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Women: Hot Flashes, mood swings & weight gain... not havin' it!

nowornever47

Attn: women!! Yes, it's happened. I turned 50 last year and they've started... the hot flashes, mood swings.... This post is coming from a mindset I refuse to stay in. The irritability and increased appetite, etc... has got to stop! lol...

Okay, so after a little bit of research on perimenopause/menopause, here is what I did find:
- during this phase this is where 90% of women experience weight gain
- balancing hormones is key
- fluctuations in perimenopause directly impacts appetite, fat storage & metabolism
- estrogen, progesterone and testosterone: sometimes suggested as therapy
- insulin resistance & stress are also responsible for a woman's inability to experience weight
loss, especially during menopause
- resistance occurs when a woman's body incorrectly converts every calorie into fat, which
would be considered an extreme case
- spicy foods, excess sugar & fat can increase/intensify menopausal symptoms

Wanted to start there as this is a true learning experience for me. I lost 46 lbs a few yrs ago, gained some back and am looking to lose about 35 lbs now. This time it seems so much harder!

What I would be sincerely interested to know, is if anyone has had luck with using any supplements or can certain foods help to ease these symptoms? I have not tried HRT (hormone replacement therapy) yet and am trying not to go there if I don't have to. I'd love to incorporate a healthier/cleaner eating plan but to still try to work in the things I love here and there (in moderation). I am currently exercising and am losing slowly but feel like I could sabotage myself so easy and am not happy about it! And, yes - this NE winter is certainly not helping any

Would love any feedback or helpful stories if you're willing to share.

Thank you in advance!
Nowornever47 (aka Dani)

Replies

socalkay

I went into peri-menopause at 38 and menopause at 40. My primary care doctor put me on hormone therapy. My gynocologist took me right off of the drugs and instead told me to try soy isoflavones. Thank goodness I had a gynecologist who looked beyond western medicine. I really feel the isoflavones helped with the hot flashes and some of the other symptoms of menopause. You can get it in capsule form at pharmacies and health food stores. I also bought a bunch of 100% cotton nightshirts and wore cotton shirts during that period. Synthetic fabrics made me sweat more.... http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/soy-for-menopause-symptoms-topic-overview

nowornever47

SwankyTomato wrote: »

I am turning 50 on Friday.

At the moment I am doing OK with the perimenopause thing.

My OBGYN wants me to take progesterone if my TOM has gone over 90 days. I had to have a D&C last yr due to having "issues".

I do feel so tired though. I really hate that part.

Well happy birthday, early! Yes, I guess it also goes with the territory...good luck to yo!

nowornever47

socalkay wrote: »

I went into peri-menopause at 38 and menopause at 40. My primary care doctor put me on hormone therapy. My gynocologist took me right off of the drugs and instead told me to try soy isoflavones. Thank goodness I had a gynecologist who looked beyond western medicine. I really feel the isoflavones helped with the hot flashes and some of the other symptoms of menopause. You can get it in capsule form at pharmacies and health food stores. I also bought a bunch of 100% cotton nightshirts and wore cotton shirts during that period. Synthetic fabrics made me sweat more.... http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/soy-for-menopause-symptoms-topic-overview

Very interesting, thanks for the info! Glad to see it helped you... I also agree with the synthetic fabrics!

rnjcb

I am peri-menopausal (my mother was an early menopaouser at 50; I'm 47). Went to a GYN who put me on bio-identical hormones. Testoserone trouches in the morning and Progesterone drops on my wrists at night. I'm the exception I guess as I got NOTHING from this therapy (I stayed on this for a year and 1/2) even though tons of my friends found relieve from hot flashes, mood swings and lower libidos.
Now I use melatonin at night to help sleep and really watch what I eat. Even though I'm not perfect, and cheat with chocolate, chips and such on occasion my body lets me know if I'm doing the right thing.
I feel so much better when I eat better and that's been the best therapy for me! Oh, and daily exercise; something cardio, definitely gets the day off to a much better start.

amandarunning

My hot flashes were becoming too intense and too frequent, particularly affecting my sleep. Started taking Black Cohosh about 3 months ago and after a few weeks the intensity and frequency reduced significantly. Now I barely have any.

