Symptoms of post-menopausal Options

[kwiat]

I am 57 and have had symptoms come and go. Now at this stage I feel very fatigued, have chills, night sweats. Is this still suppose to be going on. Will the fatigue go away? thanks Elizabeth

[moozie]

hi kwiat, well, this is what is happening to me, I'm 4 years post 45 and going through hell. The fatigue is almost unbearable and the symptoms dont' or haven't eased up in while. All I can say is hang in there, hugs Moozie

[Jenniffer]

Hi Kwiat, I am the same as you and Moozie, I haven't had a period for 19 months, still get very tired, joint aches and pains, quite bad night sweats and hot flushes during the day. All mine come in cycles together, so hang on in there its sure to pass!!!! eventually. Luv Jenniffer

[Madge]

I've had chills, night sweats and fatigue too. Some days are worse than others. Also still get scalp ingling and lightheadedness at times. This was at its worst when I was 57 to 59 years old. I'm 61 now and still get it some days.

[bingo1]

I still get terrible anxiety even though I have been without a period for about 2 years now. Anyone else still getting the anxiety and panic things? I found this to be my biggest problem all thorugh peri and now post.

[moozie]

Yes Bingo, Post has been very bad for me as far as anxiety and panic is concerned. Never went through this in peri at all. Hugs to you, Moozie

[dcamp]

I have to say that post is better than peri for me. (Knock on wood). I hope I don't jinx myself. I haven't had a period for 13 months so I guess I am official. My three years of peri were awful. Panic, anxiety and dizziness like you wouldn't believe. That all seems to have eased off now. I never had hot flashes nor do I now, but maybe they are yet to come. I still have trouble believing that I am at this point in my life. I think because I still have children at home and am involved in all sorts of things at their schools, I'm still busy being "soccer mom". I don't perceive myself as a crone. Maybe I have a Peter Pan complex. Have a great day ladies. I love all of you.

[Meryl]

Thanks for your post. It was very encouraging. I wonder if the people who have lots of flashes don't experience the panic/anxiety, and vice versa. I've never had a lot of hot flashes, but certainly have the anxiety and the other symptoms. Really weird.

[jimi]

Mine rotate and take turns and sometimes all 34 attack at once! ~ But post is proving to be a better ride than perri.

[Jenniffer]

Hi everyone, I find my symptoms rotate like yours Jimi, I still get hot flushes by the bucketful, night sweats and occasional anxiety mostly when I feel like life is running away with me, then I need to stop, sit down and take stock, breathe properly and let every muscle sag this usually helps. It's funny because I usually get the fatigue the same time very day, about 4 - 5 pm and it's then that I need to eat a snack. Luv Jenniffer

[seabum]

Hi Kwiat: I am also 57and have been post 6 years. The anxiety is worse than peri,with very few good days. When does it end,who knows, thank goodness for the posts and lots of other ladies going through the same thing. We will all make it!

[WhiteHorses]

I'm about one year post (with menopause defined as being the date of first missed period). I have had some very faint spotting which would reset the clock except that this spotting was so faint that I've decided not to count it. So TA DA... I am postmenopausal. I guess I need a hormone check to back that up. Also I have not taken hormone therapy. I believe doing that also causes a clock reset. How do I feel? I still struggle with some of my symptoms, however I am so much better off than I was in the last year. I know it is controversial to say so but I've read that most women feel better two (or was it five) years after menopause than they did before they started perimenopause. I read that in Prevention Magazine. The thought of having continuing severe anxiety years after menopause is scary. Is that because it was there before perimenopause as well, a life long affliction? Could our nervous systems get traumatized by meno? Would sitting on the beach drinking beer for a long vacation help?

[dcamp]

Hi Beth I am also 13 months without a period so I guess I am now official. Peri was the pits! I had never suffered an anxious day in my life, (except when something bad happened to family or friends). Peri threw me for a loop. Out of the blue and for no apparent reason, I would get terrible attacks of anxiety. It took me forever to connect it to perimenopause. I thought there was something terribly wrong with me. Thank goodness for these boards. I credit everyone here for getting me through it. I still get anxious now and then, but nothing like the past 3 horrible years. I hope it gets better for you soon. I'm not much of a beer drinker, but definitely a beach person. So take a six pack, a lounge chair a good book and go for it girl! Have a great day. Donna

[jimi]

I have posted this before, but I will post it again ~ I am almost 2 years post and am not on any form of HRT. My interpretation of hot flushes and night sweats is that they cleanse our bodies of toxins and flush em out through the skin ~ largest organ, so I don't think it's a good idea to stop them happening. If I have a night sweat these days, I wake up thinking GREAT! ~ what a clever little body ~ cleanse away And I am definately feeling a lot better now than I have for the past 8 years. The only thing I take is small dose zoloft - 25mg each evening and I am happy with that for the moment. I found that ALL forms of HRT - natural or otherwise caused more problems than they were worth ~ such as liver and gallbladder problems, anxiety, depression, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome etc. I have been feeling better since I stopped using them and stopped worrying about all these symptoms that I thought were gonna be the death of me! One thing I DO know, is that you gotta be yourself and tell everyone else to bugger off if they are hindering and not helping And back to basics and nature is definately the way to go.....DECLUTTER your life and let the energy flow~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[joliejacq]

Thanks so much for these encouraging posts! Some of us are at times hanging on by a thread, and the thought of a future without these awful symptoms is what keeps us going... You are angels!

