I think the drugs are doing my harm than good, especially the preventative ones, like flu and pneumonia shots. The death rates related to drugs are higher than they have ever been. The very thing you take the drug for often makes the problem worse. The PPIs, were only tested for 14 days, they don't know the long term effects, if they do they are not telling us about it. I have a very acidic stomach, I have trouble if I eat an apple on an empty stomach. I was taking an over the counter PPI, not knowing it was a PPI. By the time I found out what it was, my stomach was so bad I was ready to set up an appt a stomach scope. I was also allergic to it and I had sores on my head and was losing my hair. Thankfully I recovered from that. Now I just take tums and one (generic) Pepcid Complete a day. Working fine so far. I am a high risk for falls, but I am 74 and I think most people my age are in the same boat. I am still not going to take any drugs unless I am in pain.

I have had no post-menopausal problems including hot flashes. This was a pleasant surprise to me because I had such horrible periods and PMS and I had read that the two are linked. My emotional state is the best it has been in my entire life. That surprised me too. I think getting off the estrogen roller coaster was good for me. I also reconnected to my faith so it is hard to say what comes from what. I have finally been released from a lifetime of painful shyness. It is such a joy not to have to plan every outing, every vacation, and weigh job offers on the basis of "when is my period due and what facilities will be available" Spending entire days in the bathroom because the flow was so relentless are over. Lying in bed trying not to scream from the cramps is over. Becoming suicidal once a month is over too. I have taken nothing and am glad for it, but all of my friends are either on HRT or tranquilizers to handle their post-menopausal problems. I guess I am just lucky or maybe I used up all my bad karma on the 44 years I spent trying to deal with all that mess and pain.

The best way to handle menopause is to educate oneself about it and look at it as a natural step in a woman's life. We tend to over-medicalize everything from the menstrual cycle to childbirth to menopause. Yes I had hot flashes, yes I was a bit irritable and edgy for the first year but I knew these things were normal and they too would pass and they did. Took nothing. Tried to keep busy,eat healthy and take time for myself. On the other hand I know women who were put on HRT before they even had one side effect of menopause. It was to "prevent" all the bad stuff they were told they would get. Never bothered to wait to see if they would even have a need for the drug. Of course there are a relatively small number of women who may need chemical assistance. But most women would be just fine if they didn't buy into the everything a woman does is an illness carp. Anything "natural" that works is probably doing the same amount of harm that HRT drugs can. Unless it's some snake oil placebo so many are fond of taking. But if you're taking a natural product full of estrogen , it's still estrogen.

I have osteopenia and am not on any meds or particular supplements yet nor has my dr mentioned starting. I'm also small boned and haven't ever been an athlete so exercise is a hard hurdle for me! Since retirement I have been trying to make it a priority. With interruptions for surgery, the pandemic closings and then a frozen shoulder(!), I am trying to do resistance/weight training 2-3 times weekly. But regular weight bearing exercise.....that's proving very, very hard because I can't seem to self motivate myself into regular routines. Walking outside is definitely an option especially as our hellish summer starts to wind down, but since I prefer to go after dinner when the worst of the sun exposure is over it seems every night my choice of go walk a couple of miles v. lounge around and watch tv is a battle that's over before it starts LOL. Lately I've been telling myself that after the weight training circuit at my gym I owe myself 20 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill. That gives me ~1.5 miles and if I can make myself keep it up, hopefully that will help these old bones. I just signed up with one of the personal trainers at my gym, which is part of a medical complex. They offer 30 minute sessions, so I will go twice weekly and have her 1) show me a routine that will help with my strength goals and 2) help me incorporate several exercise options, including weight training, weight bearing exercise and my Pilates habit to move me further toward a healthy body as I age. It's not about the visible changes really, but about staying strong instead of becoming weak and frail!