Perimenopausal - Anyone?

I

Ivy

Cathlete
I know this is not fitness related but I have a question for anyone who may have gone through this or is going through this. I think I am perimenopausal, I am going to do some research on the subject but my sypmtoms include; periods that are more frequent and heavier at times, fatigue, forgetfulness, sort of a negative attitude regarding things, my temper seems to be short at times with my youngest and I just don't seem to have the paitence I used too. I am 46 years old and I workout, try to eat healthy, oh yeah and I feel like I am craving carbs and sugar more. It is not my thyroid, I have had that checked and I am on thyroid medication but I am fine in that regard. :rolleyes:
 
Girl, I know what you are going through. I am 50 and went through this same thing about 4 years ago. I couldn't get enough pizza and ice cream.

Have you tried taking black cohosh. My ob/gyn recommended it. It is a herb and sold in the vitamin section at your local grocery store. It has helped me. Someone else on this forum had suggested phyto B. I don't think I can take it since I'm on the pill.

I can't give you any insight about the heavy periods since I've been on the pill since I was 18. Has your ob/gyn given any indication about putting you on hormone replacement therapy?

Keep exercising and eating healthy.

Hang in there!
 
Ivy,

I'd say I'm right there with you. I'm 50 and I've been going through this for about 6 months or more. More frequent periods and one day of the cycle is almost so heavy that I can't leave the house. I am irritable at certain times and I crave carbs but I think I always have. I have night sweats and hot flashes. My doc said once I complete menopause I can look forward to a spare tire. I WILL NOT have one of those, lol. I do notice however that my excess weight already sticks in the middle and I have to work really hard to keep it to a minimum. But I think I'm loosing the battle. I really don't want a spare tire around my middle. More cardio for me.

I haven't tried any herbs or anything. Maybe I should. There are days where I just have zero engergy. It's really annoying.

Good luck with your symptoms. You're early on the perimenopause though.
 
I started menopause at 46 but I would skip periods 6 months at a time, & my periods stopped just before I turned 49. I still have occasional hot flashes not severe. My doc told me the B vitamins help, & they have.
 
Right there with you!! You described my symptoms exactly. I'm just always wishing for menopause now!! I'll have to look into the black cohosh, because this is really annoying! As for spare tire - I'll get lipo first!
 
Have you had your hormone levels checked? I did a year ago because I thought I was beginning peri also. My estrogen levels were just a tiny-bit elevated, which suggests that I will be entering into peri sometime in the near future (I'm 45 now). Interestingly, losing 10% of my body weight helped ease some of the symptoms. I am however finding it VERY difficult to lose the last 12lbs- stubborn buggers, I tell ya!

Hang in there, girl!
Pam
 
I had a personal trainer tell me back in 2001 that it is possible to gain up to 30 lbs. almost overnight during peri and menopause. I thought she was joking. I gained 20. I too have a spare tire. If I could afford lipo, I would do it in a heartbeat.
 
Well I am 39 and have already started getting the inconsistent periods..yeah me! I also have a stubborn 5 pounds that do not want to leave..every time my dad sees me eating junk he tells me..watch out the 5 pounds are looking for friends:D

This year i started weight training...those suckers are still hanging on for dear life! At least i am getting toned:D
 
I started perio at about age 45. My body fat changed to be more concentrated in my gut. I had wild mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats. I was quite off the charts mentally at times. It was a bit scary.

At 52 I'm finally starting actual menopause. I can go months without periods and then have a heavy period. I'll be glad when it's done. I have fewer night sweats now and mentally I'm much calmer. I found the supplement I-cool to help the night sweats and 5-HTP kept me from stabbing people.
 
Thank YOU for posting this thread, I've been in the perimenou state for about the last three years. My weight stays good if I eat right and I workout consistently although it is a battle. I had to deal with hot flashes, memory loss, and pms moods.
What has helped me is drinking tea like green, white and black. It helped me reduce my Diet Pepsi issue although at times, the soda wins out.
My former doctor told me he didn't expect me to be post-meno until my mid-50's, about 5 years away. He told me my workouts have slowed down my aging process but the two years of studying for my MBA put it in limbo.
 
