in silence, as only 38% will ask their doctor for help.<\/p>

I\u2019ve mentioned a couple of symptoms I suffer with and there is a long list of menopause symptoms. <\/p>

Therefore for this article I\u2019ve broken them down into groups. I\u2019m not saying this is a absolute complete list but it\u2019s a start in helping you identify if you are peri-menopause<\/u><\/a> or menopause<\/u><\/a>. In future articles I will be going over in more details each of the symptom groups.<\/p>

What are the symptoms of menopause?<\/h3>

Are you ready it\u2019s a long, long list\u2026<\/p>

Brain and cognitive function:-<\/strong><\/p>

Difficulty concentrating. Confusion. Difficulty finding words, memory lapse during recall. Dizzy spells. Headaches\/Migraines<\/p>

Sensitivity<\/strong><\/p>

Asthma. Allergies. Digestive problems. Bloating<\/p>

Weight Change<\/strong><\/p>

Slower metabolism. Weight gain<\/p>

Mood<\/strong><\/p>

Mood swings. Anxiety. Irritability. Depression. Panic disorder. Loss of confidence. Anger<\/p>

Nervous Function<\/strong><\/p>

Tingling extremities (hands or feet). Heightened nerve sensations (electric shocks), more common before hot flash<\/p>

Temperature<\/strong><\/p>

Night sweats. Chills. Hot flashes\/flushes. Excessive sweating. Body odour<\/p>

Sleep<\/strong><\/p>

Sleep disruption. Fatigue. Anxiety leading to sleeplessness<\/p>

Appearance<\/strong><\/p>

Thinning hair and hair loss. Dry eyes, hair and skin. Increased hair growth. Brittle nails. Itchy skin. Accelerated ageing (associated with fatigue)<\/p>

Mouth Health<\/strong><\/p>

Gum problems. Reduced saliva level. Metallic taste. Hot sensations<\/p>

Gynaecological Health<\/strong><\/p>

Stress incontinence. UTI\u2019s. Lower libido<\/p>

General Health<\/strong><\/p>

Muscle tension. Osteoporosis. Irregular heartbeat\/palpitations. Decreased bone density. Joint pain.<\/p>

Symptoms, the peri-menopause and me\u2026<\/h3>

I said it was a long list! Please don\u2019t read this and panic. Not everyone will get all these symptoms. I know when I first looked at a list of symptoms I thought \u201cCrikey, am I destined to be a wizened old lady (at 46, post hysterectomy) who is emotional, prone to outbursts, no hair except where I don\u2019t want it and occasionally can\u2019t make it to the toilet!\u201d<\/p>

I thought \u201cGreat\u2026what a lot to look forward to!\u2019 And then it hit me, a few of those symptoms I\u2019d already experienced and hadn\u2019t at the time had any clue they could be associated with peri-menopause.<\/p>

You see, there was a period in my late 30\u2019s and early 40\u2019s where it was so hard. I mean everyday life was just hard. At the time I thought I was losing my mind and quite literally losing what made me, me. I could see myself disappearing in a cloud, no actually it felt like a bag being pulled over me and I couldn\u2019t escape. A lot of the time I quite literally didn\u2019t want to be here. Some days I woke up disappointed that I was still here and I had another day a head of me.<\/p>

Writing this I\u2019m not really sure how I got here, I can only think through the support of Andy, family, friends, and of course Nog, Pepper and co. And I guess a little bit of damn stubborn determination that I could get back to me at some point in the future. I hung on and now I\u2019m not completely right, there are some tough days but I know I\u2019m heading in the right direction.<\/p>

Currently I\u2019m not taking any HRT<\/u><\/a>, I have my reasons which include some medical ones. I\u2019m not saying I won\u2019t try it but for now I\u2019m not. What I do know is that I wish I\u2019d had more information earlier. I feel I could have got help sooner if I\u2019d really understood what was happening as part of the peri-menopause. I never had a list of symptoms. I didn\u2019t have any information at all and no-one really talked about it.<\/p>

Having fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue really muddied the water for me and after the training I\u2019ve now completed, I know I shouldn\u2019t have just dismissed it as one illness and I should have got more information on the peri-menopause and it\u2019s associated symptoms. If I\u2019d just seen a list of those symptoms and talked them through with someone, maybe things could have been different for me.<\/p>

By reading about my story, I want you to see my drive for being a Coach for women, specialising in the peri-menopause and menopause. I don\u2019t want anyone else to go through what I did.<\/p>

Next steps for you<\/h3>

I want to work with you to find answers and empower you to be able to ask the right questions and make sure you get the help you deserve, where needed from a medical professional. So when your ready or want to give me a shout please contact me or check out my coaching packages<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>

Jo x<\/em><\/p>

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