Anyone else experiencing premenopausal woes?

A

AKirkland

Cathlete
Here lately, I've been suffering with a variety of symptoms that seemed to be caused by premenopausal hormone fluctuations: long and irregular cycles, horrible PMS, painful breasts, trouble sleeping, waking at night in a sweat, and last but not least, a surge in my sex drive like nothing I've ever experience before. This last symptom was not entirely unpleasant, ;-) but DH is bewildered and, for the most part, disinterested.

My boss, a female in her early 40s, loaned me a couple of books. One advocates using natural progesterone cream, the other recommends low dose birth control. I'm trying the cream first since it's OTC. It seems like it might be helping, but my symptoms didn't completely match the estrogen-dominant symptoms the book describes. For instance, my bleeding is very light instead of very heavy and desire was definitely up instead of repressed.

Sorry this is so personal, but I'd sure like to hear from anyone who's going through this. I'm wondering if the low dose pills would be a better choice for me. I have a crappy GYN and I figured I could get better info from you guys!

TIA,

Angela
 
Hi Angela! I had most of those symptoms, and my OB/GYN put me on Microgestin almost two years ago. The unpleasant symptoms disappeared almost entirely within a few months. The pills I'm on did not deter me from losing weight (as some have been known to do to some people), and they haven't kept me from maintaining. The only reason I mention this is because it was one of the big questions that often came up on the WW message boards. My OB/GYN told me BC pills get a bad rap in terms of causing weight gain. As for the night sweats and irregular, heavy cycles - GONE! I have a period about once every three months, and the bleeding is very minimal. The other months I barely spot. The cycles are regular, and my moods are much more even. I really don't get PMS symptoms anymore, and when I do, they're not very intense. I never tried the creams, but if they don't seem to be working for you, and you aren't opposed to taking BC pills, I would talk to your doc about them. There are many different kinds, so you may have to experiment a bit until you find one that feels right to you. I got lucky the first time, but I also have a doc who listens to me, and she matched me up with one that fit my symptoms and needs right away. One more thing ... you mentioned your GYN is crappy. Any chance you can switch? I know on some insurance plans you're stuck, but if you can switch, maybe a different one would be more receptive to your particular needs?

Best of luck with whatever you decide to do, and I hope this helps!

Carol
:)
 
Angela,

Interesting that you should post this. I was disturbed by a number of symptoms that didn't make sense & didn't seem related. After a little research I found I'm at the beginning of premenopause. Two books I'd recommend before ever considering any sort of prescription hormone therapy. "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause" by Dr. John Lee & "Before the Change..." by Ann Louise Gittleman. You can see an interview with Gittleman when she was on Dr. Phil's show (someone told me about the interview and I read it and then purchased her book).

Here's the link to the Dr. Phil/Gittleman interview.
http://www.drphil.com/slideshow/slide.jhtml?contentId=1158_hormones3.xml

Edited to add....I remembered that I used this link as well....
http://www.mercola.com/article/progesterone/cream.htm

I hope this helps you. It has been a tremendous resource for me.

Blessings,
Sue<><
 
Angela, most of us sure go through some wild hormonal stuff. No wonder are mates are bewildered.

I'm lucky to have a great GYN. I hope that you can switch to someone you have confidence in. I'm on low dose estrogen which keeps me quite regular. My GYN encourages lots of soy consumption, though not for any specific symptom. I take evening primrose oil capsules for the night sweats & it's usually effective. Some of my friends take other herbal remedies.

You probably will need to experiment & find out what diet, supplements, & routine works best for you. I'd hit the bookstore, especially the alternative medicine section for women's health.

My GYN made an interesting comment about herbal supplements. I told her that the evening primrose oil was helping but I'd read a report of a controlled study showing that it was ineffective. She said it often happens with food & supplements even though many people are finding it effective. I'm happy with the results even if it is the placebo effect.

I'm also lucky to have a group of friends for support & advice.

Debra
 
I am lucky in that at 47 I am not suffering from anything except wrinkles and gray hair, but I do take a lot of stuff as prevention. I use a lot of soy. And Andrew Weil and David Williams both recommend ground flax seed as helpful supplement for perimenopause as well as all the other good things it does (Omega 3s and good fiber). Many women use black cohosh as a supplement, and some say that if you get your body fat nice and low, that helps with symptoms also.
 
