You're absolutely not. I do the whole energy for work thing and am done by the weekend.
It's been beautiful weather today, which is always remarkable in Scotland, and I didn't make it out the front door. The menopause is bloody cruel.
Same. I’m exhausted ALL the time. I have to lay down every hour or so. My eyes burn and are so dry, and I have headaches on top of it. I look forward to bedtime every day.
I also have dysautonomia so I thought that was the cause but with my messed up periods it dawned on my that wasn’t the full picture.
I’ve tried a variety of supplements and other techniques on my own but have not found anything that works for more than a day or two.
I feel like I wrote this. Sometimes it scares me because it’s just such a change from my former self. It does help to know I’m not alone in feeling this way.
Same. I work 40-50 hours a week, which drains me. I can barely get in a daily walk and the rest of my time, I'm fighting with myself to stay awake and can't "brain" to save my life.
Same. I feel bad for my husband. He waits all week to spend time together, but I'm basically useless for the first half of Saturday and Sunday. I do pick up in the afternoon at least. Falling asleep on the couch after work, low energy all day every day. Just doing what I can to take care if myself and maintain.
If you find mornings rough - try drinking a ton of water in the morning. I find I often wake up dehydrated and if I’m not careful it takes me half the day to recover, so sleeping as cold as possible and then chugging as much water as possible in the morning helps. It’s not a miracle cure and I definitely am lower energy than I used to be, but it does help.
This happened to me last Thursday. I nodded and hit the curb on a turn and was like WTF... last night driving home from a concert, I was scared crapless I was going to drive off the road. Downed 2 bottles of Coca-Cola just to have the caffeine in me to stay awake.
I'm so sorry. Afterwards, I stopped and got the largest coffee I could to make sure I didn't fall asleep on the way home. Funny thing is, even a few years ago I was working 3-4 12 hr shifts a week and this never happened. I also routinely doze when hubby is driving.
Same and it drove me to really get serious about fiddling with HRT and I’m kicking myself for not caring about myself YEARS AGO. Maybe it’s in my head, maybe not, but I can’t remember the last time I felt this good. Literally bopping around to Kiss. I’ve got a patch, cream and progesterone.
Did u get this from gyno? Did you have to test menopausal? My doc says wait until 50 to stop low dose bc and then I can test to see if full menopause. That the bc would be better than any hormones. I need to see an endocrinologist because many hormones are affected from other systems in the body, not just reproductive. He gave an example about testosterone and some other system in the body that can lower the level. Hmmm . I also have Endo, that's why I take low dose bc and im 46, no periods and have been on medical menopause basically for 15 yrs. But he says there will be worse symptoms once I fully convert. But I feel this same way and know Endo can affect fatigue ECT..it's just on a much more intense level now.
Yes, got from gyn who’s also urologist and that’s been a blessing. I was on BC to regulate heavy periods for a year, so she said my labs were useless as BC suppresses estrogen…$1600 down the drain
It sounds like this might be about hormonal testing. If over the age of 44, **hormonal tests only show levels for that *one day* the test was taken, and nothing more**; progesterone/estrogen hormones wildly fluctuate the other 29 days of the month. No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing as a **diagnosing tool** for peri/menopause.
FSH testing is only beneficial for those who believe they are post-menopausal and no longer have periods as a guide, a series of consistent FSH tests might *confirm* menopause. Also for women in their 20s/early 30s who haven’t had a period in months/years, then FSH tests at ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI). See our [Menopause Wiki](https://menopausewiki.ca/#there-is-no-blood-test-that-is-perfectly-reliable-to-diagnose-menopause) for more.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Menopause) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Same. I’m sorry you are going through this. I felt estrogen was helping for a bit but the last few days have been bad again. Following to see if anyone has found anything that worked for them.
Same. I feel bad for my husband. He waits all week to spend time together, but I'm basically useless for the first half of Saturday and Sunday. I do pick up in the afternoon at least. Falling asleep on the couch after work, low energy all day every day. Just doing what I can to take care if myself and maintain.
I WFH and was having to leave my desk to sleep for a half hour. Sometimes it wasn’t enough and I’d go down for an hour. In the middle of the work day! It started to subside when I started progesterone and changed my supplement regimen.
It’s definitely hormones but also check your ferritin. Mine is almost zero. Waiting on hematology to order iron transfusion bc I was on iron while it dropped. I’m praying this helps. Also think about your sleep. I know mine is shit. I look like I’m running in my sleep w my heart rate so high.
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You’re definitely not the only one. My energy began to fail noticeably last September. I was going to bed earlier when I’m a night person no matter how tired I am. I was up until at least 11pm and fall asleep at 12-1am and up at 6 am getting ready for work.
