Hi Hope you are all sitting comfortably and have some time to spare...
I found this when browsing another subject today!
Sound familiar???
Lindy xxxxxxxxxxxxx

PERIMENOPAUSAL/MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS

SIXTY-SIX PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS:
These are very real physical changes and conditions. Some symptoms alarm a woman that she may be suffering from a serious disease. Perhaps you know the more common ones related to menopausal symptoms in this list. But many of these may surprise you, as they have not been typically associated with this normal physiological transformation.
1. Change in Menstrual Cycle, Cycles may get closer together or farther apart, lighter and shorter in duration or much heavier, lasting longer than one has been accustomed to. Menses may seem to take forever to begin with dark spotting for days until you actually flow, or you might feel like you have your menses every two weeks.
2. Menstrual Flooding can come on with sudden onset and feel like you may hemorrhage to death. Or it can be a gradual build up just when you think your menses will end and you start gushing for days. Flooding commonly accompanies the woman with uterine fibroids as she transits into menopause.
3. Headaches, Migraines, especially before, during or at the end of your menses debilitate and radically interferes with normal functioning.
4. Decreased Motor Coordination, Clumsiness, almost begins to make the woman who experiences this feel like she is a bit spastic, certainly less than graceful during perhaps an already awkward period in her life.
5. Lethargy, a persistent feeling sluggishness physically and mentally, that seems to negate ones ability to do much.
6. Physical Exhaustion , and Crushing Crashing Fatigue that can come on so suddenly and grip you into feeling like you will collapse unless you stop this instant.
7. Exacerbation of any Chronic Illness or Existing Condition transpires as hormones decline or deviate from their normal balance.
8. Insomnia, this includes a new or unusual pattern of either difficulty falling asleep, or dropping off to sleep for a few hours and then awakening with the inability to return to sleep.
9. Sleep Disturbances sometimes are from nightmares, night sweats, or just a vague sense of restlessness keeping you up or disrupting your precious revitalizing retreat from this realm of responsibilities.
10. Night Sweats often begin between a woman’s breasts, initially a night or two before her menses, waking her from sleep, later more profoundly disturbing with up to total body saturation, followed by damp or sweat drenched chills.
11. Interference With Dream Recall interrupts the sense of normal sleep, if you are someone accustomed to vivid or at least some detailed memory of your dreamtime.
12. Muscle Cramps can occur anywhere in the body from legs to back to neck, and sometimes reflects the need for more calcium, or simply that your progesterone levels are too low.
13. Low Backache often worsens before or during menses, but if your hormones remain at low levels, you can experience it on a regular basis.
14. Gall Bladder Symptoms of pain, spasms and discomfort felt in the right upper abdominal quadrant under the ribs, which may be accompanied by belching, bloating, and intolerance to certain foods reflect the increased liver load with declining hormones.
15. Frequent Urination, or sensations that mimic urinary infections is a disturbing symptom often unrelieved by actual urination. It is often experienced as the sensation of needing to urinate all the time, even immediately afterwards.
16. Urinary Incontinence, the uncontrollable and spontaneous loss of urine, or the Urge for Incontinence, can occur suddenly or feel continuous, and not only in response to coughing, sneezing, jumping or running.
17. Hypoglycemic Reactions happen when suddenly your blood sugar crashes and you must have food now.
18. Food Cravings, often for sweets or salty foods, but can include sour or pungent foods.
19. Increased Appetite, especially at night and after dinner contributes to that unusual and unwanted weight gain.
20. Dark Circles Under Eyes can also be caused by adrenal exhaustion and thyroid dysfunctions, but no amount of sleep seems to eliminate it.
21. Joint and Muscle Pain, Achy, Sore Joints, Muscles and Tendons, which sometimes develop into actual carpal tunnel syndrome, or give rise to the questioning of other disease possibilities.
22. Increased Tension in Muscles demonstrates itself in those hunched up shoulders as you work or talk about anything uncomfortable, along with promoting lower back pain and a stiff neck.
23. Increased Hair Loss or Thinning anywhere on body, including your head, armpits, pubic area.
24. Increase in Facial Hair especially under your chin, or along your jaw line. It may be defined by generalized hair growth, or a specific and coarse single strand of hair that pokes out, even curls.
25. Unusually Hair Growth, around Nipples, between Breasts, down your back, places where your hair was finer, less coarse.
26. Acne, quite disturbing to any woman who dealt with this in adolescence and never thought it would recur.
27. Infertility causes grief in the woman who postponed pregnancy in her earlier years and now wishes to conceive, carry to term a healthy baby, and discovers she is unable to do so.
28. Loss of Breast Tissue begins with the decrease of progesterone production. Women often feel as though their breast have become empty sacs devoid of their normal fullness, with or without sagging.
29. Breast Soreness/Tenderness/Pain/ Engorgement and swelling, occurs particularly a few days to one week before bleeding actually begins, which usually potentiates complete relief of any pain or swelling.
