The "M" Word (menopause) - YouLookFab Forum

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The "M" Word (menopause)

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

So I've been continuing to read about menopause for some time now - and experimenting with various things myself (like vitamin E for hot flashes) and I came across this blog. I thought I'd share because there is some good insight and good writing in it.

This particular post may make you laugh or cry, but it's pretty point on for many women I suppose.

http://www.menopausegoddessblo...../#comments

I'm feeling a bit lazy at the moment so I didn't include a link to my previous post about things I was trying for hot flashes. I think overall, the most helpful thing still may be vitamin E, but I can't guarantee it because I also take a lot of other things on a regular basis and I've eliminated some things from my diet.

Anyone else have any tips or just comments to share about their experiences?

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25 replies

Latest reply was from Glory

Tina

Veteran

Thanks for sharing! I needed the laugh. I'm almost 45 and can relate entirely too much.

Anonymous

I am turning 60 later this year (that is a whole other issue to deal with) and was in full menopause at around age 47. I did not truly experience perimenopause because I stayed on the pill until I decided to get off because I started to get migraines on my "off week". I did get the occasional night sweats and would often wake around 3 or 4 am, unable to get back to sleep. Once I stopped taking the bc pills and never got my period (the doctor said menopause was not official until 12 months have gone by without a period) the night sweats stopped and I slept better. I am happy to say that I never had hot flashes. Never took anything. Just lucky I guess. My mom had terrible hot flashes and many times I would walk into a sub freezing kitchen in the winter with the doors open as my mom fanned herself.

I have always exercised and ate healthy. Maybe that helped. My husband sleeping in another bedroom as he continues to recuperate from his shoulder surgery has vastly improved my sleep - 8 solid hours a night. Best sleep in ages - so maybe the sleep issues are not entirely menopause related.

Jjsloane

Veteran

Thanks. I'm pretty sure I'm in beginning stages, which tracks with when it hit my mother. I'm on the Mirena so it's masking most symptoms. Although I wake at 3 AM many nights in a hot sweat. I cannot get back to sleep (is it DH snoring? sometimes) Nice to know it's not just me. My gyno says to keep mirena (which stopped all periods years ago) until bleeding starts indicating rise in hormone levels.
How do you take the vitamin E?

Joy

Veteran

The big M is so different for each person. My DSIL, in her mid 70's now, has had night sweats since she was in her 40's. Hormones help her mood swings but cause other problems. Her DH begs the doctor to keep her on hormones for HIS sanity. Nearly 70, I am beginning to run cold again. I do still get hot flashes day and night, but they are bearable. I do get cranky and more impatient than ever before. My DM got pregnant after not having a period for years and had a baby in her 50's, so be careful..

Helen11

Veteran

I will take this as a timely warning .

Style Fan

Veteran

Yikes Joy! I am in my 60s. I have always run cold. I had hot flashes that were pretty tame compared to most women. Starting in my early 40s I started to get migranes. I never had headaches before this. The migranes have been tracked to hormone change. At one point I had them daily. Now about 3 or 4 times a month. I have made lots of lifestyle changes to deal with them.

Anonymous

Geez - can you imagine getting pregnant in your 50's?
I seem to just now be coming out the other side of this stupid process at the age of 54. The night sweats and sleeplessness have stopped, as have the migraines or severe headaches I had for a good 4 or 5 years. I can never tell if irritability is due to hormonal shifts, or just life,but I find that less of an issue now too. Body changes were just so dramatic for me, and despite trying every bloody thing I could , nothing really worked. I am hoping now that the process is over, my body will settle down and miraculously return to my normal. Please no-one fall over laughing

I didn't use any supplements or hormone replacement therapy to mitigate any symptoms as I am in the high-risk category for breast cancer. Extra estrogen is too dangerous.

Anonymous

Thanks for the link and the laugh Texstyle, that article was funny...and sadly ...painfully true :P! I'll bookmark the website though as it looks really good.

I'm 18months into meno and not too bothered by hot flashes, though generally warmer, but energy levels plummet at the drop of a hat and my waistline has rapidly expanded...harrumph! I've never taken any HRT and I just take a good multivitamin. I've no real hints or tips other than barrcading oneself in 'till it's all over lol!

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I was having annoying hot flashes over the past couple of years that were getting more frequent, especially at night as soon as I'd lie down to bed in fact. Sleeping with the air down to 69 and no covers only helped somewhat. And when I wasn't having a hot flash I was FREEZING. It felt like I had a fever round the clock on some days! I would take my temp just to see in fact. But no, my temp runs low even during a hot flash apparently.

Finally, I *think* I figured out that for me, vitamin E was something I was missing. I used cancer forums, hysterectomy blogs and similar places looking for research because searching for "hot flashes" lead me to those types of places. I kept finding minor references to vitamin e and decided to try it. I think vit. e helps your body regulate it's hormones. Supposedly vitamin E was first discovered through experimentation on rats in 1922.
The deficiency of it caused infertility in rats.

