Oh this menopause!!!

Jean · Post by **Jean** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:32 am

I am suffering! I've had bad cramps for a week without a period. The house is 64 degrees and I'm so hot even my ankles are sweating. I have to wash my hair twice a day because it looks so greasy which is 4 times more often than usual. I'm so hungry I'm eating everything I can find.

What are/were your experiences? How did you feel just before your periods stopped? My Mom stopped her periods at 52 and I'm 51.

Thanks! Love, Jean

JJ · Post by JJ » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:38 am

Hi Jean....I will be 54 in December, and I had my last period last Nov. For two years before that, I would be on a normal schedule then skip a month, then I would be normal and go 3 months without....I went 4 mos. without then it started again! This time, I think I am done. Two years ago, I also had spotting and sometimes would have a light period every two weeks. I had a biopsy and ultrasound and I have fibroids. They said they would shrink as I went through the pause. I also have sweats, but not all the time....hang in there....it will get better! JJ

kate_ce1995 · Post by **kate_ce1995** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:05 am

Good to know the starting and stopping is "normal" Jill. My mom always blamed me and my sister for "bringing hormones back in the house". You know that whole, women who live together end up on the same schedule thing.

I can't comment really, Jean. My menopause of course was surgery induced. I found if my feet were cold, I felt a lot better. Like at night, I;d stick my feet out from under the covers. Also, cardigans became my friend because having it on, but unbuttoned so my chest was "exposed" (through whatever other shirt of course) helped keep me cool.

I'm still hot flashing, except it seems to be subsiding. Eating gluten for me will trigger them worse, but I know you are much better about your diet than I am.

You'll get through it.
Katy

MaggieRedwings · Post by **MaggieRedwings** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:46 am

Hi Jean,

I won't be much help here but before I had my hysterectomy I was experiencing the first stages of menopause and I had terrible hot flashes and like Katy I resorted to the feet outside of the covers and it worked. My worst flashes were when I was trying to sleep. Other than cardigans which helped for the cold to hot phases, I just felt like ripping off my clothes most of the time. Not a sight for everyone, believe me.

After the hysterectomy there were no more signs. The hysterectomy was due to fibroid which increased from very small to football sized in less than 3 months.

Hope you feel better and get over this soon.

Love, Maggie

starfire · Post by **starfire** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:54 am

Jean, I pitty you, but there are so many varied symptoms of this stage of life that I doubt anyone has the same ones entirely.

For several years I had at least one day of really hard flow each month.. to the extent that I wore "K. overnights" to work (and I'd have to change a couple or 3 times at work). Otherwise, I'd have had to stay home. Legs ached so bad I could hardly stand it and backache also. My job had me on my feet, walking all day. Those days I'd go home and just collapse.

Then I started skipping periods, then I started spotting...sort of having a period every 2 weeks....then I just stopped.

I have had "hot flashes" but my biggest problem was (is) my body was (is) too warm nearly all the time. Sometimes it's worse than others but it's not like a hot flash. I'm just warmer than other people are ALL the time. Sometimes a lot warmer. I can't wait until it stops.

Oh, and YES..I sweat a LOT!!

Love, Shirley

CAMary · Post by **CAMary** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:29 pm

Okay-

Suffice it to say, I am *not* looking forward to this!! Interesting that everyone experiences it a bit differently. I am generally a "sweater" so I suspect I will be miserably drenched when the time comes...

I always thought female organs should be in a detachable pouch - and you could just "turn 'em in when you are done" - and it would be nice not to distribute them until after high school

sort of like turning in bottles for a deposit

I guess I've got about 10 years (?) but sometimes I feel like I am beginning peri-menopause (irregular and anovulatory cycles) - irregularity is a *pain*, esp. when one is on vacation and unprepared

I was diagnosed with a quarter-sized fibroid during my first pregnancy (I was measuing large - doc suspected twins

thankfully not!) Do these typically cause more trouble as you age, for those who have/had them?

I look forward to everyone's wisdom and experience

Mary

Umber · Post by **Umber** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:11 pm

I also had a hysterectomy due to fibroids. I had severe cramps and bleeding. Doc gave me prescription NSAIDS and I took them for YEARS!
Eight months later I started having terrible D and then my CC diagnosis. Hummmm!

I have had hot flashes for years. Doc has me on a progesterone cream and I take Estroven which has helped alot.

Getting old ain't for sissy's......(Don't remember who said this. but I love that quote)

Hugs

Lori

annie oakley · Post by **annie oakley** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:12 pm

Hi Jean
I had a hysterectomy at 31, that threw me into menopause (said the Doc) with all the night sweats and eating and cold then hot swelling all that crap...then Just this year I started what the Doc said was my "2nd time around" with Menopause. I said WHAT? He said it can happen. and it did. I sweat so much at night that I keep T-shirts all around the bedroom to change into. My laundry has at least 10 t-shirts in it every weekend. So I know what you are going thru Twice. Love Oma

JJ · Post by JJ » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:11 pm

Mary...my doc said the fibroids would eventually shrink because of the drop in Estrogen levels (is that the right hormone?) I haven't gone back for more tests because my problems stopped....well, so did my period...hahahha. JJ

kate_ce1995 · Post by **kate_ce1995** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:23 pm

Hi Mary,

The statistics on fibroids are a huge percentage of women... I want to say its like 75% of women over 35 have them. Some women never even know they have them (lucky devils). I didn't have any specific problems until the heavy bleeding started last year, so it was a little without warning. I mean, I'd always been heavy, but not HEAVY.

Anywho, I wouldn't worry about it unless you have increasing flow, pain, or something else in the pelvic region.

Katy

Jean · Post by **Jean** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:32 pm

Thanks all, it's nice to know I'm not alone. It's not fair that we've had to suffer through our periods most of our lives and now that they are almost over, we feel worse than we ever did having periods!!!

Maybe I'll skip a period this time because it's been 9 days that I've felt like it will start any minute. I've had tampons in my pocket for 2 weeks now, LOL.

The men at work are wondering why I'm in short sleeved shirts while they are all wearing sweat shirts and jackets. At least I'm comfortable!

Love, Jean