Top 10 Menopause Myth Busters

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There are many myths about menopause out there but these are just the top ten. Let’s explore what they are, why they’re out there, and how untrue they are. Let’s bust them all wide open!

#1. You Need HRT

Absolutely not! You don’t need Hormone Replacement Therapy!

When you go to the doctor with symptoms of menopause, usually the first thing the doctor discusses with you is Hormone Replacement Therapy.

In my mother’s generation, they pushed HRT on them, making them think it was the only way to get through menopause. I’m here to tell you this myth is busted!

Not only do you NOT have to take HRT, but you don’t have to take bioidentical hormones either, which has become very popular lately.

There is this myth floating around that you need to replace the hormones in your body because of menopause, but rest assured, your body still makes the hormones you need to survive, just not the same amount.

This depletion in hormones is what causes us symptoms like vaginal dryness, hot flashes, heart palpitations etc.

Are those symptoms difficult? Yes. But your only alternative is NOT HRT. Sure, if you want that, then go for it. But many do not.

When a doctor bullies you into thinking the only way you’ll feel better is by taking HRT, it leaves those millions of women who don’t want drugs, feeling hopeless. And yes, there are millions who are revolting against HRT, and choosing a drug free menopause.

Thankfully, I was blessed to find a Gynecologist that told me to find a natural way to get through menopause. At the time, I hadn’t thought much about how I was going to cope. He caught me off guard when he reviewed my tests with me and confirmed I was in full menopause and I would never get a period again.

So, going forward, I did what he told me.

I knew that I didn’t want to go through what my mother did with her patches, and pills. They say HRT doesn’t cause cancer, but I don’t believe that.

Big Pharma will push drugs for prophet, and that doesn’t sit right with me.

My mother did get cancer. Who knows what it was caused from, but I don’t want to take that chance with Hormone Replacement Therapy no matter how safe they say it is now.

When I was a young woman, I couldn’t even take birth control for more than a few months. It caused blood clots in my legs.

So nope! No HRT for me!

And when you try and find information on the internet about menopause, you get slapped in the face with all kinds of doctors who scare you into thinking you’ll die without it. Nonescense!

For generations before us, women coped just fine without taking drugs to ease their symptoms. And women in some countries never take HRT, or haven’t even heard of it.

I was confirmed to be in full menopause at the age of 47, and have not touched HRT. At the time that I’m writing this, I’ve been in full menopause now for 5 years. My symptoms have subsided, and I’ve found ways to cope naturally by food, minerals, and vitamins.

To the doctors out there, I say, “STOP SCARING US!”

You will be just fine if you don’t want HRT. You just need to find another way. At the end of this article I will discuss myth # 10. Natural Remedies Don’t Work.

Of course they do work, but we will discuss how later.

Finally, I just want to say that YOU are responsible for what you put in your body. If you want to do menopause drug free, then go ahead!

The myth that HRT is the only way, is BUSTED!

#2. You Can’t Get Pregnant

Well, yes-yes you can!

Women start entering menopause in their early 40’s, even earlier. Its called perimenopause. That’s the fun time, leading up to full menopause when your periods are finally gone.

I call it fun, but it’s not. You experience a rollercoaster of flooding and missed periods, up and down like a rollercoaster for years.

I started perimenopause when I was 42 and thought I was going to die. I went to my doctor with symptoms, and he laughed at me and told me I was way too young.

Well it turned out I wasn’t. 5 years later I was confirmed with full menopause from a FSH test. That’s the Follicle Stimulating Hormone test that determines the state of your ovaries. Mine had pooched early. I don’t know why.

I was mad! I was mad that my doctor dismissed me like I was a nut! And then I was mad that I was in full menopause at 47 when none of my friends or family members were at that stage. Not even my mother was in full menopause at 47. She didn’t go through it until her mid-fifties.

So that blew the theory out of the water that your reproductive system is identical to your mother’s. Mine was not! Not for menopause anyway!

But getting back to fertility – during perimenopause, you are still getting periods. Yes, sporadically, so you are still releasing an egg.

You can literally feel it during perimenopause, it’s so painful!

So, yes, if you are still ovulating, you can still get pregnant.

There are so many stories out there of women who thought they were going through menopause, but were actually pregnant. You can spend hours and hours researching this on the internet.

