Women Only menopause questions

I took HRT but you say you probably cannot take that so the only thing I can recommend is to go to a holistic person for advice on natural/herbal remedies. My friend went that route - unfortunately the herbal remedies did not work for her and I believe she is going to try HRT. I stopped taking my HRT pills about 1 year ago (I had been taking them for 25 years). I get night sweats and hot flashes but they seem to be diminishing a bit, thank goodness.

Welcome to the wonderful world of menopause!

I'm sorry that you have gone and going through all that you are. I have gone through most of what you have minus the migranes. The only help I can offer is to advise you to see your gynecologist since she/he would have all the answers to any questions you have and help relieve some of the problems associated with it. I had an early menopause at 38 and 2 years ago found out that I had a (painful) ovarian cyst that was very large and had to be removed. My gynecologist gave me no alternative and I had to get a complete hysterectomy. Now I know how my cat feels being spayed LOL

Good luck to you! I hope you keep us updated on how you're doing and please see your doctor!

Cat

There are generally 35 possible symptoms associated with perimenopause. Some sites claim that there are a lot more. I've had most of them at one point or the other.

http://www.project-aware.org/Experience/symptoms.shtml

The best thing to do for yourself? Exercise and eat a healthy diet. I went to a doctor at one time and he prescribed HRT (doctors like to hand out pills to fix anything). Within a week I got so extremely aggressive that I asked DH to hide the knives. Needless to say I stopped taking them.

With you being in California, you should EASILY be able to hook up with someone who uses BioIdentical hormone therapy. This is not typical HRT, but rather actually takes into account YOUR personal chemistry and hormone levels and uses natural substances to replace where needed. Treatments can include patches, creams, oral capsules, etc.

Do some poking around online and see what you can find close to you.

Cally

I would suggest that you make a appointment with your doctor and get checked out just to be on the safe side, but yes the symptoms you have mention are pretty normal for menopause.
I have used the HRT that you get at the drugstore, plus added Red Clover and Burdock which I get at the health food store. I have had good luck with this combo, I still get a few symptoms but nothing like before.
Also try to remember lot of foods high in B vitamins, B6 in particular helps to regulate your mood.

Mum's been having the same thing over the last few years. The main thing was getting her periods really irregularily, and extreme hot flashes which hindered her sleeping at night.

She got a blood test last week and it finally confirmed it was menopause. She's on HRT tablets for the hot flashes. She's 49, which is a tad younger than the general age. I suggest you get a blood test too, find out if your hormone levels have changed. It took a great weight of mums shoulders when she knew for sure.

The dr already told me I am in permenopause.
I was using soy before.

Soy may not be good...in fact, it probably isn't.

Check out "estrogen dominance" online. You can try tinkering with your hormones yourself but there is truly no substitution for doing some good labs to see what your levels are for ALL of your hormones and then devising a plan from there.

Menopause ain't for sissies, huh?

Cally

Originally Posted by mews2much

The dr already told me I am in permenopause.
I was using soy before.

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Don't use soy milk if you have hypothyroid. Read about what they are saying about that first and then decide.

I have been in menopause since I was in my early 40's. I had a hysterectomy when I was 28 and they also removed one ovary because I had a pre-cancerous tumor. The Dr. left the one good ovary for hormonal purposes. It started to shutdown in my middle 30's and when a Hormone test was done in my early 40's I was smack in the middle of menopause. I didn't get bad hot flashes. I do get headaches. I got really tender sore breasts so bad that it hurt to take my bra off. I also gained weight. I do not take HRT because I think it contributes to breast cancer(my mother is a breast cancer survivor which is another reason not to take HRT). I never experienced mood swings as bad as I did with PMS. I got really laid back and mellow in my change of life.

I suppose I'm the age of menopause. I missed a period last fall and haven't gotten it yet this month (about 10 days late). I have had some mild hot flashes not too many as I'm usually warm anyhow! No other symptoms except memory farts every now and then.

I would like to tell you that you will eventually get past all the hot flashes and that nonesense and feel pretty good again.

I had the hot flashes, period disturbances, but the worse was the fuzzy-headedness. Literally, things that were so easy for me before became confusing and complicated. I was worried about my job because I made a few dumb mistakes because I wasn't thinking clearly. That has all cleared up and I'm actually feeling pretty good. (And I do NOT miss my period one little bit).

For a while I was so hot all the time, and DH was going the other way, so we were fighting about the thermostat exactly like we used to, but he wants it warmer and I want it cooler. Lately, though, I have been feeling pretty cold so maybe I'm past that too.

I didn't take any drugs, just got through it the "hard" way.

Good luck!

I was diagnosed with perimenopause at age 38, altho' the symptoms began at age 37 and it took me a year to go to the dr. He promptly prescribed birth control pills, which I took for 7 years then stopped because they just weren't helping anymore. I had my last period 3 years ago. I haven't taken anything since I stopped the bc pills. The one constant has been the hot flashes. I'm soooooo tired of them!
I hope you can find something to help you thru this. As another poster said-

Menopause ain't for sissies,

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I haven't had a "real" period in about a year or so. I spotted very lightly in Oct. Not even enough to put a pad on. It was just a slight pink smear on some TP (I know, TMI) I have had what I think is small hot flashes but nothing too drastic. I just can't stand the aches in my joints and legs and the awful itching on my legs.

I do have cramps occasionally about the time my period would have started but I am sooo happy that my "friend" decided to desert me.

I don't know if not having any kids has anything to do with symptoms or lack thereof

My mom died from breast cancer and she was adopted so we do not know our familty history on her side.
That iswhy I am not taking anything.

I've not gone through perimenopause yet, but my best friend is. She had annoying hot flashes; her dr. just told her to use OTC Vitamin E capsules; she took them for a few days last week, and told me yesterday that she thinks they are helping her already.

Also, I think I once read that drinking a teaspoon or 2 of apple cider vinegar in a glass water helps hot flashes. I sometimes drink this as a general, feel-good-tonic, and also to clear nasal congestion when I have a cold. (When you buy it, ensure you are getting real apple cider vinegar. I once saw somein WalMart that said "Cider vinegar" on the label, but actually was just white vinegar, with caramel coloring. The white vinegar workd ok for the nasl stuff, etc., but you may need the cider vinegar for the hot flashes.)

I've got a lot of the same symptoms also. I asked my sister-in-law that is about 5 years older than me and she uses evening primrose oil tabs. She says that it's been a life saver, I finally found them in my area and am going to give them a try to see how they work.