30. Painful, or tender nipples have been described as this exquisite localized pain only in the nipples and suggests estrogen excess.
31. Cold Extremities feels quite strange especially in the presence of a hot flash, the combination of which is not impossible.
32. Being Accident Prone, bumping into things, not even realizing it until the bruise reveals itself later and then lacking the ability to recall the causative incident feels perplexing and a little scary at the prospect of something more damaging.
33. Hot flashes initially may be described as mild to severe flushes of heat waves, and for some women these evolve into intense outbreaks of sudden heat with sweating and turning bright red all over.
34. Loss of Sexual Energy, our Libido, can be marked by a gradual or sudden disinterest in sex, to the development of an actual aversion.
35. Painful Sex often described as if one’s vagina would tear open at the point of penetration along with feelings of abrasion during intercourse.
36. Vaginal Dryness, Irritation, sometimes accompanied by a consistent unusual discharge - typically odor free, negates a woman’s ability to be sexually active, or able to enjoy or be comfortable in her body.
37. Dizziness, feeling lightheaded and the loss of physical balance, and even a bit wobbling at times, requires pause in movement to prevent falling over or deepening into vertigo or feeling faint.
38. Ringing in the Ears, Tinnitus, can be experienced as a pulsing sensation, a whooshing sound, an almost musical or buzzing sound with a fuzzy sensation.
39. Abdominal Bloating comes on suddenly often after eating, or seems to be all the time, and can be visibly evident making you feel that you look like you are pregnant.
40. Weight Gain disturbs most women, particularly when it seems to happen over a couple of days, settles in the waist, buttocks and thighs, promoting a visceral thickening from the waist down, the classic middle-aged figure.
41. Fluid Retention, Edema, commonly with swelling in the legs and ankles, though not limited to this area and it is unrelieved by urination.
42. Palpitations or Heart Racing usually comes on suddenly, without warning or provocation, and dissipates spontaneously. The experience can be so wild and intense that a woman may become alarmed and wonder if she is having a heart attack.
43. Irregularities in your Heart Rate may feel more like your heart has just done a flip-flop or skipped a beat.
44. Constipation/Diarrhea, intermittent or alternating, results from declining hormone levels, which increase the demands on liver function and alters intestinal motility.
45. Tendency towards Candidiasis can increase, even if you have no prior known history – and if you do, it may worsen.
46. Gastrointestinal Distress, Increased Flatulence, Unrelieved Gas pains, Indigestion, Nausea all can reflect intestinal changes due to hormonal imbalances.
47. Slow Digestion often goes along with the bloat – what previously took four to five hours to digest, now seems to take all night. It seems worse in the evenings.
48. Lack of Appetite may be experienced as more of a lack of interest in food, going to the fridge and standing there with the door open and staring blankly. Feeling completely uninspired, you busy yourself with something else and forget that you need to eat.
49. Changes in Body Odor especially disturbing when it seems to focus in the groin area, but can be anywhere on the body.
50. Puffy Eyes, not only from sleep disturbances, but also can accompany low progesterone.
51. Facial Pallor alternating with Facial Flushes is often intermittent with hot flashes.
52. Flare up of Arthritis worsens with low progesterone levels and increase sugar intake.
53. Loss of Bone Density, Osteoporosis, is not only an elderly woman’s disease, though it seems to develop over an extended period and is triggered by the decline of hormone production.
54. Dry Hair, Change in Skin Tone, Integrity, and Texture, becomes more wrinkled, and may begin the thinning process.
55. Changes in your Fingernails characterized by easy breakage, bending, cracking and getting softer.
56. Itchy, Crawly Skin with a strange sensation like insects crawling around under the skin – quite different than the dry skin feeling.
57. Muscle tone seems to slack and sag, and loose its previous response to normal exercise.
58. Pelvic Pain can be random and independent of cycles and may feel continuous for some women.
59. Dry, Itchy Eyes felt in the deep posterior aspect of the eye socket, as well as superficially.
60. Teeth Aching or the experience of a strange sensation in one’s teeth or gums, often accompanied by an increase in bleeding gums.
61. Change in the normal Tongue sensation, which can be accompanied by a feeling of burning in your tongue and roof of mouth, malodorous breath or change in breath odor, and/or a bad taste in your mouth.
62. Memory Loss or Lapses in time, makes one feel disoriented and less focused, especially when you go into another room to get something specific and seconds later cannot remember what you went to retrieve.
63. Feeling Faint for no known reason (this does not include standing up too quickly)
64. Tingling in Extremities not only feels weird and like your hands or feet are falling asleep, but if persistent can be a symptom of diabetes, B12, potassium or calcium deficiency, or a compromise in blood vessel flexibility.
65. Sensation of Electrical Stimulation, Prick or Shock occurring in the tissue under the skin, and may signal you that a hot flash will begin.
66. Increase and worsening of Allergies occurs as hormones become imbalanced, so can our immune system

