Anyone here going through perimenopause?

L

lesliew

Cathlete
I just turned 43 and for the first time in 7 years have skipped a period. I know I'm not pregnant so I'm thinking I must be starting perimenopause. I have other symptoms too, like mini hot flashes, insomnia (I haven't had a full nights sleep in 2 months), irritablility, fatigue, some depression. I've been having these mild symptoms on and off since turning 40 but the past two months they seem to be more noticable. Then again, I'm thinking about them all the time! I don't want to run to the doctor right away because I've heard there's not much you can do about it. Of course, if I don't get my period in a couple of months I will see the doc. Thank goodness I don't have any weight gain yet, but I guess I owe that to Cathe!

Anyone have any advice on how they deal with this? Any good diet, vitamins, OTC supplements to take? I'm hoping proper diet and exercise will alleviate some of these symptoms because otherwise, these next few years are going to be hell!

TIA!
 
Hi,

I am turning 46 next Saturday and so far haven't had any
hot flashes and still regular periods but very light ones.
I did go through insomnia for several years and it was really
hard. I take a blend of valerian root and hops to help with
sleep. If you know of any herbalists or naturopaths (spelling?)
you could see what they recommend. A few months ago I started
having Arvigo method abdominal massages which can sometimes
helps those symptoms.
 
Welcome to the "peri" club my friend. I am right there with you. Did you also get pimples like a teenager like I did? Migraines as well. Lucky us.

What I have been doing is making sure I have lots of B vitamins, drink/eat soy products almost daily, and get extra sleep. Also chiropractic care to help stave off the migraines (also have a good medication in case one comes on) and have started acupuncture so I can go the herbal route with treatments. Lots of stuff out there that can work (black cohosh is oneof the herbs) but I want to go to a pro on this. MY OB tends to be more medication focused and i want to avoid the hormone route.

Try to get yourself to a licensed acupunturist/nutritionist who can help you or ask your OB for natural remedies. For the depression, consider therapy. This is our body going through temporary changes so we need to treat in a different way while we are going through it. So take good care of yourself.

Email back if you have any other questions!!!

Juls
 
Hi, I'm the same age as you and have been having the same exact symptoms as you for the past couple of years. My last two periods were 3 months apart. I did go to my dr for the hot flashes. I did not want to take a HRT, so I did some research online before I went to the doctor. I also had a friend that had been having hot flashes and ask her if anything had help her. She had been taking effexor or other reason, but her dr said that is would also help with the hot flashes. I asked my dr about it and he said that effexor has been given for hot flashes and it also helps with the emotions too. I could tell a big different the first day! Hope this helps. :)
 
I'm 46, coming up on 47, and have been experiencing the symptoms of perimenopause also. Just in the past year my periods are farther apart and when they appear it is out of the blue. That means no PMS symptoms, which is great. I was having night sweats and tried different things to alleviate that (black cohosh, other herbs that are supposed to help, progesterone cream from the health food store). Nothing worked for me so I went to see my MD. He prescribed a low dose of estrogen/progesterone which I took for a month. I was never able to tolerate bcp's very well and these low dose hormones were no different. I quit taking them after the first month and that one month took care of the problem - no more hot flashes.

As far as weight gain goes, it's not a problem. I mean, I eat clean most of the time and exercise regularly. If I put on a pound or two maybe it doesn't come off as quickly as it used to but weight gain that can't be blamed on overinduling is not an issue at all.

In general, even though I feared perimenopause/menopause, it's painless and actually a much easier time as far as hormone fluctuations go.
 
I feel for ya. I hit premature menopause at 38. My life was horrible!! No sleep, irritable, hot flashes. I couldn't even stand myself. My Gyn put me on low dose BCP at first which helped. Recently have switched to the Nuva Ring and LOVE IT!! I know hormones are not an option for everyone. But it's the only thing that helped me keep my sanity!!


Catherine

http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/1.gif
 
Actually, I've been having perimenopause struggles for the past 8 years. In transitioning from the low dose b/c pills to regular HRT I have been finding out more about the study that has made everyone so fearful about using HRT. I learned that the age of the women who participated in the study had an average age of 64 and were already menopausal. That's where the rub comes in. According to everything I have ready, it's the perimenopause years when the fluctuations occur and when the body is adjusting to lower estrogen levels that hormones really come in handy AND have less impact to health.

I've determined that I will stay on hormones as long as I need them...at the lowest dose, of course. If taking them does shorten my life span, at least the years that I have left will quality ones.
I will not take antidepressents and live with all the side effects they may cause.
 
It's nice to know there are others out there like me! Thanks for the advice and support. I don't want to take antidepressants if I can avoid them because of their side effects. I have friends who are on them and they hate how they feel when taking them. No interest in sex is a big complaint! I also have a family history of breast cancer (sister) so I'm concerned about HRT. Although, my mother did take HRT for 20 years following a hysterectomy and she said it really helped her get through menopause. She was an emotional wreck without supplemental hormones.

So much to think about! Part of the depression I feel is knowing that my child bearing years are almost behind me. I do have two beautiful kids and I'm not interested in having any more, but just knowing that my body is getting older kind of bums me out! YKWIM?
 
That's so true. The other day I was coaching my DD's soccer team and I let a little boy have it for not sharing his soccer ball. I bitched at him "If you don't want to share it then don't bring it to practice!" Then I turned around and thought, "Man, where did that come from? I need an exorcist!"
 
Yes..the insomnia and bitchyness was the worst for me. I am 47...still having periods. I read a great book "Before the Change" by Ann Louise Gittleman and added a few vitamins I was lacking. She also has a forum where you can ask quetions...http://www.annlouiseforum.com/forum/ I am also using her Progestakey (natural progesterone cream) which I think is helping...:)
 
I must be in perimenopause at 49, and some of my periods have been more irregular (I like the last one, which was about 32 days apart, which is what I was hoping "irregular" meant, but the ones that are only 18 days a part are a PITA).

