Menopause (Pre, during and post) tracking

[Menopause]

Good Day.  I am impressed by the implementation of "Period Cycles" etc under "Female Health" and all of the (well thought out) subsequent suggestions by the community on this subject.  However,  aside from "ELLYMAY46" who posed a question on "Hot Flushes",  Fitbit has completely neglected the consideration of the ladies undergoing Menopause (in any one of the three stages).  Now ladies, please bear in mind that Menopause may begin as early as in one's 30's. There are many cycles to a female's body in her life time, not just "the dreaded period part". Please consider adding Menopause as part of "Female Health.   We are not all grey headed great grandmothers who are bed ridden with one foot at deaths' door. Not only the beautiful, young, with their lithe firm bodies wear Fitbit. Menopause can strike at any time and it affects every lady differently.  It's duration also differs from one to another. You only understand it's annoying symptoms if you have / had them.  Thank you.

Moderator edit: Updated subject for clarity.

[Annwyn]

Agree that this is a good idea - I have added a few of the common symptoms to the suggestions on the Additional Symptoms for Female Health Tracking post, as they are still symptoms for female health tracking and the other post has quite a few votes already...

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Menopause, I think that you have a really good point here! Let's see what other users think!

[Jacandee]

 What about tracking womens health during the menopause stages. Its not just about your periods stopping its about the hot flushes, night sweats, restless legs, headaches, ichy skin, mood swings, forgetfullnes ( what was i doing ? Arh yes the list) the weight gain, the tender boobs, its endless ! 

I for one would love it if you could track these symptoms. I'm a 47 year old who has been menopausal since 44....God knows when the perimenopause started!!

Any way what I'm trying to say is that it's not just young ladies that wear fitbit it's us older ones too who don't have periods any more but would still like to tack how their body feels. Thanks for reading xx 

[cameljaque]

Wish there was a way to get these comments out more to the FitBit user community of women. Being able to track the symptoms of the stages of menopause would be amazing. Especially when discussing with my health professional. Time to be even more inclusive.

[spin41]

I think this could be a great idea to be implemented too

[LizzieTalley]

I completely agree that adding the ability to track the symptoms experienced by many women during the three stages of menipause is essential.  Not only the frequency of symptoms (i.e. night sweats, hot flashes, restless legs..etc) but also tracking the duration and intensity.  I was very excited to see the addition of the women's health tile but was disappointed that it did not include health tracking for "menipause" symptoms.  Please, please, please include this type of tracking in future updates.  Thank you.

[PhnJill]

Fitbit, thanks for realizing women are a big part of your market and adding these initial features.

Now I'd like to add to the chorus of women singing about what we actually WANT in these features. Indeed, being a healthy female involves way more than having periods. Would love to see the 'tile' not treat me like a man just because I'm menopausal. Tracking my symptoms to alert me that I was peri-menopausal would have been Ah-mazing! (too late now, but for the sake of others 😉 ) 

[Menopause]

Well said PhnJill Jogger.

I would have been able to recognise the initial "change of life" for what it was, had I been informed or at least aware of the severity of some of the symptoms when I least expected them.  I don't walk around with a paper bag over my head, and I do have older friends; therefore I knew what to expect.

But the hot flushes that began were disconcerting and confusing - accompanied with being extremely over-emotional and super sensitive.

Now as most of the ladies reading this know, this doesn't happen overnight.... it's spread over time. I continued menstruating during this time so never considered it for what it was. Also, if my husband called me "Moody" one more time I think I would've done him serious harm! But the point is, if I HAD KNOWN, I could've explained it to him a lot earlier (saving a lot of unnecessary arguments!).

I make it sound like a deadly illness ! - I'm sorry - it just would've been easier to recognise, had I been part of a Forum or Group such as this. I'm apparently post emotional now and the menstruation, weight gain, hot flushes and night sweats have gone. Thank heaven therefore.  BUT, (and I know every one is different) but I'm uncharacteristically still very emotional, it doesn't take much for tears to fall.  I also feel strangely vulnerable - as if I no longer have the strengh of my youth.  I hope I'm making sense.

Because, after all, - only ladies know what we ladies know !     😉

Love and blessings to those stuck in this horrid phase.

Just remember - "THIS TOO, shall pass". 

