Peri-Menopausal hormone hell!

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Early menopause runs in family. My gran was 27, my mum and aunt went through it at 42. I'm 47 and have been peri-menopausal for about 18 months. I thought for sure I was going through menopause about 8 months ago; no period for three months, hot flushes mood swings, the works. Then my period came back with a vengeance, cue 21 day cycles, 3 weeks of non stop heavy bleeding each cycle and raging mood swings. My gyno suggested I get an endometrial ablation but it all seems to have gone away again. No period this month!

*scratches head*

No wonder I'm having extra issues with my weight! some weeks I lose nothing then it starts coming off, then it goes back up again.
So ladies if you are going through similar issues and have any tips or suggestions please post them here. I need all the advice I can get right now. Thanks in advance! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • trail_rnr
    trail_rnr Posts: 337 Member
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    In addition to the psychotic mood swings and hot flashes and magically appearing spare tire and horrible sleep (yay, hormones!), I also retain a LOT of water, more that I ever did when I was younger. My cycles are about 21 days now, too (although I still have an IUD so I don't bleed much; I originally got the IUD because I bled so much that I could not sit through a one hour meeting without having to run to the ladies' room. Ridicululous. But I digress). My weight fluctuates quite a bit during my cycle. I'm just trying to maintain now, but when I was losing I could only hope for a downward trend of the range. I just had to give myself a break; there would be not target weight but instead a target range.

    I found I could really focus on one thing. Most of the time it was the mood swings problem. My doc finally put me on an insomnia med and that has helped a little bit with the sleeping but mostly with the mood swings. I'm kind f anti-med, so this was a big step for me. In hindsight, I'm glad she recommended it. It gives me one (or two!) less things to feel bad about.

    Hang in there and know that you are joined by thousands of women worldwide who just keep their mouths shut most of the time.
  • DonnaRe2012
    DonnaRe2012 Posts: 298 Member
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    How come there isn't a class for women at say 40 to tell us about this hell?? They did it in the 4th grade to warn us about what was about to happen. Well in my opinion this is WORST. I have been dealing mostly with the irregular cycles for most of the last year culminatling with a 2 week full on blood bath. Doc put me on BC pills which I wasn't to thrilled with (all that xtra estrogen is not that great for you) I took them for 2 months and then stopped because I bleed for 12 days while on the stupid pills. Done. In the mean time I join MFP and took control of my health. Stopped eating crap, started eating healthly, exercising and viola lost weight. 9lbs/2wks. These changes also seemed to ( I thought) regulate my cycle, I was back to a normal 4 day cycle in Jan. In this last two weeks I have not lost any weight and today when I weighed +1 really? And my cycle is now 2 days late. CRAP !!!! Damn Hormones !!! Onward you will not beat me!!
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
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    Early menopause runs in family. My gran was 27, my mum and aunt went through it at 42. I'm 47 and have been peri-menopausal for about 18 months. I thought for sure I was going through menopause about 8 months ago; no period for three months, hot flushes mood swings, the works. Then my period came back with a vengeance, cue 21 day cycles, 3 weeks of non stop heavy bleeding each cycle and raging mood swings. My gyno suggested I get an endometrial ablation but it all seems to have gone away again. No period this month!

    *scratches head*

    No wonder I'm having extra issues with my weight! some weeks I lose nothing then it starts coming off, then it goes back up again.
    So ladies if you are going through similar issues and have any tips or suggestions please post them here. I need all the advice I can get right now. Thanks in advance! :flowerforyou:
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
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    I don't know how to put the quote in the little blue box and what I want to say right under it!!!!!! oh well, I went thru this same thing about 10 years ago.Hot flashes for almost 10 years, they just recently stopped. I kept thinking the periods were over, then back they would come, and it wasn't until I went without about 8 months worth, that they completely stopped. The sweating was the worse, and I can't say anything helped, I just trigged thru till things leveled out, and it was hard to maintain my weight and to lose was hard. I wish I had some great advice, good luck!
  • Fitwam
    Fitwam Posts: 275 Member
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    Oh my...I was about to post something in this discussion group this morning about THIS VERY TOPIC. I am 43...and all of sudden in the last few weeks have started the night sweats. I get really hot...throw off the sheets and a few minutes later I am cold. CRAZY stuff. Periods are normal...everything else seems to be okay. I think I am in denial. UGH....my new husband (we've only been married 8 months) has already gone through it in his "other life"....and I think he is bracing himself for what is to come. LOL
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
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    Sounds like perimenopause,it happens to all of us sooner or later. The sweats were bad for me too, everytime we went outand i had my hair perfect, by the time we walked out the door, it was soaked. that lasted 10 years!!!! sorry
  • CailleachBeara
    CailleachBeara Posts: 86 Member
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    I haven't had any sweating and I hope I don't get that, it sounds terrible! :noway:

    The hot flushes are demonic though, I'm hoping I don't go through years of it, not sure how I'd cope with that.
    How come there isn't a class for women at say 40 to tell us about this hell?? They did it in the 4th grade to warn us about what was about to happen.

    You never hear about this stuff ever! my mum went through a horrible time and never spoke about it and of course it doesn't occur to you to start thinking about it until the menopause bus rolls up to your doorstep.

    I was on the pill to control my cycles but it's stopped working so I'm going to look at some alternate treatments, I hear Chinese yam is good for the flushes etc.
  • Aphreal
    Aphreal Posts: 103
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    This all started for me in my late 30s Ive had an Hysterectomy but I still have 1 ovary left so I get the mood swings horrible when it gets to the time I would normally be going through PMS. There is just no end result.
  • Victoria2448
    Victoria2448 Posts: 559 Member
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    I had some hormonal related problem last fall...along with those hot flashes and night sweats WTH? Horrible!

    I noticed if I drank my Shakeology faithfully....totally gone. I told my girlfriend who was suffering even more than I was...she started the shakes GONE!

    Along with all the other benefits I get from it...I will never stop drinking it!