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

I started menopause at the age of 26. It's called premature ovarian failure at that age, but it's the exact same thing. I tried for a long time to avoid HRT but I just couldn't take it anymore, and gave in. HRT was the only thing that made me feel normal again.

tekkiechikk

I'll be 52 in a couple months and have been post-menopausal for about 2 years now and have suffered from hot flashes for at least 3 years. I started MFP a little over a month ago and have noticed something: since eating mindfully and eating healthier and especially being mindful of my salt intake, I haven't had a single hot flash. I overdid it one night a couple weeks ago (went over by 2000 calories) and had a hot flash that night.

Tried the herbal supplement black cohosh when they first started and didn't really work for me, and I refuse to do HRT for various reason, and decided to just live with the hot flashes. But now that it seems that diet (for me) may be a key so it's just one more bonus from eating healthy.

It's thought that Asian women don't experience hot flashes due to the amount of soy they ingest (soy contains a type of plant estrogen), but soy products may not be suitable for everyone. I would suggest you talk to your gynecologist at length about your symptoms and family history.

jgnatca

Wicking PJ's are on my wish list.

mom2mozart

I'm 47 and experiencing same thing. I was able to lose a few years ago with ease simply tracking and using MFP recommendations. Gained weight fast and steady last year without eating crazy... I've since returned to MFP logging faithfully for over 100 days, modified my diet - gluten free (had gone grain free for a while)... I've been tracking, being sure to stay active - but, my body is hoarding fat. I'm desperate. Had several friends who've experienced success with HCG diet. I need to lose at least 20 pounds to not feel bad. In order to return to to my ideal weight I should lose 30 pounds. Hopefully the HCG will at least jump start the process. I've read a lot and it is a major commitment. Eating only 800 calories a day for 6 weeks... Not sure how I'll do it... All the calories are nutrient packed. My doctor won't recommend hormone replacement because of the risks for breast cancer.

pollypocket1021

Prempro causes breast cancer, but there are other hormones that are safer to take, like estrace and prometrium.

If your doctor is telling you that HRT causes cancer, it's because they don't know the research. It is widely accepted that a fair amount of doctors aren't the best at nutrition advice. The same goes for HRT.

If someone is a type one diabetic, they need hormone (insulin) replacement or they will die. Lack of hormones in postmenapausal women also leads to cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death for women.

I wouldn't automatically write HRT off, just because NAMS has made it taboo.

kshama2001

SwankyTomato wrote: »

I am turning 50 on Friday.

At the moment I am doing OK with the perimenopause thing.

My OBGYN wants me to take progesterone if my TOM has gone over 90 days. I had to have a D&C last yr due to having "issues".

I do feel so tired though. I really hate that part.

The bio-identical progesterone called Prometrium helped get my periods back on track when they were every 6 weeks to three months.

kshama2001

I adore Dr. Christiane Northrup's Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing. She's helped me get through some difficult times with fibroids. There's a chapter on menopause. If you're interested, check to see if it's available in your library system - it is in mine.

She's also written The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health During the Change, which I don't yet own. I'll have to read it again; it's been about five years.

Kalikel

I HATE HOT FLASHES!!!!

They're getting ridiculous and I'm having one this minute, so am more irritated than normal, but I always hate them.

I avoid pills that I don't need because I take so many damn pills and because I'd just rather not take anything I don't absolutely need. So, I'm not looking into HRT, but sure get why people do!

This is horrid. I go dunk my head in the pool sometimes just to be done with it. Sometimes I jump in. I used to wash my suits out after a daily swim, but now I don't bother because there is an excellent chance I'll be hopping in again.

These night sweats and the inability to go back to sleep SUCK!

The periods are now leaning more toward less of them that the "a bunch in a row" thing, so yay that. If I never had another, I'd be thrilled.

The issue nobody discusses because it's improper - that is coming and going and it sucks.

What was God thinking when he created woman? "Let there be weeks of blood. Let there be pain with childbirth. Let there be menopause." I think he could've come up with a better system.