Beyond acne, I haven't noticed any other symptoms, but maybe some crankiness that might be attributable to perimenopause and not PMS?

I've been vegetarian/vegan for a long time, thus not exposed to exogenous (from the outside) hormones (like those in meat and dairy products) for quite a while, and have read that this can lead to a less drastic drop in (artificially elevated) hormone levels at menopause. I also was never on the pill.

I also consume soy (not a lot) and a few foods that are supppsed to balance the hormonal system, like maca and goji berries.
 
lesliew,

I'm 50, but I'm not really there yet. My periods are lighter, but still come every 28 days. I was talking to my Mom about it recently, and she said she did not have any weight gain, but her shape "shifted" a bit. Where she used to have a very small waist and no tummy, she now has a tummy. But she assured me that she does not need to eat less to maintain her weight. Maybe she was just trying to make me feel better, as she knows how concerned I am. But I felt relieved to hear that she didn't see a change in her metabolism.

-Nancy
ETA: Thanks for the forum referral, Carole. I bookmarked it for future reference.
 
You say you aren't consuming hormones but if you're eating heavy amounts of soy foods you're consuming high amounts of phytoestrogens, and plant estrogens are strong estrogens.
 
Perimenopause...oh gosh, YES!!! Just ask my poor DH and DSs.

No advice as I am muddling through this as well. I don't even recognize myself some days. I keep taking *deep breaths* and doing killer Cathe workouts and meditating and eating crap and eating clean and doing yoga and taking *deep breaths* and crying and taking long walks alone and...TTOTM, well let's just say that twice last month for more days "on" than "off" and wondering when the heck is the next...you get the pic...the sweats haven't been an issue...yet...but there have been a couple of times I would have loved to be naked...OMG...I don't even know what I'm talking about...think it could be PERIMENOPAUSE????????

I am taking Femmerol, all herbal, which apparently helps alot (per my family). I DON'T KNOW ANYOMRE...:7
 
Hi everyone, I am 39 and due to a hystroectomy 6 yrs ago i started menopause early. it hit me hard last july, altho my doctor says i am post menopausal, i don't believe it. he done some blood work and came up with that. but, i am having insomnia bad and wt. won't come off. I am also fighting hypothyroid, have been for about 6 yrs. I did start taking some herbs, which i get through naturesunshine, which my herbalist recommends. one being dong quia. it helped me alot! along with exercising, i think that is what kept my sanity......for awhile. but now some say my body is probably used to it and i may need something else. so they recommend my seeing a doctor, since i have no faith in medical doctors, it was recommended i try a D.O. it seems they are open to natural alternatives more. and then i should see a endocronologist for the thyroid. Basically i am a hormone mess right now. I understand how all of you feel. So... the only thing i can say for sure is i have faith in herbs and exercise and eating right to fight this middle age craziness we women have to endure. I wish you all luck in finding what makes the transition easier for you. Hugzz to you all.
 
>You say you aren't consuming hormones but if you're eating
>heavy amounts of soy foods you're consuming high amounts of
>phytoestrogens, and plant estrogens are strong estrogens.

I am not eating 'heavy amounts of soy foods' (reread my post, I think it makes that pretty clear). And phytoestrogens (in the amounts that are found in food rather than concentrated supplements) are not as strong as animal-based hormones.
 
Good Morning,

Many years ago I've read that taking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is partly made out of pregnant horse urine. This is true. Many women became sick with cancer.

I had all the symptoms there are with premenopause, and it lasted over 14 years. I had to do something to relieve some of them or I was going to go nuts. I hated the quality of life at that time. Know that this does not happen to every woman. I was just unlucky.

I looked on the internet and found a plant base formula (bioidentical) for this. It is mixed by compounded pharmacys. Still there is no huge studies on this, but, hey it sounds so much more intuned with our bodies. I used it for many years, and got a lot of relief. I still had dryness going on, but then I used Sylk product with kiwi for that. That saved my life, because that symptom was the worst one for me.

After you get this product, you need to experiment with it yourself. Try 1/2 the dosage that is reccommended to you. It is strong, and if you take too much, some of the symptoms are like feeling druged. So be aware of this, and start out a little at a time. Continue to up the dosage every 2 weeks or so, until you feel better, and listen to your body. I also used the kind that was inserted into the vagina and another product that was a cream to rub on your belly or breast, someplace where the skin is thinner. I don't like taking pills, because you can't control that as well. But if you do have pills, just split them starting out at 1/4 the recommendation. And increasing the amount every two weeks until you feel better.

Here is a site that can start your search for your needs. I don't remember the site I looked at, but this is a start. Find all you can about it, and educate yourself. There is no reason to suffer.

Many doctors know little about bioidenticals, and you need a perscription from your doctor. You just have to explain the best you can what you want to do. The compound pharmacy will do the rest.

www.susanlovemd.com/community/questions/question020812.htm

Take care of yourself, eat as clean as possible and exercise regularly, it will help very much.

Janie

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return"
Nature Boy by eden ahbez 1908-1995
 
I've read that taking Hormone Replacement
>Therapy (HRT) is partly made out of pregnant horse urine.

Yes, Premarin comes from the urine of pregnant horses, who are attached to catheters and forced to bear foals who are often taken to the slaughter house because they are of no financial value to the companies (the largest one of which is somewhere in Canada).

A very good reason, IMO, to not take this particular hormone replacement.

Re: bioidenticals: Suzanne Sommers talks about this in one of her books (which I haven't read, but have heard her talk about on HSN).
 
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