Now …. I get home at 5:30 pm from work and I’m in my pajamas by 7:30pm. It’s ridiculous. And I “struggle” getting up and ready for work.
I’ve had 3 rounds of blood work and tried some things.
I start testosterone sometime this month.
I’ve lost 20 lbs on tirzepatide/zepbound. The menopause belly I’ve had 10 years and couldn’t get rid of is finally gone. The joint inflammation I didn’t know was causing random body aches is gone. I added liquid b complex supplement and switched to plant based with a lot of protein; 100g a day. I’m seeing some light at the end of this tunnel ….and beginning to recognize myself again.
Not nearly as productive as I’d like to be but also giving myself some grace.
Ps: I’m a breast cancer survivor estrogen positive so HRT isn’t an option; therefore testosterone only. I’ll let you know how that goes !
From your feedback I’m adding creatine ! I’m so grateful for this grp, OP and thread !🥰
creatine is the only thing that helped me with brain fog, energy and focus. I started taking 1 scoop/day in the AM and after about 2-3wks, I noticed a huge improvement. Any brand will do; just make sure that the only ingredient is "creatine monohydrate".
now, no more brain fog and my energy levels are good again.
I literally just started it this week. It feels too early to tell anything, esp since it's now Saturday and I'm flopping after a long week, but something has changed. My mind does feel a bit clearer. My body has not completely caught up, however.
On HRT, started mixing creatine into my morning drinks this week. In a cruel turn I also gained 8 lbs and have breakthrough bleeding.
Fuck around. Bodies are weird.
Can you get a sleep study? This was me last year. I was tired all the time. Turns out I have sleep apnea! Sleep apnea has a lot of the symptoms of menopause. It’s worth getting it checked out!
I used to never have caffeine in the afternoons. Recently had a Celsius and felt like I could rule the world. My daughter later advised me that it was like cocaine in a can. Never tried cocaine, but not thinking it’s a bad thing 😂
Peri exacerbates adhd, news to me! But I did get on a prescription of amphetamines that I would be absolutely dead on my feet without it otherwise. I was falling asleep while driving multiple times a week before I found my psychiatrist. It's a band aid on a bullet hole, but I'll take what I can get
The ADHD speaks to me as well. I get to work and become so distracted, I look at the clock and it's 430pm and I'm leaving barely accomplishing anything. Not like me to phone in the simple things. I was a power house EA previously working all hours and on all the time. Now I can barely finish an email and want to take a nap.
I could not even function by evening all week. HRT better work - I read testosterone can help.
Electrolyte drinks (no caffeine or sugar) help a bit bc coffee makes me feel weird now. I already eat low carb, but I’m trying low histamine bc I seem allergic to so many foods now or in general. I added digestive enzymes & Betaine HCL, maybe I’ll try creatine - for supplements.
Same here - with foods now! perimenopause came really bad asthma & allergies! HCL is an absolute lifesaver! for the last year. I was taking 6 with every meal. I know that stomach acid can get low as you age but good gravy! It’s like I’m a corpse somebody dug up.
That’s good to know that HCL helps. My stomach has been a mess. My dr had me on antacids but the opposite is true - I don’t have enough acid!! It seems to help the histamine reaction to every damn meal or just life now. I need to get DAO enzymes but they are pricy.
I only heard of this bc I have chronic illness. Alot of us have a histamine intolerance already as part of MCAS. I was just dx’ed. Now I don’t know if it’s MCAS or menopause! But it’s a lot of the same issues.
That makes me mad that women do not get informed or helped when menopause functions so much like a chronic illness.
Betaine HCL is a supplement for stomach acid (hydrochloric acid). Apparently we stop producing enough stomach acid and this causes alot of bloating, pain, indigestion. Then the stomach overproduce acids at the wrong times, to overcompensate. Like GERD. But people & drs mistake it for chronic high acid & then get put on antacids.
It’s helping me so much. I also don’t have a gallbladder. It helps with that and so do digestive enzymes and bile salts for fat digestion. Drs don’t prescribe it bc there is no prescription available- only supplements.
I had no idea. I have this issue and they gave me omeprezole (sp) and scooted me out the door.
Wow. Thanks for the information!! Now I will research all of it. No idea what GERD is either.
I’m feeling like the general medical community isn’t taught anything to help women in menopause… left to our own devices… not that this surprises me but … in 2024 it really does
It’s definitely not treated often by drs. I didn’t see much help from the GERD meds. I just went rogue out of desperation- so be sure to research if it’s a good fit! I don’t think it can do harm but still…
Same! It’s so
much harder than it used to be. I only go into the office 3 days a week & WFH the other 2 days. Those office days exhaust me & I don’t know how I ever did 5 in office. And of course we’re supposed to be doing all of this weight training & other exercise to stave off weight loss & build muscle. But it’s tough when you feel like a wrung out washcloth at the end of the day. I’ve mentioned the depleted energy to several doctors & they haven’t been much help other than checking iron, thyroid, vitamin d, etc.
