Symptoms of post-menopausal Options

[joliejacq]

I agree with rumoret, and also hope no one is offended by the suggestion.

It's very hard to read the text when it's just one big long block. More paragraph changes would make it easier on the eyes. Especially given that the reading is so darned interesting!


Love you all!

Jacquie

[Dearest]

Unfortunately, many of the older messages that were transferred over from the old board to this one may appear as one big block without the paragraphs. This couldn't be helped. This board uses totally different programming from the previous board, so I'm all too glad we were ABLE to move the messages over.

Whenever I catch them (and have the time), I correct them. So, if you do see one big long block, that's most probably the reason.

As for newer posts, I agree - it's difficult to read one enormous paragraph. People should include breaks, so it's easier for everyone to read

Dearest

[Angel0508]

Hello
is there anyone that is post menopause?
If there is i would like to hear from you.

It does get better doesn't it?

Angel

[zjsurfer]

Hello
is there anyone that is post menopause?
If there is i would like to hear from you.

It does get better doesn't it?

Angel

It's gotten better for me - with Estrace, Testosterone and time!

Zelma

[jimi]

G'Day Ladies, Hope everyone is doing well...
I havn't been in here for over a year and a lot has changed in that time.
As for post meno...it ain't getting any better, just different.
I am now 52 ~ 3 years post this month after around 8 years in peri.
My worst symptom for the past 5 months has been burning tongue and neck problems ~ common I have discovered through the internet.
The rest are still rotating ~ depressed state (past my use by date and life is basically over but what went before wasn't that crash hot anyway), insomnia, anxiety, hot flushes (heater on heater off ~ thank goodness it's winter ) UTI's, night sweats ~ and the latest is that night sweat smells yuk! sooo I must be really toxic!
Sex is only a memory ( I have evolved...) as are all other passions, interests etc.
I have reclused. Thank goodness I don't have to explain all this C*** to a partner anymore.
I am still taking no meds cept for the odd 1mg of valium as needed for insomnia/anxiety.
My whole family has disintergrated. No one cares about anyone but themselves ~ sister, brother, son, most "friends" have their own problems...
So the end result is that I feel that I, as well as the world we live in, is stuffed!
Hmmm ~ think depressed state was an understatement.
Yesterday my eldest son got married and seeing as I am not talking to the little so and so (he's only 31) I wasn't invited. I also have a new grandaughter (his) born last March, so I havn't met her......I don't think it gets any better.
Oh! and tonight is the 5th anniversary of my Mothers death ~ allways a bloody anniversary...Cheers.

[zjsurfer]

Jimi,

I'm so sorry things are so rough for you right now. It does sound like depression is involved. Have you seen your doctor about that? The right medication really helped my husband and daughter get through seriously down times.

Praying things get better soon,

Zelma

[joliejacq]

((((JIMI))))

Sending you love and hugs.

Jacquie

[chefmarr]

Jimi
Just Breathe! Breathe in, breathe out, repeat.

Sounds like you are having a rough go of it.
Sending out big hugs, and PLEASE let us know that you are OK.

Family disintigrating seems to be catching. Mom passed last year, and I haven't seen my sisters or their families since the internment...First time in my life I haven't been home for Christmas. I want to get together, but they seem to be too wrapped up in their own lives to continue with this "family" thing. Hurts like Hell!
Honey and I are going home for my uncle's 80th and family reunion in August, but ball games and soccer and camping are keeping my sisters away. seems that the "glue" has left, and I don't know what to do about it!

[jimi]

Jacquie, zelma, chef (((hugs))) ~ I'm still breathin
Hope you are all doing better than me.
I have just been reading the old post meno posts and they are not encouraging.
My lastest addition to my meno sux list is nausea.
How is one supposed to have a life of any normality with all this crap going on day after day, year after year ~ not to mention past trauma and new situational stresses.....

