Is It Over Yet? The Perimenopause Thread
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I'm getting frustrated because I can't sleep at the moment. I feel like a zombie during the day, and it's slowing my workouts down.3
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I'm getting frustrated because I can't sleep at the moment. I feel like a zombie during the day, and it's slowing my workouts down.
I hear ya! I work really hard at my sleep hygiene. 5-HTP and melatonin worked for years for me, but it wasn't enough once I got around 50. I've recently been benefiting from something that is an option in my state that I cannot yet discuss explicitly here.5 -
amymoreorless wrote: »Oh, I am glad I found this thread! Help?
Any long distance runners in the house? I hear exercise is supposed to make hot flashes better. I am training for a marathon and still suffering. The hot flashes are kitting my *kitten* this summer. Does anything help? I just want to stop sweating in my sleep!
@amymoreorless I'm almost 52 and have yet to have a hot flash. One possible reason is that I've been taking Black Cohosh for fibroids for years. Doesn't seem to help with that, but could be preventing hot flashes.
I also eat a lot of cabbage family vegetables, such as kale and broccoli, and take Vitamin C to bowel tolerance.
You could also see if Dr. Christiane Northrup’s The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health During the Change has anything useful to you. She provides a wide spectrum of options, so feel free to discard any that don't resonate with you. This book was available at my library system, so perhaps yours as well.1 -
I'm 46 and my periods suddenly stopped in February of last year, then i had one random in June, and absolutely nothing again. I had my hormone levels tested both last year and now again, and i am officially postmenopausal. Wow. I have occasional night sweats, no hot flashes, but my sleep is atrocious. I'm up late, can't fall asleep early to save my life. Taking melatonin, drinking loads of herbal teas, like chamomile, mints, lemon balm, basically an array of calming teas, but still up till past midnight-1 am. And up around 7 to start over. My doctor told me that whatever symptoms i have now will most likely stay a while, but it's unlikely that i will show new ones. It's comforting in a sense, as my wife is suffering from awful hot flashes and has been for a few years. Oh, and the worst, my sex drive is in in the dumps. Wish i could fix that, anyone has any suggestions?1
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kshama2001 wrote: »I'm getting frustrated because I can't sleep at the moment. I feel like a zombie during the day, and it's slowing my workouts down.
I hear ya! I work really hard at my sleep hygiene. 5-HTP and melatonin worked for years for me, but it wasn't enough once I got around 50. I've recently been benefiting from something that is an option in my state that I cannot yet discuss explicitly here.
So this thing, which is definitely not legal in my country yet, actually works to combat sleeping issues? Because I've tried a lot of things that haven't really worked, but not that, yet. I know where I would get some, if it's worth trying, though ...
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kshama2001 wrote: »@kshama2001 my herbalist has me take vitex pretty regularly to help with the hormonal stuff. It works great!
The herbal stuff works way better for me than the pharmaceuticals. But there are so many options out there, I'm lucky to have a knowledgeable herbalist close by.
I took Vitex for years. My fibroids have gotten bigger when I stopped, but they've been steadily getting bigger since they were first spotted in 2000, so I don't think I can attribute that to the cessation of Vitex.
I've reconsidered and have ordered Vitex again. Fingers crossed.1 -
jdubois5351 wrote: »So this thing, which is definitely not legal in my country yet, actually works to combat sleeping issues? Because I've tried a lot of things that haven't really worked, but not that, yet. I know where I would get some, if it's worth trying, though ...
If it's the thing newly legal in my state too, it helps me too, and my insomnia is recurrent and intractable. I have also used supplements that use some of the components, but not others, and those products also help and are legal in more places. It also helps a lot with management of pain from neck arthritis.
