Is It Over Yet? The Perimenopause Thread

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  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I've used iperiod since 2012
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,697 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    1) cold flashes.... it feels like hormonal thermal disregulation where I just cannot get my core temp up 24 hr before period starts. I'm cold generally, but this is different, to the bone cold. I dream of hot flashes.

    I get a hot flash or night sweat ... and almost immediately after, I'm so cold as though someone just stuck me into a deep freeze.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Thank you for this thread. LAWoman, you are hilarious!

    I am wondering what's up. I turn 52 in days and have never missed a period. Never had a FSH test -- not indicated; but weird stuff is going on.
    1) cold flashes.... it feels like hormonal thermal disregulation where I just cannot get my core temp up 24 hr before period starts. I'm cold generally, but this is different, to the bone cold. I dream of hot flashes.
    2) excess prostaglandins last month. What a pain. Haven't had that since my early 20's when my doc put me on BC to regulate that.
    3) 2 months before that, I had a freak 4lb bloat with back&ab pain. Didn't recognize myself in the mirror. It was so atypical for me, I went to GP after a week. Many tests. Clean bill of health. Big bill from radiologist. Embarrassed it was all about nothing (although metastasized liver cancer crossed my mind given pain location). Resolved upon ovulation.
    4) I have charted since 2008--mean, mode, variance, standard deviation. Went from 28 days like clockwork to 26 day average with greater variance. Like Sued0, I'm bored with periods. Ready for this show to be over.

    LAWoman, I feel you. Maybe a cup of holiday Sleigh Ride tea? I wish I had more to offer. (((hug)))

    @ahoy_m8 Can you elaborate on excess prostaglandins? What are the symptoms of this? What did you do for it?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I'll be 50 this month and except for ballooning fibroids, have no signs of approaching menopause. The fibroids cause very very heavy bleeding. Just found out I'm anemic again, rather than Low Normal :( I may take my GYN up on her offer of iron transfusions after my period.

    When my estrogen levels go down after menopause the fibroids will shrink on their own. Because of my age, I've been trying to hold out for menopause rather than having a hysterectomy, which is my only surgical option at this point. Apparently there's an easy hysterectomy and a more difficult one, and because of the size of the fibroids the more difficult one is my only option.

    Last time I was at the GYN my uterus was the size of a 20 week pregnancy. I've stopped trying to lose weight, as if I do I will look pregnant and would rather be perceived as overweight than pregnant. (I'm about 20-30 pounds from goal so not dangerously overweight. I've switched to maintenance level calories and am still logging and exercising.)

    I take bio-identical progesterone and took Vitex for years, with no apparent benefit. Am still taking Black Cohosh with Dong Quai. I eat 2 T of ground flax seed per day. I meet my fiber goal most days. I don't consume animals products from animals that are given artificial growth hormone. I tried limiting saturated fat for a month or two and didn't see any benefit. I might try it for longer.
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    This is killing me. I'm 47 and I've been irregular for about 2 years now, but for the past month it's kicked into high gear. The hot flashes are murder. They wake me up every darn time and then I can't get back to sleep. Part of the reason I wanted to lose weight was because I know that it's going to be a lot harder once I'm done, but man, I have no idea how to cope anymore.

    I'm torn between wanting to have my period--because then usually the insomnia will stop and just wanting this to be done.

    Not sure what to do these days. It's just way more brutal than I ever thought it would be.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    I am going to hope that the weight loss will help, but honestly I suffered terribly with my hormones even at 95 lbs., so... :(
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I'll be 50 this month and except for ballooning fibroids, have no signs of approaching menopause. The fibroids cause very very heavy bleeding. Just found out I'm anemic again, rather than Low Normal :( I may take my GYN up on her offer of iron transfusions after my period.

    When my estrogen levels go down after menopause the fibroids will shrink on their own. Because of my age, I've been trying to hold out for menopause rather than having a hysterectomy, which is my only surgical option at this point. Apparently there's an easy hysterectomy and a more difficult one, and because of the size of the fibroids the more difficult one is my only option.