[Gramz]

Hi Jimi.........I suffered terribly about 6 months ago with nausea that had gone on for months. I'm post menopausal and I finally went to the health food store and bought some ginger tea which tasted horrible but helped alot. I would drink it about every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day and it really did help to keep the nausea under control. Hope this helps

[jimi]

Hey Gramz ~ Thanks for that ~ think I tried ginger tea years ago for something else (pre nausea) will give it another go.
Did you have reflux/burning throat/tongue with it by any chance?

[Gramz]

Jimi,

Yes. They diagnosed me with acid reflux disease and I take prevacid every morning now. It helps but the nausea a few months ago was caused by the hormone fluctuations more than the acid reflux. It was awful. I felt like I had morning sickness all day long.

[dcamp]

Hi Ladies,

This isn't really a reply, but more of a question. I have been post now for about a year and a half. During peri, my 2 worst were anxiety and lightheadedness. That sort of tapered off when I first entered post, but now seem to have come back with a vengeance. The anxiety more so than the lightheadedness. I'm pretty good when I first wake up in the morning, but just worrying about when the anxiety is going to hit seems to bring it on. It's maddening and sort of scary. I have to keep moving around because I am so jittery. I teach school and I feel bad for my students. I can't stand in one place. Their poor little heads are swiveling like crazy. My question is: isn't this supposed to stop once you become post----and why did it sort of stop and return again? Do the hormones keep fluctuating even after post? I don't take any medications and don't really want to. This is driving me nuts. Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks for listening.

Donna

[Angel0508]

Do the hormones keep fluctuating even after post?

I wish i knew the answer for this question.
I am post also & my Symptoms are worst now.
Its been 3 years.
Every month i go though PMS without a period.

I sure hope this ends soon.

Hope you feel better soon!

Angel

[CSugarGrove]

I'm over three years post, and I really do feel better. In peri, I had all 34 of the meno symptoms, some at different times than others, but always about 15 of them at once. After I finally made it to the first year with no period, I noticed that I didn't have as many symptoms at once, or that they weren't as bad. It didn't happen right away, like on Day Two or anything. But after a couple of months, I noticed that I felt better. By the second year, some of the symptoms had not returned at all, and I couldn't remember when I'd last had them. It's so gradual that unless you were to write all your symptoms down every day on a calendar or in a journal, noting how bad they are or if they are better, you can't remember exactly when they stop. And no one would have time or patience to write all of this down every day.

Now, at three and a half years, I still get symptoms for a few days or a week and then they go away. Insomnia is always a threat, especially if I get rested up. Then I can be certain to have few nights of waking up many times. I've always had hot flashes and night sweats, but I don't sweat really bad unless I experience extreme stress. The other day, I was in line at the store, paying for something, and I was having trouble fumbling with my purse while people were waiting impatiently in line. I had a humdinger of a flash, complete with sweating and probably turning purple.

dcamp, have you tried exercise for one hour each day--really concentrated exercise? I say this because walking fast for one hour each day really has worked for me. It might help your anxiety. I had restless legs really bad, and I noticed that if I walked hard for an hour, I didn't have it.

As for lightheadedness, this is another classic meno symptom. I had it, too, for a long time in peri and then it went away. But now and then, it comes back for a day or two. I don't think the meno symptoms ever go completely away forever. They do improve A LOT, and you won't have symptoms for days or weeks at a time. But just when you think you're really done, they sneak up on you and tap you on the shoulder....

[seahorse]

CSugar

I am still in the middle of peri and have a question for you. Did you ever suffer from severe fatigue as one of your symptoms. I have had this now for almost a year and it seems to be getting worse if that is possible. I have had to cut my hours at work and it has become very debilitating. I am exhausted from the time I get up until I go to bed. I wake up tired. I have had every blood test known and it never shows anything. I guess I am just wondering how fatigue, this severe can be peri and be with me everyday. I am suppose to go to another Neuro since my GP is certain I have CFS. Do you know of any other person who has had this type of fatigue and for this length of time. I know a couple of the women I talk with have this also but since you are post I wondered if it gets better. I am getting very frustrated and upset that my life has been so disrupted by this. It isn't so much that I can't do much, it is how I feel everyday. I don't really have any other symptoms except skipping periods. I have had three this year. The fatigue hit me one day just like that within minutes and hasn't gone away since. Oh I have had a few good days but not many in an entire year. Thanks and keep posting. It is nice to read good stories.

