Menopause is killing me!

[MuseRider]

Arghhh!

Was up this morning at 6:30 or so and saw the groundhog celebration. I cried when they said he did not see his shadow.

Went to the Latest threads and saw that Rush was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. I laughed and laughed then I cried.

How long does this go on?? I have not even really started this but I have had the weight gain, the brain fog, hot flashes and now this. At least I have not shot anyone yet, I say this with a little fear of the future. Joking of course, I think, but I don't remember.

[LaurenG]

1. It all depends on the person, you know, genetics and such.

Go to the library or bookstore and get Christiane Northrup's book,"The Wisdom of Menopause". She has a lot of information about the process.

For me it's been a year. I still wake up with hot flashes, I immediately put on weight and I thought I'd bite my bosses head off every time I saw him for months. The mood swings are better now though. Hang in there.:hug:

[MuseRider]

2. Thanks.

This morning I was just cracking myself up when I realized how weird it was to cry over that stupid Groundhog!

I will do that and I appreciate the heads up about that book.

I have been very lucky that I seem to swing towards crying easily. I guess it must be a real improvement since I am not anymore the crank that I was x( ;) !

[oregonjen]

3. Have you seen this website?

It's been very helpful to me. :hi:

http://www.power-surge.com/

[MuseRider]

4. Thanks

I will check it out. :hi: Funny, odd time.

[LiberalinNC]

5. I think someone needs a hug!

:hug: I know exactly what you mean...but it does get better.

[MuseRider]

6. Ahhhh

thank you!

I would cry but..........ok I will anyway!

[radfringe]

7. With me it's

night sweats and "irritability"

I now keep an extra t-shirt near the bed for when I wake up soaked with sweat I can easily change it

events of the past few weeks hasn't helped with my "irritability" -- I'm usually laid back and take things in stride - however there are periods of time where everything irritates me

[Karenca]

8. The worst part for me is the

weight gain. I've never experienced any other symptoms.
Last summer I put on 20 pounds in 3 months. I was always very thin (and I'm short) and I never had a weight problem before, so this was truly insane -- nothing I owned fit me, and it happened so fast. I started dieting last September, and it took until February until I was back to my former weight. But I have to stay on the diet forever it seems, as if I even eat a few extra sweets now or whatever -- I become immediately bloated. I always considered myself lucky to be NATURALLY thin, and now it's a daily struggle to stay this way.
I hate being on an eternal diet. I had read that this passes as well, but I think that comes much later. Sigh.

[RazzleCat]

9. Have your thyroid checked

My mom went and put on a ton of weight during menopause around 50lbs, and she was always around 110lbs. This is after having 3 kids and back to a size 6 with out any problems. She assumed it was her body slowing down and started to diet and exercise more, lost some of the weight, but as soon as she had one extra snack, or helping at dinner the weight would come right back. She got tired of always being on a diet and went to her Dr. to ask for advice. The Dr. ran test's and found out her thyroid gland was messed up. The Dr. put her on some pills and most of the weight went away and stayed off, all of it but about 10lbs and this was with her going back to her old basically healthy eating and exercise habits. Oh she did have to keep on the diet when she started on the pills, but once she was down to her normal weight she went back to her old habits with out the massive weight gain.

[Karenca]

10. Thank you..;.

I'm so tired of eating these six teensy meals per day :(( .
I will do that!

[Karenca]

11. But I didn't mention that

I was still eating huge amounts of food that (like I did when I was younger)
when I put on the weight. I had a real pig-out summer, and I paid for it with my waist-line.
But, I think you might be right anyway, so I'm going to follow your advice.

[Lindsey]

12. I'm glad I found this thread...I'm fatigued - any advice?

I was even wondering if there are enough of us to have a group just for peri-menopause and menopause.

I'm experiencing fatigue like NEVER before. I had my first period in several months and thought I had chronic fatigue syndrom.

I'm wondering if anyone had suggestions for this symptom?

[MuseRider]

13. Sorry no I don't.

I started this thread and now it seems I am getting closer to the other side of this. No period now for 3+ months (yay!) but I am so tired, I wake up tired. The hot flashes have changed to less intense but more frequent and the night sweats....yikes!

I gained 30 pounds and nothing would take it off but since this last change, long periods without a period (yay again!), I have lost 10 of those pounds without even thinking about it. :shrug: Who knows. I do know this, I am happy at this moment to be trading my period for all these symptoms. They too will pass.

Oh yes, I almost forgot that I forget everything! It is a constant struggle to remember where I have set things. It is so bad that it is funny so remember to laugh at yourself, we really do get some ridiculous things going with this change. I think my friends just open windows when I show up rather than watch me turn all red and sweaty.

[moonlady0623]

14. Some Tips

not that I'm anywhere near perfect but at almost-55 I've survived the worst of the hot flashes / night sweats. I use no HRT at all.

for hot flashes: start taking 1000mg of Vit E every day. This helps with night sweats too.

I took a phytoestrogen/herbal mixture for about two years during the waning of the monthlies and for a year after they ceased. I now only take one (the dosage is 4/day) every other day; more than that and I start having night sweats again.

An active sexuality will help with a LOT of the grumpiness and will keep things moist where it counts. If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with, i.e., yourself. It's good for you.

Exercise is cricital at this stage of life to maintain energy, sleep, and a good humor.

GOOD LUCK ladies! Keep in mind it's different for everyone!!!!!

