Yay for Menopause

AliNouveau

Loved this post. I can't wait. I'm 46 and a friend who is 49 and I keep waiting. Every month were like where the heck is menopause I'm ready. She's just about there I think in peri I probably have a few more years to go.

Keep fighting ladies we're all awesome

Katmary71

@SummerSkier I may have read it wrong, did you mean blood sugar goes higher at night because of eating carbs? I'm diabetic and get higher readings two hours after. I get hypoglycemic and when it's really low I'd wake up with shaking and chills. I'm no longer on medication and my blood sugar dips in and out of hypoglycemia but not with the symptoms it used to.

Katmary71

OK, peri-menopause and menopause is confusing! After years of medications for endometriosis I very happily stopped having periods. Two years later, surprise! Not only was it back early this year routinely but I spotted every day from Feb to August. Everything stopped and it's gone again. My OBG can't find anything wrong, but said it may not be menopause because I'm not having hot flashes. Next test is for thyroid but I was tested a couple years ago and no problem.

The midsection gain is real, I've always been pear-shaped then this belly that wouldn't go away lingered despite being at goal weight. I was tempted to lose more to target it but my upper body is a bit too thin at this point.

SummerSkier

@Katmary71 yes - I think that is what i meant. However I am not diabetic just menopausal and searching for connections as to what causes night sweats. It may be completely unrelated but if eating carbs later in the day leads to a blood sugar spike in the night time I was think that was causing the sweats. Could be completely off base of course.

AS far as peri I think I had one long long long period and then spotted a long time. I never had the hot flashes or night sweats when it first started. And the mid section fat thing did not start until I was about 10 years in either. It just goes to show how everyone's experiences are different. There is a bloodwork test for menopause also I think to check for hormones.

Speaking of bloodwork I find it totally annoying that as we age things just go downhill no matter how healthy we eat or keep fit. It's all part of the body process of course because things start to wear out and recovery takes longer but it doesn't mean I have to like it! LOL

_Pastafarian_

Thank you for this thread.

I'm 51 and been perimenopausal for a few years. My sleep has been affected (which messes with my weight) and I get hot flushes occasionally as well as decreased libido. Still getting periods but currently on day 57 of my cycle and my boobs have stopped feeling sore so the next one is due very soon. This has all been very cyclical for me, sometimes my sleep is fantastic and my cycle is a relatively normal 30-34 days long and then boom, the symptoms are back. Cannot wait for it all to be over. In the meantime I find weight lifting with a bit of cardio helps a lot with regulating my moods and also sleep to a certain extent.

One blessing - I had a lower body lift (belt lipectomy or 360 body lift) in 2018 after massive weight loss following my VSG in 2015. My stomach is flat as a board, hoping it stays that way.

The hardest thing about this process is I've had no one to talk to about it. The people I know my age don't discuss it, and my mother died 20 years ago (lost contact with her when I was 7). So thank you all, you've helped me a lot

ilfaith

Turned 50 this past summer and am still getting my period every 27 days like clockwork. I would say among my friends around my age, at least half are "going through the change" or are in menopause. My mother had her uterus and ovaries removed her late 30s, and went on HRT immediately, so I don't really know from family history what to expect. Every time I shop for tampons, I wonder if this will be the last box I need. After 38 years of regular periods...minus the time I was pregnant and nursing...I am ready to be done.

lporter229

I am really glad that I found this thread. I am 47 and I think I am starting into peri-menopause. Instead of my periods stopping, however, I am getting them about every ten days. This is after many years of very regular periods. And the cramps are horrible. Also getting the night sweats, but I am not new to that since I dealt with them for years with Crohn's disease.

One other thing I have noticed that is bothering me is how elevated my heart rate has become. My resting heart rate is usually in the low to mid 50s and it has been in the 60s for the past several weeks. Also, it is much higher than normal when I run, even though my perceived rate of exertion is not. I have tried taking an extended period of rest thinking maybe I was overdoing it, but it did not change anything. Has anyone had similar experience? Does this sound like menopause to you? A quick Google search confirms that all of these things can be indications of peri-menopause.

micki48

saggyandbaggy wrote: »

57yrs old and still peri..... Have had a reasonably smooth time, just the odd day of feeling murderous or like crying in a corner..... Can't wait til it is done!