Kim

[leanne0721]

((((Donna)))))) sorry to hear you're dealing with that!! CSugar is right- exercise helps a lot. I have found Yoga to be a big help also. I do the "Yoga for Weight Loss" by Suzanne Deason. I don't do it to lose weight, I do that one just because I like it If you could go for a walk in the mornings, and then pop in the yoga video/DVD in the evenings, I think it would help a lot. I know I know... now find the time!

seahorse, I know you asked CSug about fatigue but I wanted to jump in here and say YES, fatigue is one of my symptoms!! Probably my worst one!! I can sleep 10 hours and wake up tired. Often times when I get up in the morning I think how much I'm looking forward to going to bed that night!! I've been dealing with it for about 5 years now. Exercise, vitamins, and an earlier bedtime will help, but even with all of that I get easily exhausted! My hormones have been leveling off some, and I'm going longer between periods, and I have actually felt better these past few months so I'm hoping once my periods stop completely I wont be so darned tired!!

CSugar... your posts are so helpful and encouraging!!! You keep typing girlfriend!

[seahorse]

leanne

Thank you so much for your posting. Fatigue IS my worse symptom and it has been an extremely difficult year. I thought I was the only one dealing with this severe type of fatigue. I also sleep 9-10 hours a night and wake up tired. Sometimes the fatigue is so bad I lie down and can't even move.

I take my vitamins and do exercise when I can which is about 3-4 days a week. My doctor has diagnosed me with CFS but I don't want to accept that. I know my hormones are very wacky right now, I can tell so hopefully they will level off some. It just never seems to get any better. You know like the movie groundhog day...I feel like I am re living the same day over and over. Hopefully we will all feel better soon and thank you again for answering my post. It did help me feel as if I am not the only one with this.

Kim

[dcamp]

CSugar and Leanne,

Thanks so much for responding. I walk a lot in the summer months, but once school starts it's hard to find the time. It's dark in the morning before I leave, and sometimes it's starting to get dark by the time I get home. I'm a scaredy cat to walk in the dark. I tried mall-walking, but I feel goofy doing that. I'm making excuses I know, but if exercise will help with this awful anxiety, then I should try and work something out. Maybe the yoga would be good for me during the winter months. This is really the pits! Weren't childbirth and monthly cramps enough torture without the added "thrill" of meno. Take care all and thanks again.

Donna

[zjsurfer]

CSugar

I am still in the middle of peri and have a question for you. Did you ever suffer from severe fatigue as one of your symptoms. I have had this now for almost a year and it seems to be getting worse if that is possible. I have had to cut my hours at work and it has become very debilitating. I am exhausted from the time I get up until I go to bed. I wake up tired. I have had every blood test known and it never shows anything. I guess I am just wondering how fatigue, this severe can be peri and be with me everyday. I am suppose to go to another Neuro since my GP is certain I have CFS. Do you know of any other person who has had this type of fatigue and for this length of time. I know a couple of the women I talk with have this also but since you are post I wondered if it gets better. I am getting very frustrated and upset that my life has been so disrupted by this. It isn't so much that I can't do much, it is how I feel everyday. I don't really have any other symptoms except skipping periods. I have had three this year. The fatigue hit me one day just like that within minutes and hasn't gone away since. Oh I have had a few good days but not many in an entire year. Thanks and keep posting. It is nice to read good stories.

