Moms and Menopause

Benita - posted on 08/04/2010

Just went to my dr a couple of weeks ago. discussed all the lovely results of having a hysterectomy about 9 years ago. When I saw her a few years ago she didn't believe in hormones. Now that she had to have a hysterectomy about 2 years ago, things have changed in her thinking she has done alot of research on bio-identical hormones. I have had the blood work done and are waiting on results to see what I need. I will keep everyone informed of results and whether it helps.

Patty - posted on 08/03/2010

Hi, I'm 46 years old and have 5 kids, two grandkids and just remarried 10 months ago. All this on top of starting meopause. I thought life should get easier as I get older. I do try to take the right vitamens and drink lots of water , get plenty of exercise etc. Sleeping is by far my hardest challenge.

Quilty - posted on 08/02/2010

My doctor practices complementary medicine. She advised me to try a supplement called Pregnenolone. AMAZING stuff.

No more hot flashes, night sweats or mood swings. Now that I have been menopausal for 2 years, I am having acne breakouts. [There is something cosmically WRONG with wrinkles and pimples on the same face!] I started back on the Pregnenolone, and it's clearing it up.

Julie - posted on 08/01/2010

I went through menopause really early after the birth of my seconds child when I was 23 and by 27 I went to the doctor for a hormone test to be told that I had gone through early menopause, I still had the night sweats back then but even now at 42 i still get them on and off and sometimes I just cry for no reason.

Debbie - posted on 07/31/2010

I had that done a few years ago it worked no more periods

Debbie - posted on 07/31/2010

try vitiaman E 1000 before bed also keep some peppermint oil with you it helps sniff it when you feel a hot flash comming on

Marianne - posted on 07/30/2010

I'll pop in now & then. not looking forward to this because I've no idea what to expect. i'm the oldest of 3 sisters, but mom had hysterectomy when I was 6, so no role model in family. i'm 44-soon 45. I told my doctor that I was going to stay on the pill until i'm 80, go off and go through all this crap in a week! she laughed, but seriously, I've not started any symptoms on my "week off" yet either...

Marianne - posted on 07/30/2010

why come back as a "man". MENopause and MENstrual cycle & MENstrual cramps all start with "some MEN! lol Oh, yeah, and then there's MENtal illness! hehehe

Roxanne - posted on 07/30/2010

I'm 46 and have been peri-menopausal for 6 years now. Oye! I'm scheduled to have an endom4trial ablation in early September to deal with the Niagara Falls flow I get every month. Low dose anti-depressant has helped wonderfully with the hot flashes and the mood issues. Love my soy.

Judith - posted on 07/30/2010

It is nice to hear everyones imput, love all the ideas

Lindsey - posted on 07/30/2010

I have heard that eating and drinking soya and tofu products are beneficial

Valerie - posted on 07/30/2010

Hi all, I am 47 and also are having trouble with irregular and heavy periods, hot flushes can't sleep. I have cut back on the coffee, the coffee seems to make things worse, I take a aust bush flower essences called calm and clear its an oral spray to help me sleep works a treat. and have just started taking a nutrimetics tablet called hormone balance, for hot flushes so far so good. The doctors I have been too are all the same just live with it, but we just have to find what suits us, by talking to other women going through the same thing. the sex drive or should I say no sex drive. I went to a health shop and they had a natural tablet to help improve your sex drive, it does help can't remember the name though, I have to to the city to get it and we live in a country town, so until we go back I am out of the tablets until the next visit.

look forward to every ones ideas
Val z

Pamela - posted on 07/29/2010

hey to all women out there that is having such a hard time dealing with all the hot flashes, nite sweats,and muchmore like the mood swings just to mention a few things ha ha. Me myself is 45, with two daughters the ages of 14 and 16yrs., yes this thing they call menopause, its a butt kicker. I am experiencing all the symptoms,including no more periods for me. I really thought that when this happens, everything is over then, but my body is telling me its not. please give me your input on it .

Kathy - posted on 07/29/2010

I would love to be part of the group!

Judith - posted on 07/29/2010

Oh what we go thru to be women! Some days are just too hard and its hubby turn to be the mom! I love all the comments and tips from everyone. Its great to know I am not alone.

Debra - posted on 07/29/2010

carol - i just had an ablation 3 weeks ago and the change is AMAZING! i would recommend that anyone who is having excessive bleeding talk to their doctor about this. i was having a constant (every day bleeding ) period and then when it would be time for my period....i would bleed through everything (even though i was using both a tampon and a pad). so - right now, the no bleed is like a life saver.

as for depression - i also experience this. i have found that just getting some exercise (i walk) helps tremendously. when i lived in ohio, i would walk at night (because of the heat of the day) around the track at the middle school. i am sure that people might have thought i was off my rocker, because i would talk to myself...out loud. however, it helped to get all my feelings out of me. now, that i live in san diego - i dont have to walk at night to avoid the heat. however, i am finding that being home with my 9 year old....all day....together.....i am going to have to find something soon. there is a reason that moms in the wild EAT their young. especially if they are peri-menopausal moms. :)

Brenda - posted on 07/29/2010

Very interesting. I am not on any meds as they don't agree with me--send me into mania or don't help much at all. Who knows what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future. Jesus Christ is my rock and I also have a wonderful hubby! Take care.

