Yay for Menopause
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I'm 53 - three years since I've had a period. Cons of menopause: I've REALLY had to watch what I eat. I've always had to - I'm very petite and small-boned - but since menopause 'hit' - like rhtexasgal mentioned -any body fat I had has 'shifted' to my mid-section....and it's NOT a good look! I workout 6 days a week, do weights 3 days a week, I weigh around 118, and I STILL have this horrendous inner-tube-of-fat around my mid-section......! The hot flashes have diminished......Pros of Menopause - no more periods (WOOT), no more migraines (I was getting about 10+ a month - GONE)! No more mood swings, no more mood cravings.........I guess the 'pros' outweigh the 'cons', but I still hate the mid-section inner-tube-of-fat........LOL! I guess if I ever fall off of a boat, I'll float forever......8
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I'm 53 - three years since I've had a period. Cons of menopause: I've REALLY had to watch what I eat. I've always had to - I'm very petite and small-boned - but since menopause 'hit' - like rhtexasgal mentioned -any body fat I had has 'shifted' to my mid-section....and it's NOT a good look! I workout 6 days a week, do weights 3 days a week, I weigh around 118, and I STILL have this horrendous inner-tube-of-fat around my mid-section......! The hot flashes have diminished......Pros of Menopause - no more periods (WOOT), no more migraines (I was getting about 10+ a month - GONE)! No more mood swings, no more mood cravings.........I guess the 'pros' outweigh the 'cons', but I still hate the mid-section inner-tube-of-fat........LOL! I guess if I ever fall off of a boat, I'll float forever......
I hear you on the "inner tube" thing! I've never had a small waist. But since I had a twin pregnancy at an "advanced maternal age" (kind of slid right from postpartum into perimenopause - good times!)..... no matter how light I get, I carry my special kangaroo pouch around with me!
I try to view it as a badge of honor.
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I’m 46 and have been peri for the past 4-5 years. I cannot wait for menopause.3
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Just got my period after a six month lapse. Now I get to start counting to 12 all over again. 😫15
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I am finding this thread very interesting and thanks, all, for sharing your experiences. I will be 42 in a few weeks, had a hysterectomy just after I turned 40 (voluntary treatment for extremely large fibroid, seemed preferable to a myomectomy since I don't want kids), kept my ovaries, so I have to pay attention to signs other than periods for menopause when it comes, but based on family history, I probably have at least 8 years left (give or take, it is obviously a process as those above are describing). Gleefully threw out all pads, tampons, etc. in the house. Celebrated my last period (came 2 days before my 40th birthday) ever since I knew it would be the last.7
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So I was reading a thread on facebook from one of my friends who is diabetic and another of her friends (male) talked about his symptoms when he is going thru a blood sugar crash.
I have always attributed my night sweats to menopause but haven't understood what the trigger was. I now have a possible connection between why women get hot flashes and night sweats. Possibly due to a blood sugar dive which hormones no longer control. Esp since I tend to get a lot of my calories in the evening many of which are carbs etc... WOW. LIGHTBULB MOMENT!!! I wonder if we took a blood sugar reading during a hot flash whether it would show an extreme low? or maybe those type of sweats from low blood sugar dives and hot flashes are not similar at all.
Just food for thought.8 -
keodell1966 wrote: »How do you force menopause? I'm 53, not really wanting it to happen, but curious when it will. Sick of periods....
I am working with my doctors ( gynecologist and neurologist) right now trying to force menopause- I went on the pill for three months straight, hoping when I paused this week I would not have a period- FAIL this month. but will try again for 3 months. I am having a horrible peri-menopause-migraines everyday, insomnia, my progesterone is totally out of whack.
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I started having perimenopause at age 42, after it hit, my Dr took tests to see what level my hormones were at & prescribed hormone cream that was mixed up for me. Dr was very much into herbs & natural & said this hormone cream was good for the heart too. It helped with the hot flashes but I've always been a "hot" person, even in my 20's & still get hot flashes years after menopause0
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Found this thread very interesting. I'm 49 and Oct 1 was.my 1 year anniversary TOM-free. Hopefully it will continue, but I haven't had it too bad! I have had a few nights when I woke up due to night sweats, but not that many. I do have minor hot flashes at night, but nothing major. Mainly I wake up due to sleep apnea, and kick the blanket off occasionally, but not really sweaty, just hot. I'm working on losing weight. I've lost almost 50lbs.since.summer. I still have a lot more to lose, but not finding it too, too difficult. I just love not getting my period.anymore!! I can live with the rest. After reading many of these other posts, I consider myself very fortunate!4
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Found this thread very interesting. I'm 49 and Oct 1 was.my 1 year anniversary TOM-free. Hopefully it will continue, but I haven't had it too bad! I have had a few nights when I woke up due to night sweats, but not that many. I do have minor hot flashes at night, but nothing major. Mainly I wake up due to sleep apnea, and kick the blanket off occasionally, but not really sweaty, just hot. I'm working on losing weight. I've lost almost 50lbs.since.summer. I still have a lot more to lose, but not finding it too, too difficult. I just love not getting my period.anymore!! I can live with the rest. After reading many of these other posts, I consider myself very fortunate!
