THIS IS GRAPHIC........15 days that's a piece of cake. About 2 years ago I started with problems I had mine for 3 months. You read that right 3 months non stop. It would stop for a week or 2 then start again for the next 3 months. Some days the bleeding was so bad I had clots the size of my hand. I would stand in the tub and gush for 20-40 minutes at a time. I was passing out. One day a board member called me I was so out of it she was going to call 911. I told her she had better not as I wouldn't go with them. I have no medical insurance and was NOT going to the ER. Actually I didn't care if i would have died, I would have welcomed it. I had to piggy back 2 tampons and they would projectile shoot out of me. That was with wearing a overnight maxipad. This was every 5 minutes for hours. I would stand up and pools of blood would be in my slippers and the bottom 1/2 of me looked like I was diped in red paint. As I walked down the hall the walls were splattered with blood just from walking, Think of how it would be if you had a wet towel in you hands, the water would splash so did the blood. I am not a dramatic person however 1 night it was so bad I wrote letters to both of my children and taped them to the bathroom mirror. I truely believed I was dying. My moms cousin hemorrhaged to death and was found on the couch by her son. I could not go for surgery besides no medical insurance I was taking care of my DD who I knew was having more surgery. There was no one to take care of me if I had surgery. I have been spotting for 2 weeks now I am hopng this is the end. I will be 56 in March.

Yikes, Peach!! You must have gotten very anemic!!! My Mom had terrible bleeding and before she had a hysterectomy they had to transfuse her. When I look back it scares me b/c it was right before HIV exploded in this country. I'm so thankful she didn't get bad blood back then.

I began menopause and the hot flashes at 37..I was on chemo at the time..The "power surges are still here...but not as bad...[I am in my 50's]...The herbals helped me a lot..I couldn't take the hormones due to history of blood clots...and I think I am the better for it...The st.johns wort will help with the depression..and black kohash will help the other symptoms...But go to a health food store or an Herbalist for the best info...

Vitamin World has a herbal supplement that I have used for years, it is called Flash Fighters. It helps with hot flashes, night sweats and mild mood changes. Have not experienced hot flashes or night sweats, so it must work. But boy oh boy let me run out of the stuff and just ask my family how nice and sweet I am (NOT). It has calcium, soy, black cohosh, dong quai, licorice and vitex in it. Nope, will not do the HRT. I see now that it could be a whole lot worse. So I will remember THIS TO SHALL PASS. But at times I feel like I am one tear away from crying. We are messed up aren't we. I am sure God has two angels around each of us, one to watch us and the second to warn everyone else.

Oh I forgeot to say I eat lentils a few days a week. Google health benefits of lentils, they have the highest estrogen in food.

This has been such a useful thread....thanks for sharing all your experiences and tips. Trupeach1 I can relate (it's not as severe, but three weeks now and driving me nuts). It's amazing, but despite my friends and family sharing every detail of other parts of their lives...(whether you want them to or not!) menopause seems "taboo"...maybe because it's birthday related. Anyway, wishing everyone a more pleasant menopause journey.

OK I know this will get me in trouble, but I'm 50 and oldest daughter is a nurse and she gripes at me. Last year got so i started having p. every 3 months so daughter said I had to go to the doctor and get checked and get boobie flatted. That the first time I've been to the doctor in 25 years tell him this he tells me im crazy. HATE doctors so sorry. Daughter tells him do every test he can I might not come back she could be right. He says everythings fine nothing really wrong little artie from where I had broken fingers. I've not had hotflashes are sweats. This year three Periods. The only thing that I really notice is that I dont need as much sleep. And mood swings I'm not sure about work with only men are I'm on the farm by myself noone aroung to know I'm throwing a fit

I refer to hot flashes as power surges.....

went thru the hot flashes even thinking about them brought them on, found if you watch sugar and flour (every time I dieted and limited those food groups barely had the flashes, this too shall pass, everyone is right tough it out if you can.

TruPeach1, I understand. Been there done that. I am blessed that my DH has insurance. After having a monthly last SIX months I went to gyn. Was put on the pill and would have relief for a whole 3-4 days. This went on for 6 more months Was made to have a colonoscopy to determine why my iron level was 9. DUH!!! Hemorrhaging and Fainting, Night Terrors, Restless Leg Syndrome and Anxiety attacks, depression, insomnia, sleep apnea, Inner Ear problems and Migraines. With medication for all. I could hav opened my own pharmacy. Ended up with hysterectomy and I told them to take it all!!! DGM on fathers side had ovarian cancer, sister had breast cancer. Mother with Parkinson's, Heart Disease and degenerative osteoporosis. Surgeon said I had at least 100 fibroid tumors one of which was on my cervix and it had ruptured, hence the constant period. I felt better the day after major surgery than I had in 4 years. I have used Estrogel since the surgery because I could not function mentally or physically, I was a zombie I could get up and send DGS to school and not move from the chair until he got home that afternoon. I have not needed any meds for any of the other illness' since I was put on it. I have been off med for about 3 weeks now and I am already headed down hill, Deprsssion is getting pretty bad. I have tried soy and black cohosh (sp) and end up standing in the freezer within a week. Balancing the side effects of all the meds I was on to the possible side effects of the Estrogel. No contest!!! I am going back to the Dr for another prescription.

Earthwalker, you are so right. It seems the subject is TABOO. Young girls talk about everything while older girls do not want to talk about it all that much. I am thankful it is not worse than it is. I realized looking at some of these posts how scattered brain I am at times. And boy do I drop stuff. Thank you ladies for sharing. Now to check out that sight.

Yes, I just finished 18 days of my cycle after almost a year of not having it. the hot flashes came back to the point I was sick sometimes. I'm hoping this was the last one, like my mom did the same thing for her last one. I'll be 60 soon so it had better stop soon.

This is a very informative thread...and I truly appreciate all of the replies and comments.
I think I am going to bookmark this one because of the info contained.
Thanks,
Kirsten

There's a natural, plant based hormone replacement I'm told.
I never took one, unfortunately.
I did have a lump in one boob one year at about age 46 or so, and one doctor told me to start taking low doses of Vitamin E, the real one, and work up the dose over months. My starting hot flashes sorta diminished and went away, got into other things and forgot about it.
One daughter (52 this week) keeps her house so cold that I wear a heavy house coat all the time I'm visiting her.

At home I keep it about 67 or so now.

As the old fashioned saying goes everything bad for women startes with the word MEN,menastration, menopause. I was having a real bad hot flash one time in a resturant and my daughter at the time was around 7 y.o and she speaks right out in a load voice, "Oh moma's having another HOT Fudgie" that got everyone in the resturant roaring in laughter. My face was scarlet from the hot fudgie and embarassment.

I was experiencing perimenopause when I was 38.
My periods were so heavy and almost constant!
I was having fainting spells, and of course the HOT flashes!
Dr. tried EVERYTHING and nothing seemed to help...
at age 43 I had a complete hysterectomy.
I'm now 54 and on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).