Ladies, may I ask you a question in private?

[savingdogs]

Well I guess I was one of the more extreme people. My mom had alot of problem with menopause as well.
I started at age 40 or so and I'm still experiencing alot of symptoms. But when they first hit, I was completed floored. Total exhaustion, repeated hot flashes, night sweats, brain fogs, mood swings, depression. My worst moment was when I was driving along in the car and suddenly forgot where I was driving to! I drove along for about 10 minutes before I could remember. Luckily the road leads to just about everywhere I need to go so by the time it "came" to me where I was going, I was still on the right road.
But that scared the crap out of me. I discussed all this with my doctor. My mother was one of those who took the high dose estrogen for many, many years. She is still alive, kicking, and in excellent health and shape for her age at 84. In fact, I'd say she looks at least ten years younger than she is.
In any event, because my mother took the high dose estrogen successfully for so many years, my doctor felt comfortable prescribing it. I also have low blood pressure (genetically). I also have a different medical issue (inner ear problem) that is aggravated by hormonal swings. So we opted for hormonal therapy.
I took it for about five years. It really really helped. As soon as I started taking it, I felt 100 percent better...normal, etc.

When I went back off of it a couple years ago, I've had the same symptoms return, but not with such a vengence. I still am bothered by hot flashes, but I'm only forgetful now and then and I don't think my hormones are otherwise affecting my mood anymore.

I did try alot of natural remedies, but I'm allergic to alot of plants so was afraid to try alot of options other women might. I did try soy, which did nothing, and now I hear how soy isn't so great for us after all.

The only thing that really worked for me was hormone therapy prescribed by my doctor, and time.
I think every woman is different. Don't be afraid to discuss all your options with your doctor.

 

[old fashioned]

I'm in the same boat with everyone as in changes and am going thru it all-el naturale hot & cold flashes, monthly cycles are erratic-sometimes with nothing, sometimes spotting, sometimes hemorraging clots, mood cycles off the charts, itchy skin irritations, heart palpitations, etc.
As posted elsewhere, I do take a few vitamin supplements and do some book & web research on menopause so I can understand what's going on with me. I did like a book by Susan Weed I think it was called Menopause the Wise Woman Way (?) sorry but I'm not positive about the name of the book. It was written in such a way as to recognize the symptoms, accept and embrace them as signals of the internal changes that prepare women for the next stage in life. This in itself may have helped lessen some of the symptoms, because I wasn't afraid anymore of what was happening and wasn't trying to fight it-but allowing it to happen and am willing to go thru it. Attitude is 90% of recovery-mind over matter.
Do remember this is just another phase of life-remember when you were just starting your monthly cycles as a teen? It will pass, sooner or later, it will pass. Then just think---no more cycles, no more fear of having babies, no more emotional ups & downs, no more pms......such freedom! Then you'll be singing "I am woman, hear me roar!".....sorry, just popped into my head.
If you have the opportunity to see a doctor, do so to make sure "everything is hunky dorey", but I'm not big on taking drugs especially for something so natural-the drugs aren't going to cure the "problem" but only help with the symptoms.

No matter what....best of luck to ya and know that you're not alone. In fact, you are sharing an experience with all womanhood since Eve. Actually you can thank Eve for what you are going thru (damn apple & serpent anyway)

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

I went though this about 9-10 years ago. Meds don't work on me and I am allergic to many herbs, soooooo.

Daily I ate 4 servings of Soy and/or flax or Fennel.

I used soy - soy milk or Tofu 1-4 4 oz servings a day.
Flax Seed - Seeds 1-2 Tablespoons a day.
Later I learned that Fennel helps also. So I grow Bronze fennel and would eat 2 slices of Italian bread slathered with olive oil and cheese Microwaved to heat then topped with several branches of Fennel to cover the bread. Great lunch.

I had one night of the sweats and several days of hot flashes. The first few weeks about the only thing I ate were the above foods. I ate huge amonts of soy and flax seed mixed with dried fruit and crushed into bars. Then I backed off to the above amounts.

I still drink soy milk and love it heated with 1 teaspoon of extract to flavor it. And I eat Flax Seeds in gorp or mushed into raisins for a snack. And I still like my fennel now and again.

Good luck with the change. And watch for changes that keep coming. Now I can't have Yeast or Wheat.

By the way, I noticed with all that flax, my hair started going dark again, but it couldn't win I've had grey in my hair since I was 7 or 8. And my eye sight - I haven't needed new glasses as often.

This worked for me but not my sister, though it has helped her. She was on meds for years after her hystorectomy. She figures its because of the meds, and she can't get off them.

So try natural before you go on meds.

 

[kcsunshine]

Buttercup.

