I began to experience what I thought was the start of perimenopause. I came here and did much reading and after answereing yes to many of the sypmtoms of the start of menopause thought well I guess this is what is going on with me also!
Let me start off by saying that I am now 40 years old. The women on both sides of my family never started into peri and meno in their 40's and when I asked them and from my own memory confirmed that they did not experience much discomfort with the whole process. Hurray for them, but why was I getting jipped in the gene pool?
I on the other hand began having heavy long periods going from a 28 day cycle to a 22-24 day cycle. And I mean for the first several days of my peiod I had better not even think of leaving the house. Not mention the pms prior, spotting in between, breast tenderness, electric shock feeling that would shoot through my head, foggy brain,moodines, general blah and not so great energy.
The strange thing is that I had very similar expereince 4 years ago. Same symptoms but also added to that experience of all the other symptoms I had mentioned above was heart palpitations, my arms felt tingly, a constant spotting and depression. These symptoms alarmed me. I had never experienced all these strange symptoms so I made an appointment with my doctor. Also being a RN I began to try and figure out myself what was going on with me at that time I thought I must have an awful disease, cancer, prolapsed mitral valve, ms, als. I thought I was dying for sure. Of course the doctor could not find anything wrong with me. We both just chalked it up the fact that I had recently changed my diet. By giving up soft drinks, replacing meat protein with soy. That I must have stressed my body with all these changes. At that time I thought to myself the only different thing I have added is all this tofu and roasted soybeans. So I stopped all the soy and the symptoms went or lessened. Cycle went back to normal, no more arm tingling, heart palpatations stopped. However at that time I did add a magnesium supplement that I have taken ever since without ever experiencing anymore palpatations.
At that time I was suspicous of the soy and asked several doctors and dieticans at the hospital were I worked if they have ever had any pts experience any strange symptoms that I had with soy. Of course the answers I got were, no soy is good for you.. I never heard of such a thing....Maybe you had some sort of food allergy regarding soy.
So now move ahead about three and a half years. I did remain vegetarian. I feel like I'm ok no drastic symptoms, some mild pms a couple days prior. Periods have been getting a little more heavy.
Then my husband who is also vegetarian discovers another world in the freezer section at the grocery store. He finds fake, no meat chicken nuggets, fake burgers, fake meatballs. He falls in love with this processed soy ambrosia. It is very tasty and the kids are not turning their noses up at it either. So I think this has to be healthier for them and the whole idea I had about soy not being agreeable with me is probably all in my head.
So off we embark we are eating this stuff everyday. It's either for breakfast in the fake soy sausage patties or for lunch or dinner with soy burgers/ hot dogs.
Guess what I start have brain fog, spotting between my periods, heavy irregular periods, extreme breast tenderness that would start about two days after my period,MEAN pms, electric shock feelings, most all of the peri symptoms. I felt awful. I also thought there was something hormonal going on with me and did think it was related to the soy for me. So I stopped the soy.
I started reading. I started off with reading Dr. John Lee's book. I scowered the internet for info. I found out so much.
I did decided to try and expirment on myself and that was to eliminate soy, sugar, and processed food out of my diet. One of the big reasons I decided to cut out the processed foods is they do contain ingredients that are excitoxins and produce symptoms that are also neurological (like brain fog). I tried to replace all the fruits vegtables with organic as much as possible. I also made sure my dairy came from sources of no growth hormone, no pesticides, no antibiotics. I cut out the artifical sweetners and use stevia a natural product instead. I started exercising daily for about 30-60 minutes usually a walk. I have done this for six months now. Within the first month I had noticed a big difference. My life has so COMPLETELY CHANGED. First I feel like my old self. I have not felt like this in years. My cycles went back to 28 day cycles. I have no peri or pms symptoms. I do not get breast tenderness. I have no symptoms that my period is coming other than from the calender that lets me know tomorrow will be the day. My period has been starting in the morning is not heavy and is finished by day 5. In all my life I don't think I have ever had as easy periods as I am now.
I do want to add that I know for some soy is a lifesaver and has releived their symptoms. I do not believe everyone should aviod soy. I'm sure it was not just the soy alone for me it was just the trigger that pushed me over the edge. As I have found out so many things in our enviroment mimic estrogens from pesticides to food additives. I'm glad I discovered and was able to educate myself of these things and remove them from my diet and for me it made a HUGE DIFFERENCE!
It's amazing when you start to read the ingredient lists in food. I found soy in my lotion, bread, the "vegtable oil" I was using when I read the ingredients was soy. On and on with the soy alone not to mention the other culprits found in our foods.
I just wanted to share my experience with all of you and let you know that we do know our own bodies better than anyone.