I take hormones also, but the insomnia does not seem to be related to my hormone levels, and does not seem to be helped by estrogen. I've had it forever though and also have paradoxical reactions to normally sedating things (e.g., benadryl interrupts my sleep). The hormones help greatly with the other stuff though and enable me to stay active and more healthy. I'm a trail runner and would not be able to do that based on the brief period I dealt with my meno symptoms unassisted. I have zero concerns about safety as I'm fairly healthy with no hereditary cancer risks or clotting issues. I do get an endometrial biopsy regularly because I still have some bleeding (results always normal).
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Bump0
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I had to stop taking the Relizen a couple of months ago cuz after a few months on it it seemed like it was making my anxiety worse,now I'm just winging it thru,anybody ever try Estroven? I have some in my medicine cabinet yet have never tried it0
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I’m glad this thread is still going even though I haven’t added to it in awhile. My melatonin has stopped putting me to sleep and the pms type symptoms have been daily with no break for the past 4 months. My cycle had gotten consistent again for a few months before stopping - now 70 days into current cycle. I’m tired4
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Update: I started using progesterone cream on my doctor's advice and I just realized I haven't had any hot flashes in a while. I use it for three weeks out of every month.4
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Oh, also...I am officially menopausal now. My last period was in February of 2017.4
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I’m bumping this because I want to rant that my periods are getting shorter, and not longer like I was promised. It was bad enough when it was 25 days throughout my 20s and 30s, but now it’s 18 days half the time. And somehow I’m still getting ovulation cravings and pain, even though I shouldn’t be ovulating with an 18 day cycle. So 6 days out of every 18 I’m craving salty sweets from pms or just want to eat with no satiation feeling from ovulation.4
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That's what happened to me for a year or so. Every other week! And for a week as well. I haven't been since last March and have everything crossed I make it till March so I can have my check up. They want you to be a year period free here in the UK.
Feeling so much better so hang in there!1 -
I'll be 50 next week, and my last period was two years ago. I was told I had premature ovarian failure when I was 44, and things slowed down from there.
The hot flashes were/are ridiculous. I had no idea they'd be so intense. Those are almost gone, but now the 'brain fog' has arrived in full force. I forget so many names and have to write everything down or it flies right out of my head. It's embarrassing sometimes.
I will say it is very nice not having a period and all the associated yuck. I don't miss it one bit.1 -
BecomingMoreAwesome wrote: »I’m bumping this because I want to rant that my periods are getting shorter, and not longer like I was promised. It was bad enough when it was 25 days throughout my 20s and 30s, but now it’s 18 days half the time. And somehow I’m still getting ovulation cravings and pain, even though I shouldn’t be ovulating with an 18 day cycle. So 6 days out of every 18 I’m craving salty sweets from pms or just want to eat with no satiation feeling from ovulation.
You're progressing well then.
It was news to me too that the days between periods really shorten for a year or two before they start lengthening.
BUT ... it might be worth having a chat to your gyn. Sometimes more frequent periods are a sign of problems. I discovered that too.2 -
BecomingMoreAwesome wrote: »I’m bumping this because I want to rant that my periods are getting shorter, and not longer like I was promised. It was bad enough when it was 25 days throughout my 20s and 30s, but now it’s 18 days half the time. And somehow I’m still getting ovulation cravings and pain, even though I shouldn’t be ovulating with an 18 day cycle. So 6 days out of every 18 I’m craving salty sweets from pms or just want to eat with no satiation feeling from ovulation.
You're progressing well then.
It was news to me too that the days between periods really shorten for a year or two before they start lengthening.
BUT ... it might be worth having a chat to your gyn. Sometimes more frequent periods are a sign of problems. I discovered that too.
Good point, thanks. I see my GP in February anyway and will check in with her about this and all the other fun 43 year old stuff. I think I get my first mammogram this year, whee!0 -
I just start taking black cohosh a couple of months ago because someone told me that it helped with the hot flashes. I still have them every now and then, but they have been greatly reduced.2
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dramaqueen45 wrote: »I just start taking black cohosh a couple of months ago because someone told me that it helped with the hot flashes. I still have them every now and then, but they have been greatly reduced.
Good to know!
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