 

[hwillm1977]

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 spent almost 10 years of my life helping a group that rescued all the throw-away foals... buying them up at the auctions and finding homes for them. It's hard to watch all the ones you can't buy being sold for meat, but I guess that's part of farming... just because I eat a cow, but wouldn't eat a horse doesn't mean that everyone is like that.

I volunteered with PMUFoalquest in Alberta, buying between 400-750 foals a year... there were still thousands more than we could ever hope to save, but a lot of the farmers in the last few years would give us first choice of the foals, before they went to the auctions... and they started using registered studs to provide a higher quality end product.

As someone who has toured the farms, they are nothing like PETA says on their website (at least none of the ones we worked with were)

Personally I could never take the hormone replacements either (at least not those made using horses, there must be others available?)

 

[meriruka]

I've been reading with interest, mostly trying to see at what age this process begins, but it looks like the age range is all over the board so now I'm just hoping to learn to recognise the signs when it's my turn. It doen't sound like fun, so sorry for all of you going through it!

I am curious about the hormone replacement and the reluctance because of horses. What are they doing to the horses?

 

[farmerlor]

I've been reading with interest, mostly trying to see at what age this process begins, but it looks like the age range is all over the board so now I'm just hoping to learn to recognise the signs when it's my turn. It doen't sound like fun, so sorry for all of you going through it!

I am curious about the hormone replacement and the reluctance because of horses. What are they doing to the horses?

Premarin is an acronym for PREgnant MARe urINe. They generally use draft horses (bigger horse, more pee) and breed her to collect the urine which is sent to labs to make the hormone replacement therapy. The foals the mares eventually give birth to are unwanted by product. We already have too many unwanted horses out there (check the mustang problem) and they're breeding back to back to provide urine to make pills for women to solve a medical problem that is a not a medical problem but part of a natural process.
I have a PMU mare who came to me pregnant of course. Her baby would have been sold as meat. Instead this fine girl is excelling at dressage and has just been inspected and branded as a Warmblood. I can't help any more than that. I've rescued mine, I won't take the HRT, I try to educate people about HRT, and I occasionally send money to the foal rescue here.

 

[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
I volunteered with PMUFoalquest in Alberta, buying between 400-750 foals a year... there were still thousands more than we could ever hope to save, but a lot of the farmers in the last few years would give us first choice of the foals, before they went to the auctions... and they started using registered studs to provide a higher quality end product.

As someone who has toured the farms, they are nothing like PETA says on their website (at least none of the ones we worked with were)

Personally I could never take the hormone replacements either (at least not those made using horses, there must be others available?)

No, I think the mares are generally treated pretty well though mine had never, ever in her 16 years of life had her hooves trimmed.
And there are many synthetic sources of HRT available these days. The breast cancer scare cleaned out many of the PMU farms but when they backed off on that position they went back into full production.

 

[The Vail Benton's]

Since beginning this post, my MIL has been so kind to gift me a book by Christiane Northrup, MD called The Wisdom of Menopause.
So far I've learned that 100 years ago most women didn't have to go through menopause as the average life span of a woman was only 40 years.
Now I understand what's going on - I'm on borrowed time
Seriously tho, I'm liking the book. MIL says at some point I will not necessarily like what the book says and may decide to throw it against the wall - then she showed me her copy Indeed!!!
The book not only addresses the physical changes and symptoms, but emotional health as well, and it discusses the many alternatives when it comes to dealing with all this.
Just reading the intro, I could swear the book was written FOR me. I have been so distracted by the hot flashes & night sweats & the emotional roller coaster rides that I didn't realize that I've also become so very forgetful, and so easily irritated by distractions when I'm in the middle of something and I'm interrupted. This whole thing is MUCH bigger than I thought.
I'm relieved to know that not only am I not alone (misery does love company, after all), but that I'm not all that unique.

 

[meriruka]

Premarin is an acronym for PREgnant MARe urINe. They generally use draft horses (bigger horse, more pee) and breed her to collect the urine which is sent to labs to make the hormone replacement therapy. The foals the mares eventually give birth to are unwanted by product. We already have too many unwanted horses out there (check the mustang problem) and they're breeding back to back to provide urine to make pills for women to solve a medical problem that is a not a medical problem but part of a natural process.
I have a PMU mare who came to me pregnant of course. Her baby would have been sold as meat. Instead this fine girl is excelling at dressage and has just been inspected and branded as a Warmblood. I can't help any more than that. I've rescued mine, I won't take the HRT, I try to educate people about HRT, and I occasionally send money to the foal rescue here.

That's awful. Another example of the "animals are disposable" attitude that makes me crazy angry. Soon I'll be unfit for human company. Oh wait.....it's already happened.