Peri Menapause craziness....

[njcarita]

any suggestions ..advice on handling this new stage of my life....

went to sleep one night a calm articulate fun loving gal.... and woke up the next morning a deranged middle age woman....

any suggestions on how to handle the hot flashes... the anxiety... the skin tingling... the mood swings.... etc etc etc...

 

[mhsjax]

any suggestions ..advice on handling this new stage of my life....

went to sleep one night a calm articulate fun loving gal.... and woke up the next morning a deranged middle age woman....

any suggestions on how to handle the hot flashes... the anxiety... the skin tingling... the mood swings.... etc etc etc...

I feel for you. I was fully hormonal and had a hysterectomy. Talk about hitting a brick wall. They took everything and whammo, menopause city here I come.

For me the HRT they put me on, only relieves the hot flashes a little and frankly, they put me in a terrible mood, it is like a triple dose of PMS. I haven't told my Dr yet, but on a good being totally indifferent to anything was a good day. Literally, you could tell me I won 5 million dollars and I would be like oh that's nice. It went down hill from there, so I took myself off.

I wish I had advice, but frankly this sucks.

 

[kellyg403]

Will be watching this thread carefully...I feel the same thing has happened to me. No hot flashes but irritable and sleep disturbances...wow...terrible.

Kelly

 

[dis-happy]

I'm there too. Of course the last time I had such terrible peri-menopause symptons I went to my dr. and found out I was pg. at 44. Now mom to a toddler. Watch out!

 

[Brit17]

I feel for you. I was fully hormonal and had a hysterectomy. Talk about hitting a brick wall. They took everything and whammo, menopause city here I come.

For me the HRT they put me on, only relieves the hot flashes a little and frankly, they put me in a terrible mood, it is like a triple dose of PMS. I haven't told my Dr yet, but on a good being totally indifferent to anything was a good day. Literally, you could tell me I won 5 million dollars and I would be like oh that's nice. It went down hill from there, so I took myself off.

I wish I had advice, but frankly this sucks.

I know exactly what you are going through ... I think I've read every book, website, spoken to my Dr. countless times, tried this, done that, etc... and I still haven't found all the answers ... I just look forward to the day when it all finally goes away, or I can at least figure it all out, and I can be ME again ...

 

[NCRedding]

I was facing some of the same symptoms, including others that I won't mention, when my doctor put me back on birth control pills at 46. I am lucky because I have excellent blood pressure, no history of stroke etc. Those BC pills have worked miracles for my symptoms.

 

[DVCLiz]

Skin tingling - that was one that took me by surprise. I had the sensation of a bug crawling across my skin - I could literally watch my arm and see nothing there but it felt EXACTLY like a little tiny ant was walking across my arm.

I got accumstomed to it but couldn't help reaching down and brushing them "off". One day I felt it and thought, "Remember there's really nothing there!" but I looked at my arm anyway - sure enough, an ant WAS walking across my arm!! haha

I have had symptoms for 5 years now - not so many night sweats anymore, thank goodness, and I have never had a daytime hot flash. My symptoms have been mild but I can tell I have been moodier than usual and I too would like to wrap this thing up pretty soon!!

 

[rie'smom]

I really feel for you. At 40 I had a total hysto after having gone through my 30s with constant peri symptoms and tons of other problems. HRT did not work for me- it made me sick. In fact, not one woman I know who started it stayed on it for more than a year.
What worked for me is bioidentical hormones-Estro500 and Progest50. I researched on the internet and came acrosss a website for the The Women's Health Institute of Texas. My depression was kicking up a bit and I was so tired that I figured I'd have to go up on my thyroid meds. This doctor has an ebook which is worth every penny! I started taking the hormones above Plus an Iodine supplement for my thyroid and I feel 15 years younger. If you're interested, here's the website:
http://www.depressiongoneforever.com/

It helps more than depression in case you're wondering!

Legal- I'm not a doctor and I am not saying this will work as a cure for anyone. (My son the lawyer makes me post this.)

 

[hoosll]

Although it seemed to last forever, tis was my philosophy ...

Thousands of years ago, few women survived to menopause so the ones who did had to be driven crazy by their hormones so they would throw themselves off a cliff to make room for all the younger women ... a few "elders" were hidden in caves by their henpecked sons ...

 

[rie'smom]

Although it seemed to last forever, tis was my philosophy ...

Thousands of years ago, few women survived to menopause so the ones who did had to be driven crazy by their hormones so they would throw themselves off a cliff to make room for all the younger women ... a few "elders" were hidden in caves by their henpecked sons ...

or to kill their husbands

 

[ilovejack02]

or to kill their husbands

This is why I love you , such a smart girl ; ) !

 

[Imzadi]

Unless you have a thyroid problem and cannot eat soy, (in the same way diabetics need to avoid sugar/carbs and people with high blood pressure need to avoid salt,) SOY based products are very good for perio through menopause.

Dr Christiane Northrup, one of the leading doctors on female medicine has been keeping up to date on the latest info & research. Former research said soy was bad for people. Latest research is that it is good for women, who do not have thyroid problems. It's supposed to help lessen a lot of the perio & menopausal issues. She's written a couple books on women's medical issues.

