you are experiencing what chinese medical practitioners call 'yin deficiency' which is extremely common during menopause. there are herbs and protocols which address the symptoms very nicely that you may want to look into. the problems with your memory is related to 'blood deficiency' also very common in women in general as we have a strong relationship with blood thru monthly cycles, childbirth etc. the herbs that treat yin and blood deficiency overlap as these two conditions are almost always seen together. suggest you find a practitioner of chinese herbal medicine, an acupuncturist or omd, and let them assess and treat you properly. best wishes you feel better soon. k

I went to a weaker dose for a couple of months then quit. I went through mild menapause symptons, no big deal. I only took hormones to help with transition from a hysterectomy to menapause.

FSH levels are so inaccurate that many women are found to be post menopausal years before their periods end, based on the results of the test, and many others are found to be reproductive years after their last periods based on the results of the same tests.

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.