Hi all,

For the last 2 weeks I have had some moments of normalcy and relief from my dr/dp! And I went 2 weeks with no crying. I actually thought things were beginning to even out. I am 53 after all. I have been dealing w/ this roller coaster ride through h-e-l-l for the last 14 months so any improvement is so very welcomed.

Well, yesterday all of a sudden the dr/dp comes creeping back in. I could feel it coming back just standing in my kitchen. I fought it so hard to no avail.

Along with it comes the anxiety and fear. Could this be dropping estrogen? I will be so grateful to have some evening out of these hormones. I am so sensitive to the fluctuations. I know I should be so thankful to have some good days in there, but when the bad ones come back it hurts so much worse!

Would a complete hysterectomy help even things out or make all this worse?

Thanks ladies,
mood_swinger

Mood swinger:

I am so sorry that you are back in the soup!!! I cannot answer your questions but understand you wanting some kind of relief from all of this.

Big hugs coming your way!
Jeaninne

So sorry you are having fluctuations in your hormones which are a normal part of peri but contemplating a complete hysterectomy as a solution? What ever gave you that idea?
I suggest you read up about surgical menopause which I experienced over three years ago.
I didn't have a choice as I had endometrial cancer but I can tell you it is HORRIBLE and far far worse than normal menopause as your body loses its main production of estrogen and testosterone overnight.
No informed woman would choose to have surgery for treatment of perimenopause unless there was a serious health issue.

I myself have suffered DP in the past-not related to menopause but I know how awful it is and how desperate you can feel. I recommend you read some of the books by Dr Claire Weekes as she talks about DP as feelings of "unreality" and how the best treatment is acceptance of it and not fearfulness (which actually will make it worse).
I hope you feel better soon.
janet c

Do not even think about it!

Please do not blame your uterus for all these problems. The only reason to remove a uterus is cancer in situ or a situation where fibroids and general disease of the organ are causing infection, bleeding and severe anaemia. If you remove the uterus and ovaries you will suffer a massive and sudden drop in oestrogen which in a person so susceptible would cause havoc. Oestrogen drop is awful but at least it is fairly gradual. Then you would have the trauma of surgery to get over with all this fear and anxiety on board.
The only way you are going to achieve some normalcy, is to allow the ovaries to fail, let the other endocrine organs take up the slack and then make an attempt to move on. During this time accept any help you can to deal with depression and anxiety. We are talking survival here and there is no doubt that it is a difficult road.
In some ladies the transition can take many years but over time it does get better, albeit very slowly. It is also very up and down. Some days you see a glimmer of hope and then it all falls into a heap. Gradually over time the good bits get more frequent and you will hopefully get more and more comfortable in your own skin. Menopause stinks but that is how it is.................................
Just try to hang on to the fact that you have managed to feel better and try to reassure yourself that it will all lift again. I am nearly 3 years post and mentally I am very calm compared to when I was at the cusp of the changes.

Take Care,

XIII

((((((((((Mood Swinger))))))))))),
you are not alone in this journey through hell, we all are right there with you at some point along the way.
I had a reprieve for about a month, maybe almost 2 months...and I could start to see that little glimmer of light. I thought it was gonna be over with. Then in the past 2 weeks, SLAM. I have been thrown to the mat. The only thing I can think is that I must have had a cycle, which i haven't had in quite a while. I am 51 and i'm ready for it to be over with too...the first symptoms I had of this stuff was when I was 43 and it has been such a roller coaster ride ever since. The last 3 yrs being the worse. My worse symptom is depression so I take an AD to try to control, but I still struggle at times.
I've had friends who've gone the hyst. route due to other reasons and I have watched them go through even more hell then what we do naturally. It is NOT worth it if it is not needed!!
I can relate to the crazy making symptoms, they s*ck.
You know this is the place to be when feeling down...everyone here is here to help!!

Hang on to the knot, things will start to look up again... it has to!!!

hugs,
jes

XIII
I am glad you have found yourself in a better place 3 years post meno. I meant to say in my previous post that I too am feeling very much better now- almost four years after surgery even without estrogen, but it has been a long hard road. I would not recommend it to anyone!

janet c

a hysto- might add alot more onto your woes, your bad days will get fewer and fewer, like all these darn symtoms, then one day they are gone for good- just cant tell you when, hold on just a little longer.....