[kbear]

hello ladies of the menapause world! i have been in perimenapause for about 2 years now and at 45 have seemingly begun to taper off. today is day 56 and i am scheduled for some blood test for day 60 to check on hormone levels etc. i was taking prometirum 100mg on day 10-22 the past 9 months and it seemed to help for last years season...anyway the thing is one symptom i seem to have alot and have had for this whole 2 years is a nausea feeling almost constantly...is that something anyone else has? my doctor is great dr. laura corio and she seems to feel it is not menapause related...but i can't seem to figure out what else it could be...any ideas or experiences to share would be greatly appreciated. this is my first post but not my first visit to pwer surge. i remember when i found this web site i felt like "finally a place i can relate!' it has been a tough few years in this regard with all the mood swings, crazy cycles, rage, hot flashes , nightmares, headaches and yes i too go to the beach for long walks whenever possible! good to meet you all! thanks for hearing me! hugs to you all. kbear

[jimi]

Hey kbear! WELCOME

[WhiteHorses]

Hi KBear... try Ginger Tea to tame peri-menopausal nausea. Other women here report this symptom and I have had it too (although of course I don't know what causes your nausea). I like making ginger tea from fresh ginger root. Also since pregnant women suffer nausea (probably from hormonal shifts) it seems reasonable to me that nausea would be a feature of perimenopause when women are again going through hormonal shifts. Also (for me) the nausea feels very similiar to the feeling of morning sickness.

[eyecnn]

Thanks for this post, I was a bit confused myself because I had already experience hot flashes, chills ect. two years ago and thought that when it all finished I was done. And then two months ago it all started up again. Hugs to you all!

[jimi]

...........off the zoloft too now ......on the ginger and lemon tea.

[leanne0721]

You ROCK jimibugs!! GOOD FOR YOU!! You've come a long way, BABY!! It is such a pleasure to see the in your posts these days. You should be very proud of yourself for totally taking charge of your life and stepping OUT OF THE BOX! You did it, my friend. I am THRILLED, PROUD, and HAPPY to be your friend. YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!

[dixiejet]

Ya'll ,I am having a hard time deciding whether I am peri or menopausal. I haven't been to the dr but I've only had one LIGHT spotting since Christmas & that was this past Feb.. Christmas was my last real period. Can somebody tell me how far along I am in this thing ? I would really love to know !

[MaryO]

Sounds like peri, Dixie. You're not considered menopausal (aka POSTmeno) until after 12 full months with no periods. Sorry about that - but welcome to Power Surge! You've found a fantastic place to get you through the rest of your peri and beyond.

[buttercup]

Hi Ladies, well it's been awhile since I posted, not that I don't come to read now and then, but my mother is very sick and I am caregiver to her, for the last 6 months so have been busy. But I have said this before on these boards and here I go again, but how do people like myself who had a partial hysterectomy about 15 yrs. ago figure out what stage they are in. I still had an ovary left so didn't go directly to menopause, and was not on any HRT for a number of years then suddenly the symptoms started a little at a time. I first noticed them about 7 years ago, the hot flashes, the headaches, the anxiety so my doctor put me on ERT. and I have had many symptoms ever since, at what point would I be considered peri and then post... you know what I mean, I can't judge by not having a period for 12 months. I just assume I am postmenopausal, but really how was I to deal with the symptoms way back not having any indicators....Whoa is me, anyway the symptoms are subsiding, but not alltogether, the worst is the tingling and weird feelings on my left side, the crawling feeling along side my face and head is annoying, I am 55yrs. old and from what I can gather by other posts it might just go on indefinitely, so I guess it is just grin and bear:P I tried to figure this all out and just gave in and let nature do its thing, what works for one person doesn't do a thing for another, I know tried lots of remedies only time is a sure thing. Well that is my opinion anyway..

[dixiejet]

Thanks, MaryO, I think....;o) I wanna be postmeno SO BAD !! Altho, I am taking these New Phase pills now (they're herbal) and the hot flashes are NOWHERE NEAR what they were 3 weeks ago.

[alice3]

Were any of you ladies on HRT? Everyone who has an opinion on my anx and angriness think HRT is the magic cure-all, even though I don't want to take it. However anxiety is spoiling my life. I don't want to be like this for too long! Neither do I want to resort to meds to be able to go out and about other than just the rare 'good days'.

[dixiejet]

I don't want to be on HRT and if I can avoid it,I'm going to. I'm taking Phase One,right now on the recommendation of a nother friend who's also going thru peri. You can buy it at Walmart and it has made a WORLD of difference in my symptoms,both physical and emotinal. I'm not saying it'll work for everyone but it's worked for more than just me. )

[mindis2596]

alice3, I would say my worst symptom of peri has been anxiety and I have found that Revival soy has helped me so much. I didn't think it was working at first (took about 3 months for me to notice less anxiety) but I stuck with it and today I feel almost back to normal - still would like my libido back (working on that - started bioidentical testosterone 5 weeks ago - so far - not much

[zjsurfer]

Originally posted by buttercup anyway the symptoms are subsiding, but not alltogether, the worst is the tingling and weird feelings on my left side, the crawling feeling along side my face and head is annoying

Have you mentioned these to the doctor? Yes, lots of things can be menopause; but sometimes it can be a different medical problem. Just wanted to make sure you have eliminated other things! Zelma

[zjsurfer]

Originally posted by alice3
Were any of you ladies on HRT? Everyone who has an opinion on my anx and angriness think HRT is the magic cure-all, even though I don't want to take it.  However anxiety is spoiling my life. I don't want to be like this for too long! Neither do I want to resort to meds to be able to go out and about other than just the rare 'good days'.

I've done well on Estrace pills and testosterone cream. It really helped my anxiety as well as other symptoms when I got the ERT worked out! I can't take progesterone though - even the natural kind depresses me. Since I don't have an uterus, I don't have to though. And the testosterone cream has done wonders for my libido! I got the cream through Power Surge's pharmacist., Pete, with my Dr.'s prescription.

Hope this helps!

Zelma