LindyD, can you please send me a pm with the site where you found this information? Thanks

Lindy - Thank you for posting this. I hope you copied and pasted! ..........

Lindy - Thank you for posting this. I hope you copied and pasted! ..........

I don't think it mentions anxiety does it, which was a biggie for me. It does describe some other things I suffered very well though.

wow, I have a lot of these symptoms. I'm glad that constipation was listed; for the past year or so I have been eating at least 2 bananas a day like clockwork and it helps keep me regular. for the past month or so, I'm lucky if I'm not constipated. Odd what hormones do to your body. Thanks for posting!
I'd also like the link to this site, if possible?
thanks
Suz

Wow, I have lots of those symptoms too! but as mentioned above, where is the anxiety, panic and depression?? So there are more than 66!!

Hi LindyD could you please also PM me with the site you found this info from. I have had many of these symptoms on and off over the past 2-3 years and I was glad to see some of them on here that I hadn't found any relevancy anywhere else but I was sure it was due to Peri.

They really DO need to add anxiety, panic attacks and depression in there too.

Cheers

Rox

Yes, the list needs to include the anxiety factor for sure.

Lindy , would love to know where you saw this!!! Please PM me the website! Thanks....

I think the depression isn't listed as these are 66 PHYSICAL symptoms of Menopause.. I guess depression is classed as mental/emotional rather than physical.

You're not going to believe this girls but I can't re find the link! I just stumbled across this on a site when I was reasearching heart PVCS and the Vagus Nerve for someone on the sulfite allergy board I belong to.
I just copy/pasted the menopause bit into Word so I could put it onto PS but didn't bookmark the page. The site had all kinds of info on it.
I have just googled it but can't find it again.
I do still have the copy in Word so if anyone wants an attachment of it they can send me their email address.
Sorrrrrrry...
Love Lindy xxx

Thank You!! This was very interesting. I have been having # 14 and # 43 alot. It's nice to actually see it written down that these are symptoms.

Susie

Thanks for your time LindyD, for informing us with all these meno symptoms. But couldn't find SINUS PROBLEMS, can't stand it
But here are my winners meno #'s
#12, #13, #17 ( Hypoglycemic , big winner )
#19, #21, #22, #34, #38, #40 Yuck, Budda Belly, hate it
#48 Wishing to have this one Hungry allllllllllll the time
Well girls don't be jealous of me for having those # as my favorites

menoqueen

WHat about shortness of breath? Or feeling like you can't take a deep breath sometimes, or have to take another breath during a LONG sentence, as you run out of air??? I know we've discussed this one as well...

lisa

I was just about to add that too, and I am sure there will be more too!!!

Yes, feeling that you can't take a deep enough breath.

Does the eye sight get worse with this? I think my eyes have gotten way worse within just a few months.

Big Thanks to JAYLYN!!!!!!
She sent me a PM to say she has found an even better site than the one I found. It lists the above 66 signs and even gives a list of the emotional/psychological symptoms too!
They are from a book called the Phytogenic Hormone solution by Sandra McKenna.
This wasn't the site I found... I think the one I found had copied the list!
I don't think I am allowed to add links to websites to this board without them being deleted so I will PM the link to those who have asked. If anyone else want it please sent me a PM.
Thanks again Jalyn!
Lindy xxxxxxxxxx

Just got your PM Lindy and sent you a message....thanks again for sending the site.....

quote name = Simba 2 date = December 16th 2007
Lindy I would be very interested to know what the website is. With thanks fom Simba

I have sent the link to all you have requested it so far.