Congratulations on your weight loss! That's great that you're not finding it too difficult. And it sure is nice not having a period!
I can relate on a symptom level. And although I was already in maintenance going through menopause... I gained a few of the vanity pounds I had lost (like 3-5 to the top end of where I'm comfortable). I floundered about for a year trying to lose them. But once I got my deficit dialed in properly, I am in losing mode again.5 -
I'm 63 and I'm at my lowest weight....ever! I'm lovin life. I'm retired so I can get out and walk whenever I want.7
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Peri was blinking awful. Permanently tired because I couldn't sleep, tetchy, loss of libido (dryness - eugh), awful frequent heavy periods. However, I did lose quite a bit of weight. Then got past that and am on HRT. Pluses of which are sleep relatively ok, not irritable, minuses are that I have put on some weight, and get spots. Hmm. Dryness and lack of libido still an issue.4
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You have the right attitude!
I struggled with getting older and the whole menopause thing, I think because in my mind I'm still 22 and it's just the cognitive dissonance.... hahah!
I'm solidly through the process now at age 59, and feeling great. I did HRT for a few years, because after two years of night sweats and sleeplessness, I decided my quality of life was important! I also started on vaginal estrogens because my sex life is very important to me, and whoooo-doggy, did THAT make a difference! (I highly recommend it, and the sooner the better, along with regular....ahem! "Exercise" of our lady parts to keep them functioning well, and preventing bladder leaks, pain, etc.)
The things that helped me were:
1. Finding older female role models who were *still* vibrant, active, and sexy as hell. Helen Mirren comes to mind.
2. Finding examples of older women *still* being valued and cherished, either by their partners, or by their family and community. So, finding my worth in things other than youth, physical beauty, etc.
3. Becoming focused on what has improved with age. I'm a singer, and my voice and repertoire are 100x better than they were in my 20s, for example. I know more, I'm more skilled at a lot of things, I'm wiser, and people come to me for advice and assistance. I have something to offer the young pups coming up. That has value.
4. Don't spend a lot of time looking at myself in the mirror or worrying what others think about me. I keep in shape and I guess I'm attractive for my age--I take care of myself--but I refuse to put myself down for things beyond my control. My partner thinks I'm beautiful and sexy, and I try to see myself through his eyes. He doesn't notice the cellulite or fondly remember the way my *kitten* used to look 20 years ago. Why should I?
5. I think of the people I find truly beautiful and amazing. Youth has nothing to do with that, nor does their looks. I know many compelling people who have neither.
I think mindset is key, and it sounds like you've got a great one!
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Hahah.... I realized that the site's auto-correct changed a few words here! It changed "A**" to "Kitten". Which is probably cleaner than some of you may have been thinking...!
("Kitten" is not an improvement here!
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I think that reframing the societal ideals about menopause and aging for women is empowerment. Good for you!2
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Here’s a “boo” for menopause...just had bloodwork done, and my cholesterol is high, specifically my “bad” cholesterol. This happens in menopause due to reduced estrogen, among other things. I’m not happy, since I already limit meat/saturated fat, alcohol, commerical baked goods and just lost about 20 pounds while exercising 4-6 days a week. My diet is going to become even more restricted! Would prefer to stay off meds as long as possible.10
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Here’s a “boo” for menopause...just had bloodwork done, and my cholesterol is high, specifically my “bad” cholesterol. This happens in menopause due to reduced estrogen, among other things. I’m not happy, since I already limit meat/saturated fat, alcohol, commerical baked goods and just lost about 20 pounds while exercising 4-6 days a week. My diet is going to become even more restricted! Would prefer to stay off meds as long as possible.
BOOO! That sux. Especially when you are already working hard!0 -
Here’s a “boo” for menopause...just had bloodwork done, and my cholesterol is high, specifically my “bad” cholesterol. This happens in menopause due to reduced estrogen, among other things. I’m not happy, since I already limit meat/saturated fat, alcohol, commerical baked goods and just lost about 20 pounds while exercising 4-6 days a week. My diet is going to become even more restricted! Would prefer to stay off meds as long as possible.
