frugalfabrics

Oh, one other thing....I use to always dream at night, and after the menopause, I no longer have any dreams. According to one of the other posts, that means that my IQ has dropped off significantly....lol.

sueisallaboutquilts

Well then I must be EINSTEIN b/c I have multiple dreams every nite!! lol :D:D

Chasing Hawk

I went through it for the past 7 years. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. No hot flashes!! My cycles were irregular at times. But other than that no real issues.

My GYN told me I went through it early to due a major shock to my system. I was in a car wreck and had major surgery on my spine.

KarenSimon

It's been over 10 years since my last period. As I remember I had two years of irregular periods and the last year was like clockwork. 28 days exactly.

plainjane

Reading these posts have been a trip down memory lane:) Memory? I can't remember the last period-maybe 6 years. This has been the first Winter in quite some time I have actually considered buying a coat. I got cold and it feels great-finally! At a routine doc visit lately, a hormone cream was suggested and before doc could get the sentence out, DH says, "This won't put her BACK in menopause, will it!" We had a great laugh! and the answer was "no". I must have been a bear!

roselady

I started, at about 47 or 48 with the light/heavy periods, miss a month, have two in a month, for about 2 years. The times that I would skip a month, would be when I had hot flashes, when the HF would go away, I would have a period. It has been 4 years since a period (yay!) and there were times I would wake up in the middle of the night in a panic, I knew my bed was on fire!! I was in a store once, talking to the owner about a product, and had a HF and my glasses fogged up, that was rather embarassing!! In the last year, I think, they have become more like "warm" flashes, so I am hoping I'm on the downhill slope of all this. The worst part, I think, is being so scatterbrained. I was never, ever described as scatterbrained before. I can't cook, or bake, and visit with someone at the same time, there is no telling what might happen with the recipe! I can't remember if I did something just an hour ago! Please someone tell me that this will also get better.

pittsburgpam

I went through instant menopause when I was 44 (maybe 43?) Anyway, total hystorectomy including ovaries. OMG!!! I was not prepared for that! Hot flashes like you wouldn't believe for at least a year! I swear a person could see steam coming off me. It was very embarrassing at work... in a meeting and suddenly my face is running with sweat.

It was heck trying to sleep. One moment cold, the next so hot I couldn't stand it. I had to have a fan blowing right on me. When I wasn't having a hot flash I was bundled up in the covers, then the next moment throwing them off and cooling down in the fan that a minute before was freezing me.

It passes, though it doesn't seem like it will. It's been a few years since surgery and things are settled down now. :D

Ramona Byrd

Don't take hormones they may do more harm than good. Consult you doctor.
----------------------------
You know what Premarin was, don't you? I don't know if it is even on the market anymore, but I'm deeply suspicious of all they have except the herbal ones. I took Premarin because I stupidly trusted my doctor to research any drug he prescribed to me. Found that it was made from the urine from a pregnant mare, which had never been seen in human females. That little mistake made me lose a breast. I now get up in the mornings, stuff half my bra with a bosom buddy and go on with my life. But now I don't trust our corrupt FDA or any of the drug companies much. Like one of the previous writers said "This too shall pass."



Bioidentical Hormones: An Alternative to Premarin - ...
Bioidentical hormones are an alternative to traditional menopause symptom treatments like Premarin. Because they are structurally identical to the human ...
www.thehealthyvillage.com/diet-and-nutrition/suppleme... - Similar

Feather3

Ladies do NOT assume that irregular periods are the norm pre-menopause. They can also mean something is wrong. In my case it was ovarian cancer. Even tho I told my doc he blew it off as pre-menopause too. Back pain, bloating, cramps, spotting, bad periods, mini periods, etc, are all possible symptoms of ovarian cancer. Age 49-50 I had periods all over the map. Age 51 I went 9 months with no periods & then had the worst period in my life. Took me 3 trips to the doc, many Urine tests, internals, a CT scan & cancer tests to finally show I had what they called a "Cyst". 3 docs told me they didn't think I had cancer. July of 2009 I had a Total Hysterectomy, plus lymph glands removed & that "Cyst" turned out to be a softball sized tumor on left ovary, that leaked cancer cells into abdominal fluid. Ended up doing chemo. My gyn/oncologist said he thinks I had this tumor for at least 2.5 years! So don't let your docs blow you off if you feel something is not right. Push for testing to make sure. You'll be glad you did if it is cancer. The sooner you find it the better your chances of survival. Most, who are diagnosed with OC wait too long & by the time they get a diagnosis it has spread. Docs often miss it, as they assume it's just menopause. OC is called the "Silent killer" do to the lack of symptoms. Also your chances of getting any of the female cancers increase during or right after menopause. So please get tested.

As for hot flashes...I had them for years before this happened & have been soaking the sheets, clothing hair, etc ever since. My winter coat has been a fleece shirt & I only wear spaghetti strap summer tops year around. I swear if I could find a market for heat & sweat I'd be rich! Sleep is a joke. 4 hours max is all I can sleep at any given time. I have 2 fans blowing on me in bed. I sweat, then freeze, because I'm wet. I told my docs you could use me as a salt lick at any given moment, LOL.

My docs all tell me NO estrogen period. No OTC or alternative stuff either, as it also has estrogens in it. I'm not even supposed to eat plant estrogens. Not possible, as most all veggies & fruits contain estrogens.

I remember my Grandmother, who had a hysterectomy in her mid 40's, was on estrogen into her 80's, had hot flashes all the time. They never stopped for her.

cabbagepatchkid

My mother had a hysterectomy in her mid 40's also, she is now in her late 80's and always keeps a small fan near her in the kitchen and next to her bed.

Feather3, I'm really sorry about your OC. My aunt had that also. Luckily they caught it in time.