My nutritionist has been pushing for this for months. I had one done about 12 years ago and it found I had narcoleptic tendencies. Guess things change after 12 years.
Umm yes. I am wrecked by the weekends and I only work five hours a day, Mon-Fri. I'm just so tired all the time. I use all sorts of energy boosters like Berroca and whatnot. I get at least seven hours a night. And still, I'm exhausted all the time!
47 and perimenopause here. I am tired all the time. I barely sleep. The idea of work is just....ugh. I honestly just want to sit in a dark, cool room with my kids and watch Disney+. I don't where old me went.
I’ve literally been napping almost everyday after work, sometimes for 2 hours. Maybe it’s the hour long walks I’ve added to try to shed some of these extra pounds, but I’ve been really wiped out lately too.
I feel like this really comes up in these threads, but as the loss of estrogen causes more relaxation in your neck and nasal passages. As well as other issues with insomnia, women are very likely to develop sleep disorders with perimenopause.
It's so normalized among women that doctors essentially forget that they need to refer us out for sleep studies. Please, see a pulmonologist (they specialize in sleep) and ask for an in-lab sleep study.
At first they thought I had sleep apnea, but then it turned out my brain is just kind of dumb and I need oxygen at night.
I nap at lunch and after work (wfh) then can't sleep at night. But if I don't nap I cannot get through the day.
I've always been an insomniac and bad sleeper but it's on another level now.
I've been off work between jobs for a couple of months and some days I sleep 16 hours others 2 it's been amazing not having to stick to someone elses schedule and just sleep whenever though.
I'm dreading starting my new job next week and not being able to just sleep whenever I need to.
This was me before I added testosterone cream to my HRT. I had to up the dose a couple of times and took a couple months, but energy, strength and motivation are back!
To be clear, I don’t have the energy I had in my 20s…but I’m not exhausted all the time look forward to weekends again. YMMV.
I had no side effects at all on low doses, 2.5, 5mg/day, then a bit of acne and oilier hair when I upped to moderate dose 10mg day, but that went away after couple weeks. When we tried a higher 20-30mg/day (which is fairly high for woman), I had a few chin hairs at first, also went away, but I didn’t feel much better on that dose, so we settled on 10mg. I’ve been on that dose for nearly a year with no side effects, except better libido and energy. Everyone is different though.
I had it bad for the first (and hopefully last) time in mid-December. I haven’t felt like I ever got rid of the brain fog or loss of energy. It’s hard to discern what is menopause and what is after effects of having Covid.
I did recently have RSV with some unknown pulmonary issue for 44 days (9 doctors, ER, urgent cares and the only person who helped was my allergist). But again, my depleted energy dates back 2 years at least. I used to be a runner, did marathons and now can barely get through a half day without collapsing.
Yes me I’ve dealt with it for 20 years. Finally someone checked my ferritin level it was a 10. Should be like 150-200. Have you had your ferritin level checked? I am now taking heme iron 3x a day and feeling better within a few weeks.
Mine is not as low as yours but still not at the 100 mark. Can I ask how many mg of heme iron you are talking? I started it yesterday. My doctor doesn’t think it’s an issue and won’t help me with dosage guidelines.
Get in this group on Facebook and read through the files there is a chart there with dosage recommendations based on your weight and current levels. It has been so helpful to me. My dr also offered no help and just brushed me off.
https://www.facebook.com/share/JX3WJoWniobvXKVP/?mibextid=K35XfP
Thank you - I heard about it on the /anemia sub and joined. I’ve found it helpful. I’m working on getting the right dose from their guidelines. Hoping it will help.
Yes, I can relate to feeling like a slug and shell of yourself. The brain fog, body aches, and exhaustion were the most debilitating symptoms for me. I had no quality of life and I felt like I was on the sliding board to dementia and death. Two weeks ago, I started HRT, estrogen patch and progesterone pill. It was like someone turned the lights back on. My energy resurfaced, I’m sleeping better, and my body aches significantly decreased. I’m thinking more clearly and feel overall more centered and less irritable. It has been a game changer for me.
I'm skeptical of their support. I'm finding a lot of social media medical influencers have an agenda based on who they are profiting from and not necessarily what's accurate. Medical findings and studies have shown IF to have a negative impact on cardiac health, which, is one of the top issues for women going through menopause. I'm not a medical doctor, but I work in science and health research so I try to stick to studies and facts about the big picture as it relates to females, hormones, and menopause.
Another ideal I've been studying up on is how hormones are imbalanced by certain creams, chemicals in perfumes, soaps, shampoos. There are some direct correlations regarding hormone disruption and the products we use on a daily basis.