Ya know I had NO idea that our blood work gets worse as we get older due to menopause. I have been trying forever to get my cholesterol below 200 but it is usually just over. I finally realized that having bloodwork this year that was pretty much the same as the past 10-15 years was actually a WIN vs no improvement. SImilarly my BP which was always 100+/60+ something since I was a teen has climbed to where is is more likely 110+/70+ the past few years. A sign of aging .
However there is more and more research out there that our cholesterol #s are not as influenced by our diet as is traditionally thought. My family genes give me high #s (but the ratio is always really good!) and bad teeth. Nothing I can really do about what my ancestors gave me, Possibly at some point the docs will recommend statins but who knows.....
Just musing. But sometimes all we can do as we age is KEEP THE GAINS and that in itself is a win when so many of our peers are slowly sinking.
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Soymilk, tofu, lots of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and fatty fish all helped with my menopause symptoms. Advised to add them to my diet by my OBGYN. Soymilk and tofu ended my hot flashes, adding moderate portions of whole grains (roughly 1/2 half cup per meal per day) and lots of vegetables and fruit helped me drop the 15 pounds I gained after "the change", and the fatty fish (sardines, salmon, herring, mackerel) made my skin glow again, stopped the dry eye, and helped with the dreaded dryness in other areas as well. I also exercise daily, 3 good aerobic workouts, some weight training, swimming, stretching. I mix things up over the course of the week, depending on my schedule and how I am feeling. I would like to drop another 10 pounds by my 55th birthday, so I have started tracking my calories again on the site. Nothing extreme, but I would love to get back to 145 which was my achieved goal weight the year I turned 50.
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SummerSkier wrote: »So I was reading a thread on facebook from one of my friends who is diabetic and another of her friends (male) talked about his symptoms when he is going thru a blood sugar crash.
I have always attributed my night sweats to menopause but haven't understood what the trigger was. I now have a possible connection between why women get hot flashes and night sweats. Possibly due to a blood sugar dive which hormones no longer control. Esp since I tend to get a lot of my calories in the evening many of which are carbs etc... WOW. LIGHTBULB MOMENT!!! I wonder if we took a blood sugar reading during a hot flash whether it would show an extreme low? or maybe those type of sweats from low blood sugar dives and hot flashes are not similar at all.
Just food for thought.
Smart. Very smart.
My grandmother started having hot flashes/night sweats at the age of 44 and they didn't stop until she was 94. They attributed all of it menopause/hormones but didn't connect the dots to glucose regulation.0 -
SummerSkier wrote: »So I was reading a thread on facebook from one of my friends who is diabetic and another of her friends (male) talked about his symptoms when he is going thru a blood sugar crash.
I have always attributed my night sweats to menopause but haven't understood what the trigger was. I now have a possible connection between why women get hot flashes and night sweats. Possibly due to a blood sugar dive which hormones no longer control. Esp since I tend to get a lot of my calories in the evening many of which are carbs etc... WOW. LIGHTBULB MOMENT!!! I wonder if we took a blood sugar reading during a hot flash whether it would show an extreme low? or maybe those type of sweats from low blood sugar dives and hot flashes are not similar at all.
Just food for thought.
I was going to add my 2 cents to this thread and then read the above. What I was going to say was that my hot flashes seemed to be tied somehow to my carb consumption. For example, I would eat my breakfast muffin at my desk and within 20 minutes I would be burning up. Treats showed up at work? Hot flash. Even though I was within my calories for the day (so not overeating). I never had a night sweat the entire time, but my dinners were usually low carb (meat, veg, no rice, pasta, or potatoes). So it all actually makes sense now. Its probably not the same for everyone, but for me, I'd say it was the carbs.2 -
Hot flashes: There's been some decent research in the last couple of decades, though there's lots more to do, especially on the etiology front. (I suspect this is another of those research areas that got short shrift until women started reaching influential levels in the research community.) For example:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4612529/
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I understand how awful menopause symptoms can be: I went through it, with extra anti-estrogen drugs in my system at the time as a multiplier; and have had close friends in like circumstances who experienced substantially worse symptoms than I did. Mine included hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, brain fog, bone loss, etc. . . . most of which were not on my mind, because what was happening alongside was chemotherapy. I've had hot flashes that literally steamed up my glasses in normal indoor ambient temperatures.
However, I'd like to encourage anyone considering HRT (for natural menopause) to look carefully at risk increase for blood clots, stroke, heart attacks, and breast cancer. I'm not saying no one should do HRT; I'm only suggesting that no one should do it lightly, without considering that dimension, and perhaps without trying other strategies.
Some doctors seem suprisingly sanguine, to me: Consider that a major trial of HRT was cut short because of the increased incidence of those conditions.
Long-term, all-cause mortality of those in the study was not altered, but incidence of those very life-altering outcomes was increased.
