Hey Ladies,

I don't know if any of you can help me or have experienced anything like this.. It sounds like a good problem but please read on! (Excuse long post but I don't know how else to explain this!)

I'm 60 and postmenopause. I had a really difficult menopause in early 50s that really took it's toll in all ways and changed me a lot. I did it all naturally and never took HRT etc. Last few years things have levelled out and joints improved, mood just stabilised etc but I always felt a bit flat, had terribe hot flushes for last few years, and my libido was virtually non-existent. Luckily i have a very patient, understanding partner and he has largely accepted it.

I watch tv to relax in evenings and I started watching a re-run of a series I liked 20 years ago, and the actor in it is the most gorgeous guy on the planet. I had kind of forgotten about him tho I always used to like him. Well I became a bit obsessed with watching this and it got me thinking about guys etc. (There is no-one remotely good looking where i live in a small village in middle of nowhere etc.) I also started meditation and don't laugh, eating lots of carrots and coleslaw just because I had read they can help hot flushes as I'd tried virtually everything else including loads of supplements, herbs, etc

Anyway what's happened is my libido seems to have come back big time at 60. But because I am so used to feeling nothing it is alarming me. The hot flushes have also disappeared - almost non-existent now. I know they can tail off in some women after a few years but this just seems too much of a turn-around and I feel suspicious of it, if that makes sense!

I just feel slightly alarmed at this new me as it seems too good to be true, and the libido is almost too much and a distraction... I have a bit of health- anxiety and I read this horrible doctor site where he said libido in older women can be a sign of something sinister etc caused by excess testosterone, but I'm too scared to go to the docs and start up any tests. I don't feel ill and no other symptoms really except I've put on weight... but I think that's from comfort eating the last few years.

Has anyone else had a rise in iibido post - meno?! Am I just being overly worried about it?

thanks so much

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC4edoFJEd0/?igsh=MXAwcTF2MTQ5MzJxdQ==

43 year old in Menopause. FSH level is 116 Estradiol level is 31. Testosterone level is 8. Dr prescribed Bijuvi and testosterone cream. Anyone experience this?

Hi Reddit peeps!

In the spirit of, 'Oh, my goodness this brain fog is ridiculous/absurd/hilarious/startling,' here's my list from the last two days:

1. Forgot to charge my car. Didn't notice until I had taking the highway in the wrong direction for 20 minutes (away from home on a road I've driven 1000 times) and my car battery alarm started blaring. Made it to a charger and yes, turned around, but how'd that happen? *facepalm #1 and #2
2. Went to meet a friend for coffee. Texted I'd be a few minutes late. When she didn't show, I suddenly realised that I had MADE IT UP out of thin air. The last time we were in touch was a week ago, when she said she'd get back me and organise a time. Guess I really wanted to see her! LOL *facepalm #3
3. I wore two different shoes to the dentist. One black, one luminescent green. Not a pair. Oh, and yes, a sock on one foot because only one of the shoes needs socks. Makes sense. :-) Since much of the timeI can't see my feet when standing anymore (thanks, intermittent hormonal spare tire and breasts the size of watermelons!! :-)), I only noticed when the dental tech tipped up the chair. Luckily, she turned out to be one of our peri/meno sisters! She just glanced down, looked at me, nodded and said, 'Yep. That happened.' Which led to shared giggles and more stories. So affirming!! *facepalm #4

On the upside, I've been learning a lot about these hormonal whackadoodle symptoms by using Oova to track. Turns out, at least for me...over-the-top estrogen spikes = total doofus. When my estrogen plummets, my clarity returns.

(I'm an astrophysics/linguistics nerd, so when the brain comes roaring back I can soothe the peri-onset hypochondria that it's not dementia by digging through a bunch of equations that are literally indecipherable to me during the estrogen spikes. A reminder to breathe. It's just the rollercoaster.)

Knowledge (and obstinate, persistent laughter in the face of the preposterous) are power!

Be well. Looking forward to hearing more menopositive stories from everyone. I am so grateful for this space!

Ladies, I’ve been pretty absent minded lately. Yesterday I looked everywhere for the basket of towels I’d rounded up to launder. I mean, I’ve misplaced things before, but this is a full size laundry basket. Went room to room, upstairs, downstairs, again and again, it’s like the thing has vanished into thin air. As I reached into the hall closet, it hit me… I had folded and put away the dirty towels! 🤦‍♀️

Hello dear sister, my ND prescribed estriol, vs estragyn which is prescribed by gynco what do I do for vaginal atrophy?