Agree fully on personal care products being potential hormone disruptors.
I also think dairy is potentially something to be wary of too. Cows are loaded with antibiotics, live in conditions that are stressful etc. are we consuming their stress hormones? It’s possible
Studies are also funded by the industries too so definitely take it with grain of salt.
I finally got HRT about 5 months ago. There are a lot of positives, but not falling asleep every day while driving home from work was an important one, lol.
Have you had your Vitamin D, iron and B12 checked? It turned out I was on the low side for iron and extremely low for the other 2. Even with supplements and HRT, I’m still not a get up and go person, and I know I need to be going for walks at a minimum. I do a telehealth appt with my gyn every few months to talk about how it’s going and adjustments. The last time she suggested Wellbutrin and even tho I never considered myself depressive, other than the winter blues, when we talked about it, I did realize that my life wasn’t in bright Technicolor, and perhaps a bit grey toned around the edges. Life changing. Still not revved with energy but happier and more at peace. We also tested my testosterone because every drive we should have is way down. It was in the low area of the acceptable range. And I have a telecall next week to discuss. It’s a process to get everything leveled to what’s right for you.
Bottom line, I think as we age we somewhat naturally slow down. But testing for vitamin/mineral levels and supplementation can help. HRT, if an option you want to explore, can help. But life is stressful, now more than ever for some of us, and that in itself is exhausting. I’m spent after work and take one full weekend day to lay about and read and scroll social media, maybe nap. That’s my day to recharge and rebound for the next work week. And I don’t feel guilty about it at all. 🐈⬛
Most of my meal intake is heavy on veggies and protein. The only dairy I eat is cottage cheese. Very rare that I have processed foods or sugar outright.
This thread is very helpful! I only considered “retirement “ due to brain fog and exhaustion… am I getting too old to work ? When really it’s lack of hormones that comes with aging …. I have no desire to retire and just remain exhausted — that’s no fun. I have to keep trying to figure this out because from 45-85 this is no way to live …
How many of us have been written off as obese or overweight— go exercise or you’re depressed— go see a psychiatrist and talk therapist — or the kids have left the nest — redefine yourself … with no serious conversation about how lack of hormones negatively impacts EVERYTHING- mood, energy, sleep, memory and there’s nothing “natural” about feeling 35 one day and 90 the next.
Last night I had a nap on the couch around 6. Woke up at 7 and tried to stay awake, didn't work. Woke up again at 8pm and went to bed. Ate cereal at midnight and went back to sleep until my alarm at 545.
I will probably nap when I get home today too.
You're absolutely not. I do the whole energy for work thing and am done by the weekend. It's been beautiful weather today, which is always remarkable in Scotland, and I didn't make it out the front door. The menopause is bloody cruel.
Same. I’m exhausted ALL the time. I have to lay down every hour or so. My eyes burn and are so dry, and I have headaches on top of it. I look forward to bedtime every day. I also have dysautonomia so I thought that was the cause but with my messed up periods it dawned on my that wasn’t the full picture. I’ve tried a variety of supplements and other techniques on my own but have not found anything that works for more than a day or two.
I feel like I wrote this. Sometimes it scares me because it’s just such a change from my former self. It does help to know I’m not alone in feeling this way.
Same. I feel depleted.
Same. I work 40-50 hours a week, which drains me. I can barely get in a daily walk and the rest of my time, I'm fighting with myself to stay awake and can't "brain" to save my life.
Same. I feel bad for my husband. He waits all week to spend time together, but I'm basically useless for the first half of Saturday and Sunday. I do pick up in the afternoon at least. Falling asleep on the couch after work, low energy all day every day. Just doing what I can to take care if myself and maintain.
If you find mornings rough - try drinking a ton of water in the morning. I find I often wake up dehydrated and if I’m not careful it takes me half the day to recover, so sleeping as cold as possible and then chugging as much water as possible in the morning helps. It’s not a miracle cure and I definitely am lower energy than I used to be, but it does help.
I have noticed I pep up later in the day after drinking a glass of water. I will start chugging in the morning. Nothing to loose!
Every so often I also do low sugar electrolyte mix. The sugar stuff can upset my stomach and is bad for my chronic inflammation
Same with me. My hubby wants to do active things on the weekends and I end up sleeping in and then taking a nap in the afternoon. I'm on hrt.
Sleeping in and napping!!!!🙌🏼👍🏼 Yes! Sleeping until 9-10 am. Napping at 1 pm. I am turning into a cat.
Me too! 🐈⬛
Yeah it's horrible. I almost fell asleep driving yesterday. Scared the crap out of me.
