Menopause

Hi!
I was the same as you and did not know anyone that had gone through menopause naturally. I quickly have had to figure things out on my own or ask around. I am 43 and 2 years ago I started feeling parinoid, anxious, forgetful, well more like I was losing my mind. Some of the earlier signs which I did not know were chocolate.. OMG I could not get enough chocolate. I know now that was part of perimeno because I don't even need chocolate anymore. The mood swings were terrible. This year I have had my ups and downs but things are starting subside some. I have changed some diet habits that helps. Eliminate caffiene, soda, sugar and add some soy to your diet. I did take a HRT when I first found out but and it helped but I did not like the idea of taking it. I have not really found a website or book that explains the true mental side of menopause and there is one!! I don't know what you are experiencing, but you are not alone. I feel that we are going to see more and more women start to experience this at an earlier age. Please email if you would like... Take care and you can beat the HEAT!!

I just read you 100 things. Wow... I could sit and talk to you for hours. But the sleepless nights at the end. That is part of the menopause also. I see the big DIET coke on the list also. If you cut that back to before noon and then eliminate you will see a HUGE difference. Wow I love this site... Take Care Melinda
I am just a single mom trying to live through menopause and make a living!! O and I have puberty going on at my house also, so its enter at your own RISK!! LOL...

Not there yet but I feel for you. If anyone can handle menopause it's you, Ang. You're one of the strongest people I know.

Hugs,
K

I'm 44.

- Periods every 15-22 days instead of my old very regular 28.
- The inevitable black hairs growing out of my chin!
- Waking 3-4 times during the night.

Angie, I went through it at ages 45-55, but other than night sweats and hot flashes and periods that came at odd times of the moth - that's it for me. Hope you are okay.

:( Sorry, I can't offer any advice. I do know that my mom starting having symptoms several years ago, and they included the flashes, trouble sleeping, anxiety, forgetfulness, emotional swings, and the list goes on. I'm sure your doctor will know exactly what to do. Except don't do the synthetic hormones. We have no history of breast cancer in our family, yet my grandmother got it after going on synthetic hormones. My mom does the natural HRT.

My mom experienced severe insomnia and irrational, uncontrolled RAGE.

The drs. tried HRT on her, and it just made her worse.

When she had a hysterectomy, the change was so dramatic that my sister and I were convinced that SHE WAS POSSESSED BY ALIENS.

We liked the change, so we didn't mention it.

My co-worker is experiencing much heavier periods, which only stop when they darn well please. (2 days out of 30, sometimes) Her dr. wants to put her on the pill, but they make her sick.

Best wishes, my friend.

Biggest of big hugs. And lots and lots of chocolate.

Perimenopause meant heavier periods, unexpected periods, and periods that went on for several extra days. I was on the pill for two years to regulate them.

I went off the pill a year ago July and that's it. Done.

Menopause has meant no periods. No hot flashes, no sleepless nights, no anxiety.

Some weight gain, though--can I blame it on menopause? (Please?)

After having my youngest son when I was 39,and breastfeeding for a couple of years, my periods never became regular again. The intervals between became longer and longer and then nothing. I think that my last period was when I was 47 (4 years ago.) For a few years I would get crampy around that time of month, but no period started. It was pretty easy physically, although it was a little sad to end the baby making phase of life. Good luck!

Angie-Pangie: I started having hot flashes when I was about 42 or 43. Also, I had a lot of anxiety and mood swings (but since I tend towards that anyway, it was a little hard to separate what was normal for me and what was related to hormonal changes.) Then, my period started skipping a month, then 2 months, until finally it just stopped. My last period was exactly a year ago. For me, it was a fairly easy process. Call me or email me if you want to talk at all. xo

Angie,
I love your blog. Long time reader.

51, just completed a year without spotting or any periods.
Biggest Surprise: At 47 I did not have a period or spotting for about 4 months, then a faucet opened and would not stop for about a week. This went on for about 2 years, 2-4 months of nothing, no PMS, then one day surprise heavy period shows up for about a week unannounced.
Occasional weird dizzy spell, like whoops what was that?
Cold, hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, this feeling irritated me the most, lasted about one year.
This past year, very little symptoms, I hope I am done. I had extremely regular periods all my life so this has been annoying more than anything, and I am ready to be done with it!

Angie,
I love your blog. Long time reader.

51, just completed a year without spotting or any periods.
Biggest Surprise: At 47 I did not have a period or spotting for about 4 months, then a faucet opened and would not stop for about a week. This went on for about 2 years, 2-4 months of nothing, no PMS, then one day surprise heavy period shows up for about a week unannounced.
Occasional weird dizzy spell, like whoops what was that?
Cold, hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, this feeling irritated me the most, lasted about one year.
This past year, very little symptoms, I hope I am done. I had extremely regular periods all my life so this has been annoying more than anything, and I am ready to be done with it!