It’s quite entertaining.

I remember when I was obsessed with this topic back during my early days of perimenopause. I actually thought I could be pregnant because I suddenly hadn’t had my period in several months.

What else is a woman supposed to think at age 42 when this happens?

I went slightly insane at that time, thinking I could be pregnant somehow, even though my hubby had a vasectomy. That’s crazy!

And then I found all those stories on the internet of failed vasectomies and went even more insane. It was a really crazy time for me, and for the most part, I suffered in silence.

Then I found all the stories of those women who had never had children and were still hoping for a baby in their early to upper forties. It was sad.

For all those women who are still hoping for a baby in your forties, I have something that will give you hope.

And there is always hope.

What if all that we know about the female body is wrong. Well, not all, but what if they don’t know everything about fertility.

I found some recent research about reversing menopause. It’s quite unique. There have been successful trials done on women who have regained fertility after menopause, even after five years of no periods.

It’s quite unique. I’ll link the research article at the end of my post for you.

Regardless, of what people say, just remember this. YOUR body is not the same as everyone else. YOU are unique. There is only one you.

So, if you want to get pregnant in your 40’s or even 50’s, there is still hope. If you don’t, then you need to take precautions.

Sometimes it’s just the fact that we are not having sex as often, and so the likelihood of pregnancy is very very low.

But regardless, the myth that you can’t get pregnant during menopause is untrue.

And the myth that you can’t get pregnant after menopause may be changing soon. It’s very controversial, but very interesting that what they thought they knew about female fertility may not even be true.

I’ll just leave it at that 🙂

#3. Your Health Will Deteriorate

Um NO!

Contrary to popular belief, you will not shrivel up and die.

There are a lot of things you can do to ensure good health. Like anyone, we are what we eat. Just don’t scarf down donuts every day.

Menopause is a challenge to maintain good health, but it is certainly achievable.

We should all try to be healthy, no matter what age we are. The point is, we don’t. We don’t do anything until we are forced to.

Menopause forces you to take a look at your health and do something about it. Do something about that extra 50 pounds; Do something about the way you eat; Do something about your lethargic lifestyle.

If you want change, then do it.

Do it so you live longer!

Do it for yourself!

Do it for your family!

Do it so you can run after your grandchildren without becoming dizzy and out of breath!

Be healthy!

Seek out healthy lifestyles like Intermittent Fasting, and a good exercise program. It doesn’t even have to be intense. Just get out and go for a walk. Do it daily, and build your stamina.

Make sure you take the vitamins and minerals that keep your body working well. A major one is magnesium. I have many articles on supplements you can take for optimum health on Crunchy Menopause.

The main thing to remember is to take care of yourself, body, mind, and spirit. If you do that, you’ll be fine.

Don’t let people scare you into thinking your health is going downhill from now on, simply because of menopause. That is just not true!

If you’re out of shape, get into shape!

FIGHT TO GET IT BACK!

But you CAN get it back. The myth that your health will deteriorate after menopause is busted!

#4. Sex Will Suck After Menopause

Totally untrue!

This myth originates from the fact that our hormone production decreases after menopause, producing vaginal dryness.

A reduction in our hormones also can give us a low sex drive.

We have to work at it, girls!

Up to this point we’ve never had to really work at it, but sex is more challenging as we age. That’s just a given for everyone.

The most important thing to work on is toning muscles and lubrication.

Coconut oil is great for lubrication because it’s natural, and it’s antibacterial so it’s like using soap. It will rejuvenate feminine hygiene while doubling as a lubricant.

Toning muscles can be achieved with kegel exercises, but this can be challenging as we age. There are ways to get around it though.

Yoni eggs and Kegel balls will help with this. You can read about it in my other article here.

The myth that your sex life will be bad after menopause is busted. It’s simply not true unless you want it to be.

There is no excuse not to work on this. And when you do, you will find that life is better for you and your partner once again!

#5. There’s Something Wrong With You

The biggest thing I had to get my head around when I went through perimenopause and then menopause was that there was absolutely nothing wrong with me.

At first, I thought I was dying.

It was so difficult because I had nobody to talk to about menopause. My friends were not at the same stage as I was, and most women don’t want to talk about menopause.

