Verified answer

I completed menopause at age 50. I am now 66. I NEVER had adverse reactions after menopause - no new 'hair' growing in odd places; no diminished sexual capability or desire, etc etc etc.

I would say it varies amongst individual women depending on hereditary issues, health issues, etc.

From my early 40's on, I kept telling my doc I was in the menopause and he kept saying NO WAY...well, I was! LOL..At age 50 all menstration stopped and that was all that changed.

I wish you the best and advise you not to fret. Even if you have by products of the process there are so many treatments today that you will be fine! :-)

My physical changes are mainly due to aging in general and my metabolism stopped working, partly due to hypothyroid which runs in the family (younger sister isn't in perimenopause yet but has hypothyroid, as do all my aunts and my mom and my grandma). And due to the fact that I am working 12 hours a day and don't have enough time to go walking like I used to. Joints sometimes get achy but that's age, not menopause. I do get the occasional thick hair coming out of my chin and now that they're white, makes 'em hard to see but I can get them via touch--no big deal since I've been plucking my eyebrows forever and a couple of hairs (and it is only a couple of hairs every 2-3 months) on my chin aren't enough to mean anything. Sex is great; much more fun for me since I've become multiple orgasmic and they last so long (but maybe it's a better quality of guy too).

Personally, I LOVE being menopausal (except for the higher risk of all sorts of things since the ol' hormones are not keeping me safe any longer). I almost threw a party when I'd gone a year without a period--burn those old "special" panties, give the young nieces all my leftover supplies. Sudden there was all this extra space in my suitcase, my underwear drawer, my bathroom cabinet. No more "oops, have to go change something" or waking up with a stained bed or worrying every month if it didnt' come on time. No more going on vacation and having to drag all the paraphenalia along "just in case" because it always seemed to come even when it wasn't supposed to just because I was planning on being in the water a lot, or being confined on a long plane or car trip, etc. Yeh, had a few minor mood swings but tweren't nothing compared to PMS. Still have the occasional power surge but I wear layers and can take off the outer layers when needed and, luckily, a lot of my coworkers and friends are going through the same thing so we just flip on the air conditioning at work (and those youngsters can just wear sweaters if they get too cold). No HRT for me either.

I am 56 and am just starting the menopause. Perimenopause has eased me into it. I have really not noticed any real changes. Maybe not being able to sleep all night. The hot flashes are no big deal. I probably cry easier. I don't know if that is the reason or just life. Our sex life is basically the same. We have more privacy with no one else here. Don't listen to the horror stories. They are real, but not the only ones. Just have a doctor you trust and live.

Going through menopause really did change my life. I had suffered from migraines for thirty years. Those migraines ruled my life. After menopause I no longer have them. Like many others who posted, I really had no problems. No hot flashes to speak of, just some night sweats. No mood swings or at least no increase in mood swings, ha. I do think my metablolism slowed a bit. As for the appearance--well I don't have to spend much time shaving my legs. The hair just doesn't seem to grow on them much. But I do spend more time shaving my mustache.

I hit menopause when I was 44... yippee!! I am married and my sex life has not changed. Physical appearance has changed some, but that is due to other circumstances. The hot flashes are no big deal and are not a constant issue. Menopause for me was a very good thing! :)))

Menopause is not the same for everyone, when it comes to symptoms & duration. I was very lucky to have gone through the change & didn't even know it. I kept waiting for it to come, & nothing happened. Finally, I had just turned 58 y/o, & I went to see my doctor & told her of my concerns as to when the change was going to happen. My monthlys had ceased but that was it. I had some very sophisticated bloodwork done, which had surprising results. It seems that I was post menopausal. Yah, the change came & went & I didn't even know it. Nope, no hot flashes, mood swings, etc. Now, is that lucky or what? No physical changes either, so don't worry about that happening to you. The change is not to be feared. It's a time all women usually look forward to. Talk to your doctor about your thoughts & fears.

During menopause was a nightmare for me.

Cramps so bad I once thought of emergency room, after 5 hours of pain, called the doc instead, increased my ibuprophen amount. Hot flashes during the day, night sweats at night. Long hairs in my ears like my Dads, I chalk that up to genetics, I have lots of what both parents had. So, sex life during menopause wasn't on my mind. Beyond it now, sex is back to normal. Woo-Hoo! But there is that one long hair on my neck, don't know where it came from. lol.

My arms are a little hairier and I have a few little chin hairs that I have to pluck. I started menopause in my 40's and took Premarin for yrs. After I discovered horror stories about how the Premarin was harvested I weaned myself off of them. I used to have migraines every month and they have pretty much stopped. It never interfered with my sex life.

It doesnt change your appearance,age does.None of us like it that much, you will find yourself sometimes a little depressed but I just go and do something and forget about it.My relationships have not been affected at all.You may be one of the lucky ones and just breeze through it.Not everyone is affected the same way.My older sister has had no problem while I went on HRT.

affected my appearances:

under eveything I wear is a summer blouse...so when I get a Hot Flash I can unrobe... lol

The hot flashes are not so good for my hairstyle ....

other then that my appearance has not changed because of menopause...

Sex life: is the same...... :)