We're all so obedient. Do you want to hear that I made it to 56 with out suffering unduly? Only periodically (no pun intended) would the tips of my ears spontaneously ignite...it's okay, really. I'm still not through it, hormone-wise, because these days they leave the hormone element intact with a vaginal hysterectomy. But I'm the oldest person I know (or know of) who didn't quit prior to this.
Eat edamame!

I am almost 54 and have never experienced anything different except for periods every 24 days, skipping a month here and there, and blind rages. I had a myomectomy (fibroidectomy - like a c-section but ever so much more fun as it took 3 flippin' hours to remove all the fibroids) at 46. Last pregnancy at 48 almost 49 which ended in miscarriage. Again. The blinding rages started with that last pregnancy and didn't stop until I started using bioidentical HRT (estrogen all month and progesterone last 14 days, both via varying amounts daily of transdermal creams, compounded by a pharmacist specifically for me. Blood test every 6 months on cycle days 12 and 23 to check E2 and P4 levels) Started when I was turning 50 and have never felt better. I do have light periods every month. Fine with me. Rather bleed than rage as I have young children. I never had hot flashes. I did grow some chin whiskers. I was getting forgetful, too, which just made me rage more. When I saw fear in my 2 babies' eyes, I knew I had to get help. I switched to organic food, hormone-free meat, sea salt and luckily had already eliminated alcohol years ago. Chocolate is now a rare treat v. a daily diet. I use 70% dark chocolate. No processed foods if we can avoid them. NO DIET DRINKS - the acid in them eats away tooth enamel as well as your innards, and depletes every vitamin. No sodas, at all. I still do caffeine, which I should not drink but geesh, enough already!
Some good books I read were What doctors Won't Tell you about Perimenopause (or something like that); Sex, Lies & Menopause and also books written by holistic authors.
Insurance used to cover a portion of the compounded hormones but no more. They run about $100/month. Worth every penny. They aren't for everybody, but they have been a Godsend to me.
I will also say that I got pregnant even more easily when I was perimenopausal, but didn't produce enough progesterone to sustain the pregnancies. I wish I would've known about Luteal Phase Defects 10 years ago...

I am almost 54 and have never experienced anything different except for periods every 24 days, skipping a month here and there, and blind rages. I had a myomectomy (fibroidectomy - like a c-section but ever so much more fun as it took 3 flippin' hours to remove all the fibroids) at 46. Last pregnancy at 48 almost 49 which ended in miscarriage. Again. The blinding rages started with that last pregnancy and didn't stop until I started using bioidentical HRT (estrogen all month and progesterone last 14 days, both via varying amounts daily of transdermal creams, compounded by a pharmacist specifically for me. Blood test every 6 months on cycle days 12 and 23 to check E2 and P4 levels) Started when I was turning 50 and have never felt better. I do have light periods every month. Fine with me. Rather bleed than rage as I have young children. I never had hot flashes. I did grow some chin whiskers. I was getting forgetful, too, which just made me rage more. When I saw fear in my 2 babies' eyes, I knew I had to get help. I switched to organic food, hormone-free meat, sea salt and luckily had already eliminated alcohol years ago. Chocolate is now a rare treat v. a daily diet. I use 70% dark chocolate. No processed foods if we can avoid them. NO DIET DRINKS - the acid in them eats away tooth enamel as well as your innards, and depletes every vitamin. No sodas, at all. I still do caffeine, which I should not drink but geesh, enough already!
Some good books I read were What doctors Won't Tell you about Perimenopause (or something like that); Sex, Lies & Menopause and also books written by holistic authors.
Insurance used to cover a portion of the compounded hormones but no more. They run about $100/month. Worth every penny. They aren't for everybody, but they have been a Godsend to me.
I will also say that I got pregnant even more easily when I was perimenopausal, but didn't produce enough progesterone to sustain the pregnancies. I wish I would've known about Luteal Phase Defects 10 years ago...

Sorry for the double post

I'm 29

I've had hot flashes
wake up at night just soaked with sweat
mood swings like crazy
my hair has been falling out
my periods come and go as they please forgetting that they're suppose to arrive every month
the hair growing out of my chin does not make up for the hair loss on my head

People laugh at me when I say I may be going through menopause. My doctor tested me. And as far as heredity goes I have two Aunts on different sides of the family that were completley finished by 36 and 38

At 47, my periods are still regular, but they are getting shorter. I feel overwhelmed and anxious off and on. I've been having a really hard time concentrating. And I just couldn't be more negative, especially about work.
I started taking a supplement from Whole foods for women over 40 - the first week I had hot flashes and woke up at 4 am every day. I think my hair might be thinning a bit as well. Oh, and I've had some really beautiful towering rages over silly things [like getting told the plot line of a book]. Scaring my kids senseless. I guess I'll come through the other side, but I sure wish my kids didn't have to put up with my behavior.