Menopause and Acne

So it’s me again – Carole.  I’m starting to feel better about this menopause business, it really helps to write stuff down and I’m starting to feel there’s light at the end of the tunnel. 

I had a bad start to the week.  I was feeling incredibly low and tearful again.  My husband was away on business and my eldest daughter was the only one home with me.  She found me crying in the kitchen over nothing, I felt awful that she should see me not being able to cope.  But she was great, very understanding and incredibly mature for a 16 year old.  She suggested that I go online and see if I can find out more information that could help me, she also suggested that I try and find some chat forums so I could talk to other women going through the same thing.  Of course these days that’s all my children seem to do is surf the net, so I thought she must know what she’s talking about!

 When my husband returned at the end of the week, I had trouble sleeping and was getting terrible hot flushes.  The hot flushes usually come in the night, which again affects my husband, as I am getting in and out of bed and tossing and turning all the time.  I offered to sleep in the spare room but he told me not to be silly. 

 So I started doing a bit of research on the internet.  I was used to using the net all the time at work to book flights and hotels, but I’d never used it for much more than that and shopping.  I found lots of sites where I could get information from.  Of course I could get this info from my doctor, but a lot of these sites have real people on them that have gone through the same experience.  As lovely as my doctor is and he is incredibly understanding – he’s still a man!  He knows about the stuff that is happening to my body but I guess it must be hard for him to really know how I feel about the emotional side of things.  Just reading about other women’s experiences has really helped me realise that my mood swings aren’t my fault and to stop being so anxious all the time.

Hi, I’m Carole, 49 years old.  If you’re going through the menopause and are suffering from acne , then I’m glad you’ve found this website and I strongly recommend that you keep reading!  If you want to cut to the chase, click here to see how I finally managed to sort my menopause and acne problem out.  This is my story, the ups and downs, what works for me and what doesn’t and finally the one thing that did help me get through the menopause – I couldn’t have done it without it. 

I’m going through the menopause which I am really struggling with.  One of the worst things is my skin, I am getting really spotty.  I look like I’ve got acne which is something I am finding really hard to deal with.  I never got spots as a teenager or in my twenties so this is all new to me.  I try to cover them up with make-up but sometimes it makes it look worse – it’s so embarrassing.

I haven’t had a period for about a year which I think is great, but it’s all the side affects that are really getting to me.  I am so moody, that I’m surprised my husband and kids haven’t moved out!  I know I’m being unreasonable at the time I just can’t seem to help it.  I think my husband must have the patience of a saint as he always forgives me.  My kids aren’t so understanding, but why should they be?  My son just thinks I’m crazy and when I try to talk to him about it, he can’t leave the room quick enough.  I guess menopause and teenage boys don’t really mix.  I am so grateful to my husband for being so understanding and it really worries me that if I don’t get over these mood swings soon, he’ll stop being so great.  Our marriage is really strong, but there’s only so much one bloke can put up with.  It makes me feel really anxious all the time about our relationship.

I was finding this whole menopause thing overwhelming.  I was fed up of being tearful and irritable all the time and was wishing for the day these symptoms would disappear. I spoke to my doctor about this and he talked me through going on HRT but I just didn’t feel comfortable with it after reading about all the side affects and dangers that had recently been reported.  He suggested that I go away and have a think about it.

I kind of decided there and then to be honest with you that I didn’t want to go on HRT and have since found something that is making this menopause “thing” much more bearable.  It helps to know I’m not the only suffering through all this.

 Click here and cut to the chase to see what helped me out when I was feeling down and struggling with my mood swings.