I can't eat nuts and don't eat a lot of meat or dairy so maybe that's why I was running low on E? Apparently low vitamin e can also contribute to anemia (I also have type 0 neg. blood and hypothyroidism which can contribute as well from what I've read).

I've always been one to research and experiment with herbs, supplements,
etc. I was vegetarian for a long time and love vegetables and healthy
food. Because of the low iron, now I eat grass fed beef, organic chicken and wild caught fish at least several times a week.
I've had anemia for most of my life (starting as a young child). I don't
eat sweets, etc. and I get a good deal of exercise.

So, I don't know for sure, but for whatever reason, if I take 400 IUs of natural mixed tocopherols after dinner I don't seem to have hot flashes at this point. I stopped using progesterone cream recently just to "test" it and it seems that the vitamin e is the more important thing for me. At least so far... I also take B6, vitamin c, zinc and magnesium and a low dose of 7 Keto DHEA. Sometimes I take a Liver support supplement with milk thistle, especially if I feel I've had more wine than I should. I've also tried Vitex (chaste berry, an herb that is used to balance hormones in women) so I can't say for sure if that is helping or not.

I gave up coffee for the most part a long time ago, but will still have a few sips of a cappuccino or a rare full one on the weekend. I think caffeine is something women should give up if they are having hot flashes at all.

I had a period of having migraines in the past, but found that for me the low iron was causing the headaches. Once I started eating enough iron (or taking a supplement for a while) my migraines went away.

MTBGirl

Veteran

Thank you for sharing that link texstyle. It was a pleasure to read.
I'll be 50 this year, I don't have a thyroid, I can't take HRT due to thrombophlebitis (I think that's what it is called), and I've had problems with periods all my life. So I am very worried and all for preparing in the best way that I can. I was told by my doctor that I was already through menopause (I actually celebrated) then I got my periods back! UGH!

Anonymous

I'm 54 and always cold. No menopause in sight, I don't think. My mom had a late menopause.

Glory

Veteran

Thanks for sharing that blog!
I have been in this whirlwind of menopause for about 18 months. The 2 most trying things for me are the hot flashes and memory loss. The hot flashes hit me about 20 - 30 times per day. For a time they subsided when I took a natural supplement called Promensil. When that stopped working after about 4 months I doubled the dose to no avail. Now I am just sucking it up but the lack of sleep is challenging. The hot flashes wake me up every 20 - 30 minutes. I think this lack of sleep is what causes the memory loss. I am going to try the vitamin E right away. Any advice on amount to take?

Anonymous

Glory, if I don't get enough sleep, it feels like my brain is in a fog; I can't think straight. I'm sure lack of sleep contributes to memory loss.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Glory, I started with 400 IUs of a natural mixed tocopherols of vitamin E in the morning and then again in the evening. Now I usually just take it in the evening after dinner. I also take vitamin C (E needs C I believe for max. effectiveness) and a natural form of B6.

I think magnesium citrate 400 mgs. an hour before bed to help with sleep is also worth trying (most people are deficient in Magnesium according to many doctors). I take at least that amount every evening too.

You might check into practicing some CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy). I do this for myself. Basically I *tell* myself how I want to feel - like "I am cool and even feel a chill coming on from the fan." repeating this in my head if I feel a flash coming on - I know it sounds weird but our minds are powerful things and it seems to help reduce the flash.

Mine are much better now but I keep researching because I want to be sure I have the tools I need.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Donna, I had never heard of thrombophlebitis so I looked it up. Do you take any medications or supplements to help with it?

Glory

Veteran

Thanks so much Textstyle. I am going to start with the Vitamine E today!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I'm somewhere in the process, but I'm not really sure where. I had a hysterectomy (just uterus) a couple of years ago, due to fibroids, so I joyfully bypass "that aisle" in Target, but I know something is still happening hormonally, at least sometimes. I get not so much hot flashes as I do warm flashes, so I really can't complain much. However, I find that the more I am getting regular, strenuous exercise (i.e. working up a sweat), the less I have those flashes. I can't help but think that exercise is a big help, at least for me.

My skin is changing. I'm getting more of that crepey texture. Also, my waistline is not what it once was, even at a comparable weight to what I am now. These are kind of bummers, but I try to keep it all in perspective. It's part of aging, and I'll do my best to accept what I can't change.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I got warm flashes for a couple of years first. Then they turned hot. But not everyone has this happen. I wonder if it simply has to do with the right balance of nutrition and vitamin/mineral storage and utilization. And if so, we're likely all a bit different on our needs. I kind of think blood type, DNA, history of illnesses, etc. all impact our needs to varying degrees and doctors simply cannot monitor it because it's so complicated and individual. Not to mention the testing is not accurate for many things that are involved such as hormone levels - a blood test is only a snapshot of the immediate time frame and could be totally different in as little as a few hours. My doctor makes me aware of this each time I do my blood work to test my thyroid and iron levels and wants me to follow a specific timeline of taking the meds., what I eat, and timing of the blood draw, etc. Not all doctors do this.