In fact, it’s taboo and I wanted to change that.

That’s why I started this blog. Crunchy menopause was created to change the face of menopause. No longer do we have to suffer in silence, but we can also learn from each other.

Communication is the starting point for change. I can’t tell you how encouraged I have been by reading about other women’s menopause journeys.

A great support group I am part of is called Menopause Maggie. It’s a closed group, but you can ask to join. It’s helped me in so many ways. It has especially helped me find natural ways to cope with menopause.

In short, the myth that there is something wrong with us just because we are menopausal is totally busted.

Menopause is perfectly natural!

#6. The Menopause Middle Is Inevitable

Yes, women gain weight around their middle during menopause but it doesn’t have to be the case. As I said earlier, there are ways to avoid this.

Sometimes it’s just the simple fact that we don’t want to do anything about it.

It’s kind of like when I became pregnant and already had a few extra pounds around my middle. I knew there was a baby in there, so I let it all hang out. Sure babe was in there, but I looked bigger than I was because I already had that extra poundage.

It’s entitlement.

As a menopausal woman, sometimes we think we are entitled to have that extra poundage around our middle because we’ve earned it. Besides, it’s easier to let it all hang out. We just joke and tell people it’s our menopause middle and then don’t do anything about it.

Well, for those who don’t like that spare tire, it’s actually something we CAN get rid of. All we have to do it try.

As I said earlier, I discovered I was eating too many calories for my body type.

You can reduce your caloric intake however you want. There are many diets and exercise programs out there that work. Pick one.

My favorite is Intermittent Fasting.

But I challenge you, find something that works for you. The common denominator to them all is reducing your caloric intake. Get an app that will help you record how many calories you are taking in during the day and you might be surprised at the number. I was!

So, the myth that the menopause middle is inevitable is totally untrue. We busted this one right out to water.

And by the way…in case you didn’t read it earlier, I lost 50 lbs by reducing my caloric intake, and reclaimed my body and my youth.

So can you!

#7. Menopause Happens In Your 50’s

Everyone is different.

I was confirmed to be in full menopause at the age of 47. I thought that was early, but there are many others who go through it even in their 30’s.

Never assume it’s at age 50.

There are also those who don’t go through it until much later. Some even in their 60’s.

I for one am glad to be done with periods.

It’s the other symptoms that are yucky.

Still, if you want to find natural ways to get through menopause, it’s totally doable.

Some people say menopause is determined by genetics, or when you first started your period. But for me, I started my period later than most, and started menopause earlier than most.

I did not take after my mother. She went through menopause in her 50’s.

I don’t know what determines this, perhaps it’s environment, or stress factors.

Nobody really knows.

All that is known for sure is that women can go through menopause at any age. 30’s. 40s, 50’s, 60’s. There have even been reports of the rare 20 something going through menopause early.

So, this myth is busted!

#8. Menopause Makes You Ugly

Menopause does NOT make you ugly!

I actually use to think this, but have had to fight hard to get my beauty back. You CAN lose it, but only because you don’t fight for it.

Yes, we all have days where we feel ugly and unattractive, but it’s more challenging when a woman goes through perimenopause and menopause.

Simply put, we can let ourselves go.

As I went through perimenopause, there was a time that I actually asked myself, “How big will I get?”

I had gained an extra 50 pounds, mostly around my middle. They say it’s common during menopause and the consensus is that we should just accept it.

Well I couldn’t!

I had never struggled with my weight before, so it was very embarrassing, and took a toll on my self-esteem.

I remember crying when listening to one of Tony Robbins motivational videos on YouTube. He said, “Get back to your fighting weight!”

Well, at the time I was on my exercise bike, and yelled, “I’m trying!” But it did no good at all. I had tried for several months with my bike, and nothing brought my weight down. I was at a complete loss.

Then I realized it was my caloric intake, and discovered that I was eating too many calories. I wasn’t pigging out or anything, but I was just taking in too many calories.

You don’t need a snack every two hours.

You don’t even need to eat three square meals a day. Who made that up anyway?

I got my caloric intake down by doing Intermittent Fasting. That’s when you only drink water for parts of the day. It’s awesome! I now follow this eating regime every day, and I don’t feel deprived at all.