[MuseRider]

15. Thank you moonlady!

I will take your advice. I thought this would never start now at 53 I just want it to stop.

[BlackVelvet04]

16. This is probably going to be an unpopular

opinion, but I have to say that I wouldn't be without my estrogen pills. I take a bio-identical estrogen since I had a hysterectomy in 1990. I've changed doctors when they wanted to put me on premarin or take me off the regimen I have been on. Bio-identical estrogen has a lot fewer side effects and helps with many problems related to menopause, including bladder issues.

BTW, the testing that sent doctors into a dither a couple of years ago was done with premarin and progesterone. I never, ever thought taking something made from horse piss would be good for me.....which premarin is.

[OnionPatch]

17. I'm also taking bioidenticals

I take BiEst, which has bioidentical estrogen and progesterone.

Everything I've read about bioidenticals leads me to believe that are safer than Premarin and the other horse estrogens. It makes sense to me that if we are going to replace the lost hormones, we would want to replace them with the exact same hormones our body makes naturally instead of engineered horse hormones. Also, tests in Europe have found no link to cancer from taking bioidenticals.

I was taking Premarin for about six months when the WHI report came out. Then I stopped and my life is miserable without some hormonal help. I have been waking up three times a night soaking wet and having hot flashes all day, about once an hour. I'm sleep deprived, cranky and depressed with zero sex drive. (My poor husband. :blush:) It wasn't easy finding a doctor to prescribe them but I found one and am on my 4th day now. Last night I only woke up once and today I had zero hot flashes! I think they're kicking in! :woohoo:

[BlackVelvet04]

18. How are things going with your hormones? n/t

[OnionPatch]

19. They're going great!

Thanks. Sorry, I haven't checked this forum for awhile but I've been doing great. I'm sleeping through the nights and have been dreaming again! It seemed like I hardly dreamed back when I wasn't sleeping well. My mood has been pretty good, too. At least my husband said I seem more "chipper." I feel like I have a little more enthusiasm and energy, probably from getting enough sleep.

So, yes, I'm very happy with the BiEst. I'm going to keep taking it for the time being. I was 46 when I had my last period. I'm 48 now but most of my same-age friends have not even been missing periods yet! I've been feeling kind of like I got robbed a few years. ;) So I'll probably keep taking it for a few years, anyway. Mine is a relatively low dose, 2.5 mg once a day. I've heard some doctors saying twice that much is the standard dose.

[Longhorn]

20. I had the worst period of my life last weekend!

Cramps, heavy flow, the works! My first day used to be like that but this was like three "first days" in a row! For the last several months, my periods were barely there -- if I blinked, I missed it. So I guess my body made up for it all at once! I'm 52 and keep thinking, okay, this will be the last one but nooooo. When does this end? :)

[MuseRider]

21. I did that too.

I finally started to slow way down, mostly just a spot or two then all of a sudden I got cramps and I thought I was hemorrhaging. Now back to nothing or next to nothing. At 53, almost 54, I am very happy to finally see the end of this. The sweats have gotten a little better, I still get hot and red in the face but don't sweat like I used to. No memory what so ever but am learning to cope with that. All in all I am quite happy to be getting this over with. Still, that surprise was a big one.

[mwdem]

22. I had my last period in my late 40"s. Went through menopause for years before.

The last period, I bled for a weekend through everything! That was 8 years ago. Now, I've had breast cancer, and I have to take a pill for five years to rid my body of estrogen, and I'm back to the really bad hot flashes. It never ends. How the heck are you? I need to get bact to Kansas!:loveya:

[livetohike]

23. I've had only one hot flash

(no period since May 2006), but I'm having other weird symptoms that come and go. Sleeplessness, ear ringing, and now a burning tongue and bitter taste. I attribute it all to being post-menopausal.

Maybe it ends one day? :shrug:

[Sanity Claws]

24. I went to a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner

and got herbs. The herbs ended my hot flashes, mood swings, interrupted sleep, head fog, and other symptoms. I got my life back. I would highly recommend TCM to anyone.

Edited to correct typo.

[BlackVelvet04]

25. I almost lost my mind until

I started taking bioidentical hormones. If they tried to take those away from me somebody would have to die.

[Peregrine Took]

26. I take Estrace, vaginally. Its great for 3 conditions I have (!) but I'm afraid

of the warnings, even though I only take 3 grams per week - I want to reduce it to as little as possible while still alleviate my sumptoms. I'm post menopausal.

[LiberalAndProud]

27. Comparing symptoms.

Night sweats last night accompanied by terrible headache. I ended up sleeping upside down on the couch (feet up on the back, head hanging down from the seat). I feel so hot and clammy today. This summer will not be pleasant.

My granddaughter wants me to play with her today. I told her I'm just too grumpy. I still have moments of brain fog, but they are becoming less frequent. How long is this supposed to last? My last menses was well over a year ago.

[Neecy]

28. I finally found something that helps....

I've tried everything short of HRT to curb the night sweats and hot flashes...nothing helped. After further research I read the flaxseed oil can ease the hot flashing, so I bought a bottle of 1,000mg capsules.

It took a couple of weeks to kick in, but...wow. The hot flashes gradually lessened, both in frequency and intensity, and now I rarely have one. Flaxseed oil can also raise your metabolism and I'm not as tired as I was.

This stuff is my personal miracle - I don't know if it would have the same affect for others, but I swear by it.