I am 43, my kids are 17, 15, and 13. I have been having menopausal symptoms for over a year now. They come and go. Sometimes it's months between mild hot flashes, sometimes it's minutes between hot flashes that take my breath away. My periods are spreading out. I am occasionally a hormonal explosion, I surprise MYSELF with my own reaction to everyday things. Besides trading in your kids for younger models and strangling your husband in his sleep, I wonder what tricks other women use....Are there any good OTC products that help, dietary changes, magic wands??? Any and every tip will be appreciated!!
I just rode them out. Never used hormones. Enjoy the ride.
Updated
I just rode them out. Never used hormones. Enjoy the ride.
A friend of mine is going through the same phase right now. She's been on a cleansing diet for almost a month and has noticed the absence of hot flashes, as well as bloating and arthritis. Those occasional rages aren't happening either. She has eliminated white sugar/white flour (all simple carbs), as well as soda, caffeine and most preservatives and food coloring. Meats are antibiotic free and she's drinking plenty of non-chlorinated water. She's taking probiotics, drinking liver cleanse teas, and occasionally taking a tincture of an herb called shatavari. For most that is a huge commitment to change, but perhaps there's something in there for you to consider?
LOL Theresa I am not going through your situation but you sure gave me a good laugh this morning!
My aunt is going through the same and she said Estroven had worked really well for her.
I hope you feel better!
My husband threatens to put our kids on CraigsList.com a lot, and they're still babies for the most part.
A few years ago, there was much controversy about hormone replacement therapy because a study indicated that the risks didn't outweigh the benefits, and women who'd been taking estrogen for years were taken off therapy. One product (Premarin) is literally the urine from female horses (mares - thus the name) that contains the hormones to provide relief during menopause.
I'd recommend a conversation with your GYN, a thorough conversation, to really understand the benefits/risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and where the medical community stands on it related to breast cancer, in particular. There's a lot of discussion about biosimilars - it's a hotly debated issue in the medical community because a lot of Boutique companies are popping-up offering women relief, but there's little clinical research or FDA oversight in many of the brands.
Good luck - I'm still a few years away from it, and though I don't think my hormones affect my temperament, my husband would strongly disagree.
Estoven works for me .It controls hot flashes.They also have a pm version that will help you sleep.
I know that magnesium is suppose to help regulate hormone levels. Try it. Even if it doesn't work you've lost nothing. And it's natural rather then sinthetic hormones.
Hi Theresa,
I had near miraculous results with Shakleee supplements. When I started taking them, I had horrible pms and migraines. All that went away and I sailed though menopause. I can send you a great cd on women's health.
Let me know if you are interested.
Victoria
p.s. If it comes to that, my BIL is priest and has performed an exorcism before. He lives near you. (LOL)
Hi Theresa, Bio-identical hormones. Ask your doctor. Grandma Mary
Hi Theresa
I will not forget the day I went to the OB/Gyn for my "surprise myself reactions" which I will say are mood swings. My girls were 3 when I turned 43, but my boys were 22 & 17, and my husband of 23 years was trying to be supportive but it was more than a little difficult for him.
So I finally decide, praise God, on my own that I needed help and didn't know where to get it. I can tell you it would have been much harder to make that decision if I was getting the "go to the MD" attitude. I waited and waited to be called back and again to have her come in, but as she is apologizing I am fine, and remind her that she came to the hospital when I ran into some trouble with the twins and I was sure that made everyone late in the office. I usually am fine with waits. Anyway, she says what can I do for you today, and I start off by screaming that she should have not made me wait so long. I was so surprised by my reaction I started to cry. She calmly turned to me and said"oh are we having some mood swings?" I really didn't know that is what was going on, I thought I was going crazy. She did the blood work to prove her guess, and put me on hormones. Is that the solution for everyone? No, but it leveled things out so I could deal with twin 3 yo's and my teenager getting his license and a college student broken heart as the "love of his life found someone else".
You may get lots of answers about stuff but I guess I was one of the people that in the days of my grandparents would have been put in a mental health facility because there was no help for people who couldn't deal with menopause. I can remember my grandmother talking about that as my mom went through menopause with much more ease than my aunt.
Hope you find some comfort in the fact that you are not alone struggling with menopausal onset. Did you have trouble when your periods began?
People say that the trouble at menopause equals the trouble on menstrual onset. My body did not adjust well, but they weaned me off the hormones after 2 years and I was fine.
God bless you
I feel for you, menopause sucks and I thought only the vacuum was supposed to suck but then I had menopause. :-) Anyway I use Estroven, it helps a lot. I did find that Sam's Club has a generic that is much cheaper and seems to work better, I was once told it has to do with the other inert ingredients that make absorption much better; it's the same way with the generic Tylenol you get from Wal-Mart. Having teenagers while you are going through it doesn't help, I have been there only I not only had 3 teenagers, I also had 2 more who were 8 and 5. I have been in menopause for 6 years now and am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Trust me when I say it does get better.
First of all, you sound like you have a great sense of humor, because some things you wrote made me laugh! If you can incorporate that funny trait of yours, with your mind over matter, I think you'll pull through just fine, soldier! I too have 3 kids. I was older, 52, when I went through what felt like my ' raging blistering hot furnace explosions' but when they were over it felt like the air-conditioning had kicked in, and I felt so gloriously cool and refreshed...like a cleansing! I knew that even though I didn't like hot flashes, that this was what my body was naturally supposed to be doing, and went along with it. I decided this was Nature's Way, not to intervene, and go with the flow. It's just one more struggle that we women have to face! I'm 63 now, my hot flashes are long over, and I'm a proud 'survivor'! Your partly comical way of writing aside, you sound like a strong person, so I think you can also rise to the challenge! Hang in there, it CAN be done!!! Good luck!
