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Here's to Your Health:  Menopause vent...  |
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 02 2008 : 10:36:54 AM
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Since I'm on the road all the time, I don't really have anyone to talk to but this menopause stuff is kicking my tushie. As soon as we take this next load and get back home, I'm heading back to the doc to see about some sort of meds. I'm tryng the St. John's Wort right now but it doesn't seem to be doing much.
I'm kind of afraid of regular meds cuz, as I found out about my BP meds, the side effects are as bad or worse than the symptoms (started exercising and eating better and it helped more than the meds). But I have to do something or I'm going to lose my mind.
Since I sit a lot, I have too much time to think and believe me, I can think of some doozy thoughts. I'm driving my hubby nuts but he loves me and is willing, so far, to stick with me.
I'm not having any hot flashes, just mood changes that change depending on which way the wind blows. Cuddling (follow my drift?) doesn't help either. Sometimes, well a lot of times, I wished he would keep his distance.
We are planning on getting off the truck in May and maybe get that place I wrote about a few days ago. I need my plants, horse and rock fence.
Thanks for listening and reading. Just saying this stuff seems to help.
Winona 
When you lose, don't lose the lesson!!
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2008 : 11:33:21 AM
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I totally understand Winona. Some gals just seem to sail through. I sure didn't/don't and I opted to take a low dose HRT. I can handle all the physical symptoms (and I got em all!), but I CANNOT handle the mental ones. I get the wild doozy thoughts just like you, depression, anxiety attacks, anger and general negativity. That is just not me and I hate being the person that mental-pause has made me. I do my best to keep the negativity at bay, but it has to be a continuous conscious effort on my part. No fun and you have my sympathy.
Di
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Feb 02 2008 : 2:31:56 PM
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Winona - I had some hot flashes, night sweats but nothing major. I'm 5 years into it and it does get better. I still have the occasional night sweat but things are getting more normal. I'm so sorry that you're having problems. I did not take hormones. I used Shaklee soy protein twice a day and them got supplements especially for menopause from the health food store. Wild yam cream is supposed to be good too. There are many alternatives to medication. But they just take a while to work.
My Etsy Shop http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
Farmgirl Flair Etsy Team http://farmgirlsonetsy.blogspot.com
PROUD FARMGIRL SISTER #100
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EnchantedWoodsGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
959 Posts
Kathy
New Jersey
USA
959 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 10:49:00 PM
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Look towards natural products - herbal products. Mountain Rose Herbs sells the best stuff! Get some red clover and make infusions from it with hot boiling water over it in a canning jar. Let set on counter for about 4 hours and then put in fridge, next day filter out the plant matter and drink cold with honey or sugar if you like. It tastes yummy and is good for menopausal symptoms. Do the same with nettles. Susun Weed has written a wonderful book on Menopause as has herbalist Gail Faith Edwards. Do plenty of research too, it helps!
Kathy of the Enchanted Wood
Farmgirl Sister #59
http://enchantedwoodmusings.blogspot.com/
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Carol Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
4033 Posts
Carol Sue
Washingtonian
USA
4033 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 10:57:22 PM
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Winona,
The first thing you need to know is that you are not on your own in this journey. I am 51 and the most challenging thing for me has been the mental pause. Learned that my alone time is a must, I have no idea how you would do that on the road. Also good ole fashioned walks by myself, a break from what I am doing. Ya know I have to say I have felt sorry for my dh and dd, cause they have put up with a lot. I am hoping one of these days to be done with it, but it is a natural part of life. It makes you look a lot at your life choices and what truly is important to you. Big hugs girlfriend, I think the place you described would be good for you and your dh. Some solid ground to stand on. Big hugs to you.
