Another question for the ladies- peri menopause

ChrisCatMama
ChrisCatMama Posts: 1,038 Member
edited December 21 in Health and Weight Loss
My peri menopause is in full swing, though I am sure it started gradually about 5 years ago. I’m losing my balance easier (I’ve always been a natural clutz!), craving carbs and salty food, fatigue...etc etc
Has anyone got through this without much medication and still lost weight? I have so much responsibilities at home and now dealing with all this. Today has been the worst so far. I’m praying not every day will be this bad.

Replies

  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
    I've been in perimenopause for a few years. So far I've lost 45 pounds. I've done it through a calorie deficit.
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    There's a good thread on perimenopause called"is it over yet" I can't link it but maybe someone else will :)
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    I’m past menopause and never took any medication. Lost 27 pounds 6 years ago when I was peri-menopausal through calorie deficit. Took about 7 months.
  • ChrisCatMama
    ChrisCatMama Posts: 1,038 Member
    I think I should have said “prescription meds “ because I do take black cohosh and natural vitamins for women over 50. (Just turned 50 a few months ago actually) I did read that vertigo is a symptom. I did have an ear infection a few weeks ago.
    Thanks everyone!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,698 Member
    whitpauly wrote: »
    There's a good thread on perimenopause called"is it over yet" I can't link it but maybe someone else will :)

    Here:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10482404/is-it-over-yet-the-perimenopause-thread#latest

    :)
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    When I started having symptoms I went to the doctor. I was told I was probably peri menopause but was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Starting medication for my thyroid helped with a lot of symptoms I was having.

    You might go get checked out to see if there is something more going on than peri menopause.
  • ChrisCatMama
    ChrisCatMama Posts: 1,038 Member
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    When I started having symptoms I went to the doctor. I was told I was probably peri menopause but was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Starting medication for my thyroid helped with a lot of symptoms I was having.

    You might go get checked out to see if there is something more going on than peri menopause.

    I already got some bloodwork done. Thyroid is fine, cholesterol is perfect. Thanks for the tip and glad you’re doing better. I’m gonna get a referral to the allergist since my allergies have worsened quite a bit. 😌
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,188 Member
    I am in peri menopause and I don't take any medication. I started on mfp when I was 47. I am 51 now and I have lost ~80 pounds and been in maintenance for over a year.
  • grubb1019
    grubb1019 Posts: 371 Member
    If your allergies are bad you could have fluid in your ears causing you to be off balance. I have never heard of perimenopause causing you to loose your balance. I am in perimenopause and have lost 18 lbs in the last 27 days.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,698 Member
    I think I mentioned in the other thread ...

    Perimenopause made me tremendously dizzy in the 2-3 days before my periods. And on the worst days, I'd have some balance issues. But in general perimenopause didn't make me lose my balance.
  • lms_938
    lms_938 Posts: 11 Member
    I’ve been on HRT for about nine years, under medical supervision and advice. I have had balance problems in that I feel a bit unsteady sometimes when I’m walking, which is my main exercise. (I do about three miles a day.) I haven’t sought advice about it and did not specifically think of it as tied to the menopause. However I’ve been doing balance exercises for quite a few months now and that seems to have sorted it out. I also do a balance test about once a month. I found this on a reputable website, although I can’t do the link at the moment, but you simply time how long you can stand on one leg with your eyes closed. The website gives a table showing the average expected time by age group. You might that useful / interesting. I hope this is helpful, although it might be wise to check with the doctor if you are concerned about it.
  • cbstewart88
    cbstewart88 Posts: 453 Member
    I think there is something wrong with me. I had never heard of perimenopause. I must have gone through it - but didn't notice anything different. Then one day - I guess I hit menopause. Had my period regularly and then one month - BAM - nothing. I was done. For good. And that was it. Kept waiting for all the horrendous stuff I had been warned about to hit. But here I am at 64, 13 years later and STILL nothing. Not sure why I skated through so easily - but I feel a bit left out.. :neutral:
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited May 2019
    lms_938 wrote: »
    I’ve been on HRT for about nine years, under medical supervision and advice. I have had balance problems in that I feel a bit unsteady sometimes when I’m walking, which is my main exercise. (I do about three miles a day.) I haven’t sought advice about it and did not specifically think of it as tied to the menopause. However I’ve been doing balance exercises for quite a few months now and that seems to have sorted it out. I also do a balance test about once a month. I found this on a reputable website, although I can’t do the link at the moment, but you simply time how long you can stand on one leg with your eyes closed. The website gives a table showing the average expected time by age group. You might that useful / interesting. I hope this is helpful, although it might be wise to check with the doctor if you are concerned about it.

    Here's a link with how to test yourself. It has ages and times for both eyes open and closed.
    • Eyes open I came down at 3:30, more because I was bored and my leg hurt, than because I lost my balance.
    • Eyes closed I first did on my other leg, which has a bad knee, and came down at 37 seconds. Rested a bit, and then did my good leg, for 53 seconds. According to the chart, for my age, it should have been 5-8 seconds. Thank you wide feet and decades of yoga, although I haven't regularly done balancing poses for years :)

    https://posturemovementpain.com/2014/01/30/how-long-should-i-be-able-to-balance-on-one-leg/

    20140130-124834.jpg
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    cbstewart88 wrote: »
    I think there is something wrong with me. I had never heard of perimenopause. I must have gone through it - but didn't notice anything different. Then one day - I guess I hit menopause. Had my period regularly and then one month - BAM - nothing. I was done. For good. And that was it. Kept waiting for all the horrendous stuff I had been warned about to hit. But here I am at 64, 13 years later and STILL nothing. Not sure why I skated through so easily - but I feel a bit left out.. :neutral:

    This actually used to be quite common in Japan, and the language didn't have words for "hot flash" and "menopause" because it was such a non-event.

    https://newrepublic.com/article/115705/japanese-women-handle-menopause-differently-american-women

    ...In the 1980s, the anthropologist Margaret Lock conducted surveys and interviews with thousands of menopausal women in Japan, the U.S., and Canada—and found that the North American and Japanese women were having entirely different experiences.