I'm 45, deep in peri. Various issues (nausea, wild periods, anxiety - you know the drill). A year ago I broke up with my boyfriend and since then I felt like an old hag. Drying up, no interest in men, felt horny once in a blue moon when my hormones accidentally aligned. Face sagging, butt sagging, mind sagging.

A month ago I met a guy. He's younger and quite handsome. We talked, then we connected on messenger and he admitted he finds me physically attractive, especially my ass - my old saggy ass! The communication is getting spicy and I feel horny like I haven't felt in years. I don't think there's any relationship in the future, we might become friends with benefits or just keep sexting, but the libido is libiding and that alone is making me so happy.

It's still there. The dried up hag years are undoubtedly still there in the future, but not yet!

Last night my husband and I went to a Halloween party. I have been working very hard to feel good about myself and my body in my 50s and this was so good for my ego. I had a friend’s husband tell me I don’t look anywhere near my age. I got hit on a LOT. To the point hubby got jealous and wouldn’t leave my side resulting in us going home to some pretty incredible sexy time. The best part was the other women telling me Im beautiful and two younger women in the bathroom saying how they will do anything to age like me. I gave the HRT talk and told them to find these subs in 20 years. As we were leaving I looked back while holding the door and probably the most attractive man at the party locked eyes with me and mouthed ‘leaving?’ With a sad face and mimicking a tear falling. This might have been my last hurrah. I understand these things don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. But just a few years ago I felt so depressed about aging and my body. Someone close to me said something super hurtful that triggered me. I decided screw them but I had to make changes that made me feel better and more confident. I realize now that I get to decide what kind of old lady I want to be. Anyway thanks for letting me share my small win. I have so few these days that are only about me and not my children or family!

Edit: Since I have gotten so many messages about my routine I figured I would edit the OP to point you in the right direction.

HRT: I am an HRT STAN! You can pry it from my cold, dead hands. 0.1mg Estradiol patch 2x per week. 7.5mg of Testosterone Cyp. Injected at the same time I change my patch, which is every Monday morning and Thursday evening to get the least amout of hills and valleys. I had a partial hysterctomy so no need for progesterone. If you are interested in test. check out r/TRT_females.

Hello, fellow Menopositive members! I think it's fabulous that we have this space to focus on the positive during this part of the journey.

Fair warning...the following post contains a lot...and I mean a LOT...of stuff about the upsides of perimenopause/menopause. Skip if it's not your jam.

This week I found out for certain that any type of hormone therapy is incompatible with some of my chronic illnesses. Did a trial, didn't work, side effects were <YIKES!>, won't do it again, blah blah blah. *shrug* *grin* Not a surprise, but it does close the medical door, so now I'm focusing on other ways to navigate the changes. All the usual suspects, sure--diet, exercise, supplements. But mostly I've been reframing the experience with humor and self-compassion. One thing I've done is to list all the things about this time of life that are, in fact, pretty damn wonderful. Menopause is not just about what we lose. It's about what we gain (beyond a cheerful belly/back fat roll or three).

1. Starting to feel like an 'elder' in my circle. In our youth-obsessed culture, there is gentleness and joy in being someone in the room with a fair bit of life experience. Not in a 'I know more than you' way, but more a quiet sense of having gone through so many ups and downs by sheer virtue of having been alive for more than half a century. I'm talking less, and listening more, and offering (calmer/fuller/more grounded) advice when asked. It's relaxing, it's empowering, and it's exhilarating all at once. I like it!

2. Gratitude for being able to count my life in decades. Decades!

3. Small physical victories: I'm disabled and the hormone shifts are definitely a challenge, but there is something doubly wonderful now in having a 'good' peri day.

4. Saying no. Ah, the sheer magnificence of this aspect of being on the cusp of cronehood. I was never a full-on people pleaser, but as Gen Xer I was definitely still socialised into the 'others' needs before my own' headspace. My favourite phrases directed at my (lovely) spouse and teenage kids now include, "Nope," "Maybe later, maybe never," and "You can probably sort that out on your own."

5. Laughing at myself. More and more every day. Muddy garden shears discovered two weeks later in with the toilet paper in the laundry basket? Check. Turning up to the school for pick-up on a Sunday when my kids are out with their friends? Check. Putting on my pyjamas and realising I've been wearing not one, not two, but three bras all day? (Useful & necessary, considering the pendulums that replaced my breasts, sure--but unintentional, or at least unremembered.) Check.