Angela,

I definitely understand where you are coming from. My first advice to you because it is very, very important, is to try to find a better GYN. I switched for the same reason and it's made all the difference. What I would suggest is to find a Menopause specialist, if you can. Because of the upsurge of baby boomers who are entering peri and menopause, some GYN's are listing this as their area of expertise. If not a menopause specialist, you need to find a doctor you can relate to because you are entering a part of your life where you are going to have many questions.

Having said all that, I see you have read two books and both books advocated just two different things. You need to arm yourself with as much information as you can. I went to the library and checked out as many books as I could on the subject. As I've said before, my favorite book was "The Power of Peri-Menopause". It was unbiased and full of great information. It was also very thought provoking and positive.

I'm not a doctor by any means, but in all my research and talks with my doctor, it appears the most frustrating thing about perimenopause is that your estrogen, protesterone and tesosterone levels are fluctuating, not just daily, but for some people, hourly. These horomone levels affect how we function because they are very important to our how our brains function.

The fact that your sex drive is up could mean that your testosterone levels are up. Enjoy it while you can. I always had an extremely high sex drive but now I need to apply tesosterone cream to raise my levels and help my drive. Of all the symptoms I am experiencing, this is the most frustrating for me. Thank goodness for tesosterone. Other indications of high tesosterone levels are oily skin and breaking out, more hair on face but scalp hair LOSS. Behavioral symptom is more aggressiveness.

I know my estrogen levels are low, (again personal stuff) because even on the LD BC pill, my periods are scarce and I experience vaginal dryness. I use estrogen suppositories twice a week for this symptom and they work fine.

If you can't change your GYN, insist on a FSH test. This will check your Folicular Stimulating Horomone. If this level is high, that means your body is working very hard to stimulate ovulation which is a leading indicator of peri menopause. When I get mine tested, my doctor tells me to go the week just before I know I'll get my period cause it's the best indicator.

Sorry to go on and on but I know how I searched for the answers. This stuff is like nutrition and exercise. The concept of what you need to do to meet your goals is stated in such simple terms: eat clean and exercise. But, when you get down brass tacks, what works for some will not work for others. My doctor told me that because of my symptoms, she has determined I am very estrogen sensitive. Some people go straight to menopause without one symptom.
 
Angela:

I sympathize completely. I have also just entered perimenopause (premenopause), aged 38 and it all hit me like a truck in the Fall. My symptoms hit me as "horrible PMS," increased anxiety, panic attacks, incredible fatigue, diziness, faintness and hair loss. Irregular cycles seem to be par for the course and like you, I err on the side of lighter and longer intervals between periods rather than the heavier and more frequent. I think it is because you and I are ectomorphs and our naturally leaner bodies produce lower levels of estrogen to begin with.

I have the two books listed here by Dr. Lee and Ann Louise Gittleman and recommend them both to you. The web site listed above also surprised me and alarmed me and I will have to check that out more too.

I tried bc pills last month and they made me bloat up awfully and so unhappy and finally incredible nausea. They work for some, not all. Certainly experiment with them if you are inclined. And before you do that, definitely change to a Family Planning expert or hormonal expert, gynecologist. Forget the crappy GYN, you owe him nothing.

I have also started using Natural Progesterone cream and "Promensil suplements" available in health food stores and pharmacies OTC, they are menopause support, they contain natural plant estrogens that you might eat in legumes if your diet is legume heavy, vegetarian. It is too early to say if this is working, I'm only on day 7 of taking them! But I plan to continue, there are NO SIDE EFFECTS WITH THEM!!! Try the "www.promensil.com" website for info.

Women's hormones are horrendously complicated it seems. Arm yourself with as much info as you can get, seek out an expert you can trust. Then report back to me on what works!!! And I'll do likewise! I'm as desperate for a solution as you. I feel other forces have hi-jacked my life and body. Definitely things are different. I'm going to insist on referral to an endocrynologist/gynecologist to try and do this "the natural way" for optimal health.

Good luck to us both. And I am sorry your husband is largely disinterested. So is mine if that's any consolation. Pretty poor though, I know.

Clare
 
Thanks, everyone for the responses. The two books I read were "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You..." and "Could it be perimenopause?" I'm over simplifying here, but the first seemed to really push the natural progesterone cream where the second didn't mention it at all. Both addressed diet, exercise, etc.

