Absolutely sezi. I have friends who swear by it, but I've just never been in the grip of the menopause, so managed to avoid HRT. I'd never knock it though for women who need it. There are as many different stories as about everything else.

Cosi.  How are you? Hope you and yours are OK. and all your christmassy stuff is going according to plan.

  It's all tinsel and filthy tempers here, Sez. (and that's just me!)
Have started the 'festive spirit' at full speed and am now using the weekdays to recover get organised.

I'll probably have a hot flush at around 1.30pm on Crimbo day just as I'm dishing up the spuds and sprouts.

You all sorted..?

I am Cosi thankyou. I don't mind this time of year as with all the organising and stuff I always lose a bit of weight, so when I see my consultant in January I look as though I have been really trying.

hi ive been reading this thread with interest!

I am 50 and i have had a few symptoms, ie periods going all weird, hair on chin, mood swings etc but i haven't had any hot flushes.  i work in a kitchen so get hot but i dont think they are hot flushes.

one thing i wanted to ask was this, when i went to the doc and he sent me for a blood test (cos i had high blood pressure so he wanted to check menopause levels)  when i went for the results he said i had a few months left of periods??? does that mean i only have a couple of periods left? and then am i over my menopause?? i am confused... my doctor is male and not realy a chatty man

Y'know, if I didn't like you so much I could go right off of you!  
(All the best with the January appointment, darling). xxxx



I honestly don't know the answer to that, Duchess.
Is there a nurse at your doctor's surgery that you could chat this all through with?

thats a good idea cosi i'll ring up and find out. thanks for your answer

I bet you'll find someone with a sympathetic ear and plenty of good advice.
Good luck, Duchess.

hope so thanks cosi x

Just had another thought........the local Well Woman Clinic perhaps?
Let us know how you get on.  Night. xxx

I'm no expert but .............just because your periods stop it doesn't actuually mean that you're throgh the menoapause as far as I know. my monthlies stopped (on a regular basis) about two years ago ..........symptoms actually started about the same time and still ongoing ...................seemingly relentless so far.

My monthly period stopped a couple of years ago, halleluha, I had no problems at all, apart from a couple of hot flushesh.

ello Duchess...   thats a really odd thing for him to say... I assume the blood tests he sent you for were for your LH/FSH levels ...   the results of these two tests will give a rough indication of of whether a woman is menopausal, but its a long way from able to pin down how long a woman has to go, or where abouts in the menopause she is!    (he makes it sound bloody impressive though)

I agree with Cosi.....  ring & talk to the GP or the Well Woman Clinic...  or a woman doctor at your surgery.

I took HRT for 6 years, well I didn't fancy having the symptoms in my forties,I weighed up the pro's and cons and decided to stick with it.I also take  a calcium/vit d tablet twice a day.That's because my vit D levels were a bit low in a blood test a couple of years ago.HRT protecets your bones etc.Your risk of heart/cancer probs is increased very slightly,not enough to put me off it.My doc was great she discussed all the stats with me but left it up to me to decide.I'm in Scotland we don't get enough sunshine up here to keep Vit D levels up.