The site also covers:
Understanding hormones
The signs of Adrenal Exhaustion
The signs of Hyper and Hypo Thyroid
25 emotional/pyschological signs of menopause (inlcuding anxiety, depression, panic etc etc etc!)

It has been suggested that I copy/paste these too but as I now realise the info is from a book and is clealy marked as copyright I would rather anyone iterested PM me and I will send the link.

HUGS Lindy xx

I know of a site that has I think over 60 as well and they added "shortness of breath" this year, last year and prior to that it was not on there..In fact they only had like 35 last year, but now they are up to 60, so the list is growing, lol (not funny I know). I get the shortness of breath, winded, out of breath also. In fact, Thursday I go for yet another stress test echo and I give up if this comes back normal. Will truly look into other areas.

Actually it is 59 symptoms. I did copy them and pasted them below.

1. Hot flashes, flushes
2. Night sweats (often accompanied by cold feet!)
3. Cold flashes, clammy feeling
4. Bouts of rapid heart beat (Palpitations)
5. Chest pain on exertion
6. Shortness of breath (at rest or upon exertion)
7. Vaginal Dryness
8. Unusual vaginal discharge
9. Changes in the physical look of the labia
10. Loss of pubic hair
11. Bladder Control Problems
12. Recurring Urinary Tract Infections
13. Recurring vaginitis (yeast infection symptoms)
14. Breast tenderness and/or sagging
15. Sore, stiff, achy joints
16. Muscle soreness (muscle cramps, muscle weakness)
17. Backaches
18. Headache (increase or decrease in frequency or pain)
19. Weight Gain (especially around your waist and abdomen)
20. Inability to lose weight
21. Change in appetite (increase in or loss of)
22. Irritability and mood swings
23. Irregular Periods (changes in frequency, duration, skipped periods, phantom periods etc.)
24. Clotting of menstrual blood
25. Loss of libido
26. Insomnia / Disrupted Sleep
27. Unreasonable fatigue / lack of energy
28. Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom
29. Depression
30. Anxiety or Panic attacks
31. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion
32. Increased memory lapses
33. Tingling or itchy skin.
34. Gastrointestinal distress (including indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation)
35. Exacerbation of existing conditions
36. Increase in allergies
37. Hair loss or thinning (anywhere on the body)
38. Increase in facial hair
39. Dizziness
40. Light-headedness
41. Loss of balance
42. Changes in body odor (anywhere on the body)
43. Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head
44. "Buzzing" in your head
45. Ringing in ears (Tinnitus)
46. Tingling in the extremities
47. Dry Mouth
48. Oral Symptoms (gum bleeding, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor, sore tongue, sensitivity to heat or cold, sore throat)
49. Changes in fingernails (softer, crack, split or break easily)
50. Skin Changes (dryness, thinning look, acne, age spots)
51. Dry, itchy, puffy eyes
52. Water retention
53. Bloating (swollen ankles or feet or elsewhere in the body)
54. Osteoporosis (bone loss)
55. Blood sugar imbalance
56. Fibrocystic breasts
57. Uterine fibroids
58. Hypothyroidism
59. Infertility

[size="3"]OH LOL
More meno symptoms!!!!!
I'm amazed we are still all on our feet!
I think Jalyn and I win...
Our lists give 66 physical + 25 emotional !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unless anyone can come up with a longer list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/size

I KNOW RIGHT....WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU. IT SEEMS LIKE HORMONAL DOMINANCE OR LACK THEREOF AFFECTS ALL BODY SYSTEMS, LOL....I FIND THAT INTERESTING..

thanks for posting this. are there any prizes for those of us with the most & more symptoms? for the most symptoms at any one time? seems like we need some kind of award....

ellen

Had to revive this thread...don't know why, but somehow makes me feel better....I think there is one or two I don't have...now THAT makes me feel better...................

HEY LINDYD! I'M HELEN (NEWBIE) I, TOO, WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE ABOVE MENTIONED LINK (THANKS IN ADVANCE)

Hi Lindy. Would you please PM me the link also. Thanks so much.
Linda S

Yep! I have a lot of those symptoms! Thanks for sharing the list. It is when the symptoms first hit at the age of 41, 6 years ago that I went into a full panic of not knowing what was "wrong" with me. Knowledge is power. it is easier to handle when you know what is going on.