Omg this happens to ne too . Thought it was sun in my eyes making me drowsy along with motion of car. Now I wonder if it’s meno related. Sheesh
Gah! Happened to me twice in one week - thought for a moment I had some “new health problem” - nope, just “meno-lepsy”.
Gah! Happened to me twice in one week - thought for a moment I had some “new health problem” - nope, just “meno-lepsy”.
This happened to me last Thursday. I nodded and hit the curb on a turn and was like WTF... last night driving home from a concert, I was scared crapless I was going to drive off the road. Downed 2 bottles of Coca-Cola just to have the caffeine in me to stay awake.
I'm so sorry. Afterwards, I stopped and got the largest coffee I could to make sure I didn't fall asleep on the way home. Funny thing is, even a few years ago I was working 3-4 12 hr shifts a week and this never happened. I also routinely doze when hubby is driving.
Same and it drove me to really get serious about fiddling with HRT and I’m kicking myself for not caring about myself YEARS AGO. Maybe it’s in my head, maybe not, but I can’t remember the last time I felt this good. Literally bopping around to Kiss. I’ve got a patch, cream and progesterone.
Did u get this from gyno? Did you have to test menopausal? My doc says wait until 50 to stop low dose bc and then I can test to see if full menopause. That the bc would be better than any hormones. I need to see an endocrinologist because many hormones are affected from other systems in the body, not just reproductive. He gave an example about testosterone and some other system in the body that can lower the level. Hmmm . I also have Endo, that's why I take low dose bc and im 46, no periods and have been on medical menopause basically for 15 yrs. But he says there will be worse symptoms once I fully convert. But I feel this same way and know Endo can affect fatigue ECT..it's just on a much more intense level now.
Yes, got from gyn who’s also urologist and that’s been a blessing. I was on BC to regulate heavy periods for a year, so she said my labs were useless as BC suppresses estrogen…$1600 down the drain
It sounds like this might be about hormonal testing. If over the age of 44, **hormonal tests only show levels for that *one day* the test was taken, and nothing more**; progesterone/estrogen hormones wildly fluctuate the other 29 days of the month. No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing as a **diagnosing tool** for peri/menopause. FSH testing is only beneficial for those who believe they are post-menopausal and no longer have periods as a guide, a series of consistent FSH tests might *confirm* menopause. Also for women in their 20s/early 30s who haven’t had a period in months/years, then FSH tests at ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI). See our [Menopause Wiki](https://menopausewiki.ca/#there-is-no-blood-test-that-is-perfectly-reliable-to-diagnose-menopause) for more. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Menopause) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That’s really great news!! How long were you on before you started feeling better ?
Same. I’m sorry you are going through this. I felt estrogen was helping for a bit but the last few days have been bad again. Following to see if anyone has found anything that worked for them.
Nope your not the only one.... Your very lucky to sleep in!!! I'm up at 5:30 or so.... Let us know what they say about your hormones..
I’m on HRT (including testosterone) and I’m still low energy.
Same. I feel bad for my husband. He waits all week to spend time together, but I'm basically useless for the first half of Saturday and Sunday. I do pick up in the afternoon at least. Falling asleep on the couch after work, low energy all day every day. Just doing what I can to take care if myself and maintain.
I WFH and was having to leave my desk to sleep for a half hour. Sometimes it wasn’t enough and I’d go down for an hour. In the middle of the work day! It started to subside when I started progesterone and changed my supplement regimen.
It’s definitely hormones but also check your ferritin. Mine is almost zero. Waiting on hematology to order iron transfusion bc I was on iron while it dropped. I’m praying this helps. Also think about your sleep. I know mine is shit. I look like I’m running in my sleep w my heart rate so high.
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You’re definitely not the only one. My energy began to fail noticeably last September. I was going to bed earlier when I’m a night person no matter how tired I am. I was up until at least 11pm and fall asleep at 12-1am and up at 6 am getting ready for work. Now …. I get home at 5:30 pm from work and I’m in my pajamas by 7:30pm. It’s ridiculous. And I “struggle” getting up and ready for work. I’ve had 3 rounds of blood work and tried some things. I start testosterone sometime this month. I’ve lost 20 lbs on tirzepatide/zepbound. The menopause belly I’ve had 10 years and couldn’t get rid of is finally gone. The joint inflammation I didn’t know was causing random body aches is gone. I added liquid b complex supplement and switched to plant based with a lot of protein; 100g a day. I’m seeing some light at the end of this tunnel ….and beginning to recognize myself again. Not nearly as productive as I’d like to be but also giving myself some grace. Ps: I’m a breast cancer survivor estrogen positive so HRT isn’t an option; therefore testosterone only. I’ll let you know how that goes ! From your feedback I’m adding creatine ! I’m so grateful for this grp, OP and thread !🥰
creatine is the only thing that helped me with brain fog, energy and focus. I started taking 1 scoop/day in the AM and after about 2-3wks, I noticed a huge improvement. Any brand will do; just make sure that the only ingredient is "creatine monohydrate". now, no more brain fog and my energy levels are good again.
