Chat transcript:
Eileen: So, first of all, what is post-menopause and what happens? I think this is one of the really confusing questions that we get asked on a regular basis. A lot of sources say that you're post-menopause one year after your periods have stopped. We tend to say two though, because we do get a lot of women saying their periods have come back between one and two years after their last period.
Ali: Yes, a little bleed about 18 months in is really common. Don't worry if it happens then: it's very common. So that's why it's safer to wait two years until you've not had any periods, and then you can be sure that you're done.
Eileen: But the thing to remember is that when we talk about post-menopause, it doesn't suddenly mean that your symptoms disappear at the end of that second year. All that time scale has to do with is the fact that you're no longer ovulating and, therefore, you're safe from pregnancy. However, we do know that symptoms can persist after that.
Ali: Yes, because you've still got a cycle. You may not have high enough levels of hormones to enable you to ovulate, but it doesn't mean that you don't still have a cycle of hormones rising and falling.
The way that I explain it is that it's a bit like when the train tracks are rattling but the train doesn't arrive. So, you still got that rattle going on, you still got the cycle, and so you can still have symptoms that are associated with the rise and fall of your hormone levels. And obviously, you're still going to have symptoms as your body gets used to having that lower level of hormones that ensures you don't have a pregnancy.
Eileen: And we do know too that symptoms can continue for a number of years or get worse, especially if you don't deal with them. So, the main issues for a lot of women are vaginal dryness, joint aches and pains, and also fatigue.
But remember that these things can just be a sign of aging, not necessarily the sex hormones. So, again, it's quite important that you don't just hope that in two or three years' time, these symptoms are going to suddenly disappear. You need to be aware of them and you do need to support yourself through them in some way or another.
Ali: Absolutely. So, things like dryness, which could be vaginal dryness, it could be eye dryness, it could be skin dryness. I've found my skin's carried on getting drier. You have to actually deal with those things, and treat them. So, looking at hydration, as usual.
Eileen: Yes, water. Water, water, water.
Ali: Looking at things like your essential fatty acids, the healthy fats in your diet, maybe taking supplements like omega-7 or hyaluronic acid to help support your skin as well.
But then things like fatigue, if that continues and you're getting symptoms like hair loss as well, then it is a good idea to check your thyroid function because you can have thyroid issues later on in life. I think it's just very important to chase up these symptoms and make sure it's not something that you could be dealing with like a thyroid issue, rather than just assuming, "Oh, it's my hormones."
Eileen: I know. And we do get a lot of women in their 70s and 80s who suddenly get symptoms back and are then saying, "Is this the menopause coming back?" And we're like, "Well, no. No."
Ali: It's really not. If it's been two years or more since you had a period and you've got symptoms returning or new symptoms coming along, please don't assume that that's your menopause, because it does need to be investigated. You need to look at why that's happening because it could quite easily be something that is nothing to do with menopause.
Eileen: The only thing that we do get is that some women come off HRT and that can trigger symptoms again. So, we always say double-check with your doctor about that.
Looking at the good part of menopause, what's been your best thing? What have you found seems to be better afterward rather than beforehand?
Ali: I would definitely say that you are better equipped to deal with life as you get older, so things that would have stressed me previously don't stress me now.
A little story would be, last weekend, I got stuck in a lift. For various technical reasons the lift doors were not opening. This would have totally freaked me out back in the day, but even though the call button wasn't working, the alarm wasn't working, it wasn't something that really fazed me the way it would have done previously. And I definitely find that we're better equipped to deal with whatever life throws at us, which is something you shouldn't underestimate. It's a wonderful thing about being older.
Eileen: Yeah. I think, for me, I have become much more adventurous. Any challenges, I'm out there, and that's not something I would have done pre-menopause. I was very kind of scared almost, and the fact, even now, that I'm doing all these videos and these things. If anybody had told me I'd be doing that, I'd have just said, "Don't be silly. There's no way, I'd be too scared to do anything."
So, I think, for me, it's been about confidence, self-worth, and just realising, and I think one of the big things is it doesn't matter if you make mistakes. We don't care about that anymore, which is great.
Ali: And I think that a lot of women learn to curate their life load a bit better, which is so important because so much gets put on to women to do, and to tackle, and to manage, and just being able to say no to things that aren't necessary and make sure that some of the things that are coming into your life are things that you enjoy and are good for you and that make you happy, that's really important.
Actually, allocating time to make sure that you get your sleep, you get your rest, that you have time to prepare good food, all of those things are super important. And I think as we get older, hopefully, we are learning more to prioritise these things for ourselves.
Eileen: Yes, yes, absolutely. And self-care is so important in terms of diet. I mean, we're both very much into exercise and again, you know, I kept fit beforehand but not to the extent I do now. And I know, for me, that exercising regularly really keeps me fit, both physically and mentally as well. And if I miss a week or two, it really tells on me joint-wise and muscle-wise, so that little bit of extra self-care can be worth its weight in gold.
Ali: But again, experience teaches you what works for you and I think consistency is as important so, not knocking yourself out, but just making sure that you're having consistent, little dollops of exercise in your life.
Eileen: And the "me-time," is really important. I will talk about that on and on and on, definitely.
So, I hope you've enjoyed our little chat. If any of you have had any tips where you have found post menopause, your life has completely changed in ways that you could never imagine, then please share them, the more we can get out there that post menopause is not the end but it's the beginning of another chapter of your life and you can go forward with enthusiasm and positivity too.
So, until then, I will see you next week for another edition of A.Vogel Talks Menopause.
You may also find these topics helpful:
10 things you need to know about postmenopause
After menopause: 4 questions women ask about post-menopause - Part 1
After menopause: 4 questions about post-menopause symptoms – Part 2
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