Ladies, may I ask you a question in private?

[The Vail Benton's]

Maybe I should learn to read... I should eliminate soy? alrighty then.

 

[Wifezilla]

Yes..get rid of soy.

Other posts on this thread got me thinking. I am 46 and I CRAVE sweet potatoes A LOT.

Well a sweet potato is a nice little handy packet of vitamin A that happens to taste fantastic. I wonder if this is helping me somehow?

One other thing that popped in to mind...if you do decide to get vitamin A DO NOT get synthetic vitamin A. I know there is debate on this but it appears that synthetic vitamin A builds up in your system and can lead to toxicity. Natural vitamin A (like in all natural cod liver oil) doesn't.

http://www.westonaprice.org/Vitamin-A-Vitamin-D-and-Cod-Liver-Oil-Some-Clarifications.html

Also vitamin A and vitamin D work together. If your vitamin D levels are low, it can effect your mood. You might want to have your D levels checked.

 

[farmerlor]

As someone who loves horses I could never, ever take hormone replacement pills. My doctor got an earful (since I was already half crazy anyway) when she even suggested it. I did give in and let her give me anti-depressants which on hindsight might not have been the best idea though the anti-depressants gave me time to find some things that work for me to help the symptoms of menopause. Exercise is the very best remedy. I used flax seed oil pills, cod liver oil pills, evening primrose oil and black cohosh. The FINAL remedy for me was that my periods kept getting heavier and more painful as menopause progressed. I spent a week just trying to recover my strength after losing every drop of blood in my body. I went back to the doctor and we scheduled an endometrial ablation. That is the best thing I ever did. No more periods, WAY less drama and hormone flaring, no cramping, and did I mention no more periods? Normally takes about 15 minutes in the doctor's office and you're on your way home.

 

[FarmerChick]

My Mom had hot flashes for like a week.
then totally over...never had a gal problem again...LOL

mine is a tad longer, going on about 3 mos. of hot flashes....I want her genes right now to kick in..LOL

 

[farmerlor]

My Mom had hot flashes for like a week.
then totally over...never had a gal problem again...LOL

mine is a tad longer, going on about 3 mos. of hot flashes....I want her genes right now to kick in..LOL

When Gram was 80 I was 35 and found myself heading towards menopause. The first symptoms were subtle (okay, maybe not subtle) mood changes, confusion and HOT FLASHES. I asked Gram when she started menopause. NO help there as ALL of my female relatives (and we have a HUGE Irish Catholic family) have had total hysts by the time they're 40. So I asked when the hot flashes went away for her. Gram smiled that wondrous Gram smile and said she'd sure let me know when they stopped.

 

[sylvie]

My Mom had hot flashes for like a week.
then totally over...never had a gal problem again...LOL

mine is a tad longer, going on about 3 mos. of hot flashes....I want her genes right now to kick in..LOL

When Gram was 80 I was 35 and found myself heading towards menopause. The first symptoms were subtle (okay, maybe not subtle) mood changes, confusion and HOT FLASHES. I asked Gram when she started menopause. NO help there as ALL of my female relatives (and we have a HUGE Irish Catholic family) have had total hysts by the time they're 40. So I asked when the hot flashes went away for her. Gram smiled that wondrous Gram smile and said she'd sure let me know when they stopped.

That is funny! Great sense of humor.
I asked my grandmother when she started menopause and she proudly stated at age 16. Dementia, I let it drop. Laughed pretty good at it, tho.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

may I say I am jealous?

I understand that all the symptoms of the change are not great, but I sure am ready for the change!

I don't want another baby, I'm tired of dealing with that little blip in my month that wreaks havoc for a week and totally cramps up my style.

When I had my c-section, I begged my doctor to remove my oven, just leave me the on/off switches. I was willing to donate my slightly used but perfectly working oven to someone -anyone- who'd take it.

Even science.

But, she made me keep my oven. So, I find I've been praying for early change of life...sigh.

 

[farmerlor]

may I say I am jealous?

I understand that all the symptoms of the change are not great, but I sure am ready for the change!

I don't want another baby, I'm tired of dealing with that little blip in my month that wreaks havoc for a week and totally cramps up my style.

When I had my c-section, I begged my doctor to remove my oven, just leave me the on/off switches. I was willing to donate my slightly used but perfectly working oven to someone -anyone- who'd take it.

Even science.

But, she made me keep my oven. So, I find I've been praying for early change of life...sigh.

You should look into that endometrial ablation. I LOVED it. They insert a little mesh and hit a little button that totally burns out the inside lining of the uterus. No pain at all and no more periods. My oldest daughter is 34 with a bad case of PCOS so she can't have any babies. Her last period was awful, horrendous and evil but she only has maybe one a year if that so the doctor can't really justify an ablation for her. Dani is 22 and also has that same evil PCOS but I think it's a little too early for her to be throwing in the towel on having babies.
Sorry for rambling, pain meds are kicking in.

 

[The Vail Benton's]

My MIL told me that this could take years to get through ,
My experience so far: It started out barely noticeable, like going out to barn early in the morning on a cold day, all bundled up nice and cozy and then ya clean a stall of two and as you work you start to heat up under all that clothing and then the layers have got to come off because you start to overheat? Except these hot flashes cycleing around the clock and are much more intense : , not just when I'm active and if I am not "glistening" I am freezing my tail off. At first I didn't realize what was happening and I didn't think much of it. As the effects became more & more frequently, and stronger, I became suspicious and started thinking menopause.
When it became nearly unbearable over time, I figured out what it was, genius that I am . So, I started looking for something to help. I found Balck Cohosh & that GEM stuff (at $3 per bottle or $1.50 per serving) that Marie Osmond endorses. I don't think either of those worked for me as by the time the product arrived, I was already on the swing back up and was feeling better to begin with. I did start drinking the stuff anyway - 2 1/2 months worth. I have a few bottles left. Here I am. If my symptoms could feel any worse, I don't know how.
This time, I will face the facts as they apply to me. I'm just not one of those women who is going to be fortunate enough to breeze through this, hardly noticing at all that something is different.
I rode this out the first time as best as I could because I didn't realize soon enough what was going on with me. It wasn't pretty. Not only did I think I was going crazy, everyone else thought I was too. This time around, I would like to see if I can fix it so that the next cycle is not this intense. I need to be able to function normally, and I need to be able to think rationally - the imbalance is causing me to lead with my emotions and that's just ridiculous. I work in a field that is predominantly male and this :/ is doing nothing for my credability or reputation at work.

Farmerlore, It didn't occur to me - thank you for bringing that up. I had forgotten where progesterone comes from. I don't like that practice either. I will find an alternative.

I really appreciate all the information I'm being provided here. Thank you all so much.

 

[Wifezilla]

You should look into that endometrial ablation. I LOVED it. They insert a little mesh and hit a little button that totally burns out the inside lining of the uterus. No pain at all and no more periods. My oldest daughter is 34 with a bad case of PCOS so she can't have any babies. Her last period was awful, horrendous and evil but she only has maybe one a year if that so the doctor can't really justify an ablation for her. Dani is 22 and also has that same evil PCOS but I think it's a little too early for her to be throwing in the towel on having babies.
Sorry for rambling, pain meds are kicking in.

I have run in to quite a few people on the low carb forums that treated their PCOS with a low carb diet. Quite a few even got pregnant after getting their hormones/blood sugar/insulin levels under control.
http://www.lowcarb.ca/articlesb/article305.html