Hi Janet,

I am really pleased that you have seen some improvement after your 'hormone hell.' I love to hear of success on these boards. It helps to keep us all sane! I think that the trouble is when you are in the middle of it, there seems no way out and that is the cruel bit. I can remember when we chatted many moons ago and you were so worried about not being able to take oestrogen. Well you made it without supplementation, well done! I don't like to talk about feeling better just in case it jinxes me. Lol There are still things that I do not like about the new me but at least I am beginning to return to all the things I once loved and I now have the brain and the energy to do them. I have even lost all the extra pounds I put on when my periods stopped and wait for it; the big 'O' is back. (Mind you these days it takes a hell of a lot of persuasion..........Lol)

So you see Moodswinger, take it from Janet and me, there is hope!


XIII

The fact that this occurred again on a 2 week cycle seems to point in the direction of hormones. Do you know where you are in your cycle? And no, unless organs are diseased, hysterectomy is probably not a good way to go. The medical community does not yet fully comprehend all the ways that ovaries are of benefit (enzymatic functions as well as hormonal) besides reproductively.

Do you know where you are/were in your "cycle"? Are you keeping a journal of symptoms/time frames?

Avi

((((((((((mood_swinger))))))))))))) I'm so sorry you're going through so much. It's just a horrible sensation for sure and I've been living with this daily for over 3 years now. On occasion I feel like my body and head are connected with each other but most days I don't feel totally connected. I had this on and off since my late 20's and really bad in my mid 30's. Things got better in my late 30's until I hit peri and my world turned upside down 3 1/2 years ago. I get through the day the best I can and take my anxiety medication. I've had to be on it daily for almost 2 years now which is quite upsetting as I was off of it for 4 years or so until I got hit with peri. Keep talking, try anything you can to help yourself. I tried different things and unfortunately haven't had much success as I get bad side effects from most of the things I've tried. I will pray that you and everyone here suffering so terribly, including myself, get through this.

Avi,
I have not had a period in 3 months and prior to that one it had been 8 months. But I do think that 2 week reprieve was possibly higher estrogen and now it is if my body is trying so hard to start a period, but it just cannot not. Yes, I have been keeping a journal, not daily though. You are right, it is hormones.

Thanks for the reply,
mood_swinger

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. Can you tell what an impatient person I am???? Thanks for your encouragement. It just stinks after having so many good days. But I must be patient and realize that this is just an up and down thing and be thankful for the good days and realize that someday they will come again. Maybe the shorter days with cooler temps and all the cloudy, rainy days we have had lately is playing in all this too.

The reason I mentioned hysterectomy is that so many of my friends had one years ago and they all are telling me that all this would all be over if I would just go ahead and get one too! But I am assuming that they went immediately on E. I have fibroids, endometriosis, a uterine polyp, and an enlarged uterus, but no pain thank goodness. So I guess I was just thinking maybe all this was adding to my woes of meno. I do not believe in having any type of surgery unless it is warranted or unless I get a second, third, or maybe fourth opinion, so I was crazy to even mention it. I am just glad that all of you who have had them are doing better now.

I guess all this turmoil that we go through is so cyclic that this makes it so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am the type person that likes everything in a "little neat package" and believe me, peri/meno is anything but this!

Thank you all...
lots of hugs,
mood_swinger

Hi sweet,

Big, big hugs to you.......knowing the awful mist and fog of DP/DR, I really feel for you......can't say much more, only that I am thinking of you and praying for better days.....

Take good care, babe......you are precious.

Michah

Thanks Michah,

You are precious too! I really appreciate your encouragement and understanding. I must say congratulations on your good news. I read here last night about your recent engagement! That is wonderful and I am happy for you.

I hope you are doing better now.

hugs,
mood_swinger

Hey, Sweetie,

Try not to be too discouraged by this "step back." If you have had some better days, this shows that you CAN get back there.

And you WILL. I'm another who is a gazillion times better in post-menopause. A LOT of women have come through to the other side - there's every reason to believe you will, too!

(((HUGS))) and just ride the waves until the better days come.

JJ