6. The muumuu. The kaftan. The housedress. No matter what you call it, I call it a midlife revelation. Oh, sure, dress up when I need to (in whatever happens to cover all the bits and bumps on any given day!). But at home? Not for me the waistband, the hemline, the buttoned-down blouse or pencil skirt. Nope. With joyful abandon, I'm opting more and more for the flowy freedom of this sorely underrated garment. I have a don't ask/don't tell policy when it comes to what I may or may not wear underneath. Airflow is crucial, right?

7. Along with laughing at myself at accidental mindslips, I'm realising that this whole 'taking myself less seriously' has a lot to do with the menopausal transition. Any remnant of self-consciousness has no place in this new version of me. It has given me permission to be goofier, because, frankly, I'm a helluva lot goofier anyway so I might as well enjoy it. I sing louder when I'm meandering along a trail by the river, I talk to EVERYONE in the supermarket or at the dentist (or the podiatrist, or the rheumatologist, or the neurologist, or the uro-gynecologist, or any of the half dozen new '-ists' that have accompanied this shift. I have more fun just being my flawed, nerdy self. Ahhhhh.

Whew, that list multiplied as I was typing! I could write all night (insomnia) but I need to hop up, change my nightgown and sheets, crank open the window, turn on the fan, and howl at the moon along with the coyotes. A hearty 'farewell and happy travels' to anyone who made it all the way through. Anybody else want to chime in with hard-won meno victories or list of favourite things?

Yours in nonsense and solidarity during this wild and (sometimes) wonderful ride.

-Older, grayer, slower, creakier, floppier, wiser, grateful-er, sillier me.

Please note this sub is Menopositive!! Here we are collecting stories of triumph and positivity during peri and menopause to share with those also going through. This sub is meant as a positive support system for our sister site r/menopause.

While all of us are here for each other to support, answering questions and venting about menopause is going to be better addressed at r/menopause. Please post your questions, concerns, medical issues, etc there. You are going to get so many more answers in that community as soon as you walk through the door.

AND THEN when you find something that you want to celebrate, will uplift, read breaking news of excitement, come and post that here!! We are working to gather positive insights and stories here that we can share with our sister site.

Again questions, venting, concerns are better addressed at r/menopause. We were made by the same people but serve two very different purposes.

Thank you!! 🫶🏻

Just wanted to share that I finally felt really good during a workout today…the first time in a few years. I started HRT in Feb this year, but this is the first day working out hasn’t made me feel like a feeble old person who can’t be active anymore.

I cannot take HRT bc estrogen positive BC runs in my family (mother and sister). I’ve done all the research and met with my gyn and it’s just not a chance I’m willing to take. So what options do I have with supplements? What has worked for you all? I can handle the hot flashes, those are the least of my worries. It’s the brain fog, lack of drive/apathy, and mental exhaustion I deal with these days. I already take a B complex and Vitamin D.

I have searched: VERINOW- they do testosterone, no insurance, initial cost is $49 for visit. If you are not a candidate, you will receive a full refund.

MIDI- They take my insurance, I have not made an appt yet though bc so many of you say they do not prescribe Testosterone In the states you live in. I live in Texas and they dig not answer my question on that one. Said I had to make appt which bothered me bc either they do prescribe in my state or they don't. It's not that hard.

Evernow- they do testosterone. I will get back to this after I go through all my emails with the different ones I have searched and have spoken too. Thank everyone in advance. I think that a lot of women would love to have this kind of information and it will hopefully help people and possibly save them money.

So for the last 3 years or so I've been going to the Doctor complaining about how horribly I feel. I'm either sad or angry there is no in between... No other emotion... I have no interest in doing anything. I haven't had sex in years. Haven't had a period for a couple of years. The doctors kept writing me off of course. Telling me that it was my eating disorder or my history with drug addiction. Not to say that these things did not contribute to the way I feel now, But I knew that there was something further going on. So at 41 years old I finally went to the clinic the other day and demanded a bunch of blood work including lyme disease and hormone levels. I get a call a week later that I am POST menopausal.

I don't know what to think. I don't know what to do they didn't offer me any kind of help with how I feel..

I'm 51F and in peri - last period was in April, I think. I know a lot of women experience unstable moods through all this, but I feel like for the past year and a half my moods have been way more stable. I used to get randomly angry or sad for no good reason when I was in my 30's and early 40's, and for a while now, I haven't felt that at all. I got a little bit of a mood the other day and it surprised me because it's been so long! I did start on BCP about 9 months ago which was intended to level out some of the estrogen/progesterone fluctuation. Maybe that's contributed, but I think I was experiencing fewer moods before that!