    Last time I was at the GYN my uterus was the size of a 20 week pregnancy. I've stopped trying to lose weight, as if I do I will look pregnant and would rather be perceived as overweight than pregnant. (I'm about 20-30 pounds from goal so not dangerously overweight. I've switched to maintenance level calories and am still logging and exercising.)

    I take bio-identical progesterone and took Vitex for years, with no apparent benefit. Am still taking Black Cohosh with Dong Quai. I eat 2 T of ground flax seed per day. I meet my fiber goal most days. I don't consume animals products from animals that are given artificial growth hormone. I tried limiting saturated fat for a month or two and didn't see any benefit. I might try it for longer.

    Is Mirena an option? I had one placed in March, reduced bleeding and I get less fibroid pain now too. My ferritin went from single digit to double since then, still have a little ways to go - I only had to go as far as using the stronger iron supplements (can't remember their name - take them sporadically now and use a lower dose more frequently). Ferritin is only the measure of iron stores isn't it? Anemia is beyond that if I remember rightly so you must feel bloody lousy.




  • dramaqueen45
    dramaqueen45 Posts: 1,009 Member
    I'm there. Wonky periods for over a year now- skip a month, two in the next month and then was hopeful when I went three months- from August to November with nothing, but twas not to be. But yes, insomnia (melatonin has helped), thinning hair (biotin is supposed to help but I haven't taken it consistently enough) as well as some hot flashes. Overall it's not too horrible, but I'm 49 and probably have a ways to go before it's all over. I have managed to hit my goal of 55 lost (started in July 2014 and ended in March 2016). Now trying to maintain but it is difficult- so far keeping in a 5 pound range and trying to stay active.
  • DeficitDuchess
    DeficitDuchess Posts: 3,099 Member
    edited December 2016
    I actually don't desire, for my cycle; to ever end because of naturally occurring estrogen! I am extremely fearful, of my bones deteriorating & getting fractures! Therefore I welcome all of the symptoms, of being even menopausal; instead of the fear of post menopausal's bone density!
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    _SKIM_ wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I'll be 50 this month and except for ballooning fibroids, have no signs of approaching menopause. The fibroids cause very very heavy bleeding. Just found out I'm anemic again, rather than Low Normal :( I may take my GYN up on her offer of iron transfusions after my period.

    When my estrogen levels go down after menopause the fibroids will shrink on their own. Because of my age, I've been trying to hold out for menopause rather than having a hysterectomy, which is my only surgical option at this point. Apparently there's an easy hysterectomy and a more difficult one, and because of the size of the fibroids the more difficult one is my only option.

    Last time I was at the GYN my uterus was the size of a 20 week pregnancy. I've stopped trying to lose weight, as if I do I will look pregnant and would rather be perceived as overweight than pregnant. (I'm about 20-30 pounds from goal so not dangerously overweight. I've switched to maintenance level calories and am still logging and exercising.)

    I take bio-identical progesterone and took Vitex for years, with no apparent benefit. Am still taking Black Cohosh with Dong Quai. I eat 2 T of ground flax seed per day. I meet my fiber goal most days. I don't consume animals products from animals that are given artificial growth hormone. I tried limiting saturated fat for a month or two and didn't see any benefit. I might try it for longer.

    Is Mirena an option? I had one placed in March, reduced bleeding and I get less fibroid pain now too. My ferritin went from single digit to double since then, still have a little ways to go - I only had to go as far as using the stronger iron supplements (can't remember their name - take them sporadically now and use a lower dose more frequently). Ferritin is only the measure of iron stores isn't it? Anemia is beyond that if I remember rightly so you must feel bloody lousy.

    For those with either fibroids or cysts (it works for both), drinking 1 tbls of blackstrap molasses mixed with 1 tbls of ACV a day (you can heat it to make a "tea" out of it) will both shrink the fibroids and cysts and remove the pain. The trick is you have to do it daily. A plus is the BSM will also help with low iron/anemia. It sounds crazy, but I have several friends that do this because they didn't like the other options presented to them. After a few months of doing it daily they were able to go to 3-4 times a week instead of daily.