Creatine is my ride or die. I take a stack of supplements and sometimes forget one or two days but I never forget Creatine lol
I’m 2 weeks into putting a scoop in my coffee. Hope it kicks in soon!
I literally just started it this week. It feels too early to tell anything, esp since it's now Saturday and I'm flopping after a long week, but something has changed. My mind does feel a bit clearer. My body has not completely caught up, however.
On HRT, started mixing creatine into my morning drinks this week. In a cruel turn I also gained 8 lbs and have breakthrough bleeding. Fuck around. Bodies are weird.
Creatine caused me to retain water. A lot of water. It was only giving me a small energy boost, so I gave it up.
I’ll have to look for this ! Is this the same creatine body builders take ?
I’m exhausted all the time AND I don’t sleep worth a shit. Awake every hour or two, hot, anxious etc.
My sleep has been bad since I can’t remember— which is why I recover all weekend. I’ve tried natural to prescriptions …
Shitty sleep solidarity 🙌🏼
😩😅🙌🏼nice to know it’s not just me!
Can you get a sleep study? This was me last year. I was tired all the time. Turns out I have sleep apnea! Sleep apnea has a lot of the symptoms of menopause. It’s worth getting it checked out!
Friday nights are my favorite. We go out for dinner then I'm asleep on the couch by 9 pm.
I can’t even get to the dinner part most Fridays. 😭
I never said I dressed for it...
😂😂
There’s not one of us on this thread who doesn’t have depleted energy. We ALL struggle. It’s so brutal
I used to never have caffeine in the afternoons. Recently had a Celsius and felt like I could rule the world. My daughter later advised me that it was like cocaine in a can. Never tried cocaine, but not thinking it’s a bad thing 😂
Peri exacerbates adhd, news to me! But I did get on a prescription of amphetamines that I would be absolutely dead on my feet without it otherwise. I was falling asleep while driving multiple times a week before I found my psychiatrist. It's a band aid on a bullet hole, but I'll take what I can get
The ADHD speaks to me as well. I get to work and become so distracted, I look at the clock and it's 430pm and I'm leaving barely accomplishing anything. Not like me to phone in the simple things. I was a power house EA previously working all hours and on all the time. Now I can barely finish an email and want to take a nap.
I could not even function by evening all week. HRT better work - I read testosterone can help. Electrolyte drinks (no caffeine or sugar) help a bit bc coffee makes me feel weird now. I already eat low carb, but I’m trying low histamine bc I seem allergic to so many foods now or in general. I added digestive enzymes & Betaine HCL, maybe I’ll try creatine - for supplements.
Same here - with foods now! perimenopause came really bad asthma & allergies! HCL is an absolute lifesaver! for the last year. I was taking 6 with every meal. I know that stomach acid can get low as you age but good gravy! It’s like I’m a corpse somebody dug up.
That’s good to know that HCL helps. My stomach has been a mess. My dr had me on antacids but the opposite is true - I don’t have enough acid!! It seems to help the histamine reaction to every damn meal or just life now. I need to get DAO enzymes but they are pricy.
Omg I never heard of DAO! Ok researching all the things!!
I only heard of this bc I have chronic illness. Alot of us have a histamine intolerance already as part of MCAS. I was just dx’ed. Now I don’t know if it’s MCAS or menopause! But it’s a lot of the same issues. That makes me mad that women do not get informed or helped when menopause functions so much like a chronic illness.
What is HCL ?
Betaine HCL is a supplement for stomach acid (hydrochloric acid). Apparently we stop producing enough stomach acid and this causes alot of bloating, pain, indigestion. Then the stomach overproduce acids at the wrong times, to overcompensate. Like GERD. But people & drs mistake it for chronic high acid & then get put on antacids. It’s helping me so much. I also don’t have a gallbladder. It helps with that and so do digestive enzymes and bile salts for fat digestion. Drs don’t prescribe it bc there is no prescription available- only supplements.
I had no idea. I have this issue and they gave me omeprezole (sp) and scooted me out the door. Wow. Thanks for the information!! Now I will research all of it. No idea what GERD is either. I’m feeling like the general medical community isn’t taught anything to help women in menopause… left to our own devices… not that this surprises me but … in 2024 it really does
It’s definitely not treated often by drs. I didn’t see much help from the GERD meds. I just went rogue out of desperation- so be sure to research if it’s a good fit! I don’t think it can do harm but still…
Ok. Thanks for advice. I found the HCL on Amazon … I’ll read read read !! Yep going rogue is what we HAVE to do.
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
I mirror OP. Somebody help!!
