TheGaudyMagpie Member

Just as an FYI, in many communities in the United States, separate T3 supplementation is not within the standard of care. Neither is Armour. There are doctors that will prescribe it, but you might have to search a bit. My current provider is very adverse to prescribing T3 which is fine for me currently because T3…

I've been paleo in the past and it did not help with pain at all. If anything it made it worse. I recognize that it seems to work for some people, but I'm definitely not one of them. There are some negative endocrine consequences that can result from low carb diets, so they're not for everyone, especially those with…

I think the theory makes sense too. I think it's similar for the correlation between weight gain and lack of sleep. I know I eat more when I'm tired. The impulse feels like it would wake me up.

My husband takes it for that reason too.

It's sometimes tested if they test your electrolytes. I use Natural Calm brand, which dissolves in water. I get migraines and both neurology and my primary want me to take it. It's not monitored because it's sort of self limiting -- it loosens your bowels if you take too much. You're supposed to slowly ramp it up so you…

Actually the latest studies show there is a correlation with low D and weight gain. The causation aspect is uncertain. One theory is that having low D increases your appetite as your body tries to correct the deficiency by prompting you to eat more food. I've also had very low D in the past and it can make you very very…

Magnesium is also supposed to help with metabolic syndrome, so if you are not supplementing with that, it might be worth a try.

I hope you get it figured out. The dizziness was a real problem for me so I sympathize. I fell straight back once and almost hit my head on the sidewalk. I wish I could tell you whether it was the hormones or the migraine meds that are helping. Probably a combination of both. I do take vitamin D and magnesium. I also take…

It took forever for my doctors to look at migraine as the cause of my sinus pain despite a history of chronic migraines and the fact that most recurrent sinus pain is migraine. Had to see the ENT twice and hear him say he could see nothing wrong with my sinuses, but here's some prednisone. A few days on the new preventive…

I had the dizziness too, but I attribute it to my migraines which totally changed in pattern since I started menopause. The dizziness has subsided significantly since going on HRT, but so have the migraines. Hormone issues probably had to do with both, but I'm also on a new migraine preventive. My primary doctors have been…

So few women do HRT now that I had a difficult time finding information. Feel free to ask me anything. As you might surmise, I don't have a lot of negatives to share. Others' experiences may vary. After a little poking around it looks like my estrogen is bioidentical. I use the Climara patch. It is thought that the patch…

I use an estrogen patch (I've heard competing info about whether it is bioidentical) and synthetic progesterone. When I first started, I had a little bit of a plateau weight-wise, but it soon corrected. I haven't had a lot of bloating that I've noticed. I had a little bit of breakthrough bleeding the first month, but after…

The only cardio I really enjoy is hiking, so I go for long challenging hikes on the weekend. I walk during the week to train for those hikes. When I go to the gym I only do 10 minutes of cardio as a warm up, and then weight training. I think the challenging hikes help with my stress level but, most importantly, I feel more…

I'm on traditional HRT (patches and progesterone) and I don't have any negative side effects. I've had a lot of positive effects. I haven't tolerated hormonal BC in the past but HRT is a much lower dose of hormones and I've tolerated it well. No acne or other issues. I get chronic migraines and it has helped. It is…

I developed it a few months ago after starting hormone replacement therapy. I use an exfoliating body wash and Amlactin and it has improved greatly. I also use a cocoa butter lotion on my hands and arms at least once a day while at work and it's completely undetectable on my arms now. I don't think there's a way to stop…

I took Topamax for migraines and it turned me into a drooling zombie. It may have suppressed my appetite, but it turned my energy level down to zero and I could not form a logical thought. It had no effect on my weight that I noticed. I eventually chose the migraines over the drug although I did finally find something else…

No, but I do pick up some new clothes when my old ones are too baggy. I don't spend too much and I buy things that will forgive some weight loss, but I find that it is very encouraging to wear things that fit. Work is casual, so usually that just means a pair of jeans or two, and some nicer t-shirts. When I get to goal,…

I eat at work so I eat things that are easy to make. I often eat cereal mixed with cottage cheese or yogurt (I don't like milk). I like Cinnamon Chex or Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch for a little sweetness without a lot of added calories, or you can add fruit. The Chex is gluten free and enriched, if those things matter…

I get daily chronic headaches. Taking pain relievers more than twice a week can cause occasional headaches to become chronic. You should go to the doctor and discuss your headaches. There are preventive medications that you can take to reduce the number of headaches you get (I currently take nortriptyline and it works…

Stupid hormones. I wish I could send you the test I bought but didn't use because TOM started.

I use Natural Calm, which dissolves in water. It comes in different flavors and with and without calcium (stevia sweetened). It's not the cheapest, but it's not too badly priced on Amazon. My understanding is that it absorbs pretty well.

It was the body shape change that got me too. I've always been a little thick-waisted, but I developed a sort of beer belly shape that I never had before and that was what was most depressing to me. I was very self-conscious about it. I have had really great results with resistance training and I'm feeling much better even…

I hike regularly, with poles too. I love to hike, but my hands swell and activating the upper body keeps that from happening. It's normal, but not comfortable. I felt kind of weird using them at first, but they really help with the hills and rocky terrain too. I also do resistance training at the gym at least twice a week…

I'm the one that said that I don't enjoy zoning out doing cardio. Having had a young child once upon a time (she's 12 now and too cool to hang out with me), I actually understand and empathize with the desire to just zone out for an hour and I appreciate the motivation that leads one to exercise at the same time. I don't…

I hike rather than backpack, but I have been using poles lately. I feel kind of weird using them, but they definitely make hills and uneven terrain a lot easier. They engage the upper body to help so you get a bit of an arm workout as well. The primary benefit for me is that my hands often swell up during a hike, and arm…

I find that what a lot of us think about when we think of cardio is boring. Getting on a machine and zoning out to the TV or phone for an increasingly longer period of time (as you get fitter) just is not interesting to me. I think the key to cardio not being boring for some of us is being invested in what we are doing. I…

Right now I am using machines for a few reasons, one of which is having a chronic pain disorder and wanting to build some preliminary strength to help reduce the potential for injury when I eventually get to free weights (in a couple of weeks). I am getting strength progress on machines and my balance has greatly improved,…

I had them for a few months starting this year, with them coming nearly nonstop about four months ago. However, like Jessica, I am now on HRT and no longer have them.

My doctors (primary and gyno) have no significant concerns about HRT for me, other than advising an annual appointment for a well woman check. Many of the risks previously associated with HRT have been qualified and for most women the risks now appear to be similar to those associated with other common lifestyle choices,…

I don't tolerate SSRI's, but I seem to tolerate nortrip fine (it's a tricyclic) and it is supposed to help with sleep. Trazadone also helps with sleep and is supposed to be very safe. It is an old antidepressant that can't be used as one because therapeutic doses knock most people out. Unfortunately I react paradoxically…