Kim

Kim,

Do you have muscle weakness with the fatigue? Your story reminded me of an article I read many years ago about Myasthenia Gravis (I think that was the name) that caused extreme, crushing fatigue. In fact, that was the main symptom noticed although when you look at the description, it sounds like muscle weakness usually is noted. Just a thought! I know in the article talked about a particular drug that is given to confirm diagnosis - if you have it, you notice immediate improvement. If you don't have it, nothing changes. The article I found on InteliHealth seems to indicate there are some false positives and negatives - but I guess there is in any test. Here's the site for more info.

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW....html#diagnosis

Hope that helps! Maybe your doctor hasn't thought of this.

Zelma

[PixieGirl]

leanne

My doctor has diagnosed me with CFS but I don't want to accept that. I know my hormones are very wacky right now, I can tell so hopefully they will level off some.

Kim,
I wouldn't buy that diagnosis at this time either. You and I are at about the same place. I have had 3 periods this year and it's been the worst year of my life for sure with these wacky hormones. I did notice though that late in a stretch of five months without a period between March and August that I was actually starting to feel more stablized......unfortunately you know what came back at the end of August and I have since been having a new resurgence of symptoms. I don't think it is a coincidence that all this came on with skipping periods. I think once these periods stop, that things will settle down and hopefully get back to normal. If you truly have CFS, it will most likely still be there......but I'll bet it's just your hormones.

[seahorse]

Hi Zelma

My doctor did mention MG as a possible cause in the beginning. I have no idea if he did the specific testing for it but I don't have muscle fatigue or weakness. I actually don't have any of the symptoms. I just have plain old debilitating fatigue that has not gone away for a year. Some days are worse than others but they are all basically bad. Thanks for the input. Maybe when I get into the new neuro he can rule out CFS since I still don't believe I have that.

Kim



Hey Pixie

Somedays I do believe it is hormonal and on the other days when I am extremely fatigued to the point of feeling sick, I think it is something else. It started suddenly so that is how I am hoping it will leave. I was kind of thinking that with my periods getting further apart I would feel better but I don't. I had a time in the summer when I was feeling a little better also. It was right around the time I had a period. I still had the severe fatigue but it didn't seem as bad. I was exercising 4-5 days at that time. Now I am back to hardly being able to run 3 days a week. It is so frustrating as you know. Thanks for writing.

Kim

[bethann1156]

Fatigue is my worst complaint right now...I used to be a morning person....LOL! And my morning cup of coffee did absolutely nothing to help!

I have been dragging...literally...through the day. It came on suddenly a few weeks back and I felt like a weight I was carrying around all day. I was drowning in fatigue.

I started on Revial soy on Saturday...and I can attest that I feel a whole lot better already. My fatigue has lessened...I have more energy and feel a lot better overall. oh yeah....and I have lost 3.5 pounds this week! After being stuck for a month....start on soy...losing weight...that is a PLUS!

This is not to say that I am without fatigue, I do still feel it...but it is more manageable. Before, I was having such a hard time at work....unable to focus and work...just wanting to sleep....it was awful! The difference now is amazing for me!

I agree that exercise helps...but is it ever hard to get started when you are feeling like you could just drop in your tracks! We go to the gym on our way home from work (MWF) and there have been days that my eyes were half open, I was in a coma state...no way did I want to go to the gym...I felt too tired to even want to eat dinner...I just wanted to sleep.

But....once I get to the gym and on the treadmill, I am okay and by the time I am finished....I am energized and awake. It is not until a couple of hours later that I am feeling tired (and not as tired as I had been feeling before the workout....)

With the soy added to my diet...I am less tired before my workout....and still even better after working out.

I take a multi-vitamin and drink lots of water...(3 1-liter bottles a day)...I am trying my very best to be good to my body. I try to get 7 hours of sleep a night (10-5) and I usually get more on the weekend.

I am hoping that I continue to have good results with soy...I am less hungry during the day, which I had been combatting terrible hunger before.