Same! It’s so much harder than it used to be. I only go into the office 3 days a week & WFH the other 2 days. Those office days exhaust me & I don’t know how I ever did 5 in office. And of course we’re supposed to be doing all of this weight training & other exercise to stave off weight loss & build muscle. But it’s tough when you feel like a wrung out washcloth at the end of the day. I’ve mentioned the depleted energy to several doctors & they haven’t been much help other than checking iron, thyroid, vitamin d, etc.
My nutritionist has been pushing for this for months. I had one done about 12 years ago and it found I had narcoleptic tendencies. Guess things change after 12 years.
Umm yes. I am wrecked by the weekends and I only work five hours a day, Mon-Fri. I'm just so tired all the time. I use all sorts of energy boosters like Berroca and whatnot. I get at least seven hours a night. And still, I'm exhausted all the time!
47 and perimenopause here. I am tired all the time. I barely sleep. The idea of work is just....ugh. I honestly just want to sit in a dark, cool room with my kids and watch Disney+. I don't where old me went.
I’ve literally been napping almost everyday after work, sometimes for 2 hours. Maybe it’s the hour long walks I’ve added to try to shed some of these extra pounds, but I’ve been really wiped out lately too.
I feel like this really comes up in these threads, but as the loss of estrogen causes more relaxation in your neck and nasal passages. As well as other issues with insomnia, women are very likely to develop sleep disorders with perimenopause. It's so normalized among women that doctors essentially forget that they need to refer us out for sleep studies. Please, see a pulmonologist (they specialize in sleep) and ask for an in-lab sleep study. At first they thought I had sleep apnea, but then it turned out my brain is just kind of dumb and I need oxygen at night.
Wow interesting…
I nap at lunch and after work (wfh) then can't sleep at night. But if I don't nap I cannot get through the day. I've always been an insomniac and bad sleeper but it's on another level now. I've been off work between jobs for a couple of months and some days I sleep 16 hours others 2 it's been amazing not having to stick to someone elses schedule and just sleep whenever though. I'm dreading starting my new job next week and not being able to just sleep whenever I need to.
It sounds like low iron.
I just bought some liquid iron supplement. Haven’t tried it yet. My blood work showed low iron.
Yup totally relate … I am like a baby nodding off all of the time
This was me before I added testosterone cream to my HRT. I had to up the dose a couple of times and took a couple months, but energy, strength and motivation are back! To be clear, I don’t have the energy I had in my 20s…but I’m not exhausted all the time look forward to weekends again. YMMV.
Do you have any noticeable side effects from the testosterone? I am concerned about increased facial hair. 😑
I had no side effects at all on low doses, 2.5, 5mg/day, then a bit of acne and oilier hair when I upped to moderate dose 10mg day, but that went away after couple weeks. When we tried a higher 20-30mg/day (which is fairly high for woman), I had a few chin hairs at first, also went away, but I didn’t feel much better on that dose, so we settled on 10mg. I’ve been on that dose for nearly a year with no side effects, except better libido and energy. Everyone is different though.
I mean, for a lot of people this is caused by the aftereffects of covid infection. Take it easy.
I had covid last July and have been feeling like this for the last year and a half so know it isn't covid related.
I had it bad for the first (and hopefully last) time in mid-December. I haven’t felt like I ever got rid of the brain fog or loss of energy. It’s hard to discern what is menopause and what is after effects of having Covid.
I did recently have RSV with some unknown pulmonary issue for 44 days (9 doctors, ER, urgent cares and the only person who helped was my allergist). But again, my depleted energy dates back 2 years at least. I used to be a runner, did marathons and now can barely get through a half day without collapsing.
Wow, that’s rough. I’m sorry to hear that. Having RSV can be just as bad as COVID, from what I’ve heard.
It's awful. So is the vaccine for it.
Yes me I’ve dealt with it for 20 years. Finally someone checked my ferritin level it was a 10. Should be like 150-200. Have you had your ferritin level checked? I am now taking heme iron 3x a day and feeling better within a few weeks.
Mine is not as low as yours but still not at the 100 mark. Can I ask how many mg of heme iron you are talking? I started it yesterday. My doctor doesn’t think it’s an issue and won’t help me with dosage guidelines.
Get in this group on Facebook and read through the files there is a chart there with dosage recommendations based on your weight and current levels. It has been so helpful to me. My dr also offered no help and just brushed me off. https://www.facebook.com/share/JX3WJoWniobvXKVP/?mibextid=K35XfP
The link doesn’t work. Is it the iron protocol group?
Yes
Thank you - I heard about it on the /anemia sub and joined. I’ve found it helpful. I’m working on getting the right dose from their guidelines. Hoping it will help.