Machka9

I'm 48 and my gynecologist tells me I am right in the middle of perimenopause.

Over the past 16 weeks, I have lost 15 kg. That was the fastest, easiest weight loss I've experienced since I was in my mid-twenties.

A couple additional comments:

-- I cannot use hormone replacement therapy. I'm on my own if I start to experience symptoms again.

-- I was experiencing almost daily hot flashes right up till my gynecologist removed a large polyp from my uterus in January. Then they stopped, and I've been feeling much better since.

snowflake954

Hot flashes are hell. Mine were 1 every hour lasting 5 min. My doctor also refused hormone therapy for me. I've had flashes for 7 years and now they are slowing down. I started on MFP 2 1/2 years ago with 30 pounds to lose and lost 20 fairly quickly and easily. The last 10 just won't go, but I don't care how long it takes, and I am happy to maintain and not gain back the 20. I didn't do any elimination dieting--I just followed MFP recomendations. I immediately felt better and started losing. It can be done, you just need more patience. Best of luck to you all.

sweetd6

I went through a very short peri-menopause between the ages of 46 to 49, which only included feelings of being too warm for the temperature and minor hot flashes. My last period happened at 49 and I was still 112 lbs. for years after (my weight since my late 30's), so I thought I had gotten away with menopausal symptoms all together. I did need vagifem (a vaginal tablet of bio identical estrogen to prevent vaginal dryness) which I started one year after periods stopped. Some time in my mid 50's, I gained about 12 lbs. for no reason (you can say calories in, calories out all you want, I know I was eating and moving the exact same way I had been all along). And this weight is VERY hard to lose. I lose about 1/2 lb. a week, even on 1000 cal. a day, and that's what MFP says I should expect, age matters!

After lots of research, I decided to start bio-identical hormones in my mid 50's, very low doses of bi-est, progesterone and testosterone along with vaginal estriol. There are European studies that show small doses of bio-identical hormones (gotten from plants, not horses) improve quality of life, health, bones and heart health. These studies are not done in the U.S. because there is no profit to be made from bio-identical hormones, and we're all about the almighty profit here, no one REALLY cares about health.

I don't use the dosages women like Suzanne Sommers use - she uses huge dosages that actually give her periods (who wants those forever anyway??) I use very small dosages that make me feel more like myself, and if you've been through menopause, you know what I mean. And no, it hasn't helped with weight loss lol, that is still going to be SLOW, but it's helped with me having the energy to go to the gym and walk a lot, and THAT helps with weight loss.

Sabine_Stroehm

If you've not yet read them:
"What Can I eat: Menopause Diet" by Vivianne Parnell is great for ideas for foods to feel better, and "Before the Change: Taking Charge of your Perimenopause" by Ann Louise Gittleman for discussions of lifestyle changes, including herbs and bio-identical hormones, are both good.

I used the bio-identicals to get through the worst of it. These days I'm using a menopause support formula for the hot flashes and fatigue, and focusing on reducing the refined carbs in my diet, and eating more fish and soy. And it's all seeming to help (either that or I'm done ha).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IMIFLM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Good luck to you all, this can be hard, especially during summer!

snowflake954

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

If you've not yet read them:
"What Can I eat: Menopause Diet" by Vivianne Parnell is great for ideas for foods to feel better, and "Before the Change: Taking Charge of your Perimenopause" by Ann Louise Gittleman for discussions of lifestyle changes, including herbs and bio-identical hormones, are both good.

I used the bio-identicals to get through the worst of it. These days I'm using a menopause support formula for the hot flashes and fatigue, and focusing on reducing the refined carbs in my diet, and eating more fish and soy. And it's all seeming to help (either that or I'm done ha).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IMIFLM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Good luck to you all, this can be hard, especially during summer!

