HRT

I have read that the symptoms of menopause can be more severe for females on the spectrum (see links below):

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/menopause-menstruation#:~:text=Qualitative%20studies%20have%20found%20increased,differences%20and%20difficulties%20regulating%20emotions.

https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/autism-and-menopause-qa-with-rachel-moseley-and-julie-turner-cobb/

For females that don't want to go down the HRT route, I'm aware that there are homeopathic alternatives. Black cohosh is often mentioned for relieving hot flushes, although I can't say that it had much of an effect on mine.

There is no need to apologise for reminding me of my missed appointment, and you are correct in thinking that I still intend to go down the HRT route.

I consider myself fortunate that perimenopause did not cause me any major issues. I went from having my regular monthly cycle, to several months in a row passing without a period. When I did get a period, it was significantly lighter and only tended to last a couple of days. I thought it was fantastic, particularly because I was being spared from the misery of monthly menstrual cramps. Yippee! 

It could be coincidental, but I'm convinced my dad's death was responsible for putting an end to the perimenopause stage, as 11 months later I was under no illusion that I was most definitely menopausal. That's when I found myself having hot flushes and sweats multiple times a day. Gee, thanks Dad! I do question if the timing of his death was intentional... Having spent years observing how the menopause had affected my mother, maybe the knowledge that I would most likely end up turning into a bat-sh*t crazy, mood-swing-prone female was just too much for him. 

I don't know what things are like in Australia, but there is now a big push in the UK to educate people about the effects of the menopause, and how debilitating the symptoms can sometimes be.

Hi Sparkly,

I am on HRT for perimenopause. It was hard to recognise the symptoms but I did some research and found a woman who calls her self "Menopause Barbie". She's on Youtube and she has a playlist which is very scientific and detailed.  She's just examines menopause and ALL options. Some aren't available in the UK, but she gives options for if you don't want chemical solutions. For me it was helpful to see it as a science rather than an emotional/taboo subject.  She get's technical but details about side effects. I can't seem to find anything about menopause and austism, but for me masking just got too hard to do as I was emotionally exhausted.

PS: I agree with you and everyone else here that there isn't enough information about the effect of menopause on autistic women.

Oh goodness Sparkly - now I think I remember reading about how you missed your appointment soon after I joined this forum, and didn't put the two things together in my mind.  Sorry for reminding you of it.  Though I suppose you're preparing to go for another one?

Yes the combination and overlap is very difficult.  That's why it took me so long to realise I was autistic.  It turns out I have anxiety which is probably largely caused by the autism, and the anxiety makes me tired, and sometimes depressed for short periods.

It was having kids that helped me uncover the autism.  And then it was time for perimenopause.  Goodness.

Well at least there are a few of us here who can share our experiences with you.  I'm 54 and now sort of through menopause.  I must say I was determined to think of myself as over it after 12 months without a period.  I was very happy about that.  I realise you can't just say you're done with menopause but I think feeling happy about it helped me a little bit

I regret to say that I didn't make it to the appointment Helen, which I was meant to have attended last week. I ended up falling asleep shortly before I had planned to start getting ready for it and didn't wake until a few hours later.

Fatigue and brain fog are symptoms that affected me long before I became menopausal. When there is an overlap of symptoms, it can be impossible to be sure of the cause, so I can certainly relate to what you say. 

Thank you for the web link. There is a UK website called Menopause Matters, which is similar:
https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/

Signposting a link pasted below 

How did you get on Sparkly?

I went on HRT a few years ago because of the hot flushes waking me at night, and it took a little while to get it right but I did get rid of them.  Being able to sleep was the most important thing, and the HRT helped me with that.  I have fatigue and brain fog at times still but it's hard to know if that's from anxiety, menopause or something else.

My medication is a patch called Estalis Sequi (don't know if it's the same in the UK, I'm in Australia) and I only have a half patch (I told my dr it was too strong so she instructed me to cut them in half with scissors!

 The website my dr referred me too is https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management

I hope it's ok to link to that - I think it is.  One of the most helpful bits of advice about HRT I think is start low, go slow and review often.  

It’s tempting. 

Thank you - I think it was Evorel. Sounds familiar to me anyway. I feel anxious about medication though. In principle I feel I should only take medication if I’m ill - and I menopause isn’t illness. I’m confused about the whole thing.

Hi Kate,

Just had a quick look online for HRT Patches (UK). Do any of the following sound familiar?:

Evorel, Estradot, Femseven

If you are like me and post-menopausal, you would most likely be prescribed continuous combined HRT (oestrogen AND progesterone). The progesterone is important as I'm sure I read that it reduces the risk of developing womb cancer.

Thank you. She only suggested one kind - I’ve actually forgotten now what it was called annoyingly. It was a patch. I still can’t decide - I find making decisions like this incredibly difficult - I go over and over the advantages and disadvantages and just end up stuck and stressed and unable to make a decision. It’s exhausting.

I’m glad to hear that other people have had good experiences. 

Thanks Kuukir. I find it reassuring that HRT has helped to reduce your symptoms.

Hi Kate, I can understand why you feel reluctant to venture down the HRT route, and can also understand why you felt frustrated with your GP for not providing you with an opinion. Did she provide you with any information as to the different types of HRT available? I've not looked myself, but am just wondering if the Menopause Matters website may have information that addresses your concerns.

It took me a long, long time to reach the decision I made. It was important to me that whatever decision I made was my choice, and not something that I felt bullied into. What swung it for me was that I knew I couldn't tolerate spending the next however many years feeling debilitated by my symptoms.

I’ve been thinking about this too. I’ve  been struggling with menopausal symptoms and my anxiety has been much worse in the last 5 years. I am virtually  phobic about doctors and medications though. I was feeling particularly bad about 2 months ago and spoke to my gp on the phone. She said she could prescribe me HRT if I wanted it. I just don’t know though. My mum had breast cancer in her late 30s - so that’s a worry for me. I’ve basically decided to put the decision off for a while. Deep down I don’t think I’ll do it because I hate taking medication. I don’t know if HRT is a good idea or not to be honest. I’ve always believed that you should only take medication if you really really need to. However the loss of oestrogen has a lot of negative effects on women’s health. My GP didn’t give me an opinion - she just said “it’s your choice”. I’m no expert so how on Earth can I know?! It’s so confusing.

I had so many physical symptoms of menopause. Sensory issues seemed to exacerbate some of them. For me, it absolutely seemed the right thing to have HRT. Two months later, on oestrogen gel, I have few symptoms left. I hope you find an HRT to suit you, too :-)

I'm pleased that HRT has been working for you Catlover. I'm hoping my GP will prescribe the oestrogen gel that's rubbed into the skin (along with progestogen). 

Thanks Dawn. Like you, I wish more was known about the impact of menopause on autistic women. However, one thing I am thankful for is that menopause is no longer the taboo topic it once was.

I’m using HRT but not a systemic tablet. However, it’s working a treat. I don’t have any real problems  like hot flushes etc, to warrant the need to start taking it, but if and when I do, I will be happy to. I’ve done a load of research on it. The facts speak for themselves, and risk to most women in general is minute in the grand scheme of things. Like you say, the people I know who have started it, have said it’s changed their life for the better.

Good for you. I wish we understood more about the impact of menopause on autistic women but we don't. In retrospect I think it did a real number on me and wish I had had the courage to ask a Dr for HRT. But doctors are scary, and like in every other respect we end up doing without healthcare because we find general health hard to deal with.