Carol Sue
listening to the quiet moments
Farmgirl #39
www.Quitemoments.blogspot.com |
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Lavendar fields dreamer
True Blue Farmgirl
1032 Posts
little monkeys mommy
washington
USA
1032 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2008 : 04:24:55 AM
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so i am no where near mental-pause but i can tell you that when they put mom on birthcontrol for the migraines from it, it really seemed to even out the mood swings they were getting bad and that is particially from the headaches but much improvement i must say. no offense mom but it was kinda bad and its nothin like it was
lavendar girl
http://lavendarfieldsdreamer.blogspot.com/ |
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mima
True Blue Farmgirl
1573 Posts
1573 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2008 : 06:12:52 AM
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How old were you guys when you started? i'm 49 and I've had nothing!! I know this sounds a little nuts....(hmm..maybe I am starting) but I'm so curious about what its going to be like! And not having a period every month!!I'll probably be eating my words!! I have no contact with my mom so I don't know when she started! I do know as she got older she became meaner and more nuts than she all ready was! So I don't know!! I have given my kids permission to run over me with a car if I ever become nuts like her!! Hugs to you all!
"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars,or sailed to an uncharted land or opened a new heaven to the human spirit." Helen Keller |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9324 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9324 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2008 : 08:37:49 AM
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Well Debi,
I started when I was 38 and at 46 I am about done now.
Winona,
Might I suggest trying the wild yam cream. It has helped tremendously with the thoughts and moods. I have a book that was very helpful to me and if you email me your address I will send it to you. It is called "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause"
There is an end to this season of life. I dealt with the night sweats, the hot flashes which at 64 yrs. old my mother in law still deals with. I don't have them as severely as I did. I have to say though that I also take a multivitamin that has hormone balancing herbs in it. It is put out by organic frog and it is called Greens today women's formula. It can be purchased at vitacost.com
Understand what you are going through and I think it is apropriate as the farmgirl way, that those of us that have gone this road can be of some help to those starting it.
farmgirl sister #43
Kind hearts are gardens
Kind thoughts are roots
Kind words are blossoms
Kind deeds are Fruits
www.torismimi.blogspot.com
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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CountryBorn
True Blue Farmgirl
1545 Posts
Mary Jane
New York
USA
1545 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2008 : 2:59:18 PM
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I started at 42 and was done at 47. Some rough times here and there. Mostly anxiety and heavy bleeding. Some nasty mood swings too! But, I couldn't take the hormones that is where the heavy bleeding came in. It stopped and I have never felt better in my life. That is the truth. Go to your Dr. and find out what is best for you. Make sure you tell him/her all the symptoms. Once you are finished with it is kind of like labor, it fades away and that is it. Look forward to feeling great when it is over with.
MJ
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. Freya Stark |
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junkjunkie
True Blue Farmgirl
1306 Posts
Judy
Lawrenceville
NJ
USA
1306 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2008 : 08:49:45 AM
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My last period was at 44, and it was my heaviest! That day in was in NYC with my sister, and I had to stop in somewhere every half hour to use the bathroom. Luckily, the merchants were very nice and let me. I had to go to a drugstore and get an adult diaper! lol! Sorry, I guess a little too much info.... That was almost 10 years ago, and it is so nice not to have THAT anymore! I've been pretty lucky as far as physically. I don't get extreme hot flashes, maybe a little flushed, and I feel fine overall. The mental-pause part is right though...I do get the doozy thoughts and really have to contain myself at times. I also forget things easily and am not as sharp mentally. I feel a little crazy at times. I don't take any hormones, as I'm afraid of the side effects. I try to eat healthily and just go through it naturally.
"To have life in focus, we must have death in our field of vision." Benedictine monk John Main |
Edited by - junkjunkie on Feb 07 2008 1:50:50 PM |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
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MasterGardener
True Blue Farmgirl
572 Posts
Chandra
Louisiana
USA
572 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2008 : 2:32:29 PM
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I had peri-meno symptoms from about age 36, finally meno @ 46. From the time I was 36 I've been on an oral or compounded topical 2% progesterone cream...I've been using a 4% since meno & I have a prescription from gyn that gets compounded by a compound pharmacy (I asked for mine to be compounded without the polypropelene glycol) My symptoms were awful...mood swings that would give Jeckyl & Hyde a run for their money...& the more recent before meno were hot flashes, (soak-the-bed) night-sweats, crawley-skin feeling, weight gain, muscle loss...None of that with the progesterone. I used the Bellatude (wild yam based) for as long as I could afford it. It just wasn't cost-effective for my needs. Hope you find something that helps!