    @_SKIM_ there are two ferritin tests. One is IBC (iron binding capacity) and the other is elemental ferritin. IBC measures your body's ability to bind the iron to transferrin and circulate it so the body can use it. Ferritin measures how much is circulating in your blood. It's not uncommon to have low IBC and high ferritin b/c what is being circulated in the blood is not being bound and used. One can also be low in ferritin but be fine in IBC. They generally do not measure both but to really see the whole picture, both tests are wise.
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    I don't know if any of you experienced this as well, but ...

    Prior to losing weight, I was having hot flashes every day and wild mood swings.

    When I lost the weight, both the hot flashes and mood swings eased off. In fact, I didn't have a hot flash for a couple months, which was really nice! The hot flashes are back, but they usually coincide with the start of my periods, so roughly 2 times a month.

    Part of the reason I had committed to taking the weight off was to help with my insomnia, and for a couple of glorious months I was actually averaging 7 hours a night. I've taken off 40 pounds, about 70 left to go and this is just brutal. I take Ambien for insomnia on an as needed basis and it no longer works. The hot flash seems to trump it every time.

    I will say this is forcing me to exercise more because at least if I'm bone tired, I manage a few hours of consecutive sleep.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    not_my_first_rodeo wrote: »

    Part of the reason I had committed to taking the weight off was to help with my insomnia, and for a couple of glorious months I was actually averaging 7 hours a night. I've taken off 40 pounds, about 70 left to go and this is just brutal. I take Ambien for insomnia on an as needed basis and it no longer works. The hot flash seems to trump it every time.

    I will say this is forcing me to exercise more because at least if I'm bone tired, I manage a few hours of consecutive sleep.


    Have you tried taking magnesium daily? Very often, insomnia is a lack of magnesium. You might try it for 2-3 weeks and see if it helps. I would stick with mag citrate as it's less likely to cause bowel looseness in higher doses. If it works, great. If not, you're not really out anything.
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    I consume a LOT of nuts, dark leafy greens, etc. Magnesium is present in those. And I already tend toward loose bowels.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited December 2016
    One thing I wanted to share, having come out the other side -- some oddness still goes on after your periods stop. I still had times where my body acted like it was trying to do something. My breasts would become incredibly, painfully tender and stay that way for weeks and I'd get all the lovely water weight gain.

    I still have cyclical water weight shenanigans happening, along with the lovely bloating it brings, even though the accompanying breast pain has gone.

    This is all still happening two and half years after my last period. The occasional hot flash still happens too. I've been dealing with them off and on for ten years.
  • DeficitDuchess
    DeficitDuchess Posts: 3,099 Member
    edited December 2016
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    One thing I wanted to share, having come out the other side -- some oddness still goes on after your periods stop. I still had times where my body acted like it was trying to do something. My breasts would become incredibly, painfully tender and stay that way for weeks and I'd get all the lovely water weight gain.

    I still have cyclical water weight shenanigans happening, along with the lovely bloating it brings, even though the accompanying breast pain has gone.

    This is all still happening two and half years after my last period. The occasional hot flash still happens too. I've been dealing with them off and on for ten years.

    How's your bone density, thus far?
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    DeficitDuchess wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    One thing I wanted to share, having come out the other side -- some oddness still goes on after your periods stop. I still had times where my body acted like it was trying to do something. My breasts would become incredibly, painfully tender and stay that way for weeks and I'd get all the lovely water weight gain.

    I still have cyclical water weight shenanigans happening, along with the lovely bloating it brings, even though the accompanying breast pain has gone.

    This is all still happening two and half years after my last period. The occasional hot flash still happens too. I've been dealing with them off and on for ten years.

    How's your bone density?

    I have osteopenia ... BUT... I have a lot of risk factors at play. I have a familial disposition towards it, I started perimenopause young (at 30), and I have thyroid disease which some feel is a contributing factor. I'm on proton pump inhibitors, and I have celiac disease.

