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Menopause making autism more intense

Kit McDaydream
over 4 years ago

Hi

Any older women going through or been through the peri-menopause/menopause? Did it make your autism more intense?  ...for the whole time of going through the menopause or just the weeks when your period would have been due?

I'm 50 and really struggling with severe mood swings, complete change of personality, left social media and isolated. go from feeling lonely to feeling resentful if someone texts me and I feel they're going to want to visit. Have become severely agoraphobic and hate crowds though can cope with going on quiet walks with the dog if I go when no-one else (or as few people as humanly possible) will be there.  so will set off in the dark very early am to reach the field/park for just as its turning to daylight so we have the place to ourselves etc.

What are other women's experiences of going through the menopause? Did it change your behaviour and/or personality completely?  go from calm to extremely anxious or rage within a few seconds?

I live very isolated and its up to a month wait for a GP appointment though none of them have experience of autism anyway so just wanted to know if my symptoms were 'normal' for an autistic woman, even if they were more intense than what a non-autistic woman would go through?

Thanks

Kit

Parents
  • over 4 years ago

    I think it's hard to say, because autistic people are highly variable and menopausal experiences are too, so trying to find a standard one is like trying to nail a jelly to the wall.

    Some of my observations :

    • Hypersensitivity in autism makes me especially irritable when physical symptoms such as itchy skin occur. One label in clothing is bad enough.. Menopause makes me feel as though there are dozens of labels sewn back in
    • I am terrified of weight gain after reading that it was common. I have been measuring my waist obsessively and restricting my calorie intake. I don't want a new shape, it's taken me years to get used to the one I have
    • The hormone changes make me nauseous and heighten my sensitivity to smells
    • And the main thing, masking my autism doesn't seem to work any more. So I reckon that the real me is breaking through. I have raging moods but I've always had a bit of that. 

    I actually look forward to reaching the other side and not having to bother with silly unpredictable hormone stuff. Back to being a tomboy as I was when I was 12! 

  • over 4 years ago in reply to Deleted user

    Thanks for answering.. I was a tomboy too when young!  I hated puberty and my parents wouldn't let me have the shiny silver Raleigh Grifter I really wanted because it was considered a 'boy's bike' and I was 'becoming a young lady' so had to have a girls bike! (my one before from 7 yrs had been a Raleigh Tomahawk which I think has been my all time favourite childhood bike).  I've never felt comfortable in skirts or dresses either and hated having to wear them!

    I always had an alter/mask for dealing with people/public and it has felt like my system has broken down for a while (since late forties) and I find going out even a couple of hours or having people here a couple of hours exhausting. I never thought of it just being the autism though, I thought I might have chronic fatigue as I have other physical issues too now with age.

    I lost weight doing the 5:2 vegetarian/vegan diet (5 days veggie 2 days vegan) and adding coconut oil to my diet (as its said to target belly fat) I've gone from a size 22 to a 14. Even when monthlies come I can still get in the 14's and my stomach doesn't bloat anywhere near as much. The negative bit I think is it makes my face look older cos of course weight has also come off my face and neck. I think my neck makes me look older than I actually am now.  I seem to be losing teeth too though that could be due to a fear of dentists and aversion to physical contact from strangers I haven't been to a dentist for over 20 years.

  • over 4 years ago in reply to Kit McDaydream

    Really interesting how many autistic women in this forum say the same thing - tomboy and hating girly things. 

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