Whoopi Goldberg
Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg has been very open about her struggles with menopause. Now 59, Whoopi was around 50 when "the change" started.
In a 2006 interview she said she was "haywire," "all over the place" and having some serious mood swings as a result.
"My sex drive has totally changed. One minute I'm like, 'Yeah! I can't wait for it.' The next I'm saying, 'Oh God, go away,'" the host of The View told Contact Music.
The Sister Act and The Color Purple star added it was also liberating in some ways, because she suddenly felt free to cut negative people out of her life.
Four years later, she described menopause as "funny until it's not" in an interview with ABC News.
"Nobody told me it's gonna last as long as it feels like it's lasting."
Rosie O’Donnell
Whoopi Goldberg's The View co-host Rosie O'Donnell has also openly shared her experiences dealing with menopause.
The actress and TV personality's menopause started around 2003, at the relatively early age of 41. Her worst symptoms were hot flashes and night sweats, which lasted for years.
In 2010 the comedian showed off her 'menopause hair cut' — shaved at the neck with longer locks over the top — during an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Both Oprah and Rosie were unimpressed that they hadn't been warned about what to expect when menopause hit.
In a 2012 interview with Marlo Thomas, Rosie talked about her decision to start on a bio-identical hormone cream. A call from actress Suzanne Sommers prompted her to have her hormone levels tested, and Rosie discovered her estrogen levels were at zero.
"Did I have night sweats? I was literally sleeping with frozen peas in between my breasts and frozen peas behind my neck," she said.
After doing some research Rosie decided to try the hormone cream recommended by Suzanne, and found her menopause woes were much more manageable after that.
"I was always very hesitant to do any hormone replacement therapy, but I was feeling so bad."
Susan Sarandon
Actress Susan Sarandon noticed she was gaining weight after menopause started when she was 54, and reduced her carbohydrates intake in response.
She never did any hormone replacement therapy, sticking instead to a diet full of antioxidants. The Thelma and Louise star and Academy Award winner also exercised regularly and practiced deep breathing and visualization techniques to help her cope.
"I went through menopause late and uneventfully," she told WebMD in an interview a few years ago.
Jane Seymour
British actress Jane Seymour struggled with her moods when she began to go through menopause.
The Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman star was 47, just two years after she became a mother to twin boys, when it started.
"I lost faith in ever being happy again," she said in a 2006 interview with The Daily Mail.
"Some people can deal with menopause symptoms through diet, nutrition, vitamins and exercise. But I couldn't handle it,"
She started hormone replacement therapy and noticed an improvement right away. Seven years later she tried to stop HRT, but found her hot flashes and grouchy demeanour immediately returned.
"Quality of life won out," and she decided to go back on the drugs despite being concerned about possible risks, opting for a lower dose and wearing a patch instead of taking pills.
Jane also believes in eating a healthy diet, and takes multivitamins and omega 3 supplements.