You said it sister!

qb63

I'm in the middle of it myself. Dr. won't prescribe hormones unless the hot flashes are "seriously compromising my quality of life", and although they were very annoying I couldn't really say that they were that extreme. A friend recommended an over the counter herbal thing, Wal-mart version of Estroven, I think it's called Estroblend. Within about 3 weeks the hot flashes were gone (down from 10-12 per day), I'm losing weight a lot easier, and I feel almost normal again (as close as I ever was to normal, lol). Told my Dr. this and she said she is not totally sold on them (though there may be some things in them that help some people) but there is nothing harmful in them so I should go for it if they are helping. I can only speak for me and my friend that told me about them, but they are cheap and safe and to us, a miracle. Hope this helps someone!!

SlenderClassyElegant

Kalikel wrote: »

What was God thinking when he created woman? "Let there be weeks of blood. Let there be pain with childbirth. Let there be menopause." I think he could've come up with a better system.

What doesn't kill us....

Sabine_Stroehm

qb63 wrote: »

I'm in the middle of it myself. Dr. won't prescribe hormones unless the hot flashes are "seriously compromising my quality of life", and although they were very annoying I couldn't really say that they were that extreme. A friend recommended an over the counter herbal thing, Wal-mart version of Estroven, I think it's called Estroblend. Within about 3 weeks the hot flashes were gone (down from 10-12 per day), I'm losing weight a lot easier, and I feel almost normal again (as close as I ever was to normal, lol). Told my Dr. this and she said she is not totally sold on them (though there may be some things in them that help some people) but there is nothing harmful in them so I should go for it if they are helping. I can only speak for me and my friend that told me about them, but they are cheap and safe and to us, a miracle. Hope this helps someone!!

Many of the same ingredients as my product. Heck, if it works for us, it works for us!

tekkiechikk

I think we're all just wonderfully different and what works for one may not work for somebody else, so it's a matter of trial and error a lot of times.

I've been post-menopausal for a few years and know for sure that two things will trigger a hot flash: 1. stress, and 2. salt overload. I also won't do HRT and have tried herbs, OTC Estro-products, and homeopathic recipes (like eating high amounts of soy), but none seemed to truly help. Avoiding salt and stress is the closest I can come to minimizing hot flashes. Seriously-- I overdo it on Fat Free Pringles and bam! I'm having a cycle of hot flashes an hour later. I'm guessing for me it's possibly tied into a spike in blood pressure.

Although in all honesty- based solely on my own experience- if I had to choose between "the curse" every month and hot flashes, I'll take the hot flashes every time.

Need2Exerc1se

My experience in perimenopause is that exercise is key to controlling hot flashes and mood swings. Absolutely KEY for me. I'm sure I would have killed someone by now without it. Plus, it has the added benefit of preserving muscle and bone.

Dieting is harder now for me. Partly due to PMS type symptoms randomly and often, but also because I'm just not as obsessed with being thin anymore. I've been thin and I know it doens't really make anything better other than how my clothes fit.

My doctor (not GYN, my PCP) suggested a high fiber diet (45g per day) and I will say it has made the whole losing weight process easier for me.

TheGaudyMagpie

I am perimenopausal and had terrible symptoms. I am very happily on HRT. The alarming study that caused most doctors to recommend against it has been qualified at this point, and neither my primary nor gyno had any reservations about prescribing HRT. As for "putting off transition," by the time I am ready to go off of it, I will be in complete menopause, and I will be able to taper what will be a known measure of hormone in my system, as opposed to riding the crazy fluctuations I was before HRT. Each woman needs to measure the risks for themselves, but I worry that some women suffer through horrible symptoms based on outdated medical information.

pollypocket1021

sweetd6 wrote: »

I went through a very short peri-menopause between the ages of 46 to 49, which only included feelings of being too warm for the temperature and minor hot flashes. My last period happened at 49 and I was still 112 lbs. for years after (my weight since my late 30's), so I thought I had gotten away with menopausal symptoms all together. I did need vagifem (a vaginal tablet of bio identical estrogen to prevent vaginal dryness) which I started one year after periods stopped. Some time in my mid 50's, I gained about 12 lbs. for no reason (you can say calories in, calories out all you want, I know I was eating and moving the exact same way I had been all along). And this weight is VERY hard to lose. I lose about 1/2 lb. a week, even on 1000 cal. a day, and that's what MFP says I should expect, age matters!