    The deck was really stacked against me, and I was pretty much guaranteed to get it.

    I eat a lot of calcium rich foods and strength train. My doctor doesn't even feel I need to supplement calcium, as my osteopenia is very mild.
  • DeficitDuchess
    DeficitDuchess Posts: 3,099 Member
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    DeficitDuchess wrote: »
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    One thing I wanted to share, having come out the other side -- some oddness still goes on after your periods stop. I still had times where my body acted like it was trying to do something. My breasts would become incredibly, painfully tender and stay that way for weeks and I'd get all the lovely water weight gain.

    I still have cyclical water weight shenanigans happening, along with the lovely bloating it brings, even though the accompanying breast pain has gone.

    This is all still happening two and half years after my last period. The occasional hot flash still happens too. I've been dealing with them off and on for ten years.

    How's your bone density?

    I have osteopenia ... BUT... I have a lot of risk factors at play. I have a familial disposition towards it, I started perimenopause young (at 30), and I have thyroid disease which some feel is a contributing factor. I'm on proton pump inhibitors, and I have celiac disease.

    The deck was really stacked against me, and I was pretty much guaranteed to get it.

    I eat a lot of calcium rich foods and strength train. My doctor doesn't even feel I need to supplement calcium, as my osteopenia is very mild.

    Thank you for answering! I understand, as I am disabled via Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS); for nearly 22 years & am currently going through, premature menopause at; 36 years old!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    edited December 2016
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    3) 2 months before that, I had a freak 4lb bloat with back&ab pain. Didn't recognize myself in the mirror. It was so atypical for me, I went to GP after a week. Many tests. Clean bill of health. Big bill from radiologist. Embarrassed it was all about nothing (although metastasized liver cancer crossed my mind given pain location). Resolved upon ovulation.

    Wondering if anyone else is/has experienced these kind of symptoms with peri? I've started having episodes like this as well, after a lifetime of uneventful periods. Also, any bowel issues?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited December 2016
    ronjsteele1 wrote: »
    _SKIM_ wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I'll be 50 this month and except for ballooning fibroids, have no signs of approaching menopause. The fibroids cause very very heavy bleeding. Just found out I'm anemic again, rather than Low Normal :( I may take my GYN up on her offer of iron transfusions after my period.

    When my estrogen levels go down after menopause the fibroids will shrink on their own. Because of my age, I've been trying to hold out for menopause rather than having a hysterectomy, which is my only surgical option at this point. Apparently there's an easy hysterectomy and a more difficult one, and because of the size of the fibroids the more difficult one is my only option.

    Last time I was at the GYN my uterus was the size of a 20 week pregnancy. I've stopped trying to lose weight, as if I do I will look pregnant and would rather be perceived as overweight than pregnant. (I'm about 20-30 pounds from goal so not dangerously overweight. I've switched to maintenance level calories and am still logging and exercising.)

    I take bio-identical progesterone and took Vitex for years, with no apparent benefit. Am still taking Black Cohosh with Dong Quai. I eat 2 T of ground flax seed per day. I meet my fiber goal most days. I don't consume animals products from animals that are given artificial growth hormone. I tried limiting saturated fat for a month or two and didn't see any benefit. I might try it for longer.

    Is Mirena an option? I had one placed in March, reduced bleeding and I get less fibroid pain now too. My ferritin went from single digit to double since then, still have a little ways to go - I only had to go as far as using the stronger iron supplements (can't remember their name - take them sporadically now and use a lower dose more frequently). Ferritin is only the measure of iron stores isn't it? Anemia is beyond that if I remember rightly so you must feel bloody lousy.

    For those with either fibroids or cysts (it works for both), drinking 1 tbls of blackstrap molasses mixed with 1 tbls of ACV a day (you can heat it to make a "tea" out of it) will both shrink the fibroids and cysts and remove the pain. The trick is you have to do it daily. A plus is the BSM will also help with low iron/anemia. It sounds crazy, but I have several friends that do this because they didn't like the other options presented to them. After a few months of doing it daily they were able to go to 3-4 times a week instead of daily.

