Where do I begin? I never realised until many years later how many menopause symptoms and remedies there really are. I can remember one day whilst I was drying my hair, putting a brush through it and I heard a horrible crunching sound. “Was my hair falling out?”, “was there something seriously wrong with me?” I looked in the mirror and could see nothing. All was totally normal, but obviously my hair condition had drastically changed.
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Menopause symptoms and remedies…
My hairdresser/fab friend of mine was a great help and recommended L’Oréal Elvive colour protect shampoo and conditioner which is very good for dry coloured hair. To this day I absolutely swear by it!
One of the most debilitating symptoms of the menopause was seven months of no sleep and when I say no sleep, I mean no sleep! I would go to bed tired, close my eyes and still be wide awake, clock watching every hour… until I just gave up and got up. How I survived for so long I will never know. Another visit to my GP where I was told I looked dreadful and that feeling like I was at breaking point was again another symptom of the menopause.
The only solution was strong tablets, but I was willing to try anything… Tramadol and Zopiclone to name but two. Not being one to take tablets, I tried Nytol (a natural remedy) but nothing seemed to work. The Tramadol made me have an out of body experience and walk sideways around the room. The Nytol made my asthma (only ever exacerbated in high end exercise) really bad. I just had to hope and pray it didn’t go on forever!
Along with my horrendous joint problems and in desperate search of some solutions, I made another appointment to see my GP and she suggested trying HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). I had always wanted to avoid it , being aware of some of the stories linked to taking it, but in desperation I thought I would give it ago. After 8/9 months it made no difference so I came off it.
I then turned to herbal medicines and remedies. In no particular order, I tried… Black Cohosh, Omega 3, Turmeric, Red Clover, Vitamin E, Menopace, Starflower, Vitamin B6, Echinacea and the list goes on…If anybody suggested a natural remedy, I would try it, but to no avail as nothing seemed to remotely improve any of my symptoms. I was highly recommended to try Probiotics and personally for me this has been a game changer, if you have any stomach/gut issues these Probiotics are amazing! If you want to read more about remedies I have tried click here!
Through all of this I have always kept up my physical activity, going to the gym 4/5 times a week. One thing I have learned with knee and hip problems is to wear comfortable trainers. I think without a doubt this has kept me sane and kept my mental health on track.
Regularly seeing the physiotherapist (that the numerous consultants I was under sent me to see) for all of my joint issues, actually turned into the best thing that could’ve happened. He sent me back to my GP as he was adamant that all my joint issues were menopause related and after seeing a different GP (who has been amazing and to me a god send) sensed my anguish and asked if I’d ever taken Naproxen (Reduces inflammation and pain to joints and muscles). Along with a stomach liner, Naproxen was a saving grace for me and my joint problems and I improved by probably as much as 50/60%, but I still struggled with my work load.
I also like to use a hand held body massager for any muscle aches and pains that I have!
To date, I have been taking a large dose recommended by a Herbal Practitioner of Vitamin D3. she says that many menopausal women lack natural vitamin D3, taking supplements of this has been shown to help with hot flushes, low mood, sleep etc! Magnesium Citrate Powder for sleep and my daily dose of Naproxen.
I’m always interested in what others take and if it really works, I’ve heard alot of people talk lately about Goli gummies. These are Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies that have all of the positive affects of apple cider vinegar without the bad taste and negative effects on your teeth. They are a great antioxidant and there is evidence to show that they support a healthy weight management and can help to reduce your appetite. They are also gluten free and vegan, to find out more about these head over to https://go.goli.com/clipboardclaire.
These might be worth a try a ladies! If you are interested you can use the promo code clipboardclaire for 5% off of your order, I have only just started trying these but I will keep you posted with my opinion in future blogs!
All I can say ladies is I’m feeling better than I have done in a very long time and if I can help one other person then this blog post will be worth it!
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