I eat what I want, but I only have one meal a day during the week. On the weekends I eat whenever, and whatever I want.

I lost 50 lbs, feel great, and have kept it off for years now.

There are many health benefits to Intermittent Fasting as well, which you can read in the following link, Intermittent Fasting for Menopause.

Long story short, the myth that menopause makes you look ugly is busted. Not only can you look amazing during menopause, you can feel amazing too!

So, put on some makeup, dress well, and eat right! Blow this myth out of the water!

#9. Early Menopause Means A Shorter Lifespan

I’ve always heard that the earlier you go into menopause the shorter your lifespan, but that is absolutely not true. Why should it be? The premise behind it is that we start to have poor health as soon as our hormones deplete during menopause, but that’s not the case for everyone.

We can have poor health, or we can work on achieving ultimate health.

Really, it’s up to you.

Sure, if we don’t take care of ourselves, we won’t last long. That’s a given, but if we are diligent and eat right, exercise, take vitamins and minerals, we will be okay.

For me, I look for natural remedies and have already noticed changes in my body because of them. I feel more youthful and I look that way too.

There was a time that I really felt my age. There was a time that I didn’t like the way I looked and my wrinkles and saggy skin got the best of me. But no more of that!

I have found a way to feel better.

And when you feel better, you live longer.

A big part of it is a mind game. If you think you’re old, you will be. If you act old, you will be.

I remember visiting with a woman at the store one day, and she looked really old. She acted that way too, huffing and puffing and complaining about her ailments.

She said, at her age, she couldn’t do a lot.

I asked her how old she was, and she told me she was 50. I couldn’t believe it. I had just turned 50 and she was the same age as me, yet she acted as if she was in her 80’s.

I told her my age and she looked sideways at me, not believing me.

I’ve had a lot of people look sideways at me when they learn how old I am. I’m not bragging, just making a point. If you act youthful, you will be. If you act old, and talk about your ailments and things you can’t do anymore, you won’t be able to do much.

You will age yourself.

Don’t do that.

Instead, tell yourself you’re young and youthful. Your brain will believe anything it tells you. If you can turn your negative thoughts into positive ones, that’s half the battle.

Then, when people tell you the earlier you go into menopause, the shorter your lifespan, you can say, that’s a myth, and actually believe it!

#10. Natural Remedies Don’t Work

YES THEY DO!

I am living proof that natural remedies work to combat menopause symptoms.

I have been taking a handful of natural products that have given me back my life. I feel more energetic, and lost weight.

I have less hot flashes, and have eliminated severe hot flashes especially during the day. I use to have palpitations to go along with the hot flashes, but no more.

I also use to get this doom feeling whenever a hot flash was coming on. No more of that either.

I was also diagnosed with a heart murmur years ago, and that disappeared too. I started taking coconut oil. I take a spoonful every day. On my last doctors visit, I had my heart tested and asked my doctor if she could hear my heart murmur. She said, “What murmur! There is none.”

I couldn’t believe it.

I also use to have a lot of skin rashes. None of that anymore either.

I suffered for 20 years with severe dizzy spells, and no doctor could pinpoint the reason for my vertigo. It was awful and debilitating. When I had one of these spells, I felt like I was having a stroke.

One severe episode, I woke my husband up in the early morning stumbling through the hall crying because I couldn’t balance with my dizzy spell. I felt as though my life was being choked out of me.

He brought me into emergency, but the doctors said there was nothing wrong with me.

I did my own research and discovered that I needed magnesium. I started taking it, and within a week, my dizzy spells were gone.

Never have I ever suffered with severe dizziness again. It was completely gone and still is. Needless to say, I take my magnesium faithfully and found out that many people are magnesium deficient, and don’t even know it.

Guess what a major sign of magnesium deficiency is? Dizziness!

How do you like that!

So, when people tell me natural medicines don’t work for menopause, I tell them to stuff it!

This myth is busted wide open!

If you’d like to check out the fertility link I mentioned above. You can check it out here.

Click HERE For Other Articles on Crunchy Menopause.

References

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Author Kathleen Morris

Kathleen Morris is a successful published author, blogger, and Youtuber. She enjoys writing about things she’s passionate about and making a difference in the world.

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