I have to admit, after starting the progesterone cream, my sex drive dropped dramatically, which was somewhat disappointing to say the least, although DH is probably relieved. I haven't had any night sweats lately and breasts aren't as tender. They used to get sore around mid-cycle and get worse until the day after I started.

I've always had bad luck with GYNs, but I know I need to try to find another one. Sigh. The only good thing about this is when I was confiding to my mother-in-law that I was experiencing premenopausal symptoms, she said, "Why, you're nowhere near 40!" I love to hear that, since I'll be 38 in June. :D

Angela
 
Hi Angela and All!

I sure can sympathize as well. At times going through this is a combined curse/blessing. When things are really crazy (hormones) I feel completely crazy and at times can border on out of control! Then there are periods of time where I feel very calm, peaceful and loving life. It's such an up/down thing.

I experienced no period for 54 days then had a whopper. While I wasn't menstruating, the fat around my stomach just about diappeared. Also, during this time, I had energy to spare and felt so good emotionally. Then I started and within a month the fat returned and all the other symptoms returned. I'm hoping it's a sign that once I do reach menopause that the fat will go away and that calm, peaceful feeling will last forever!;-)

I am 46. My mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunt (all on mom's side) reached menopause at 42. I'm hoping I'm not too far away. My friends who are there, and over 50, tell me that it does get better. Once they reached menopause, they felt like they were re-born and they are loving life!

Another book you might want to look into is Wisdom of Menopause by Christiane Northrup, MD. She also advocates natural progesterone cream. I'm so bad at remembering to use it that I really can't say it helps. That's another symptom, no memory! Here is her website:

http://www.drnorthrup.com/index.php

They also have an online community. Sounds like something I'll check into.

I use Vitamin E w/Selenium, a supplement called Estrotone by New Chapter, that has black cohosh and a few other natural ingredients, and a multi-vitamin. I'm not personally interested in any kind of synthetic therapy.

I don't have any great pearls of wisdom. The one thing I refuse to think of it as is a mid life crisis. We've always heard of it as the change of life. I can attest that the latter is much more accurate. It certainly does change your life. How and to what degree depends on us individually. It sure can feel like a crisis, but that is when I have to step back and look at what is going on that is making it feel that way. That's where the change comes in....I try to think of the positive side of it as opposed to the negative.

OK, ramble over. Take care all!
 
Angela, one more thing. Everyone is different, but I started experiencing onset of symptoms at 42. I will be 49 on Sunday and only this year feel I have a good handle on it.

As was mentioned in another post, there are positive aspects as well. I've learned a lot more about myself during these past few years. Along my journey I found Cathe and this forum. I eat better, exercise better and make sure I take care of myself. I've gained much more confidence in myself. For me it has been more of a coming of age than a mid life crisis.

A couple of years ago I wouldn't have put it quite that way but now that I'm further down the road...well, you know, the hindsight thing.
 
First find out for sure if you are perimenopausal. You don't want to mess with your hormones. Ask around if you can for recommendations on MDs that are interested in women's health issues &/or menopause. I could help you if you live in the Milwaukee, WI area. There is also a home kit to check if you are perimenopausal but don't know how accurate these are. I was diagnosed perimenopausal a few years ago. Read the Wisdom of Menopause and some other books but many theories and all very confusing. Since diagnosed it took a few trials to find what worked for me and some made me feel worse than nothing. Even the over the counter Remifemen helped but finally switched OB/GYNs and the new one prescribed Activella. Not a very common HRT but it has bioidentical estrodiol and progesterone. Have felt great with this. Had to switch GYNs again for insurance change and the new one said Activella is a good one and kept me on it. So glad I didn't have to fight with a brand new MD to keep my prescription for this. Good luck.
 
Now here's a topic I'm an expert in. Not really, but at 54, I have some experience. The two books (Lee and Git.) are excellent. At 51 I started using the natural progesterone cream and it helped quite a bit. I, also, added soy to my diet and I think that helped even more. I used to get "rolling-hotflashes" and it was brutal. Some days it was one right after another for hours. I still get hot flashes on occasion and had a regular cycle up until 3 months ago. As someone said, everyone is different. Some people can't tolerate hot flashes at all and some people, who are used to abuse like me, just get through it knowing it eventually goes away.

