Personal question...

[Nasoosie]

DEFINITELY see the doc----as all have said, better to be safe than sorry. Some symptoms don't seem like any menopausal symptoms I have heard friends and family talk about.

I am not one to ask about menopause as I never knew when/if I went through it. I woke up one morning and realized I hadn't had to buy tampons in ages! No clue-----no symptoms----no nothing. (Or perhaps I am too dense to have noticed them!) I began my periods the same way----late, as I was a senior in high school. One day I began to bleed----no cramps, no warnings, no nothing. And it continued that way throughout my reproductive years. I always had to carry tampons with me, as otherwise I would never be prepared! Dates meant nothing to me, either....never had time to keep track. Same thing when I learned I was pregnant after three months----I had NO CLUE!

I DID plan one pregnancy, however, and that was my son's. I planned to have him on my birthday, and I did indeed!

My daughter tells me I am part bear, and just amble through all of life's little processes! Not so with childbirth, though! OH YEAH-----I was AWARE of that!!

[JanetA]

I have also heard from others that the boobs ARE involved sometimes... just like when you're premenstral,,,they get sore... same diff! Like someone said,, we all do it differently,, and yet similar.

Yeah, anti depressants DO help w/ the symptoms!

[BarbaraRose]

I just got new insurance so I will have to find a new doctor (my regular doctor isn't on the list for this insurance program). I am already on Celexa. I will see what I can do this week tho. I don't generally like to take prescriptions if I can help it, but would rather use homeopathic treatments instead if possible.
I am just tired of being tired (and sore, and lazy, and...)!

Barbie

[JanetA]

I've heard black cohosh is good,,, might try it... can get it @ walmart.

[dcricket]

Good topic - I have just started experiencing rolling hot flashes. Actually experienced night sweats a couple years ago while on travel...freaked me out to wake in the middle of the night totally drenched. Thought someone snuck in my room and threw a bucket of water on me. Now I'm smart and request the twin double beds versus one king while on govt travel "just in case". I'm 49 (50 in April) and also a very late bloomer in the onset of the female thang (18), and too was never regular, and like Nasoosie didn't even know I was pregnant until about 5 months long I started wondering what was going on. Hadn't gained much weigh at all, etc etc etc...Surprise you're pregnant the nurse said....I freaked and cried. But am happy nonetheless that I have 2 healthy children. Sorry, I digress...back on topic... Sharon gave me some Royal Maca Plus with DIM, from Whole World Botanicals, but since I really was premenopausal, didn't take them. Also, after going online and reading about the various Maca products, I do not/should not be taking that particular type. Now that I believe I am officialy menopausal (no monthly for the past 4 months), and the hot flashes, major mood swings, inability to stay focused, inability to get a decent nights sleep, etc etc, are affecting me on a daily basis, I just ordered the Royal Maca for women in menopause. I simply don't want to deal with HRT at all unless I have tried my other options. http://wholeworldbotanicals.com/ is the web address if you want to check it out. Hope you can get set up with a good Dr. on your new health insurance plan and can address the specific areas of concern you are encountering. I certainly feel for ya. Take care and thank you for the post.

[WickedLady]

I took a daily multi-vitamin mineral, extra vitamin E and soy powder. Had no hot flashes, no sweats, no problems.
Do see a doctor tho as it sounds like something else going on.

[snowball]

I'm one of those that wasn't aware of menopausal systems looking back think I was in a pre menopausal stage for a long time as I had long heavy periods
but that wasn't what was even thought of think it was just after that time period that the word pre-menopausal came out and a couple of years didn't eat much soup seemed to stoak the internal heater so just didn't eat them much and love soup!...was on some HRT for a bit then they came out saying that it was questionable using them so went off them. I never was aware of any thing going on...
do have hated facial hair but pluck them out and wen I get a eyebrow waxing I have the mouth area done as well
sheila

[SeeyaGal]

Yeah I'd see what the doc says. I went into menopaws (lol) at 42, went on HRT for a little while and hated the girls hurting all the time and my Mom came down with Breast cancer and she had been on HRT so I went cold turkey and stopped. I'm weird I do not get hot flashes I get cold flashes! I am always cold...due to low iron but refuse to take iron meds ,already have a spastic colon do not need to make it worse! Tweezers or a razer are always close by me for my chinny chin chin

[Sparkle]

Lots of sensible advice here, especially on getting checked out by a competant Doctor. I had a baby at age 45, had my tubes tied then and didn't start menopause until I was over 55. My only symptoms were occasional hot flashes, but one time one hit me hard and without giving it a second thought I whipped my sweater off over my head. That would have been fine except for the fact that we were at a dinner party. 7 jaws dropped. Luckily I was wearing a nice bra.

[sharon]

The Maca that Donna mentioned is the only thing that worked for me. Gave me more energy, pretty much eliminated the hot flashes and cut way down on the night sweats.....one side effect was a stronger sex drive but don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But from what you've said, I surely would get checked out first and make sure you don't have something else going on. The Maca took about 2 weeks to kick in and I've been using it for about 6 years now. This company seems to be reliable on the strength of their product which isn't always true in natural products.

[dcricket]

.....one side effect was a stronger sex drive but don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Great Sharon, like I really need that...I noticed they had that stuff for men too and DH wanted me to get some for him ...I was like Hellllllllllllllllllllllo - NO!
LOL I just wanna kick back relax and be left aloooooooooooooooone

[sharon]

.....one side effect was a stronger sex drive but don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Great Sharon, like I really need that...I noticed they had that stuff for men too and DH wanted me to get some for him ...I was like Hellllllllllllllllllllllo - NO!
LOL I just wanna kick back relax and be left aloooooooooooooooone

[Sparkle]

Oooh, a hi-jacked thread - gotta love it. The husband of a friend of mine went on Viagra and the wife HATED it! They would be watching the news or something on TV and he would jump up and say, come on, and head for the bedroon. That was foreplay. Then she said he just went on and on and she wished she had brought a paperback book with her to pass the time. Is this more than anyone needs to know?

[Bethers]

Putting the thread back on target - I had early menopause. Doctor told me I wasn't - I'm very prone to osteoporosis, and at an early age, forced doc to do a bone density test - showed I was already in osteopenia. Switched doctors and worked on both issues - my early menopause and osteopenia.

That said, you have a variety of symptoms where I agree with those who say you need it checked by a competent dr - make sure exactly what it is (or multiple things). Then work on treatments.

For menopause I elected to go on hrt - as I was adamant to quit gaining weight. As soon as I started HRT, I lost all the weight I had been gaining. When my doctor, a few years later, begged me to go off because of increased cancer risks, I did, with a lot of grousing, as I had really bad hot flashes, night sweats and that ghastly weight gain twice already going through this. I handled some of it with the black cohosh and another something (can't remember - will think on it) and then slowly weaned myself off even those.

The downside - I gained 20 lbs again in no time - immediately upon going off HRT. Fought to keep no more weight gain. Actual total weight gain was close to 30 pounds - have now lost 20 of it - would love to lose 10 more - but just very grateful to finally be seeming to keep this 20 off (just lost it since this past April). Now, if only Sparkle's weight loss plan of going to Kaibab would have worked for me hahaha.

[JanetA]

MAN, i sure hate the thought if SWEATING it off! Guess there's no easy way!