Hey I started that other thread, and the Marybeth posted a great topic on how she found some relief.... So I thought, dang, why not start that as a topic too.

Ladies, please post any Positive Refief you have found. Whatever it may be. From Bio-identical hormones, to supplements, to excercise, or how long it took you to go through. I read about many ladies that have found some relief, or say that they have made it through. So for us poor souls still dealing with this, please give us some positive insights on what you have learned and what worked for you....

Also if can, breifly discribe what symptoms you were experience, and for how long. So we can see if relates to us, and where we may be in our battle against the evil hormones....

I have copied Mary Beth's and put it here, cuz I thought it was great. I for one have been considering her option already....

Remember ladies, this is for positive experience, surely not what worked for one will work for all. But at the least a place where we can go to get some good positive feedback, I am a STRONG believer in that...

BTW did I tell you all lately, that I think you all are great!!!!

As posted by Marybeth....

Hi Becca!

Bioidental Progesterone was one for me! Thanks for this thread!
I am back on it after almost hitting menopause (got a period, so we started back on them according to labs)
so YAY another year without the worries of Osteoporosis like My Mom! !!!
She is thrilled! In her 80's that's always good

Having a bleeding disorder where broken bones or surgery are not good in my case,
That silly little annoying period is actually a miracle!

HUGS!
MB


--------------------

"Wishes for you.....A sunbeam to warm you, A moonbeam to charm you,
A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you......'"

Mary Beth


Hope you don't mind Mary Beth that I copied over here, I thought it was a great post!!!! THANKS

Prilosec for acid reflux
Tylenol Pm to sleep.

I haven't taken much of anything else.

Well, I'm still in the midst of this peri anxiety mess, but I've been taking neurontin (gabapentin) for sleep, and the zoloft seems to be helping for the terrible depression I was having. (I've had to taper up on the zoloft VERY slowly because my body is very sensitive to everything right now). Praying that things will keep getting better.

I posted a couple days ago for success stories from BHRT cream and got no bites. For those on bioidentical P and E, what form are you using and on what kind of schedule?

Thanks
Angela

Becca - Excellent and thank you for the sweet note!! XOXOX

Great place -
for this topic.

Let's hope one last thing, that all the ***many who have moved on from PS, like I did briefly,
come back to tell what really worked!!!! I got some GREAT stories there, but gotta run for now.
I'll be back with those.
Becca - this is awesome.

MB

Thanks... And yes, it would be great for all those that have moved on to just stop in and give us an update, just a little good news, ya know...

I know Angela, we all just want a little help. I know many had to get thru this, so anything that they have to offer would be great.... Lord knows we all needs some good news, ya thank...

PS MB thank you again, so appreciate it!!! Wish more would share the success stories...

xanex - for anxiety
water aerobics or simply sleep - sleep
advil - body aches

one time I had horrible body aches and DP/DR and I gave in and on top of the advil took 1/2 vicodin ,, it cleared up BOTH problems and brought me back to earth ! dont recommend the heavy narcotics .. but it did the trick.

also vitamins and mag/calcium ,, I dont always remember to take daily .. but when Im feeling my worst I feel better after taking ..

BCP for the most horrible cramps

Celexa for major anxiety and depression

OTC Sleep Aid

Lots of rest

I forgot I also take Viactiv (calcium) and a multi vitamin

Initially I used Change-O-Life in the beginning stages and it worked well for quite awhile.

I feel my supplements allowed me to go longer than I would have otherwise before resorting to hormones, since I didn't start the hormones until 2008 and I am now 56.

I took high quality multiple vitamin, omega 3 from fish oil, extra b-complex with occasional extra B-1, cal/mag, iron (for low ferritin), herbs for liver cleansing every couple months, exercise, trying to get to bed by 10.

Also, digestive enzymes before meals which helped immensely with my new difficult digesting foods, along with hydrochloric acid during the meal, probiotics.

Oh, and an occasional Xanax when I was having the anxiety and panic attacks.

Allowing myself to accept what was happening as part of the journey so that I wasn't in a constant state of panic and fear.

And finally, of course, Estrogel and thyroid meds. These 2 have made all the difference.