I agree with Janet, exercise helps - in so many ways I think. Getting your body to produce good levels of growth hormone as you age means you have to do at least *some* strenuous exercise. And at least some daily jumping, dancing, or other aerobic type exercise is supposed to be great to get the lymph fluids moving - keeping you healthier.

If I don't exercise regularly, I start feeling bad. I really need at least 4 days a week of good exercise.

Laurie

Veteran

Ahhh, this conversation. Commenting because I see a few thyroid ladies in the thread and someone who mentioned cold hands (can be a sign of hypothyroidism).

So - I've posted before about hair loss. Due to being hypothyroid, with no thyroid function due to radiation in my 30's that killed the gland, I have been on 100% replacement for 18 years. About 6 years ago when I was 48, I started losing hair by the handful. Every doctor shied away from it; literally I had one say, "that's not my area". My then-endocrinologist was the worst and my OB-GYN got fired for her lack of sympathy.

As I hit perimenopause all of the hormones went out of balance, and with a faulty thyroid function, it was just terrible.

It all led me to a new internist who focuses on hormone health and thyroid health, and having a full battery of blood work and discovering many deficiencies as well as an under-treated thyroid.

Now my levels are all good- Ferritin, D, C, calcium, etc. I am on HRT, estrogel and prometrium. My main symptoms were extreme hair loss and massive mood swings. No hot flashes or weight gain. I would trade 20 years of hot flashes to get my hair back, though. My hair is ok, but about once a year I go through a period of 3 or 4months where it sheds and thins. It's very depressing. I have a marvelous and wonderful hairdresser, though - she's been a lifesaver.

I hate all the changes - the loss of muscle tone, the crepey skin, the thinning hair, the sagging jowls and the wrinkles. I wish I could embrace it better. I also have arthritis so I FEEL the aging process, and most of all I hate losing my abilitly to run and do many of the sports and outdoor activities that I love.

It used to be about wanting to get better, fitter, prettier. Now it's all about trying to not lose ground and stay where we are! LIke that Nora Ephron book, the one she wrote right before she died? Didn't she say something like the body you hated at 30 is the one you would kill for at 40 or 50? So, so true.

Get your blood work checked. Find an empathetic and forward thinking internist. We need to take good care of ourselves! We are not alone in this, thank goodness

Thirkellgirl

Veteran

Laurie, I literally scrolled up to see if I had written your post and forgotten... Other than finding a new dr., I could have written the whole thing. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease when my youngest daughter was a year old (she's about to turn 23) and had RAI to destroy my thyroid gland, too. It's been a roller coaster over the years to keep my thyroid levels straight, which I hear isn't unusual for people who've had RAI, and my hair has thinned and my weight has gone up and down about every four or five years. My current endocrinologist didn't listen to me at the end of summer and insisted I cut back on my Synthroid even though I was feeling awesome and finally losing some weight again. I was even sleeping well, after a few years of hot flashes which made sleep difficult. Just had bloodwork done and I'm pretty darned hypothyroid again, and it's definitely showing in my hair again (and dry skin, and the way I fell asleep every time I sat down over the holidays, and...). I take 2000 mg vitamin D3 daily, and CoQ10, and magnesium when my sleep is particularly disturbed. I will not be cutting back my Synthroid dosage going into winter ever again, no matter what I'm told. I *knew it wouldn't go well, and you'd think I'd have put up a bigger fuss about it, but I complied. Every winter I need a little extra Synthroid or I feel just awful during the winter - body aches, arthritic-type pain in my arms and hands, I just look and feel like hell. This is the first year in several she's insisted I needed to cut back.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Here is a site with some good information on supplements to help with menopause:

http://www.alive.com/health/sa.....e-b-and-e/

Aziraphale

Veteran

You guys are all freaking me out a little.

SandyG

Veteran

When I was in peri menopause I had a really hard time with hot flashes, many episodes every day for months, very hard to live with during the day and sleepless, sweaty nights. When I finally began to read about it, the best medical sites revealed #20 hot flashes daily for severe cases -- and I had stopped counting at 77. My body was gyrating but it wasn't all hormonal. That knowledge was huge. It turned out that I had a lot of insulin surges igniting a fair proportion of those hot flashes! I had to completely change my diet, eliminating a lot of simple carbs and eating much higher protein at every meal. This regime streamlined everything and my life improved in a hurry! Don't get tunnel vision just because you're at an age for menopause.

For Laurie and others who suffer with low thyroid even under (conventional) care, I fought with 7 doctors before I found one who was understanding about research news and willing to write Rxs for combination therapy. It's an uphill battle against professionals, when you feel like death warmed over, and terribly unfair to any patient. I hope you keep persevering until you achieve your goal of optimal health.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

All so true SandyG! It took me several doctors and years to find I had a thyroid issue. I didn't have the "conventional" symptoms. Same thing with low iron. We all have to take real control over our health and research on it.

Glory

Veteran

I started the Vit E yesterday finally! I am really hoping it helps with the night hot flashes. I get them during the day as well - turn red as a lobster! But, the night was are the worst because of the havoc they play with your sleep.
Will report back! Thanks again for the tip.