    I've been taking 1 t to 1 T of blackstrap molasses for years but will try it with the ACV for 6 months. I have this with powdered vitamin C so it's already nasty tasting :D

    Thanks, this was exactly the sort of non-surgical option I was looking for.

    ETA - because I already had my vitamin C this AM, took this with just the 1 T blackstrap molasses and 1 T ACV and it's not bad actually.

    Here's the second cheapest place I've found for blackstrap molasses: Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc., Organic Molasses, Unsulphured, 32 fl oz (944 ml). It tends to leak in the summer so I stock up ahead of time. I've tried to ask them to tape the lid, but they didn't listen. They do usually put it in a zip lock bag.

    The cheapest is from my food coop, but you have to buy a case of 12.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    _SKIM_ wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    I'll be 50 this month and except for ballooning fibroids, have no signs of approaching menopause. The fibroids cause very very heavy bleeding. Just found out I'm anemic again, rather than Low Normal :( I may take my GYN up on her offer of iron transfusions after my period.

    When my estrogen levels go down after menopause the fibroids will shrink on their own. Because of my age, I've been trying to hold out for menopause rather than having a hysterectomy, which is my only surgical option at this point. Apparently there's an easy hysterectomy and a more difficult one, and because of the size of the fibroids the more difficult one is my only option.

    Last time I was at the GYN my uterus was the size of a 20 week pregnancy. I've stopped trying to lose weight, as if I do I will look pregnant and would rather be perceived as overweight than pregnant. (I'm about 20-30 pounds from goal so not dangerously overweight. I've switched to maintenance level calories and am still logging and exercising.)

    I take bio-identical progesterone and took Vitex for years, with no apparent benefit. Am still taking Black Cohosh with Dong Quai. I eat 2 T of ground flax seed per day. I meet my fiber goal most days. I don't consume animals products from animals that are given artificial growth hormone. I tried limiting saturated fat for a month or two and didn't see any benefit. I might try it for longer.

    Is Mirena an option? I had one placed in March, reduced bleeding and I get less fibroid pain now too. My ferritin went from single digit to double since then, still have a little ways to go - I only had to go as far as using the stronger iron supplements (can't remember their name - take them sporadically now and use a lower dose more frequently). Ferritin is only the measure of iron stores isn't it? Anemia is beyond that if I remember rightly so you must feel bloody lousy.

    My new GYN said Mirena could have been an option when the fibroids were smaller but they are so big they have distorted my uterus, making me an unsuitable candidate for an IUD. None of my earlier GYNs suggested this >.<

  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    My periods are the same as ever. My cycle runs between every 21-25 days. What I do get are a lot of weird physical types of things. I get a high heart rate sometimes that seems to have no answer. I get strange sensations in my head and odd sensations of dizziness. Things like that. People think we're crazy when we talk about these things but the list of things that happen to us thanks to hormonal fluctuations is long. Here is a list of things we may enjoy as we forge ahead to the end of our youth and into the age of "I survived!" patient.info/forums/discuss/66-peri-menopause-menopause-symptoms-you-may-experience-which-may-help-some-ladies-271903
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    I am going to add, while I'm not "happy" about any symptoms others may have I am glad to see vertigo mentioned so much. I thought something was medically wrong with me for a very long time. I have found that this is the worst nearing my period. Aside for making sure to stay hydrated as inadequate fluids seem to make it worse, I find some simple neck stretches help a lot. I don't know if it's a psychological thing or if it really does something aside from obviously relaxing the neck muscles, but it helps me.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »

    I've been taking 1 t to 1 T of blackstrap molasses for years but will try it with the ACV for 6 months. I have this with powdered vitamin C so it's already nasty tasting :D

    Thanks, this was exactly the sort of non-surgical option I was looking for.

    I'll give you one more iron option. :) Floradix iron with herbs is excellent for increasing iron. It is the most absorbable iron and the herbs are intended to help your body up its iron and hold it steady. It won't cause constipation like most iron. The liquid tastes nasty but they sell pills on Amazon.

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