Today's topic
Today on A.Vogel Talks Menopause, I answer four puzzling menopause questions.
I get so many women contacting me about symptoms that they're experiencing during menopause. And very often, they're the same questions or similar questions.
Menopause questions and answers
So, today, I thought I would provide answers to four puzzling questions that I am often asked about.
1. Can menopause last into your 60s?
Studies have found that menopause symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, and anxiety can continue for women into their 60s, 70s, and even 80s.1
But the problem here is that these symptoms can often be caused by other health issues, which can appear towards the end of menopause. And they end up perpetuating the same symptoms right through the years.
The health issues mainly involved would be things like low vitamin D, low vitamin B12, low iron, low thyroid function, diabetes, and also heart disease.
Although a very small number of women will continue with hormone fluctuations for several years, for the majority of women over 60 who have not had periods for 10 years or more, if they are still getting these symptoms, then it's really important to check these health issues, just to rule them out.
What you can then do, if everything is okay, if none of these health issues are a problem, then you can still treat them as you would have done during menopause.
2. How you tell the difference between menopause and underactive thyroid symptoms?
The problem here is that these two are practically identical. Both menopause and low thyroid function will give you symptoms such as fatigue, poor hair or your hair falling out, poor nails, joint aches and pains, poor sleep, and anxiety, and low mood. And very often, they appear at the same time.
One of the things we've noticed, over the years, that many women hitting menopause, which triggers poor thyroid function. So, both these issues start round about the same time. And it can be very difficult to distinguish which is what.
The most important thing here is if you're getting this package of symptoms is to go and ask your doctor for a thyroid test. It's so easily put right if you get this diagnosed.
Many women end up with poor thyroid function throughout menopause and, as I mentioned above, these health issues can last for 20, 30, even 40 years after menopause. So, it's well worth getting a check-up, just to rule it out.
3. Can menopause feel like morning sickness?
When I first started my menopause blog several years ago, one of the surprising menopause symptoms that I came across a lot was nausea.
And it's puzzling in a way. Like pregnancy, there's a lot of hormonal fluctuations going on and this can lead to nausea. But other things can trigger nausea, too. Low blood sugar levels can do it, so if you are going long periods without food, that can make you nauseous.
Dehydration can cause nausea as well. So, if you're getting nausea at the same time every day, then normally, there will be some kind of trigger that you're either doing or not doing that's then leading to nausea.
We know too, that falling hormones can put huge pressure on your liver. And if the liver is overtaxed, then it can cause nausea, too.
So, to help with this symptom, you could be looking at herbs like peppermint and dandelion. Ginger's a great one for nausea, too. But just remember to eat little and often and drink plenty of water. And very often, that can make a huge amount of difference.
4. How can you tell if you're through menopause if you've had a hysterectomy?
It depends on the type of operation performed. There are two main types of hysterectomy – a total hysterectomy (ovaries removed) and a partial hysterectomy (ovaries remain). If you have had a partial hysterectomy where your ovaries remain, then normally, you will get the menopause at roughly the same time you would have done, had you not had the operation.
So, if you have a hysterectomy like this, maybe in your late 30s or early 40s, then you wouldn't normally start to get menopause symptoms until your mid to late 40's or early 50's.
It can be difficult to know exactly when you are through menopause because you don't have missing periods as a guide. But if you're between 45 and 55, you previously had a hysterectomy, your ovaries remain, and you start to get menopause symptoms in that age group, that's normally an indication that that is you approaching menopause.
If you've had a total hysterectomy where the ovaries have been removed as well, then usually, you will go straight into a full menopause very, very quickly.
Your ovaries help to still regulate a cycle, even if you're not getting periods because the womb has been removed. But if your ovaries have been removed as well, then you will have a complete menopause very quickly.
If you then start to get menopause symptoms well after you've had this particular type of operation, then it could be due to factors that I mentioned in question number one, where other health issues have come in and are causing similar symptoms.
I hope you found this one useful. As I've said at the beginning, these are really common questions that I'm asked regularly. If you have any puzzling menopause questions, then please comment below and I will try and help.
Key points to take away from this blog:
- For some women, symptoms can last into their 60's and beyond, but other health conditions can also cause similar symptoms at this age, so it is best to get them checked by your doctor, especially if your periods have stopped for several years
- Menopause and an underactive thyroid can occur at the same time and have very similar symptoms, so again it is best to ask your doctor to test your thyroid levels if you are concerned about this
- Menopause can cause morning symptoms due to hormonal fluctuations and other triggers such as low blood sugar levels and dehydration
- It can be difficult to tell when you are through menopause if you've had a hysterectomy due to not having missing periods as a guide.
Until next week, take care
Reference
1. https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2018/menopause-symptoms-can-last-decades.html
