I have not had a period for 8 months and I've had bloods taken so I know that I am going through the menopause. I have had the odd hot flush, but usually they are tolerable. However, the last few days I have been extremely tired despite sleeping well at night. After being up for an hour, my eyes are really tired. I've been napping for a couple of hours every afternoon, and I've also been exercising 3 times a week. I've also been following a good diet plan but I've gained 7lbs so I'm feeling a bit down. I work in a school so I am off at the moment, but I've never felt this tired. Should I go and see my doctor or is this normal?

The hormonal changes during the menopause put tremendous strain on the body generally and this often leads to fatigue.

It is very important to look after yourself well at this time and to make sure that your nutritional needs are being met.

Make sure that you are eating a good, varied diet with plenty of fresh foods and lots of water - dehydration can cause fatigue and if you are getting hot flushes, it's doubly important to keep drinking!

Rest and relaxation are vital and I know it can be very difficult if you lead a busy life, but do make 30 minutes a day your me-time - this can reduce symptoms very quickly!   

Hormonal changes can often affect the metabolism and carb digestion and many women find that weight becomes an issue in the menopause.

It often seems that no matter how little you eat and how much you exercise, it makes no difference! I tend to suggest cutting carbs right down and increasing your intake of good quality proteins and vegtables; this can often help quite quickly.

Read more about it in the 'Low GL Diet' - you can get books on this from Amazon.

Sensible exercise is important but don't go overboard - if you push yourself too hard the body can go into 'survival mode' and reduce the metabolism further! Try eating little and often with snacks between meals such as nuts, seeds, dried fruit, plain yogurt etc.

These symptoms can also be caused by other factors such as low iron or low thyroid so it would be a good idea to ask your doctor to test for these just to rule them out.

Eileen Durward