Right now, my symptom is feeling tipsy. I will start in a few days.

I just turned 45 and am glad I saw "Itchy, Crawly Skin with a strange sensation like insects crawling around under the skin" - I've had this a few times in the past month and thought I was losing my mind. My mom died before menopause, so I have no clue as to when to expect it, but with all the aches, pains, and weepiness I've had in the past 6 months, I guess I am getting close. At least I am thankful I found this forum!

Libby

Yep, I've had 'em all!!!

The great news is that two years post-menopause, MOST OF THEM ARE GONE!!!!


(((HUGGERS)))

JJ

Thanks! I'm going to have to print this one out!!

Someone should set up a poll with all 66 symptoms on there. It would be interesting to see what are common and what are more unusual. I have definately got the more unusual symptoms. Just my luck!!!

I agree honeydog. It would interesting to see how many differences and sames there are for everyone.

Jeaninne

Could you please let me have the link - I am new to this site and am desperately trying to cope with loads of horrible symptoms many of which you have listed in your post.

wow 66 signs that is a lot
thanx for posting

Good grief! I've had 37 of these symptoms over the past few years, plus two more that I had in the past but haven't had for a long time. What strikes me is that I had some of these symptoms way back in my mid-twenties (I'm 37 now). I think I've just always been low in progesterone, because even in my teens I had some hormonal symptoms.

I don't know why this makes me feel better, because it doesn't make the symptoms go away. Still, it's just nice to see that there is an explanation for all the annoying sensations I've experienced the past few years. When I tell my family it's hormonal, I usually just get the ol' "she's blaming it on her hormones again" smirk.

Hi Lindy, would you please send me the link to that also. I know it was originally posted along time ago and I hope you still have it:) Thank you in advance!!!!

Yes, 66 and probably MORE! I'll bet there are! Slowbear, you made me laugh, knowing that you didn't have 2 of the symptoms made you feel better....because, i felt the same way!..lol ...

As far as adding symptoms to the list ... yes, the breathing should be included, because that "not being able to get that deep breath" feeling is scary, but i've gotten used to it by now and i just try to relax .... or even the shortness of breath as well.
Some sites seem to mention anxiety and panic, others don't. But obviously, that is a BIGGIE, for me as well!
I don't remember if I saw HEALTH ANXIETY there. I'm glad one of the sites mentioned a sense of DREAD, because for some unknown reason, that's another biggie for me!

Now, skin changes , since i have been through this recently, I will add this! They usually mention the more COMMON symptoms, like the above sites did .....however, recently i had to deal with this sort of mole thing that to me at least, just seemed to "appear" out of nowhere......well, long story short....it turned out to be seborrheic keratosis, which is really just sort of an inherited skin condition (although i don't recall anyone in my family having this),...point being, it's not a big deal, and it dried up and fell off, but my dr. said that it can be triggered off by PERIMENOPAUSE and changing hormones! TA DA!!!!

So, as far as I'm concerned, i'll bet there are yet more symptoms to be discovered....just watch!

I would not be surprised that there are more symptoms than 66.

I am so glad that this is posted here. I started having this "thing" with my gums this afternoon and of course my anxiety started but I got on here and read that there can be gum and teeth changes. I feel better now because I have looked, my daughter has looked and my gums look fine and are swollen or sore, just feel swollen. Whew!!! Thank goodness for PS!!!

Can anyone elaborate on how long symptoms can last? For example, what is the longest period that any of you have suffered with something, one particular symptom?

I ask because I am still having numbness. It is occuring on my face, on the right side only. It began with the left side of my lips and then progressed to my cheeks, around my nose and by my chin. Sometimes my scalp would feel funny too. Again, not exactly a full blown numbness, but the feeling you get once you leave the dentist and the novacaine is wearing off...weird. I have been to the dr and he doesn't seem concerned...said it could be anxiety (he doesn't discuss peri with me!!) It does seem to get somewhat better when I take a Xanax - not completely gone, but better. This has lasted about 6 weeks. Consequently, it began when I was suffering from a sinus infection - sinus infection is now gone to be replaced with allergies.

Can anyone elaborate PLEASE?????? Also, this is weird and occurred today, the tip of my ring finger was numb - it as gone away now...is that crazy too? My hubby tells me to quit worrying, he has experienced numbness on his fingers too!

Thanks,
Tracey