Lindsey - posted on 07/29/2010

Bach rescue remedy is good for the blues, depression, anxiety, irritability and anger. St John's Wort is good for mood swings and lowness but not if you are on hormonal treatments of any kind :)

Carol - posted on 07/29/2010

Brenda, I have depression, too, on board before menopause. Also any little tweak of meds sends me flying, very sensitive. Zoloft is my anti-depressant of choice and I find that the estroven tabs are helping with sleep which then helps with depression, and there isn't much harm in trying it. Personally, I like women GYN's ;)
Carol

Lindsey - posted on 07/29/2010

How interesting! I awoke in the early hours a few weeks back with an agonising cramp in my calf, moaning pitifully to myself. I seem to be becoming more wrinkly as my skin appears to be changing too, I'm positive about the approaching menopause, let's hope my optimism pays off!!

Brenda - posted on 07/29/2010

Well, I am almost 44 and I am convinced I'm in Peri-Menopause and have been for a while now. I look forward to hearing what others have to say. I personally struggle with depression and when I mentioned it to my OB/GYN, he said, " I wouldn't give you what I normally give women who have terrible PMS because of your history with poor reactions to meds." Very helpful, eh? Oh well, not a big fan of meds anyway, but was hoping for a little advice. I'm sure you women are more qualified anyway.

Brenda Wargo
PA

Carol - posted on 07/29/2010

Oh goody, I like this post! I'm right there in the trenches or should I say "drenches" with all of you. I'm 52 and had an endometrial ablation at 50 after bleeding for 2 months straight and needing to be hospitalized for a transfusion with a hemoglobin of 7. That ablation is the best thing since tub butter, ladies, if you've had all the kids you want go for it! NO NEED TO BLEED!!! Saves on tampon bill, too! However, it's hard to tell when menopause starts, except for the high AC bill, sopping wet nightgowns, moods to rival my 16 yr old daughter. Here is what is beginning to work for me: An over the counter vitamin/herb combo called Estroven. It does NOT have hormones in it but it does have things like black cohosh, vit b & e. Here's a link: http://www.estroven.com/info/about_estro...

Hope it helps and count me in the circle.
Thanks.
Carol

Debra - posted on 07/29/2010

lindsey,
technically - peri menopause is the time leading up to menopause (or the time when your periods stop all together). women experience a multitude of things during this time. since we (us girls) are producing less estrogen, our bodies are dealing with this loss through irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, muscle cramps and some other things. since estrogen is a hormone, it also can create emotional eruptions. (i.e. crying jags and other emotional feelings). some women experience them all, some women experience none of the symptoms and just breeze through this time.
i hope that this information helps. i am keeping my fingers crossed for you that it is an easy transition.
~debra

Lindsey - posted on 07/29/2010

Apparently i am in the peri menopause, this was found out by blood tests and the fact my periods are irregular.....unsure what this means and how this is going to affect me, i'm 48, mum to 5, nan-nan to 2

Judith - posted on 07/29/2010

I am 48 with four kids, 28, 27, 9 and 8. Since my last child my periods never were normal again even with the pill. I was bleeding all the time. Now it sporatic and I have all the sympoms of peri-menopause. Night sweats, bad hot flashes, mood swings, forgetfulness, dryness and loss of my sex drive. My husbands is being great but says he misses me. Would like to look into healthy options. Any suggestions would be welcome, thanks for all of you guys that have already made suggestion.

Betty - posted on 07/29/2010

I'm going through menopause right now. I'm 54 and the hardest part for me right now is the sleepless night. There are times that I go to bed and lay there for hours before I ever go to sleep. This is bad with school starting and having to get up about 5:30 a.m. to get the children up for school.

Debbie - posted on 07/29/2010

Hi girls! I had my 3rd child at 39, finally got her to sleep through the night and started with the menopause symptoms of insomnia, irritability, etc. Since I was on the pill, my periods stayed regular, but then I started getting lots of migraines so I stopped the pill. I found that exercise helped somewhat with the insomnia. I was relatively fortunate in that I didn't have the excessive sweating and hot flashes (only a few). I am now 53, with kids 17, 15, and 13, and haven't had a period for over 3 years. I still have insomnia though! (?!!!) I wasn't big on the herbal stuff, but my symptoms, except for the insomnia, weren't that bad. Good luck ladies! Try different doctors. Play with suggested herbs and meds. Find what is right for YOU. Do not just take the word of your doctor that this is normal and deal with it! That is why we have medications!!!