.• ´¨¨)) -:¦:-¸.•´ .•´¨¨))
((¸¸.•´ ..• -:¦:- -:¦:- Chandra
-:¦:- ((¸¸.•´Farmgirl Sister #64
She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
Proverbs 31:16 |
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2008 : 7:54:52 PM
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Thank you guys for the info! The St. John's Wort has sort of kicked in and I feel calmer, at least. We took some days off and I rode my horse almost into the ground (talk about sore muscles!) and felt much better.
Yep, May 1st is the target date for quitting over the road trucking. I'll probably still have to drive a truck for a living but I have to get a job where I can be home at nite or at least every other nite. As soon as the snow abates somewhat, we are to look at the cabin on the acreage. If that place doesn't work out, there will be others, I'm sure.
Winona ;-)
When you lose, don't lose the lesson!!
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2008 : 10:34:26 PM
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That's what I use too Chandra and for the same reasons. Unfortunately it wasn't something that I could just "ride out".
Di
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nashbabe
True Blue Farmgirl
687 Posts
687 Posts |
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Pammy
True Blue Farmgirl
66 Posts
Michigan
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2008 : 3:35:13 PM
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| I started taking Black Cohosh and DHEA F programmed with estradiol on the recommendation of my naturopath about a year ago, I was starting to have really bad night sweats and hot flashes and mood swings, it took a few months but I am doing great and feeling so much better. I would try the natural method any day before I went on medication. Pam |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2008 : 4:07:38 PM
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Hate to tell you this Pammy, but estradiol is a form of estrogen so if you're taking it, it's HRT whether you like it or not.
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Pammy
True Blue Farmgirl
66 Posts
Michigan
USA
66 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2008 : 1:44:30 PM
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| I will have to ask my naturopath about that, I guess I should have last winter. Thanks. Pam |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2008 : 1:57:19 PM
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Just re-reading my post to you Pam and it sounds a lot more blunt than I intended it! I hope you didn't take it that way and if you did I apologize!
Do a google search on estradiol Pam, there is a wealth of information on it.
Di |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 1:52:01 PM
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Did any of you go through the not sleeping phase? My sister-in-law and I were talking and we are both suffering from insomnia. Both light sleepers before but it has gotten so bad. I get afternoon naps and crash hard for several hours. I wish I would sleep that much at night. I don't like the prescription idea. I'm in the skipping stage and suffered major when the first flow returned after several monthss off. Threw up, almost passed out, cramping like there was no tomorrow. Hadn't been that bad since I was younger and did lots of red meat and dairy. ugh. At least that is gone in a day. But I need sleep. getting ready to start some serious workaholic hours for the next several months and not sure how I will get through it without better sleep.
thanks,
Laurie
Best Growing |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9324 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9324 Posts |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 06:41:35 AM
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Yes, the not sleeping is a major part of menopause. For me I have times when I'm fine and times when I wake and cannot go back to sleep. Makes for rough days at work. I am in my 10th month of no cycle and I have heard that once its been a year then it can pretty much be considered done with the periods. I have had night sweats and still have hot flashes sometimes. I use wild yam cream which is a natural form of progesterone. Levels out the estrogen. You'd be amazed at the different sources we have around us that have estrogen and when going through menopause our estrogen levels do drop but the problem is with the progeterone. It is something our bodies do not produce enough of. That's where the hormone imbalance comes from.