It is so good for me to read all your symptoms of peri-menopause. I am 47, and like pjlippert, I just cannot seem to get rid of the last 10 pounds that hang on to me like a parasite. Also, my memory can get scary. I actually thought I was 48 for quite awhile until one day my husband and I were talking and he said, "uh, Trace, you are 47." I argued with him for a few seconds and then he said, "I know you are 47 because I am 46." (he is 6 mo. younger) This was quite scary for me...but it was also nice because suddenly, I was a year younger!:eek: Being in the middle of peri-menopause is tough mentally too!

Anyway, the nite sweats are pretty faithful, but I find that if I workout 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day for a few days of my 6 days-a-week-workout schedule, they are lessened.
 
You are so right about the memory loss. I now have the memory of a goldfish. I used to be very smart and now I forget words in midsentence. I forget how to spell words, I stutter because I cannot call up a normal everyday word. I have to write myself notes, make lists. I just feel like I get dumber every day. It's frustrating.
 
Wow! Thanks everybody for the great posts, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, there goes that memory thang:cool: I have to check in with my doctor on Monday, so I will let you know what he suggests. I knew this was not just my imagination, it is nice to know that you guys are out there and you are toughing out the same thing:)
 
Imfiddy: sometimes I simply cannot remember my phone number! I look in the recesses of my mind and there is nothing there...a complete blank! Now I know how my husband feels when I ask him what he's thinking and he says, "Nuthin'" :D
 
Perimenopausal irregular bleeding

The one thing I hate about being perimenopausal is the irregular periods. I've been perimenopausal for 8 years now and have had procedures done to evaluate irregular bleeding. And then I can't exercise as usual for 1-2 weeks to allow everything to heal.

Just noticed that many posted getting periods more frequently than usual. Anyone over 35 that bleeds between periods, has heavier or irregular bleeding should have it evaluated by their doctor.
 
tralaiven said:
It is so good for me to read all your symptoms of peri-menopause. I am 47, and like pjlippert, I just cannot seem to get rid of the last 10 pounds that hang on to me like a parasite. Also, my memory can get scary. I actually thought I was 48 for quite awhile until one day my husband and I were talking and he said, "uh, Trace, you are 47." I argued with him for a few seconds and then he said, "I know you are 47 because I am 46." (he is 6 mo. younger) This was quite scary for me...but it was also nice because suddenly, I was a year younger!:eek: Being in the middle of peri-menopause is tough mentally too!

Anyway, the nite sweats are pretty faithful, but I find that if I workout 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day for a few days of my 6 days-a-week-workout schedule, they are lessened.
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Sorry, not a perimenopause post, but is that a Maltese in your profile pic. I have a Maltese and her name is Baci. Your profile picture looks exactly like her.
 
ImFiddY said:
You are so right about the memory loss. I now have the memory of a goldfish. I used to be very smart and now I forget words in midsentence. I forget how to spell words, I stutter because I cannot call up a normal everyday word. I have to write myself notes, make lists. I just feel like I get dumber every day. It's frustrating.
Click to expand...

I am SO RELIEVED to read that other people are having memory issues, I'm 53, just starting to skip periods, my memory is HORRIBLE and in particular I can't remember the names of things - books, actors, movies, clients, common items, etc. It is really scary. I recently googled "menopause can't remember names" (because I knew if I googled "can't remember names" I would read terrifying things) and discovered that memory issues are very common in menopause, and in particular menopausal women have a hard time remembering names and nouns - the theory is that nouns are stored in one particular part of the brain that is affected by estrogen fluctuation. I recently read "I Remember Nothing" by Nora Ephron and she joked about her memory loss and said she never worries that it's a sign of something sinister; I'm trying to develop that attitude.
 
lina9496 said:
Sorry, not a perimenopause post, but is that a Maltese in your profile pic. I have a Maltese and her name is Baci. Your profile picture looks exactly like her.
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Yes, she is a maltese - our baby Lucy. We love her. She is the best, so smart and a wonderful temperament. I have never been so attached to a dog before...both my girls, who are still at home, love her too. My DS, who is out of the house, calls me "the weird dog lady" now.:D Maybe this is a peri-menopausal symptom...haha
 
All this talk about perimenopausal, has anyone tried bioidentical hormones? I remember hearing this new way of treating women, although I think that may have been for women who were actually in menopause?
 
Regarding the memory issue, I read somewhere that learning dance routines helps. Cathe's step workouts have definitely helped with my memory problem. Sudoku (spelling?; gives me a headache) and crossword puzzles (boring) are supposed to help too.

Someone I used to work with called it CRS Disease (can't remember sh*!). I prefer to use that term instead of menopause. :D
 
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