Here is her website:
http://www.drnorthrup.com/

 

[rie'smom]

This is why I love you , such a smart girl ; ) !

It's the lack of estrogen!

Unless you have a thyroid problem and cannot eat soy, (in the same way diabetics need to avoid sugar/carbs and people with high blood pressure need to avoid salt,) SOY based products are very good for perio through menopause.

Dr Christiane Northrup, one of the leading doctors on female medicine has been keeping up to date on the latest info & research. Former research said soy was bad for people. Latest research is that it is good for women, who do not have thyroid problems. It's supposed to help lessen a lot of the perio & menopausal issues. She's written a couple books on women's medical issues.

Here is her website:
http://www.drnorthrup.com/

My internist told me that it's estimated that up to 30% of peri menopausal woman through post menopausal women are hypothyroid. He suggests that once a woman hits menopause they get a TOTAL T3 T4 thyroid test.
You are 100% right about the soy. It's also a good idea to cut back on cruciferous veggies- Brussell sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower because they can also have a negative effect on hypothyroid patients.

 

[Imzadi]

It's the lack of estrogen!



My internist told me that it's estimated that up to 30% of peri menopausal woman through post menopausal women are hypothyroid. He suggests that once a woman hits menopause they get a TOTAL T3 T4 thyroid test.
You are 100% right about the soy. It's also a good idea to cut back on cruciferous veggies- Brussell sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower because they can also have a negative effect on hypothyroid patients.

I didn't know it was that many. I have hypothyroidism. I have been taking natural supplements and they help my crazed, wild woman moods enormously.

One is Raw Thyroid. It is made from sheep down in New Zealand, so there is no chance of mad cow disease. Just check out the Amazon reviews.

The other is Raw Adrenal. Same company. Many people have Adrenal Fatigue. Not all sectors of western medicine believe in it yet, as there is currently no medical machinery to accurately record adrenal functions. So they believe adrenal fatigue is in the mind.

Well, up until about a decade or so ago, they also thought PMS was in women's minds, too, until machinery could test hormones & such for that. When we have a science that is still based only on the latest in out technology, it is very limiting.

I also take a natural Iron supplement which has mega-doses of Vit B's & Vit C for my anemia. That also smoothed out my moods enormously.

 

[rie'smom]

I didn't know it was that many. I have hypothyroidism. I have been taking natural supplements and they help my crazed, wild woman moods enormously.

One is Raw Thyroid. It is made from sheep down in New Zealand, so there is no chance of mad cow disease. Just check out the Amazon reviews.

The other is Raw Adrenal. Same company. Many people have Adrenal Fatigue. Not all sectors of western medicine believe in it yet, as there is currently no medical machinery to accurately record adrenal functions. So they believe adrenal fatigue is in the mind.

Well, up until about a decade or so ago, they also thought PMS was in women's minds, too, until machinery could test hormones & such for that. When we have a science that is still based only on the latest in out technology, it is very limiting.

I also take a natural Iron supplement which has mega-doses of Vit B's & Vit C for my anemia. That also smoothed out my moods enormously.

I was looking for something for my adrenal glands. I went to a holistic doctor in New Orleans but he left after Katrina. Anyway, i was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue and have not been able to find meds since. Thanks so much for the links!

 

[Imzadi]

I was looking for something for my adrenal glands. I went to a holistic doctor in New Orleans but he left after Katrina. Anyway, i was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue and have not been able to find meds since. Thanks so much for the links!

Here is a book at Amazon on adrenal fatigue. Just from reading the Amazon preview, it made so much sense what has been going on with me, and tied TOO MANY of my symptoms together to be just "coincidence" or in my mind.

http://www.amazon.com/Adrenal-Fatigue-Century-Stress-Syndrome/dp/1890572152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292391357&sr=8-1

 

[rie'smom]

Here is a book at Amazon on adrenal fatigue. Just from reading the Amazon preview, it made so much sense what has been going on with me, and tied TOO MANY of my symptoms together to be just "coincidence" or in my mind.

http://www.amazon.com/Adrenal-Fatigue-Century-Stress-Syndrome/dp/1890572152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1292391357&sr=8-1

Thanks again!

 

[njcarita]

Although it seemed to last forever, tis was my philosophy ...

Thousands of years ago, few women survived to menopause so the ones who did had to be driven crazy by their hormones so they would throw themselves off a cliff to make room for all the younger women ... a few "elders" were hidden in caves by their henpecked sons ...

rotflmao......... thinking of this will help me get thru all the crazziness.... laughter is the best medicine...... Can we make a tshirt out of this.....

 

[shortbun]

I"m done with that stuff but my sister swears by Black Cohosh. I don't know if she drinks it, eats it or rubs it on. LOL~you guys will need to look it up. She switched to all cotton pjs and other things for her hot flashes. She also thinks that a low fat diet helped her a lot. Not being in her body, I have to believe her. Good luck everyone.

 

[faith]

Went through this many years ago. The hormone patch made me worse. I quit those in a hurry, and suffered through the heavy irregular bleeding. But, I cried at the drop of a hat and felt so depressed. I took Zoloft and in a month felt human again. Sorry, if the idea of meds offends anyone, but it really helped me. This is in no way an endorsement, but something you may want to explore with your dr. Hope you feel better soon, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.