I neglected to mention that before I had any Xanax, which I still occasionally use for sleep, the best OTC sleep aid I found was Unisom, but it has to be the doxylamine succinate form, not the diphenhydramine one, since there are 2 different ones. One tab was too much, so I would use 1/4 to 1/2. But the estrogen has pretty much stopped the sleep problems.

prilosec for acid reflux
an awesome multi vitamin and probiotics
almost all of lorna vanderhaege's supplement (different forumlas for different times of hormonal changes)
vegan complete whole food health optimizer shake (all in one for first thing in the morning....keeps me regular and gives me ENERGY)
supplementing estrogen (estrogel), progesterone (compounded cream) and testosterone (compounded cream) for the health of my bones, breast, colon, skin, brain and well being (also conquered my meno induced anxiety)
oh, and magnesium (150 mgs/night) to knock me out at night!!!!!

Do you get you supplement of estrogel and all from a componding pharmist, or did you do something OTC... Sounds like you really found a great combo here...

I see your taking prilosec, and takig probiotics. Have you ever considered taking a Digestive Enzyme, that has done wonders for my acid reflux, I was on Zantax 150 twice a day, haven't taken in months.... Just a thought...

But I am really intested in how you came about supplementing your hormones, and CONQUERING YOUR MEMO induced ANXIETY!!!!

Also Sariah, looks like you really been thru this, and pretty much gotten to where you need to be. I love your attitude about just part of the journey, that is so where I am trying to be...

Need to start getting house together before hubby get's home, like it to be nice when he gets home, esp on Fridays... So I need to go soon... but I will come back in and put what I have done thus far. Honestly I have gotten thru alot of my symptoms, but I also have a ways to go..

Thank you ladies so much for sharing what you have done.... I think it might be a great idea like in a week or so, or when this thread slows down, that I will print it out, and perhaps type of like a summary of what people have done for specific symptoms, might be interesting don't you think.... Just a thought..

Biodentical Progesterone (oil caps) started with 150 mg nightly just increased to 225mg. (my lifesaver)

Just started Biodentical Testosterone cream a week ago for loss of libido from the P ^^ not sure if it is working yet. I do feel frisky this week but that could be the new levels of P maybe, dunno.

Armour Thyroid tablets, can't see that they are improving anything but my next blood serum check should show if it is improving my levels. I have lost some more weight so maybe it is doing what it is supposed to.

I was taking but have kind of forgotten the last few weeks lol:
Magnesium liquid, multi vitamin, D3, and Omega 3. I still feel fine not taking them so who knows if they helped or not.

I also do weekly B-12 injections for energy and love it.

Hi there,

Estrogel is prescribed from my doc and picked up at the pharmacy. The P and T are compounded and made specially at the compounding pharm. Unfortunately, I need to go to two different places.....:-)
I don't use high doses, just enough to deal with my symptoms.
I have taken digestive enzymes and they do help, but I'm not good at remembering to take them BEFORE I eat then it's too late. My biggest problem with GERD is coffee and I love it. What I do now is mix 1/2 and 1/2 decaf and regular (but I love Starbucks and it's strong). This seems to work. Thank you for the suggestion, though.
Seriously, about the anxiety. It was bad at one point and came totally out of nowhere. It was like I was possessed by it with no control. I've always been a bit of a "nervous Nelly", but this was whacko.
And, for me putting the estrogen back into my system made a huge difference. I cannot tell you how it helped me. This is not to say that it will do the same for anyone else, but it did for me.
If you are suffering with anxiety, I hope you can find a way to deal with it. There is no question. It is a monster.
Go fix. I know what you mean about Fridays. It's our night to have a glass of wine or two, relax and enjoy!

Oh, I forgot.
Yoga. Amazing for whatever ails you.

I "toughed out" most of peri. I didn't know a lot of what I suffered was from hormones. I didn't recognize the "anxiety" AS anxiety...because I was never an anxious person, to me it was a physical thing, not mental.

During the transition from peri to post....the crap hit the fan!!

I started with Ativan to treat the anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. Helped but didn't really make me feel better.

Added Paxil, after 5 weeks the anxiety was less, the panic was less...but the dizzies persisted..and I still didn't feel "right".

Added Estrogel and prometrium....felt MUCH better for quite a while.

Then I started getting fat, eating uncontrollably, fatigued. Turned out the Prometrium wasn't liking me.

Tried P compounded cream...that gave me daily migraines, had to quit.

Now I am using prometrium vaginally, so we shall see how that goes.

I am adding testosterone as soon as the pharmacy has it ready.

I would, however, call me a success story, because I am SO MUCH BETTER than I was.

Thank you for sharing, how long has this been going on, just curious. Mine has been the worse for about 6 months, but my periods are still every month....

I see testosterone coming up again, pretty interesting.

Not being a dah , but what is Estrogel and prometrium.