After lots of research, I decided to start bio-identical hormones in my mid 50's, very low doses of bi-est, progesterone and testosterone along with vaginal estriol. There are European studies that show small doses of bio-identical hormones (gotten from plants, not horses) improve quality of life, health, bones and heart health. These studies are not done in the U.S. because there is no profit to be made from bio-identical hormones, and we're all about the almighty profit here, no one REALLY cares about health.

I don't use the dosages women like Suzanne Sommers use - she uses huge dosages that actually give her periods (who wants those forever anyway??) I use very small dosages that make me feel more like myself, and if you've been through menopause, you know what I mean. And no, it hasn't helped with weight loss lol, that is still going to be SLOW, but it's helped with me having the energy to go to the gym and walk a lot, and THAT helps with weight loss.

THIS. This is evidence based medicine. The number of studies showing the benefits of HRT -- bioidentical HTR in particular -- is staggering. There is one VERY FLAWED study that showed a risk of plaque rupture with premarin and provera (which are not bioidentical) in women over age 63 who had never been on HRT before. The Nurses' Health Study showed a small increase in breast cancer if estrogen is administered for more than 20 years without concurrent progesterone administration. (Take progesterone, the risk goes away.)

ExRelaySprinter

Bookmarking this thread.
Some really helpful info.
I reckon it's "just around the corner" for me and i'm absolutely dreading it.

scary_mary73

I have been peri-menopausal for a couple of years now, I didn't realise what it was at first as I didn't get hot flushes straight away just lots of other symptoms.

I had a hysterectomy in January and had menopause symptoms hit me like a truck afterwards! I kept my ovaries so the symptoms have settled down a bit now.

I am in 2 minds about HRT, I want to feel like myself again, I don't know how much of what I am feeling is due to peri-menopause and how much is due to the surgery?

Kalikel

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

If you've not yet read them:
"What Can I eat: Menopause Diet" by Vivianne Parnell is great for ideas for foods to feel better, and "Before the Change: Taking Charge of your Perimenopause" by Ann Louise Gittleman for discussions of lifestyle changes, including herbs and bio-identical hormones, are both good.

I used the bio-identicals to get through the worst of it. These days I'm using a menopause support formula for the hot flashes and fatigue, and focusing on reducing the refined carbs in my diet, and eating more fish and soy. And it's all seeming to help (either that or I'm done ha).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IMIFLM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Good luck to you all, this can be hard, especially during summer!

I'm going to the library tomorrow and ordering these if I can.

This hot flash thing is getting out of control. Sometimes they're coming one on top of the other. I'd heard women - old women - complain about it, but really never understood. Now I do.

And I seriously do not care for the idea that I am one of the old women complaining about hot flashes because I really do not feel that I'm like those old women. I'm like "How did this happen?! Where do a complain?!"

There ought to be a form. I have a grievance.

TheGaudyMagpie

scary_mary73 wrote: »

I had a hysterectomy in January and had menopause symptoms hit me like a truck afterwards! I kept my ovaries so the symptoms have settled down a bit now.

I am in 2 minds about HRT, I want to feel like myself again, I don't know how much of what I am feeling is due to peri-menopause and how much is due to the surgery?

Because you have had a hysterectomy, you may be able to go on estrogen-only HRT. The progesterone is generally taken only to prevent endometrial cancer. Some people feel it makes them a little perkier, but it's something you can feel more free weighing as you don't have the risk of that specific cancer. I do take synthetics, but the estrogen is by patch, so it bypasses the liver. I don't have a dog in the bio-identical fight because I don't fear the synthetics but some people prefer the bio-identicals and if they feel better about them, that's what they should do. My doctors will prescribe bio-identicals but the prescription needs to be filled by a compounding pharmacist and my insurance does not cover it (I don't have any ideas about how expensive it is).

editorgrrl

nowornever47 wrote: »

What I would be sincerely interested to know, is if anyone has had luck with using any supplements or can certain foods help to ease these symptoms?

Would love any feedback or helpful stories if you're willing to share.

MFP has a Near or Post Menopausal group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/506-near-or-post-menopausal-group