Now, I will say that the lack of tolerating drama that came along with peri for me DID drive me to make changes in my life (ending a relationship, changing living situation) that exposes me to a lot less stressful stuff, and that may be the cause. But it just seems like such a different experience with mood than other women report!! I'm feeling much more level and generally positive.

Anybody else find that the whole transition has resulted in more STABLE moods for you, rather than the chaos that many women report??

Hello everyone. I apologize in advance for the long post. I am a 43 year old woman, going through perimenopause for about 2 solid years now. In the last year my symptoms have gotten worse, mood swings, hot- flashes, night sweats, brain fog, fatigue, insomnia, low libido and vaginal dryness being the most important ones. After a failed appointment with my OBGYN (she said she treats menopause only with BC) my PCP order lab work to check all my hormones levels (confirmed that I am in perimenopause) and sent me to see a endocrinologist. This is where I really need your input. My appointment was this morning, because the website was not working she was not able to look over my lab results but listened to me talk about all my symptoms. She was really pushing Nuvaring but I told her I'm refusing BC. I was prescribed:

Vagifem Tablet -10 MCG, Progesterone Capsule - 100 MG, Divigel Gel - 0.5 MG (she wanted me to start with 1.25 MG but I told her I would rather start with a small dose and work my way up).

She wants me to go back in 2 months with a printed copy of my last lab work (I asked for new lab work after starting HRT and she said it's not needed). Is that normal?! Is it enough to treat and prescribed medicine just based on symptoms only? All this worries me. I asked about side effects, she only mentioned spotting. I asked if there are any other changes i should do (nutrition, exercise, supplements), she said no, the HRT will be enough. I don't know why but it all feels wrong. Is it bad to say that it was too easy? She was eager to prescribe anything or everything I asked for but not big on talking about the said medication. Such as the side effects, benefits, all of it! I felt rushed and uneasy. Am i being too picky? Should I ask for a second opinion? Should I check with a online provider? I'm seeing a new OBGYN and the end of October, should I wait and see what's her take on perimenopause? Please please tell me what's your take in my experience. I have nobody else to talk to about this and I know you ladies won't let me down.
Thank you!

Hello, what a wonderful community to find! I'm a few years into perimenopause and haven been having some recurring headaches in the evening. Feels like muscle tension, and they are pretty mild. Of course I will consult with medical professionals if they get worse, so please do not worry about giving me that advice.

I'm just here looking for anyone to share their experiences with headaches during this time. I never had them before but I know they can come on now, and I always learn a lot from hearing others' stories.

Here's some questions if that helps but all responses are welcomed!

1. Did you have headaches regularly before peri/menopause?
2. Did you during perimenopause?
3. Did you after?
4. What were your headaches like, and did anything in particular either make them worse or help you to manage them?

I have officially lost my mind.

Here’s what’s happened just today:

1. I couldn’t figure out why my credit card wasn’t working when I was trying to leave a parking garage. The garage attendant had to tell me I put my credit card where the ticket should go.

2. I couldn’t figure out why the scanner at CRISP & GREEN wasn’t reading the barcode on my app when the cashier had to tell me I was put in the back of my phone towards the barcode reader.

3. I almost went to Verizon to figure out why I could still hear sounds on my phone when I had the volume all the way down. Then I realized the sound button, which I always have off, somehow got turned on.

4. And to top things off, I sharted my pants on the way home 💩😂😬

Happy Friday everyone!

I've been on these boards for a few years, but I'm going to take this moment to shine back at the lady in my mirror.

It's taken me eight years total to get this whole flow:

• max available Rx for Estradiol as 0.1mg patches, along with micronized prog at 100mg, finally covered by my Gyn (after nearly five years of badgering her!)
• found a compound pharmacy for estradiol x dhea cream for vaginal and urethral health, along with burning through vibrators off of Amazon
• cpap keeps me sleeping well, and I have a great bed and cpap cabinet to keep my space from looking like a hospital room. I had never put the thought into a gorgeous bedroom like I have it dolled up now!
• zepbound (I started back in May) is keeping me free from diabetes and helping with quieting food noise. It costs me $100 for a month's supply of injectables, but my insurance covers most of it and I'm so grateful! I save more than that in my food bill as I am being thoughtful about fruits, veggies and proteins, vs the filler junk food I no longer hunger for.
• I got a weighted vest for my walking routine, to help me keep my bones strong as I navigate weight loss slowly

Here I am, in my mid-50s, finally feeling like I have won the lottery. I sleep well, walk straight, my distended belly is gone, my hair flows, and my brain is sharp.