Similar to you, I am nearing 56 and still not in menopause. Just came from my gyn and she said her oldest patient to go through menopause was 57, so I may be going for the new record. There are ups and downs, but overall not too bad. I really don’t want to gain weight after fighting to lose 25 pounds this past year. Now, I have to have an ultrasound to check my lining because I went 6 months with no periods then starting in October had 3 periods two-ish weeks apart. Dr. Said she has to take special care of me because of my age and weight. Mentioned possibly putting me on a progesterone only low dose pill? I was on bc most of my childbearing years. Has anyone had a similar experience? Any thoughts on progesterone only pill? Is that the same as HRT?

Annie42019

59 and have been in menopause since 55. At 57 I began my weight loss journey. My doctor assured me that it would be a long slow process . I said “ hold my beer” ( metaphorically). I lost 73 pounds in ten months. The first 55 in six months!

Megan_smartiepants1970

I just turned 49 in Dec.....I haven't had a period in years ....thank goodness....my daughter is 14 and she has had her period since she was 11 ....

christineengel1

I've heard that hypnosis can help with hot flashes. Might try that the next time the guy comes to town. Mine come and go, but when they are here they are BAD. Now if I could just figure out something for improving libido ….. suggestions?

wrknonmedaily

49 this year. I can not wait.

designerdiscounts

46 and in peri menopause for a couple years according to my gyn. I also had an ablation a few years ago so it’s hard to track, any periods are super, super light and last one to two days. No hot flashes, thank goodness. But the moods - oh boy. And when my 14 yr old daughter is having her TOM, we are a disaster. Looking forward to being out the other side.

Bluejay61

Menopause can be a liberating time of realization and the start of a new outlook....if we listen to our bodies and our minds.

For my own journey, I got back to the real me, ditching the excesses (coffee, salt, alcohol, negative voices of others, etc.) and never looked back.

I wish all of the ladies here happiness and success in wherever YOUR journey takes you.

judyvalentine512

I looked forward to menopause from the day I had my first period. I started menopause at the ripe old age of 40 and I was never so happy in my life, except maybe when I had my kids. I had HRT for the first 5 years, because I do have mental health issues. Once I stopped the HRT(doctor's recommendation), I was great. No hot flashes, no mood swings, and just happy to be alive. Did I gain weight? Sure, but I was happy. I'm 63 now, because of other health issues, I've lost 84 pounds since joining MFP. I eat well, I exercise, and just enjoy life.
In my humble opinion, menopause is not the end, but the beginning of the next phase of life that can be as great or as hard as you make it.
Good luck and as BLuejay61 says, happiness and success in whereever your journey takes you.

cyncm

I'm finally fully menopausal after a few years of cycling back and forth... very cool not to have periods but hot flashes are a nuisance. Like others I find whatever gets my blood sugar to rise can trigger them, plus hot drinks, but it's worse in the late afternoon to bedtime. Mostly I just live with it cause rooibos tea and chocolate after dinner is so nice. Sleeping with the heat off no matter the temperature plus window open most of the year helps alot. So would kicking the cats out from under the covers but some things are sacred. I usually remember how much less sweaty life is now compared to when I was lugging around another 80 pounds...

cyncm

PS I am soooooo not comfortable with the risks of HRT. My mom says she used yam cream... anyone tried that?

kshama2001

cyncm wrote: »

PS I am soooooo not comfortable with the risks of HRT. My mom says she used yam cream... anyone tried that?

Yes, I did use Emerita Pro-Gest Progesterone Cream to help regulate my cycle, which would decrease my bleeding back then. Then I finally got a GYN who would prescribe Prometrium, a bio-identical progesterone, and switched to that. This was for my fibroids/heavy bleeding, not menopause. I was very comfortable with both products, and with Emerita as a brand.