[Annie4477]

Hi. I love the new Female Health section on the Fitbit app. 

I had a partial hysterectomy 11 years ago and have not a period since then. I do however go through pms and ovulation since I still have my overies. It would be wonderful to be able to track and see the trends and predictions on the feature. I have to rely on my husband commenting on my PMS to know that ovulation is happening. Otherwise I find it useless for someone like me.

[jmammen]

Menopause has a huge impact on basal metabolic rate and some of us go through it a lot earlier than others. This should be part of the BMR calculation explicitly, not just averages in by age. There isn't even an option to say menopause in the women's health tab. 

[SouthernToddy]

I couldn’t agree more! I have been frustrated since the moment Fitbit rolled out the update on Women’s Health. How is it possible that they completely neglected to include an option for such a large population? Menopause and menopausal symptoms impact our health in multiple ways. Tracking those symptoms and hormone levels is a huge step in improving quality of life. I’m extremely disappointed in Fitbit for being so shortsighted and can’t imagine why this hasn’t been corrected. 

[Menopause]

Either managed by men or young ladies.... . 😉

[JulesS1]

Agree!! Would be so helpful to be able to track peri menopausal symptoms on the app. 

[Lamalley]

Also, I am on bio identical HRT. Need features for that as well. Yes, not only 20 years olds use Fitbit. Thx. 

[mominmn]

I would love to see added features in female health tracking to include women in menopause. Ability to delete periods, but track headaches, hot flashes, moods, weight gain, etc. 

[Cinderdoo]

Would like the ability to mark hot flashes AND night sweats.  I "love" it when my Fitbit tells me I didn't sleep well (tongue in cheek), but sometimes I know why I slept badly- I had to get up and stick my head in the freezer, towel dry my hair, chug a cold bottle of water at 2 a.m., or just change into dry pajamas.  Some nights it's just a bad night's sleep, but some nights it's due to menopause symptoms and it would be nice to be able to mark those nights as different from a garden variety restlessness (or too much cheese before bed!).  A good gyno asks how many nights are interrupted by these symptoms and it's just too much to use multiple trackers, or write it in a calendar or journal.  It would be nice if the female health tile interacted more with the other features (like sleep).  And moods and appetites.  Right now I really only have a clue that I'm going to get a period if I cry easily or just can't quit eating.

[Jessiesmom]

Not everyone is still on a menstrual cycle. Need to put something in for people who've gone thru menapause.

[SunsetRunner]

Tracking menopause symptoms would be a good tool for those of us who are looking to make improvements in ourselves and what a bonus it would be to see what helps. 

[Ally-oop]

Can I add my voice to this string. The symptoms need to expand to include insomnia, bloating, irritability, clumsiness, memory loss, itching, etc. Then allow the trends function to show this somehow and warn you. You would think by now I would recognise the signs of a premenopausal visit by the hormone gods but it always takes me by surprise. As resting heart rate cycles and temperature (not yet tracked but who knows?) link to hormonal ups and downs I feel my Fitbit is missing some tricks. It’s so depressing to see an extra kilo overnight in the dashboard and not have that acknowledged as hormonal activity in the tracker.

[Joogles]

during menopause the gap between periods lengthen but fit bit want me to keep having one. Every time I delete a period later that day it comes back. I am currently 40 days between cycles. 

[AlexandraFitbit]

Hello @Joogles  ! Thanks for sharing this suggestion, I moved it to this similar post so you can add your vote to it. Please keep sharing your ideas with us!

[Anna2007]

I agree with all of the comments. Most women who have the menopause find that exercise actually allievates their symptoms such as hot flushes, irritability and confusion. Therefore it would be useful to have the facility on your app to remove the menstrual cycle and to replace it with something else.

[Nic23]

This is EXACTLY what I have been thinking from the time the women's health component became part of Fitbit.  I don't want to track my fertile window.  I want to track how regular ( or no longer regular as the case may be) my period is.  It is Women's health not necessarily family planning.

[Ally-oop]

I think FitBit have said they are working on this.  Can you give any update via the Moderator?

[Joogles]

No idea, no update from Fitbit. Three months without a period, it’s quite tedious clicking on ‘not yet’ every couple of days. This feature really doesn’t work for me

Sent from my iPhone