On the Menopause forum, I speak often through the prisms of my career as a healthcare underwriter, and I have learned to step back to refocus. Everyone is graduated and grown, and I'm fully doing me now.

I’ve always been a very positive happy person. Regardless of what may be going on or how I feel physically I always have a smile on my face. I had full hysterectomy and oopherectomy in January which sent me straight into menopause. I’ve gained a ton of weight, my joints hurt, I forget who I am lol. But I’ve never been happier! No mood swings out anxiety at all. I haven’t cried since the day after my surgery because of the pain. I joined a few groups on Facebook to get support on all my other symptoms and as soon as I said I felt great mentally (wasn’t rubbing it in or bragging) I literally got death threats. Came to Reddit and joined a group and those ladies are much nicer but I was called an ah just for being happy. I work in health care and I’ve picked a few brains and it’s actually common to be in a better mood because your hormones are gone. I’m not taking anything, no hrt, no prescription meds except for heartburn which I’ve taken my whole life. Please tell me I’m not alone feeling so happy! I had horrible periods, I deserve this! 😊

Thanks to a suggestion from our sister sub, I met with a nurse and nurse practitioner today who finally helped me. I was on a baby dose of estrogen and a triple dose of progesterone. She adjusted that and then added vaginal progesterone (edit: estrogen! Not progesterone. Brain fart)

Every woman deserves to have a supportive practitioner. I hope our generation changes things for the next. 💪🏻

Hi! I started BHRT with testosterone 4 weeks ago. I’ve noticed a huge improvement in most symptoms, including everything from hot flashes to anxiety. But my sex drive is still lacking. Does anyone else here take testosterone? Did it help your libido? How long until you noticed a difference?

Hi ladies:) Have not had a period since December, and this morning for the first time ever, spotting.

I know it's spotting because there was only a few pink traces on the toilet paper, nothing else. A bit last night too. I hope i don't have to start the countdown all over again, i'm SO close to being done!!!

On that, i hope you're having a lovely day:)

just had an appointment with a ngyn which I think is a nurse practitioner and bc I have a mental health history, she completely denied that perimenopause has anything to do with the symptoms I have been experiencing the last year. And had the nerve to say it was all bc of the depression. Weight gain...insomnia...abnormal periods...onset of ADHD...memory loss...mood swings...hot flashes...wtf? I was so mad! I was like "you're not even a doctor, but now your a psychiatrist!?" And I literally walked out. But that doesn't help me solve my issues. I need hormones I think. Idk what to do and could use any relevant feedback!

Hey guys so if you read my post history I've been through hell, been a bit nervous my progress was temporary but now that it's been a week of being okay I thought I'd update. When I hit #41 total days on HRT and day #10 of an increase from .05mg generic Mylan HRT patch to .075mg generic Sandoz HRT patch I started feeling a LOT better! I'd say I'm about 50-85% back to myself depending on the symptom, my aches, numbness, tingling, dizziness and brain fog are mostly gone. I still have intermittent left ovary, uterus and back pain, some days none at all and some days pretty bad, my hot flashes and night sweats are about 50% reduced in number and severity, my anxiety is about 80% gone but I occasionally have an anxious day, morning anxiety is completely gone, my libido is mostly back, I'd say about 85% back, my sleep is 85% back to normal. I'm going to ask my Dr to prescribe Sandoz brand specifically, they adhere much better than the Mylan and are more comfortable, I think because they adhere better I'm getting a more consistent dose, with the Mylan they would bunch and the patch wasn't as flexible so it felt noticable and I'd catch myself scratching at it, the Sandoz is so comforting I forgot it's there, I also might ask my Dr to increase my patch dose to try and get rid of the remaining 50% of hot flashes and night sweats. I am beyond thankful to finally feel alive again though and not be living in fear every day, I even went to a concert and on a date, things I'd never have been able to do without a panic attack before. I'm also on 100mg continuous prometrium progesterone taken at night before bed without food. I'll try and update but it is sort of traumatic to remember how awful things were, I can see why women who have been out the other side say it wasn't bad, I think they either don't want to remember or the brain forgets out of self preservation. Best of luck to everyone 🤞❤️ I hope I can give you some hope, so many of you gave me hope when I didn't think I could keep going. I think without you guys and HRT I'd be dead.