Take care,
Debbie

Sarah - posted on 07/29/2010

Hot flushes and night sweats started when I was 41, now 44. Still no signs of my periods ending, although they are lighter than they used to be. Get mood swings and often feel tearful. How come I get the crappy bits only, when are the good bits (no periods) going to start. So unfair.

Jean - posted on 07/29/2010

Been saying for ages can't wait to periods stop, and now they are all over the place find myself wishing they were regular again.
Add that to the night sweats and itching, my poor husband is getting a rough deal to with the moodswings. Still I'm sure it must get better, DOESN'T IT.

Kim - posted on 07/28/2010

Vitamin E and soy help. I had my 2nd child at 42 and started menopause at 43. I am now 50 and still have night sweats and hot flashes but they are not as severe. I also had breast cancer and now take Arimedex (sp?) which also causes night sweats and hot flashes so I have added exercise to the mix and that helps as well...hope this helps!

Frances - posted on 07/27/2010

I take wild yam root, standardized extract. It prevents the night sweats and has restored my sex drive. I started having night sweats when I was only 37. I am 49 now and the wild yam is still working for me.

Susan - posted on 07/27/2010

evening primrose oil helps me tremendously with hot flashes and night sweats. what I want is my sex drive back and to be able to multiple orgasm again my significant other has been a real champ about it but thinks if I just do such and such I can be fixed He does not get the whole picture, He wants to fix me As if I am broken.Not his fault but trying to get him to understand that for 10 years we've had the most fantastic sex life and at this point I'm you want sex and I could care less so climb aboard and let's get it over with.We laugh and he does. We have had to have a sense of humor with this or it would be to painful so I get a lot of back massages to get me in the mood as best as I can.
It is also very hard when I feel like I live in someone else's body. My Dr has been zero help I asked what I could do for the weght gain my middle has roles that started to appear with the symptoms and he said and I quote "Honey you could eat a leaf of lettuce for your meals and you still would gain weight that is what perimenopause is about" What the Heck!!!!! not a smart thing to say to a already unbalanced as in one moment I am happy and great and the next my kids are saying "Whoa mom chill out" because I have snapped at them over something totally stupid. So I am in full empathy with all you ladies out there. What I have found is not many woman are willing to be honest about all the crap they go thru. which makes it harder and you feel very isolated. so Heres to a forum that breaks down the barriers!!

Debra - posted on 07/26/2010

thank goodness someone wants to talk about this. i am 46 and am the mom to a 25 year old daughter, a 23 year old son and a 9 year old son.

now only have i entered peri-menopause - i have been dealing with extremely out of control periods. nothing like bleeding for 2 months straight....not to mention all the other stuff that happened during the time of my actual period. so - at the beginning of the month, i had a thermal ablation. so far, it has been wonderful.

however, on top of dealing with hot flashes and some irritability...does anyone else deal with very sensitive skin. there are certain times of the month that i can't even stand to be touched. it is very upsetting to everyone...especially my 9 year old who just wants to snuggle sometimes.

Kim - posted on 07/24/2010

I just turned 50 a acouple of weeks ago. I had a hysterectomy in 2002 keeping my ovaries. I had the night sweats and hot flashes for about a year after that and they went away. Then about two years ago I began getting just night sweats. Now I don't ever get them but the hot flashes are horrid. I have had times I get sick to my stomach from them and they are intense. I hope and pray they don't last for years.

Kim - posted on 07/24/2010

Something I sure need right now. Good for you and I'm excited about this

Mary - posted on 07/24/2010

arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh i am having nightsweats and am 42. I have a 14 month old. my period has been quite irregular in the last 5 years but not sure if its from perimenopause or former miscarriages. just saw my dr this week and he said there is nothing you can do really. he didnt recommend hormones and suggested a mild anti depressant that helps with the night sweats but i said no thank you. i told my husband to use extra blankets because i turn the ac on extra cold lol! I am a bit overweight so maybe that might also alter my period but i think it sounds like premenopause!

Deborah - posted on 07/22/2010

I started this last year. I wanted menopause but forgot about hotflashes and mood swings. I had night sweats at first. Thank God it was winter time. I layed out on the concrete at night one time and it was 32 degrees.

I am 44yrs. old. I have two kids. One 21yrs. old and one 12 yrs. old. PLUS I am a grandmother. Which I love.

I am glad to see you address this, Bonnie. Very few women talk about this and motherhood. Thank you for bringing this up.

Do you have crying jags sometimes? I cry easy sometimes. It's embarrassing.

Debie Beach