    Many Japanese women reported no symptoms besides their periods stopping, and did not think of the menopausal transition as a particularly difficult time; the Japanese language does not even have exact translations for words like “menopause” and “hot flash.” Few Japanese women reported the symptoms middle-aged American women dread: 85 percent of American women, but only 12 percent of Japanese women, reported hot flashes. (If Japanese women did complain about something, it was usually stiff shoulders or dizziness—not symptoms American women typically expect.)

    Genetics and diet probably play a role in the lower incidence of menopausal symptoms in Japan, but women’s experiences could also be a psychosomatic manifestation of different cultural attitudes towards aging: The Japanese medical establishment doesn’t pathologize aging to the same extent as Western biomedicine.
  • cbstewart88
    cbstewart88 Posts: 453 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    cbstewart88 wrote: »
    I think there is something wrong with me. I had never heard of perimenopause. I must have gone through it - but didn't notice anything different. Then one day - I guess I hit menopause. Had my period regularly and then one month - BAM - nothing. I was done. For good. And that was it. Kept waiting for all the horrendous stuff I had been warned about to hit. But here I am at 64, 13 years later and STILL nothing. Not sure why I skated through so easily - but I feel a bit left out.. :neutral:

    This actually used to be quite common in Japan, and the language didn't have words for "hot flash" and "menopause" because it was such a non-event.

    https://newrepublic.com/article/115705/japanese-women-handle-menopause-differently-american-women

    ...In the 1980s, the anthropologist Margaret Lock conducted surveys and interviews with thousands of menopausal women in Japan, the U.S., and Canada—and found that the North American and Japanese women were having entirely different experiences.

    Many Japanese women reported no symptoms besides their periods stopping, and did not think of the menopausal transition as a particularly difficult time; the Japanese language does not even have exact translations for words like “menopause” and “hot flash.” Few Japanese women reported the symptoms middle-aged American women dread: 85 percent of American women, but only 12 percent of Japanese women, reported hot flashes. (If Japanese women did complain about something, it was usually stiff shoulders or dizziness—not symptoms American women typically expect.)

    Genetics and diet probably play a role in the lower incidence of menopausal symptoms in Japan, but women’s experiences could also be a psychosomatic manifestation of different cultural attitudes towards aging: The Japanese medical establishment doesn’t pathologize aging to the same extent as Western biomedicine.

    My point exactly!
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    I started peri very young (35-36yr old) and am 39 now. Symptoms are increasing. I have been able to reach a healthy weight though without peri affecting it. I just stayed in a deficit and am pretty active outside of my job.

    My main symptoms have been hair and skin issues, constant cramping like the day before your period, two periods one mo then nothing for 3, and trouble regulating body temperature.
  • OooohToast
    OooohToast Posts: 257 Member
    Hello OP - I also posted on the other Peri-Menopausal thread that yes, I get dizzy/vertigo. It was usually when I lie down in bed at night (more of a flop than a gentle settle into the pillow) and it sends the signals a bit la-la. I would have to say all the joyous symptoms of P-M have subsided quite a bit since dropping a couple of stone off. Weight loss has not slowed for me but I weigh my food and track like my life depends on it :).

    I agree with @leejoyce31 that the impact to all of us is likely to be different and much wider than we may appreciate. I now think of it as my hormones giving my immune system a kicking when they feel like it. I now have an allergy to tree nuts, developed hand pain (but only in the second half of my cycle) and Reynauds !

    Go me ! I've been managing this pretty well with herbal supplements to date but I think I am at the limit of what I can do without the real deal and am pretty sure there is more this "kitten" to come

    So am off to see me a Hormone Specialist - between all of this nonsense, the forgetfulness and the MIA sex drive, enough, is enough !
  • JuneyJo
    JuneyJo Posts: 182 Member
    I had a hysterectomy and oopherecromy at 39 and skipped peri menopause completely. Weight gain and hot flashes are the only symptoms I’ve noticed. I did HRT for a while, but started forgetting to put it on and I just kind of stopped.

    My food addiction has gotten much worse, actually, and since I work a desk job at home, my activity level has decreased. I have to be SUPER diligent about sticking to my eating plan if I want to lose anything. I’ve gained so much weight back since my surgery. :(
    I’m trying to be diligent about bone health, too. Being on the younger side for menopause and not sticking to HRT makes me more at risk for osteoporosis. I’m trying to stick to my supplements and getting healthier with my food choices to help with all of the symptoms.
    The only time I get dizzy is when I’m about to walk down the stairs, though.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,304 Member
    ChrisCatMama wrote: »
    My peri menopause is in full swing, though I am sure it started gradually about 5 years ago. I’m losing my balance easier (I’ve always been a natural clutz!), craving carbs and salty food, fatigue...etc etc
    Has anyone got through this without much medication and still lost weight? I have so much responsibilities at home and now dealing with all this. Today has been the worst so far. I’m praying not every day will be this bad.

    I started losing weight age 49 - at that stage I was still getting regular periods. Lost to goal weight in 10 months and maintained since then.
    Am now 55 and have not been having any periods for about 18 months..

    Fortunately for me I only had minor symptoms - mild hot flushes at times, particularly at night. Would wake up, throw all the blankets off because so hot - only to wake up again freezing cold about half an hour later. :s

    But did not take any medications, prescription or OTC, and did not change my weight loss/maintenance equation.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I'm 52. No hot flashes for me yet. I've always run hot, and now am running even hotter.
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