Menopause, not for the faint hearted

[Mary Kay]

Menopause, Menopause Symptoms, Menopause Support and Humor Go here for info and the more humorous side of Minniepauz!
Please post advice, complaints, and good websites here!

 

[sheilalynn]

Can this include "perimenopause" for us that haven't quite reached the full fun-filled years yet?

 

[Mary Kay]

Perry, Post Rita or Ramone menopause..doesn't matter..post what you like!
But Sheila, first you have to tell me what was in front of your face in your old avitar!!! It's driving me nuts!

 

[BARENETTED]

Mary - I told you I was your evil twin. lol

I was wondering the same thing.

I think I figured it out - SNAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mary Kay]

Well my dr. said She wouldn't prescribe anymore estrogen unless I saw a GYN. Nope..I will never go to one again. Long story and besides I had a full hysterectomy. I don't care what estrogen might in some far off future do to me..a lot like e-cigs. I do care about what lack of estrogen will do.
I watch my mom in pain, back bent, afraid to fall because of her osteoporosis. Then there is moustashe, chin hair and thin head hair, let's not get me started on loss of muscle tone. As far as breast cancer, she got that long after they took her off estrogen (she was only on it for 2 years). No thanks..pass at least for now.
I will find HRT somewhere, if not a legit Dr. then on-line or on a freakin street corner. I am P.O.ed.
BTW, I don't want herbal, natural or viamin E, or soy or whatever.
Shouldn't this be my choice, not an insurance choice?

 

[Rexa]

why did your doctor said she won't prescribe it to you anymore, MaryKay? If it was helping you did she not see that?

 

[nziese]

I've heard the melatonin helps with hot flashes. I have had hot flashes for almost 10 years now. It began when I went through chemo and was kicked into early menopause. I can't take any hormones. The good news is that it finally seems to be tapering off. More good new - no more periods! I haven't missed them one bit.

 

[Mary Kay]

Rexa, it's on her list of "to do items" from my insurance comp. She reads them and I have to do them. Chest x ray, bone density, mammo..which did last summer and won't do for another year, eyes, feet and whatever else she can think of. The joys of Diabetes.
She wants me to see a GYN before She gives me an RX. I have explained to her I had a full hyterectomy and I am only on Estro not Progesterine. So that means I am not in any danger of breast, uterine or Ovarian cancers. (from taking HRT's) It's just the women with the combined ert with/without a hysterectomy that have an increased danger of cancer. That's according to J.A.M.A. There is just no point in going to a GYN.
When did we go to a dozen Dr.s to care for you from your family Doctor?

nziese..well I can't spell or pronouce that! Anyway..sorry about the rant, Welcome! Go over to the Welcome thread so we can properly welcome you,,lolol away from all the hot flashes!

 

[BARENETTED]

Hi Mary,

Black Cohash was a big help with the hot flashes for me. I rarely get them anymore. However, I have also learned what brings them on and I avoid the 'triggers'. I got rid of every sweater, sweatshirt and turtleneck I owned. I began to dress cooler. Hot liquids also do it to me, - soup, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, so I avoid them. I only drink iced coffee now, even in the morning. I got to loving it. Even with air conditioning, I use fans all over the house and on my desk at work. The circulating air seems to help a lot.

Yes, I know it is a lot , but I actually prefer it to my younger days. I don't miss my period. I love going on vacation and not worrying about if I will get it while I am away and I have to bring SUPPLIES with me. I love swimming and not being deprived one week out of the month. I love not being surprised by an unexpected visit from Mother Nature and having the telltale signs on my slacks. Most of all, I don't miss the bloating, moodiness and awful cramps that I had. I do not like getting older - it is scary - but to me this is a pleasant side effect of aging.

As for the hair - my doctor does laser hair removal. A couple of years ago - I treated myself. No more shaving legs or underarms or bleaching facial hairs! Yay! Now - if I could only be 29 again. LOL

 

[sheilalynn]

Perry, Post Rita or Ramone menopause..doesn't matter..post what you like!
But Sheila, first you have to tell me what was in front of your face in your old avitar!!! It's driving me nuts!

That was one of my snakes in front of my face in the old avatar...Pandora the python The new avatar is one of me holding a 6 foot long red tail boa last summer. I don't have a red tail....yet

 

[sheilalynn]

Haven't reached full meno yet, just in that peri stage here...but certainly no stranger to the night sweats, blahhhhh. That and the hormones seem to be all over the place sometimes. I think it just may be a relief when I do reach it, which probably won't be for another 10 years....oh yay ;-) Since I had a hysterectomy back in 2000, I can't go by the normal little tell-tale signs, like the weird periods and all since I haven't had them for 9 years now. So the doc has to check the hormones every couple of years.

 

[sheilalynn]

Mary - I told you I was your evil twin. lol

I was wondering the same thing.

I think I figured it out - SNAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are correct! hehe I have 4 of them ;-)

 

[scyllabub]

My doctor put me on HRT when she diagnosed perimenopause years and years ago. It seemed to work a treat. Then, when I wanted to change to a different version she said I'd have to stay off it altogether for a year, and within days of ceasing the medication the flushes hit, and I mean hit. Going on the new tabs after the year was up did very little good, I was on them for years until recently when doc took me off them too.