Denise
farmgirl sister #43
"Take a lesson from the teakettle, though up to its
neck in hot water...it sings!"
www.torisgram.etsy.com |
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Montrose Girl
Farmgirl Legend/Schoolmarm
1360 Posts
Laurie
Montrose
CO
1360 Posts |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 06:49:32 AM
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wild yam cream? hmm, I wonder if you eat more yams if that would be beneficial. hmmm.
Best Growing |
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barnagainkristin
True Blue Farmgirl
465 Posts
Kristin
Utah
USA
465 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 9:44:06 PM
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Nice to see there is a forum on this. I am 48 and am having some health issues. No hot flashes and my cycle is regular but I am so tired and get really weak and jittery. I seem to be sleeping good but wake up not feeling rested at all. Has anyone had these symptoms due to peri-menopause? It seems all the women I am close enough to talk about female issues with have had a hysterectomy so I have no idea what is normal if there is such a thing as normal.
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves." John Muir |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2008 : 2:48:08 PM
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This topic is great news and help for me. Thanks a million for posting it. From what I read is the main problem the lack of progesterone? What exactly is wild yam cream, and exactly where does one put this cream? I don't have night sweats, but I do have trouble sleeping/shutting down my mind to go to sleep. I've been super moody. Lately I've had sad thought, so not like me! I have mentioned this to two doctors, and got no help or suggestions. They both say that it is menopause. No joke I say. On my yearly visit I will attempt to ask questions again. This time I will be full of questions, thanks to this wonderful site and all of you great and kind and wonderful farmgirls. Thanks to all of you for the information provided.
Marly |
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Homespun Livin
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Brenda
Louisiana
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2008 : 2:50:38 PM
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Do you ladies ever have feelings of confusion or lack the ability to focus on anything? This is affecting me really bad. It makes me feel like I have Alzheimers. (sp) Someone can be talking to me and I have no idea what they just said to me. Or walk into a room for whatever reason and totally forget why I went in there to start with. This is really frustrating. I feel like I am losing my mind. I have no motivation to do the things I know need doing (domestic duties), feeling depressed, bad mood swings, etc... I am 43. My grandmother was going through menopause at 43 and my mom began going through it around the same time. I am taking omega 3, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. I will look into the other things you all mentioned.
"Love one another." |
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StarMeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
940 Posts
T
MI
940 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2008 : 3:37:01 PM
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I went through a really tough time with the confusion and lack of focus. Still struggling with that. I'm 48. BUT I had a baby at 40...I had the worst baby blues but didn't tell anyone. There were other stresses in my life as well at that time and there were times I thought I wasn't going to make it. Then the peri-menopause set in and I was right back there. Had a "mini-stroke" that I think was something else even though it was diagnosed that way. About 3 years ago I had a problem w/my bowels and ended up in the hospital for a week. Downhill since then w/inflammatory arthritis, fibro, and full menopause. I've been on a TON o'meds. I took myself off it all in June. THEN, I got hit with diabetes and high BP. I went back on the lowest dose of my antidepressant and my diabetes/bp meds only. I'm in pain but conscious! I HATE that feeling of confusion that sets in. I use a lot of notes. I keep a notebook handy in my purse or on the counter and write it all down and check it off. At work, I do a lot of stuff via email or through my voice mail. If someone stops me in the hall and tries to give me more than three bites of info, I tell them to call me and leave a voicemail. I just remind them it won't get done unless I have a "trail" for it!
Brenda, I'm right there with you on the low motivation thing too..... Some days it's all I can do to get food out for everyone and errands run. Forget about vacuuming or laundry or cleaning toilets!!! Hang in there girl...this too shall pass. I try to do one thing to completion...it's the only way I've found to get something done. I take breaks for the pain. Just recently I've been able to make it a whole day without a 2 hour nap...
BTW, my doctor said if you make it a whole year w/out a period, you are hip deep in menopause. I've got 3 more months sans menses!  Shoot! I coulda told her I was hip deep w/out the little "yearly guage" thing..... |
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Here's to Your Health: Menopause vent... |
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Menopause vent...