I hope that you find something that works...it is such a terrible thing to battle.

beth

[seahorse]

Beth

Thanks so much for your suggestions. It has been a terrible thing to deal with. I have days when I don't want to ever wake up and that is not like me. I was having a great life a year ago and the fatigue just struck me down. I do run between 3 and 5 days a week depending on how I am feeling. I do feel much more engerized afterwards which is great because that is when I make dinner. It isn't until I actually sit down to watch tv when it hits hard again. I love to run and that has been a difficult thing to deal with too. Not being able to some days.

I tried taking the soy supplements a while back. It really didn't make a difference in the fatigue. I don't know if it wasn't enough or I need a different type. I am willing to try just about anything. Coffee doesn't do anything for me either, but I like it so do still have some in the morning only. I also have insomnia too which I have to take pills for. It just seems strange to have severe fatigue but not be able to sleep at night. I will try the soy again and see if maybe now it will help. I am glad you are doing better. This fatigue has been a tough battle for me.

The other thing is I seem to have more problems getting exhausted when I have to do things mentally, like shopping or doing my work. It is all thinking and seems to wear me out much more than the physical things. I can't shop for more than half hour and I am so tired I have to leave. Thanks again...

Kim

[bethann1156]

Kim,

I hear you....but kudos that you are running 3 days a week.

I haven't had the insomnia per se. I was waking up several times a night and then falling right back to sleep...but still not a solid night of rest, ya know? I have had night sweats that come for a few nights and then go for weeks...(in my respite right now)

I know that there is a difference in supplements (soy) and I am very pleased with Revival. My mom took it during peri and praised it...so I already had some first hand info on it.

Hope you are having a good day today...

beth

[seahorse]

beth

In spite of being totally exhausted when I got on the treadmill, I managed to run 2.75 miles today. Didn't think I was going to make it but I did. I do my best not to let this whole peri thing take everything away from me. I will check out revival. Thanks.

Kim

[samplegirl]

Hi Ladies,

This isn't really a reply, but more of a question.  I have been post now for about a year and a half.  During peri, my 2 worst were anxiety and lightheadedness.  That sort of tapered off when I first entered post, but now seem to have come back with a vengeance.  The  anxiety more so than the lightheadedness.  I'm pretty good when I first wake up in the morning, but just worrying about when the anxiety is going to hit seems to bring it on.  It's maddening and  sort of scary.  I have to keep moving around because I am so jittery.  I teach school and I feel bad for my students.  I can't stand in one place.  Their poor little heads are swiveling like crazy.  My question is:  isn't this supposed to stop once you become post----and why did it sort of stop and return again?  Do the hormones keep fluctuating even after post?  I don't take any medications and don't really want to.  This is driving me nuts.  Has this happened to anyone else?  Thanks for listening.

Donna

[samplegirl]

Dear Donna,
I've been Post 18 months and yes....your not alone the anxiety
has returned for me in the same way. Waking early morning with servere panic
attacks....although if I take some primrose before going to bed with my Cal/mag
they seem not to be so servere.
I think yes that we do go through this for a long time also depending on what
you have eaten as everything has estrogen in it.
I've often said.......why is everyone in such a hurry to get to the other side of
menopause? I dont believe we will ever be "symptom free".
I guess the best comfort is in knowing............"that we are all in the same boat".
I think your probably very old before they quit fluctuating.

[MaryO]

I've often said.......why is everyone in such a hurry to get to the other side of menopause? I dont believe we will ever be "symptom free".

I feel a lot better than I did during peri. I'm sure that others do, too. Usually, when women start to feel better, they drift away from here and get back to their normal lives, so you don't really get a cross section of all women here - just the ones who are having trouble still.

[icedancer]

I feel a lot better than I did during peri.  I'm sure that others do, too.  Usually, when women start to feel better, they drift away from here and get back to their normal lives, so you don't really get a cross section of all women here - just the ones who are having trouble still.

Thanks MaryO with your positive note on post menopause. I think you are right,
a lot of women move on from this site and get busy with their lives. Hopefully,
feeling better than ever. Remember also, not everything is "menopause" when
women feel bad after peri.

My mom told me that some of her friends claimed they felt better than in ther whole
lives after peri.


ice dancer