I can't describe what a terrible effect the flushes and hot & cold sweats have had on my life, not to be gone into on a public forum, but I never sleep properly so I'm never really awake. On top of the menopause, I'm on thyroxine and apparently that can also have the side effect of flushes. I'm rather worried I'm going to do an injury to myself or someone else Fortunately I would probably forget having done it, the state I'm in

I have a "women's health" medical newsletter and keep an eye on developments - one recent trial found that women taking desvenlafaxine noted considerable symptom improvements; and another health site says to eat dried plums (prunes) for osteoporosis prevention. The portion size was 10 prunes - gawd, 2-3 a day in my muesli keep me going 8-o

I know there's a lot worse can happen to one, but poor little me

scylla

 

[The Widow]

I had my share of nightsweats (even during the day!!), hot flashes, mood swings etc. Thought I was done with it, didn't have a hot flash in over a year. Guess what...I'm starting all over again. The last month has been awful, haven't had a full night sleep, wake up shivering because I'm soaking wet and the blankies are on the floor. During the day I can do the most rigorous activity with not a single drop of sweat, but if I dare to sit down and relax for a couple of minutes...watch out cause there she blows...I've even checked my chair to find the secret button that turns on the faucet as soon as my but hits it, lol

 

[nitewriter]

I'm miserable with hot flashes! I dread summer and any situation that could cause embarrasment. (all of them!)

I am in full meno and trying to do it au natural, but if I thought a pill would take away this misery, I'd take it.

I also deal with not having a thyroid, so I don't know if what I'm going through is related to that or meno.? Similar side effects. Hair loss, insomnia, weight gain, etc..

 

[Mary Kay]

Nite, I would have my thyroid checked if I were you!! When Mike's thyroid goes out of whack..he is touchy, has sweats and loses weight. (wouldn't you know guys LOSE weight).

 

[nitewriter]

Nite, I would have my thyroid checked if I were you!! When Mike's thyroid goes out of whack..he is touchy, has sweats and loses weight. (wouldn't you know guys LOSE weight).

Thanks MaryKay.

I had radiation therapy to kill my thyroid in 99. I've had nothing but problems since. The symptoms of hypothyroidism and menopause are so similar, my Dr doesn't know which one to treat. Bloodwork for thyroid reads "within normal range," but I feel like dookie, gaining weight at lightning speeds, (while on Nutri Systems strict) and serious hot flashes. It's a roller coaster that's driving me crazy!

 

[greyeyes]

Hi ladies! I'm Debbie and live in St. Pete, FL.

I can totally relate to everybody's experiences with the beast referred to as menopause! I'm 53 yrs. old and thought I was done and over with it all three years ago and ohhhhh, it was such a long and tough journey back then. I thought I was lucky being that age and going through it naturally, rather than being thrown into it from surgery. Huh! Little did I know it could/would come back again!

All of a sudden within the last couple of weeks - boom - the beast nailed me again! Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, and now acne to go along with everything else! I felt like a teenager again searching through the myriad of products for acne treatment! lol

My gyno gave me an HRT patch when I first started the journey but after two days on it, I ripped it off and said I'll suffer with the traditional symptoms rather then what I experienced with that particular drug and for the life of me, I cannot remember which one it was. Chalk that one up as either a senior moment or CRS, either is fine by me. I'm not ashamed! lol

BTW I've only been vaping for one week and because my symptoms started before I started vaping, I can't say they're due to analog withdrawal. There may well be a little bit of that thrown into the mix but since I've gone through all of this before, I don't think so.

There's a wonderful product on the market called a Chillow pillow. It really did help me a lot using it at night for the night sweats but I also used it during the day and just let it sit on my lap to keep me cooled down from hot flashes. I also have those things that you can keep in the frige or freezer (or stick in the nuker if you need heat) that wrap around your neck. Those are great too if you can keep one around your neck to keep you cool.

 

[Kate51]

Mary Kay, I went herbal, am doing very well, 13+ years now. BUT it costs me $200 approx a year. I used to have insurance, not now because our insurance stopped when my husband went on Medicare (I could have kept it, but couldn't pay the rate!). So, that's the way it is. It was going to cost me $300(co-pay) every three months to get an exam done so they could prescribe the what-ever-it-was that was making me sick with elephant legs anyway, so decided the Herbal costs me a LOT less. Andrew Lessman, saved my life. Let me know if you want the web site and name. He comes on Home Shopping all the time. With your other issues, it may be nice to talk to him, he is an MD>there ya go!

 

[Mary Kay]

Debbie, Welcome! Nice to see a fellow Tampa Bay area person! I am from Tampa but live in St. Cloud now (up near Orlando).

Thanks for the advice ladies, I do not have any menopause symptoms. At least not yet. I do have diabetes symptoms that I am working on, like chills and sweats from low blood sugar, hair thinning from the meds and insomnia. I still have some hormone pills that I am doing every other day. I don't want to go into menopause because of the symptoms I already have!! That would mean even less sleep, more hair thining, bones thinning ect. No thanks. I just want 1 mg to 1/2 mg of estrogen a day..that's all.