Don't you all wish some of the doctor's would come this site and get this info, it would so benefit so so so many women, ya know...

Please keep sharing, at the least it gives some of us questions to ask our doctors...

Estrogel is a transermal estradiol gel, and is considered a bio identical estrogen. Prometrium is micronized progesterone....which is usually taken orally, but can be used vaginally...it is also considered a bio identical progesterone.

My "crash" occurred in August of 2007....so I am almost 2 years in now. I didn't start the hormones until December 2007, so about a year and a half on the hormones. I did ok for probably a year on the hormones before the Prometrium started causing problems for me.

Peri itself started when I was 35, and I stopped periods at 46 and I am now 48.

Fun times!! LOL!

Have you found it any better since you have stopped w/your periods?

I am 42, and let's just say I am done... LOL - Well I wish I was actually done, just done w/the peri...

Becca

I'm curious, how can you be done with peri at 42? I sure would like to be done, but would be afraid to have a hyst. That seems to make things worse.

I am so sorry, I meant done, like done mentally, I wish I was done.... Oh no hon, just begun.....

Ok, tried to post this yesterday and the whole thing ended up in lala land.

Morning - research grade St Johns Wort, 1 L-Theanine and 2 chinese herb tablets consisting mostly of dong quai and rhubarb rhizome.

Evening - "Sleep" consisting of valerian, lemon balm, chamomile and melatonin, and another St Johns Wort

Exercise - martial arts twice a week and treadmill 20 minutes the other days - when I can. The more exercise the better and I don't do enough!

A half of blood pressure pill or valium for those crisis days where I'm over the top.

Meditation - bring my mp3 player to bed most nights and listen to meditation music or guided meditation. I highly recommend Bella Ruth Naparstek website. Also look at the meditation thread on this board.

Do something creative everyday - this was a recommendation from a therapist. The hormones make your mind race. Create endeavors quiet it.

Well after my periods stopped was when I crashed. Since I have been using estrogen I feel much better, but I sure wouldn't want to be without it. I don't think I would be better at all, without it.

I sure hate to hear reports from people who are two or three years post and still having problems--I have such a long way to go!

Is there an OTC estrogen supplement cream that helps? I'm having a really hard time with the idea of using a cream that has progesterone in it--which is what the GYN NP prescribed. I'd really like to try one thing at a time. I was hoping the increased zoloft would help, but I spent the whole weekend crying with my stomach tied in a knot with anxiety. I think we're going to need family counseling with all that's going on.

1- Exercise: (#1 relief of most of my symptoms of peri, anxiety/depression)
2- Setting my boyfriend on fire :a great stress reliever, you ladies need to try this one
3- Working; keeping busy all day keeps my mind off me
4- Road rage; a little yelling never hurt
5- Herbs (for anxiety); not the illegal kind
6- Reading; reading again takes my mind of of me and I'm also taking courses so have a lot of reading to do
7- Yoga; just started budokon, which makes me hurt so I forget about my lupus and peri pains ;-)
9- Smothering boyfriend with pillow: this makes him stop taking for a while when I am stressed
10 -Wine/chocolate; self explanatory
11- Laughing; heals EVERYTHING that ails.
12- Threatening boyfriend to rub my feet or I'll repeat #2 and 9 on this list (heheh)
13- Cooking: again, brings me to a calm place and a calm body = a calm mind

;-)

These are great! I'll have to substitute "hubby" for "boyfriend". Might put the kids on foot rubbing duty.

I see that somebody mentioned herbs. I was thinking about getting some here. Do they work?

TKPope,

When someone posts a link on pretty much a first post Im a little suspicious. A
And then when I see you have NO info whatsoever in your bio I really have to believe your link is just a sales pitch.

Hello!

Melatonin 300 MCG is a great for sleep. It's an over the counter tablet you can find in any vitamin isle at your favorite store.
Do not take if you are pregnant or plan to be. Check with your doctor before taking.

Take care!

How are you doing in menopause?

Positive? What has worked? NOTHING for any length of time that is! I don't want to be on HRT any more, was for a number of the first few years (SO long ago). I have been having night-sweats for ELEVEN years now and I have tried every hormone known to man (woman actually!). They all seem to work for a short while and then I think my body acclimates to them and here come the sweats again. I guess the positive side of it all is that, #1, there are no more periods and #2, no more PMS, emotional ups and downs are gone and #3, sex has improved vastly! If there was a way to cure the night-sweats and hot flashes, I'd be the happiest 58 year old in history!!!!