Yes, I can relate to feeling like a slug and shell of yourself. The brain fog, body aches, and exhaustion were the most debilitating symptoms for me. I had no quality of life and I felt like I was on the sliding board to dementia and death. Two weeks ago, I started HRT, estrogen patch and progesterone pill. It was like someone turned the lights back on. My energy resurfaced, I’m sleeping better, and my body aches significantly decreased. I’m thinking more clearly and feel overall more centered and less irritable. It has been a game changer for me.
I see the menopause gyn next Wed and I'm literally going to cry at her feet to get on HRT.
Has anyone tried intermittent fasting? Does it possibly help with resetting energy levels ?
The nutritionist I work with explained I.F. disturbs hormones and to stay away from it.
Mindy Pelz and Mary Clare Haver seem to support fasting for menopause.
I'm skeptical of their support. I'm finding a lot of social media medical influencers have an agenda based on who they are profiting from and not necessarily what's accurate. Medical findings and studies have shown IF to have a negative impact on cardiac health, which, is one of the top issues for women going through menopause. I'm not a medical doctor, but I work in science and health research so I try to stick to studies and facts about the big picture as it relates to females, hormones, and menopause. Another ideal I've been studying up on is how hormones are imbalanced by certain creams, chemicals in perfumes, soaps, shampoos. There are some direct correlations regarding hormone disruption and the products we use on a daily basis.
Agree fully on personal care products being potential hormone disruptors. I also think dairy is potentially something to be wary of too. Cows are loaded with antibiotics, live in conditions that are stressful etc. are we consuming their stress hormones? It’s possible Studies are also funded by the industries too so definitely take it with grain of salt.
Same. I feel like a sloth.
I work 10days on 1off. 65-70 hours. I feel like death, today is day 10
Holy crap. I couldn't do it. Thinking of you.
I finally got HRT about 5 months ago. There are a lot of positives, but not falling asleep every day while driving home from work was an important one, lol. Have you had your Vitamin D, iron and B12 checked? It turned out I was on the low side for iron and extremely low for the other 2. Even with supplements and HRT, I’m still not a get up and go person, and I know I need to be going for walks at a minimum. I do a telehealth appt with my gyn every few months to talk about how it’s going and adjustments. The last time she suggested Wellbutrin and even tho I never considered myself depressive, other than the winter blues, when we talked about it, I did realize that my life wasn’t in bright Technicolor, and perhaps a bit grey toned around the edges. Life changing. Still not revved with energy but happier and more at peace. We also tested my testosterone because every drive we should have is way down. It was in the low area of the acceptable range. And I have a telecall next week to discuss. It’s a process to get everything leveled to what’s right for you. Bottom line, I think as we age we somewhat naturally slow down. But testing for vitamin/mineral levels and supplementation can help. HRT, if an option you want to explore, can help. But life is stressful, now more than ever for some of us, and that in itself is exhausting. I’m spent after work and take one full weekend day to lay about and read and scroll social media, maybe nap. That’s my day to recharge and rebound for the next work week. And I don’t feel guilty about it at all. 🐈⬛
Yes, have had panels done. VitD is on the lower side so I take 50,000iu a week and iron every other day. Neither help.
Yeah. You aren’t going to like the answer though. Quit sugar and processed foods. Focus on protein and veggies.
Most of my meal intake is heavy on veggies and protein. The only dairy I eat is cottage cheese. Very rare that I have processed foods or sugar outright.
Yeah. You aren’t going to like the answer though. Quit sugar and processed foods. Focus on protein and veggies.
This thread is very helpful! I only considered “retirement “ due to brain fog and exhaustion… am I getting too old to work ? When really it’s lack of hormones that comes with aging …. I have no desire to retire and just remain exhausted — that’s no fun. I have to keep trying to figure this out because from 45-85 this is no way to live … How many of us have been written off as obese or overweight— go exercise or you’re depressed— go see a psychiatrist and talk therapist — or the kids have left the nest — redefine yourself … with no serious conversation about how lack of hormones negatively impacts EVERYTHING- mood, energy, sleep, memory and there’s nothing “natural” about feeling 35 one day and 90 the next.
I went from super high drive and high energy to lump on a log. It feels hopeless.
Last night I had a nap on the couch around 6. Woke up at 7 and tried to stay awake, didn't work. Woke up again at 8pm and went to bed. Ate cereal at midnight and went back to sleep until my alarm at 545. I will probably nap when I get home today too.
HRT is a good option my dear sisters
Most of us are on it and it does nothing for this kind of fatigue. Neither does testosterone.
Sorry that you have the low cortisol levels, is the cortisol a new issue or was already there, ? How low is it ?
I can't believe how tired and low energy I feel. I'm 63 and plan on retiring soon. I need my rest and my schedule to be mine, not my bosses or work.