Yes, M, it does go away.

There were days my brain fog was so bad, I just kind of puttered around the house trying not to hurt myself by bumping into things.

Add to that the fatigue, and some days I was little more than a blob on the couch!!

I still have brain lapses on occasion, but it's nice not to have that my-brain-and body-have-shut-down-completely feeling!

J.

What my doctor didn't tell me about the menopause doesn't bear thinking about now. I can't help feeling angry at all the times I was fobbed off with a pat on the head and told 'It'll pass, don't worry'.

Grrrr ... I really thought I had Alzheimers in my 40's. I'd try to speak and would forget the word in mid sentence, far too often to be funny. I'd sit for hours in my chair staring into space then come to and wonder where I'd been for the past 5 hours. Time meant nothing to me at all. For about 6 years I honestly didn't know what YEAR it was or the date. I had to go out and buy a newspaper so I would know the date. I forgot appointments, birthdays, where I put things, where I was going when I left the house. I don't know how many times I got on a train and forgot which station I was going to and ended up somewhere sitting on a bench crying my eyes out. It didn't matter how much information people gave me about getting help - it's no good to you if you CAN'T REMEMBER IT. Trying to get that point across to people was virtually impossible.

We have baby clinics, pregnancy clinics, ante natal, post natal, geriatric clinics, diabetes clinics, cardio clinics. I never once came across a Menopause Clinic and when I asked my doctor if the surgery had a menopause clinic, she looked blankly at me as if I was asking for the earth.

I think it's a serious issue. The peri menopause has robbed me of a good 18 years of my life, at one point I attempted suicide and spent a couple of weeks in a psyche ward and NOT ONCE did anyone test my hormone levels or speak to me about the fact it could be hormonal.

I'm angry at the fact the menopause and its symptoms are downplayed as being 'natural' and to some it's just a joke or a reason to poke fun. But for the woman who's going through it and perhaps doesn't know she's going through it - it's no laughing matter.

Let's face it, we women don't like to complain do we? And every inch of our body begins to complain during the menopause and on top of that we get sick of listening to ourselves grumbling and try to struggle through. We shouldn't have to struggle through. We've done a great job, we deserve all the help we can get when the menopause arrives.

What d'you say girls?

While I have slow moments at times trying to pull a word stuck on the BACK of my tongue somewhere, probably the most noticeable EVENT was several years ago when I had just met my husband.

My very active little niece was spending the night and two days with me and since I'm not used to having children around, this was an utterly exhausting (but fun) time for me with her. At the same time, I'd just met my husband and we wanted to take my niece out for a special time....so I really had two things making me stressful AND sleepless.

We took her to see a movie at one of the Movico theaters that have an Egyptian theme. I was exhausted by the time we had walked all over the Mall, out to dinner and then the movie along with not sleeping the night before AND being excited to have this all tied in with a date with a special guy.

By the time we got outside I was really feeling the effects when I stopped to tie my niece's shoe. Both of them were quietly waiting and out of my mouth came: "You probably don't even remember visiting the pyramids in Egypt since you were so young, but these things remind me of that time..........." I looked up and both of them were looking at me oddly.

Within just a moment I realized what I'd said!!!!! It had been my niece's MOTHER, my sister, who had been in Egypt with me NOT my niece and it had been many years ago!!!

I had to quickly amend and said 'Oh my goodness I must be REALLY tired Honey, that was you Mom, not you..' and then I just laughed. What else COULD I do?

I was SO afraid my date, who is now my husband and who is a Professor of Biology AND Animal Behavior, would run the other way. He didn't, but I can tell you my niece occasionally still laughingly brings up "Aunt Becky, tell me about thinking I'm my Mom again!'

I've read the Warga book and her answer seems to be HRT - especially estrogen. On that advice, I went to dr and went on Vivelle patch and Prometrium, but the resulting periods were too hard and I was afraid of the HRT since my mother had breast cancer. I continue topical Prometrium for PMS, and to treat brain fog and memory problems, dr put me on small dose Ritalin, which has helped. You have another list of side-effects with ADD meds, but I work in competitive business and brain fog could cost me my career. I do short-term Ritalin because the long-term worsen insomnia. But short term is OK. I have a huge afternoon drop, but the increased productivity in the morning is worth it.

Have you head of modafinil? THis also seems to be a drug used for "energy" with differenting effects...but it is non-addictive and seems to have few side effects. It has a dopamine effect, without the additiction....am asking the doc about this for me....maybe ok for a short term　boost as well....is ritalin addictive?