I can't speak for blood clots, heart disease or strokes, but I'm able to say very clearly from personal experience that breast cancer treatment is a really, really bad hobby . . . way worse than the menopause symptoms. It may not happen, but risks are increased.
Apologies for being a downer. :flowerforyou:13 -
I understand how awful menopause symptoms can be: I went through it, with extra anti-estrogen drugs in my system at the time as a multiplier; and have had close friends in like circumstances who experienced substantially worse symptoms than I did. Mine included hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, brain fog, bone loss, etc. . . . most of which were not on my mind, because what was happening alongside was chemotherapy. I've had hot flashes that literally steamed up my glasses in normal indoor ambient temperatures.
However, I'd like to encourage anyone considering HRT (for natural menopause) to look carefully at risk increase for blood clots, stroke, heart attacks, and breast cancer. I'm not saying no one should do HRT; I'm only suggesting that no one should do it lightly, without considering that dimension, and perhaps without trying other strategies.
Some doctors seem suprisingly sanguine, to me: Consider that a major trial of HRT was cut short because of the increased incidence of those conditions.
Long-term, all-cause mortality of those in the study was not altered, but incidence of those very life-altering outcomes was increased.
I can't speak for blood clots, heart disease or strokes, but I'm able to say very clearly from personal experience that breast cancer treatment is a really, really bad hobby . . . way worse than the menopause symptoms. It may not happen, but risks are increased.
Apologies for being a downer. :flowerforyou:
Watching my mom go through just what you have described has me convinced that I will never use hormone replacement. What she is dealing with now(the extra anti estrogen drugs) is minor in comparison. And didn’t cause her much stress or lifestyle change. Thankfully my gp agrees. My gyn on the other hand is still pushing for me to get a mirena, which I refuse. I don’t want hormones for any reason, and that seems foreign to him.
FWIW, my mom has also noticed a huge correlation to carb consumption and hot flashes, similar to the ladies above. She just times their intake for when she wants them. Eg: she brings a slice of cake home instead of eating it at work, maybe even saves it for breakfast the next day so any flashes occurs early in the day, at home where she can change, or go stand out in the cold, etc. She regulates carbs mostly in the aft and evenings so that her sleep is less likely to be interrupted.3 -
I'm 54 and guess I'm looking at late onset menopause
I took the pill until I was 50 and thought I would go straight to "no periods".......I was wrong. I'm so punctual that it's scary. Oh well, maybe next year..lol. 4 -
55 yrs old and I'm In forced Meno. Pre breast cancer/ovaries being removed next month but HEY IM ALIVE AND HAPPY. Health has a lot to do with how our hormones work as well!8
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I love your attitude. I just read this exactly 5 seconds after sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I'm 48. I'm at my highest weight ever. I, too, have become completely invisible to the opposite sex (which is fine...I'm married...it's not like I'm looking, but still.) I watched a video of myself last night helping my son w/ his homework and I was like, "Holy F@*&! Where did that sagging double chin come from all of a sudden!?!?!" and I wanted to cry.
I've seriously got to pick myself up and get back into working out and exercising. it's the only thing that helps me feel better. Anyway, I loved your post. I can totally relate!14 -
Welp let me tell you ladies... Jan 2019 was a turning point in my life. Never thought i would be faced with this terrible issue. However, I have grown in ways i can not imagine. From losing Myself to now finding myself. Working out, sensibly, eating sensibly and just enjoy life WITH VIGOR! I encourage all to enjoy life and GET YOUR *kitten* ON THE WEIGHT ROOM FLOOR.. and PUSH THEM KIDS OUT OF THE MIRROR.. CAUSE I DO! TRUST ME... I push these men and women out of the way! oxoxoxox. Now faced with removing my GIRLS.. oh lord. lol. I lift VERY HEAVY AND SQUAT HEAVY.. STIMULATE HORMONES TO KEEP ME MORE ALIVE.3
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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!4
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gladius173 wrote: »Welp let me tell you ladies... Jan 2019 was a turning point in my life. Never thought i would be faced with this terrible issue. However, I have grown in ways i can not imagine. From losing Myself to now finding myself. Working out, sensibly, eating sensibly and just enjoy life WITH VIGOR! I encourage all to enjoy life and GET YOUR *kitten* ON THE WEIGHT ROOM FLOOR.. and PUSH THEM KIDS OUT OF THE MIRROR.. CAUSE I DO! TRUST ME... I push these men and women out of the way! oxoxoxox. Now faced with removing my GIRLS.. oh lord. lol. I lift VERY HEAVY AND SQUAT HEAVY.. STIMULATE HORMONES TO KEEP ME MORE ALIVE.
If I'm reading you right: I've been there, and did that . . . 19+ years ago. Life is good. It's a dark tunnel, but we can get through it, and emerge strong. Hang in there. :flowerforyou:4
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