Let's talk menopause!

[Vivianne]

I'm going through the whole thing in phases. First, the night sweats consistently, that passed. Now, I wake up at night. I have a small radio and listen to music til I fall asleep. When I don't, I take a nap the next day. Mood swings , hot flashes, I'm going through all of it. I've tried a few herbal remedies (evening primrose, black cohosh) but not long enough to say if it works. My symptoms are sporadic. I guess I'll live with it til it goes away. Just another phase of life. As long as I remember where I live, I'm okay, I think.

 

[1rockinmamato2]

34 years old, isn't that a little young?
if thats the case I only have about 5 years to go...............

Yes, it is young, but I have premature ovarian failure. Most women do not start experiencing any menopausal symptoms until they are in their mid to late 40's.

 

[msdznyduck]

Except for the hot flashes, forgetting stuff, being snarky and the chin hairs, I love menopause!!

I know what you mean.......I started Menopause when DD was just getting started with her periods. Man, you wouldn't have wanted to be in our house then.

 

[Kitty 34]

Hi ladies!

Peri-menopause and menopause has been a part of my life now for about 4 years. Hot flashes, panic attacks, moodiness, weight gain, aches and pains, migraines and memory loss are my main every day symptoms.

The hot flashes and mini panic attacks are the absolute worse. I get them at the same time. I can handle all the rest but I'm really getting sick of the hot flashes. I usually get them about every 20-30 minutes, no matter what I do or not do.

 

[Dodie]

I am 46. I had a full hysterectomy at 40, but was placed on HRT so I didn't face all of the symptoms, although I was thrown immediately into menopause.

Over the first couple of years, I did suffer from hot flashes more and more frequently, despite the HRT. Then I started the waking up in the middle of the night thing and not being able to go back to sleep. My gyn finally upped the dosage on my HRT and the sleeping and hot flashes got better. (Thank goodness.) However, she really only wants me to take the meds for 10 years total, so I guess I only have four more years of relief before I have to bite the bullet and just suffer through it.

I do notice that I am a much lighter sleeper though. Nothing used to wake me up, but now I wake up everytime DH or the dogs make a noise. Sometimes, in an important meeting when I really need to be thinking and paying attention, I find my mind just drifting around aimlessly. That's very frustrating.

Edited to add: How could I forget those wonderful little wiry hairs that seem to appear on my chin from out of nowhere?

 

[MerryPoppins]

Count me in as part of the group. I was having an occassional hot flash before I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 at 40. After my surgery I started taking Tamoxifen which didn't stop my periods, but it caused me to REALLY have hot flashes and night sweats. I no longer take the drug, but I'm far enough along the menopause trail that the symptoms remain. Mood swings, loss of libido, night sweats, hot flashes, migranes, dryness, chin and neck hair, ... I could go on and on. And my friend still comes around, like a weed you can't get rid of. Oh, and pimples like I'm a teenager. Gee, I'm a nice person to be around, huh? I have lots of aches and pains too, but I don't know if that's just getting old or part of the same package. And top it all off with the fact that I can't consider hormone replacement therapy because of my cancer.

But having said all that, life is good. I'm happy that I'm here. I'd just like to be a little more comfortable, but if this is what I've got I'll take it.

 

["Got Disney"]

Mad Cow Disease is what I call my menopause....I cant remember anything....hmmm what were we talking about again

 

[Muushka]

What about cholesterol? Has anyone had an elevated cholesterol since menopause?
Mine went up 75 points! YIKES!!!

 

[Kitty 34]

[QUOTE="Got Disney";19688515]Mad Cow Disease is what I call my menopause....I cant remember anything....hmmm what were we talking about again[/QUOTE]

Love the Mad Cow disease name for menopause!!!

Sadly enough, I probably won't remember to share this with my sister tomorrow!