In my experience, doctors think just about everything is normal regarding female issues beyond the age of 40. Bled for two weeks? Normal. A raving, swollen, b**ch? Normal. Change your jammies cuz they're soaked in sweat? Normal. Passed clots the size of a basketball? Normal. Sorry about the last one. Anyway, it is frustrating but I think you'll need to experiment with different remedies AND find an empathetic gyn. Alexis
 
Hi Angela,
I have to agree with those who said to get a better gyn. I had a "crappy" gyn who misdiagnosed breast cancer and put me on birth control pills for periomenopause, and birth control pills are a definite danger for people like me. Please don't take any hormone cream, herbs, etc. until you do talk to a qualified gyn you are comfortable with. While there are tons of "good" books on the market, remember that the info. and research in them is outdated by the time they go to press. There are so many advancements and discoveries in medicine weekly that to rely on a book that has been out for years isn't always the best way to go. Nothing beats the wisdom of a qualified doctor who stays up-to-date on the latest studies. I'm sure there is one in your community. You're worth the best so don't settle for less!!!!
Blessings,
Denise:)
 
Angela, I just have to say that I am so glad that you asked this question and got so many informative answers.

This is a topic that is relevant to so many of us on this forum, because there are so many of us in our thirties, forties and fifties who exercise with Cathe (we're older and wiser and know quality!). There is a lot of information here, and I am taking my time absorbing it all.

I am ashamed to admit how little I know about this topic at the age of 47. I think I've just been in denial because I'm afraid of the changes my body is inevitably going to go through. I almost wish I would get some symptoms already so I can stop fearing the unknown!

It is nice to know that when I do start to go through my changes that there are lots of women here offering lots of support and information! I'm seeing a new gyn in a few weeks who comes highly recommended and I'm going to ask some questions and find out what her views are. She's not even on my PPO, and I don't care. I'll just pay her and collect what I can from the ins. co. As I venture into the unknown, I'm going to need to have a great doctor by my side!

Thank you Angela and all of you great information providers who responded to her! :)

-Nancy
 
Hi Angela! I was placed on Mircette 28 which is a very low dosage birth control pill to get the estrogen levels balanced out. I had to stay on this pill for about 2 1/2 years at which time I had to come off of the pill due to breasts being so swollen. I wound up having an over abundance of estrogen. I then took Am/Pm Balance for Menopause from Natrol. 1 pill in the AM & the other pill at PM. These pills worked wonders for me. I'm now 1 yr. into my menopause; still experience slight hot flashes & night sweats but nothing at all like it was. HTH, Kathy
 
Hey ladies,

Well, since someone ressurected this thread, here's an update:

I am completing one cycle on the natural progesterone cream. I'll say this much for it: it definitely regulated my cycle. I had been going as long as fifty-some-odd days between periods. I started the cream 10 days after my last period and was supposed to stop it today. Started my period yesterday without the usual crushing cramps and breast tenderness wasn't as bad either.

Unfortunately, other problems have remained: moodiness and crying jags, insomnia (!) which has never been a problem for me, cold one minute and hot the next, etc.

But here's the most frustrating thing: before I started the cream, I was experiencing a sex drive through the roof. Now, the sex drive's still high, but I'm almost unable to climax. This has frustrated me to the point of tears - not uncommon these days - and has been so completely bewildering to my DH, that he won't come near me now.

After two sleepless nights in a row and the sexual issues, I made an emergency appointment with my crappy GYN. I tried to get in to see another GYN that was recommended to me, but as a new patient, they told me the earliest appt. I could get would be in April!x(

I'd lose my mind before then. At least with my doc, I can get in to see him on Monday. I'm hoping the low dose BC will help me.

Angela
 
Thanks for keeping us updated, Angela. Sounds like you have been hit pretty hard. I have no advice whatsoever, other than to say why not make the appointment for April even while you're still seeing your usual gyn?

On a light note, I told my husband about your enhanced sex drive and now he is hoping that I start menopause soon!

I'm so sorry to hear what you've been going through! :-( Good luck with the appointment!

-Nancy
 
Angela,

The reason for the difficulty in climaxing supposedly has to do with the decreased blood flow to the pelvic area which is also a symptom of low estrogen. Please have an FSH blood test done, but make sure you do it a week before your next period. If you do it any old time, it will not be as accurate.

If it is perimenopause, please don't expect miracles with the LD BC pill. You will probably still be symptomatic but it should help you emotionally where you can get a handle on what's going on.

Please get the book, "The Power of Peri-Menopause". It will explain so much.
 
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