I am going through it right now, actually been there, wish it would stop already. Started on herbal supplements years ago for mood swings and regularity, I was irregular with the cycle, which by the way does help! Now I am on day 15 of my cycle. Has anyone else had this trouble or other problems associated with menopause???? Would appreciate some encouragement right about now, THANKS.

And I quote, "this too shall pass." I thought I might lose my mind, (come to think about it, I did) but nobody even noticed. Hang in there. We're cheering you on.

I was REALLY crabby. My DH is a saint. He says he never wants to take another wife through that. I am sorry to everyone I was awful to.

I had terrible anxiety with menopause. Hang in there it does pass, of course it takes time. Remember that you are not in menopause untill you have not had a period for a complete year. I also found that walking daily helps also don"t be afraid to speak with your medical professional. Don't take hormones they may do more harm than good. Consult you doctor. Try going to the mayo clinic on the web for more information. There are good books that can help.

i am not moody..at least no one has the guts to tell me here at house! ;)
i just have the hot flashes and night sweats..i am 54, been going through this for about 4 years now..
hang in there...

I agree with Diane about not taking hormone replacements. I was told by a Dr that it just postpones the inevitable. If I have to go through menopause anyway I may as well do it the natural way.

I'm sorry. Please know that you are not alone. Besides all the rest, I got hot about 4 years and I'm still waiting for the flash. I drive my family and co-workers nuts because I wear sandals until there is snow on the ground, can't stand long sleeves and don't want the temp. past 65. During the summer I turn the air cond. so low I get it to be around 64 in the basement and go down there to quilt. There's a good book, "The Wisdom of Menopause" (auth. Northrup). If you need sympathy, somebody to yell at or just a good talk you can PM me. It doesn't last forever! Lots of luck. Laurel

You are in Peri-menopause. That is the period (no pun intended :roll: ) "before" your periods stop. Since I have been in menopause for several years I have to say the hot flashes gave me the most problems. I didn't realize that you aren't supposed to have 20+ hot flashes a day. My GYN prescribed Zoloft for the hot flashes and it helped with the anxiety, also. Now I just have to deal with 'brain fog'. Maybe someone on here has a remedy for that.

There is a web site called "minniepauz"

http://www.minniepauz.com/

It's a pretty good site if you want to laugh about it. Good luck. I can say, for sure, I don't miss that monthly visit from Auntie Flo....hahahah!

Laugh hard and long! I seem to get my power surges while I'm in Target. Good grief! I start sweating and before I can get out of there my hair is wet. To somebody else seeing it, it must be a sight. Of course, I feel like I could slide in between the cracks, but whatever. Best part is although I love children, I don't have any little ones. Everything has it's season.

i forgot to add, this month,december, is 12 months without a period. the doctor would not check my hormone level until i missed 12 months in a row..
what a guy..
and husband told me..no it hasn't been 12 months? has it? ..i didn't realize he was paying that much attention to me..ROFL

I had Hystorectomy at 46, now i'm 72, still have night sweats, Doc says its normal because they left one ovary for harmonal purposes. Good luck!

I had my last period when I was one month past my 45th birthday. Poof. Never got one again. Hadn't been irregular. Didn't have the pre-menopausal symptoms. Except, I started with horrendous (Horrendous! I tell you!) hot flashes about 2 months prior. Those awful things came constantly and lasted for several years. Now, at 59, I still have flashes, but they are Minor - mostly in bed at night and with my coffee in the early morning, and much weaker than those first years. I had no personality changes. Remained my sweet self throughout. My daughter, however, would beg to differ.

I'm 32 and just informed my DH that one day I'll be even moodier than I already am. He said, "I'm in trouble..."

I am 54 and WAITING for my periods to stop or get irregular. Started having mild hot flashes a while back, added ground flaxseed to my diet and they are almost gone.

If you have gone 12 mos. without a period, you are officially in menopause. Your certificate will be coming in the mail any day now.

I had a ovary removed in 2005. It has been downhill every since. I have had so many things happen it has been horrible. ocular migraines, heachaches, sweats, Blah Blah Blah. lol.. went with period for 8 months... TWICE NOW!!!!! Grrrrrr. They keep telling me it will get better. just not ast enough.. lol hang in there.

I had my last period at the age of 47, and now, just having turned 60, I am starting to feel cold again. It literally has been 13 years since I needed a sweater or lap quilt during the evening. What a blessing to feel chilled again!

