Menopause / post-menopause difficulties

Thank you. Good advice, some of which I already try. I haven't limited my caffeine to mornings yet, but I will try this. I have found only eating sweet things in the morning, and not eating after about 6.30pm helps.

That was a tough approach by your GP. Menopause, being a sole carer and autistic must have been tough. Glad you are feeling better. 

Yes, I am an all year outdoor swimmer, without a wet suit, and a fan of cold showers.

My autism diagnosis is allowing me to understand that sometimes I just need to chill.

Will look into Purple Ella, thank you.

I'm not up to date with what's current, 7 years post menopausal so out of the loop. My meltdowns/shutdowns and burnout were definitely more frequent during menopause and I always felt hormonal fluctuations intensely. I never had HRT. I went through early menopause and my feelings of anxiety and stress were attributed to being the sole carer of my autistic son. My GP thought that taking HRT would prolong the inevitable process and if I could cope with the symptoms then I should ride it out. With lack of sleep I try not to look at the time when I wake up because then I think about how much time there is before I need to get up or think about how much sleep I'm missing. On a good night I get 6 hours, on a bad night I'm lucky to get 4 hours broken sleep. If I'm awake early then I enjoy the quiet time before the world wakes up - open the window, listen to the birds. Try to nap when you can. Í limit caffeine drinks to before midday and have a time in the afternoon when I stop everything and read or listen to something relaxing. If it leads to falling asleep then that's good, if not at least my mind has switched off for a bit. I coped with hot flushes by taking regular cool showers, wearing loose, natural fibers clothing, carry a hand held fan with me when I'm out. I'm guessing from your username that you practice cold water therapy anyway. I actually feel pretty good now I've got through to the other side of it. My mood is much more level. Having the autism diagnosis has made me feel a peace I never had before. I'm much more gentle with myself and doing what's right for me 

Some links:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/menopause-menstruation

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

Christine Hendrickx may have some research on menopause in autistic women. I'm post menopausal having had early menopause from my early 40s, so I'm not entirely up to date as I'm 7 years post menopausal now. My peri menopausal symptoms were attributed to caring for my autistic son so I didn't receive appropriate care, if anyone actually does anyway. I know that hormonal contraceptives affected me more than non autistic women. I definitely had more meltdowns during menopause and found it more difficult to think straight. I think that's probably true of non autistic women too though. My GP at that time was female and of the opinion that HRT only prolonged the symptoms of withdrawing from production of hormones by the ovaries, and that if you can cope without HRT it's best to power through it, so to speak. With sleep I just tried to accept the lack of it instead of comparing my sleep patterns as a younger person. I take naps during the day when I can. I try not to look at my phone when I wake up and think about the time and how many hours are left before I have to get up. I sleep alone when I can because another hot body next to me doesn't give me a cool place to move to and just exacerbates the heat in the bed and the room. I know these tips may not help if you're in a committed relationship as some people seem to take offense at the need to get some sleep in a separate room. On the plus side it's great not to worry about getting pregnant every month. It's great not feel like your judgement is clouded by the hormonal urge to procreate. With hot flushes I washed armpits and feet 3 or 4 times a day. Wearing natural fibers helps with keeping cooler. There are necklaces that you can buy that are cooling. My heat seemed to emanate from deep within so I would have liked to try a cooling necklace. On a lighter note, there's a series on Ch4 currently that I'm enjoying called The Change. The premise is a menopausal woman has kept a ledger for years recording all the invisible work she has done for her family, timing it on her watch and writing down in minutes and seconds how much of her time (life) she has sacrificed. On her 50th birthday she goes on a quest to rediscover herself. I'm very much at that point. Being post menopausal feels like my time after years of confirming and serving others. 

I don't have links to research, sorry. I think the autistic/adhd YouTuber, Purple Ella, may have some content about her experiences with menopause and I know talked recently on Instagram about how she was told by her doctor that she's more chemically sensitive because she's autistic, which can effect how medication works. Not sure if that sensitivity would also apply to hormones, like oestrogen, but it could make sense.