 

["Got Disney"]

I know what you mean.......I started Menopause when DD was just getting started with her periods. Man, you wouldn't have wanted to be in our house then.

my son is going through puberty...age 13...we screem very well and than look at each other to say what....than say gee that was stupid. It just seems to come up with no notice and over the stupidest things like...why does your hair have that curl in it get rid of it know

 

[C.Ann]

I went through mine at 48 - so fall it will be 10 years..

The thing I loved about it (besides the "obvious" ) was the dramatic
reduction in my almost constant migraines!!

No crankiness; being hyper; insomnia; or any of that stuff..

Hot flashes were only a problem at night - and I used to take 400 units of Vitamin E (can't remember if it was 2 or 3 times a day) - and as long as I was faithful to it, the hot flashes stopped.. Haven't had to take any in years now and I opted out of hormone replacement therapy..

Once you get over the "rough" spots, you'll feel great..

 

[Tinkerbell_Tiffany]

so how long does it last?

 

[C.Ann]

so how long does it last?

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Do you really want to know?

Perimenopause started for me at 34, I think.. But not everyone is the same.. Some are quicker and some are slower..

 

[hercamore]

I had a partial hys two years ago, but didn't start Meno pause until last month.
My hot flashes seem to to come on the hour every three hours. i.e. three a.m. and 6 a.m almost to the minute. It's scary. . My DH froze last night!

I had the window wide open and it was in the 50's here in MN last night.

My memory has gotten so bad..two weeks ago I was talked to my son about his girfriend of 4 years, and I couldn't remember her name.

DS was looking at me funny.

Exercise in the late aft helps me sleep.

herc.

 

[Tinkerbell_Tiffany]

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Do you really want to know?

Perimenopause started for me at 34, I think.. But not everyone is the same.. Some are quicker and some are slower..

yea, I thought it didn't last that long......I guess I need to look into it more.....after all I will be 30 this december.....

 

[briarrose]

When menopause starts do your periods come further apart? I'll be 43 on the 21st and my periods are still right on the mark. Of course, my mom had me at 39 and my younger brother at 41.

 

[C.Ann]

When menopause starts do your periods come further apart? I'll be 43 on the 21st and my periods are still right on the mark. Of course, my mom had me at 39 and my younger brother at 41.

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Eventually - yes.. Or - they will become shorter and shorter.. At least that's how it worked for me..

When they stopped totally when I was 48, I thought I might be pregnant!! Now that was a nightmare..

 

[Swimnoid]

That sounds like me. I used to sleep such a sound sleep!!! Now, I'm waking up a thousand times to toss covers off and then again to find them and get back under them.

Oh! this is SO ME! and I'm not even officially into menopause yet.

 

[auntpolly]

Hot flashes were only a problem at night - and I used to take 400 units of Vitamin E (can't remember if it was 2 or 3 times a day) - and as long as I was faithful to it, the hot flashes stopped.. Haven't had to take any in years now and I opted out of hormone replacement therapy..

That helped? I think I'll try it!

 

[darlak]

I'm copying and pasting this from my post on Got Disney's thread from a few days ago or so. I started peri-menopause at the age of 38. I continued to have periods until I was 46, resulting in the best of both worlds (NOT). I'm now full blown menopausal at 48, making this a 10 year journey for me...so far. Knowing I can never go on HRT forced me to develope a wicked sence of humor about menopause.

"I love it...Mad Cow Disease! Menopause survival is all a state of mind. Just try to look at it as an adventure.

What other time in your life can you honestly say that every night when you go to bed, you don't know who in the heck you're going to be when you wake up! You might ponder the injustices of the world or maybe just how unjust the world is treating you. Either way is fine since it will only be for a little while. Each tomorrow brings a whole new you. How cool is that?

Remember; menopause is harder on those around us than it is on us, but we really don't care. The beauty of it is that everybody's too afraid of us to really complain about it.

Each morning you get to rush to the mirror to see what new and unimaginable place you might have suddenly grown a random hair!

I've decided that menopause is the best time of my life! You just have to stop fighting it and embrace it, all of it, including your occasional craziness. That freedom came for me when I learned that since my mother died of breast cancer, I can never go on hormone replacement therapy.


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