I am finding that life 'on the other side' is not a bad thing.

try black cohash, power ssurges so bad i thought i d spontaneously cumbust! LOL. seriously, they do subside some with time, hang in there.

Sorry that you are going through it, just remember you are not alone. I went through it all at once six years ago after having surgery, I was only 39. The after effects are worse, hair in places there shouldn't be, and I know what someone said about the AC-they used to ask who had it cold enough to hang meat in the office.

Had total hysterectomy at age 43 - took both ovaries, the uterus, fallopian tubes, lymph nodes, and seems like he took my memory, my patience, and my good nature too! Hot flashes started 3 days after the surgery...and like most others, the heat is not allowed to be turned up in my house, I don't wear a coat in the winter, and would never think of wearing long sleeves. I take a low dose of estrogen (.5mg) which does control the hot flashes, so I no longer have them...the temperature of my entire body has been dialed down, so that I just don't want the feeling of being warm anymore...I can't sit by fireplaces, or heat registers without feeling uncomfortable really quick.

I can only attribute my lack of a lot of what the others are saying as being on anti-depressants during menopause. I had only minor hot flashes, and a problem with early morning waking for about 2 years. That was it. My mother had a horrible menopause and I was bracing for a similar one but it never happened. Everyone is different but I do believe for me it was the anti-depressant Paxil.
On the other hand, my sister is over 60 and STILL getting hot flashes!!!! She's always warm, I'm always cold!
Good luck honey!! You'll get through it!! :D

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

I am a bit on the *itchy side, moody, anxious. I am 56 and my lmp was 7 years ago. I smoked at the time, my Dr. told me that makes you go through menopause earlier. I took bio-identical hormones for awhile, they did not do that much for me. I felt like another poster here why postpone the inevivitible (sp)
JulieM

I too am wondering about menopause as I think "Mother Nature" has me permanently on her list. I will be 58 in March and continue to have regular periods and haven't missed one yet. When I ask my doctor he says "Oh that should happen at 52 so I guess you are a little slow" which wasn't too helpful. I'd like a different doctor but in good old rural Ontario, doctors are in very short supply and many people don't even have a family doctor so changing mine is practically impossible.

hysterectomy at 40 at now at 45 in the middle of it. Herbal supplements have worked wonders. I kept both my ovaries but they seemed to just "quit" afterwards. I've been thru the "hot" spell too. One summer I don' think I left the house cause it was so hot outside that the minute I walked out the door I was dripping wet even though everyone else was comfortable. Then one year I froze to death, walked around in long john, 2 prs socks all winter. I'm more comfortable now thank goodness. Just kick the covers off at night and I'm good. Anxiety though is still about to kill me. I hate that part the worst I think.

My Mom still takes Premarin once a week. She used to take it 3 times a week. For many years I could tell if she was cutting back on them just by the way she sounded (hyper, irritable, etc) She felt awful w/o it. I've never had to take them and I'm glad b/c I wouldn't want to. She's done very well on them and is still very healthy.
This thread makes it so obvious that "one size doesn't fit all" in regards to menopause.

I also wanted to add , don't forget to right down the date of your last period. They always ask for this date at the doctors office.
Like you can actually remember.

I'm pausing while dd is starting. The mood swings in this house make it look like a busy school yard. I'm no help at all.

I went for 7 months once without a cycle and started and went for two weeks. I stopped and I have not seen anything since 17 months. I take no hormones or andy supplements. No one in my family has ever gone through menopause except me because they all have to have hysterotomies. I thought I would go crazy some days and some days I knew I was already there.

Donna, Having a hysterectomy puts you into what they call "surgical menopause" if they take the ovaries. Nobody escapes if they are female!! LOL :D

It can be a pain, but at 55 and not had a period for 7 years. I had the flashes & sweats for a few years, moods was my biggest problem, would cry at a drop of a pin, but that got better too ( unless you move in by "problem people ") :-)
Sent you a PM :-)

I LOVINGLY REFER TO MY HOT FLASHES AS "POWERSURGES" FOR SOME OF US THEY NEVER STOP. GRANNY WAS IN HER LATE 80'S AND SHE WAS STILL HAVING HER POWERSURGES. DAILY DOSES OF VITAMIN E HELPED A LOT FOR ME. HRT WAS NOT FOR ME, AND IF YOU SMOKE, HRT SHOULD NOT BE USED AT ALL. JOIN THE RANKS OF US PRIME TIME GALS AND ENJOY THE RIDE. THIS TOO SHALL PASS AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER.