Menopause

Wow a Mom of 9 ... you've been blessed. I know of many ladies who have gotten wonderful help from a nutritional product called Reliv ... it's a whole food nutritional shake .... if you want more information ... you can contact me ... I've had amazing results with this product.

I was lucky (I'm 62). My girlfriend told me about phytoestrogen by SolarRay sold in health food stores. It is mexican yam root. soy, black cohosh and one other ingredient which I forget what it is. It worked like a charm! I was having the hot flashes and they were uncomfortable and embarrassing. I'd pop a phytoestrogen (phyto means plant in greek) and they were gone! You can also take them on a regular schedule like it says on the jar but I actually was intermittant. Anyway, they are 100% natural and very effective. I never had a lot of the other symptoms but maybe because I took those phytoestrogens for several years. Don't go with hormonal replacements - it's unnecessary and dangerous. Also, assume a positive attitude (I was terrified of menopause before it happened and it was not that bad!)

Those days are long gone but I find that when I manage my weight and excercise I have a stronger sex drive than when I don't, so that might apply to you or not. I had my youngest at 40 and I think it helps you remain youthful.

Good luck and don't let anyone scare you - it's just part of life and there IS life after menopause (and during!)

Hi M.,

I have not personally gone through Menopause...yet... but I do work with some women who have and they take a natural supplement from Melalueca. They say it is awesome. Women have reported their hot flashes have decreased up to 95%! It's called Estrval. It addresses Bone Helath and Menopausal Syptoms naturally. Here is info strgiaht from the product.

The cycles of a woman’s body are natural. With EstrAval, so is the way you balance them. EstrAval is an exclusive combination of plant estrogens to help bring welcome relief from monthly discomforts and menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings.
3-in-1 Nutrition for a Lifetime of Balanced Female Health
Packed inside each EstrAval capsule are soy, dong quai, and black cohosh—in the research-recommended doses.

•Soy is high in isoflavones that mimic estrogen and help reduce the occurrence of hot flashes. Soy also enhances bone health.
•Dong quai is high in phytoestrogens used in Asia to promote uterine health and to regulate the menstrual cycle.
•Black cohosh is recognized as a safe, non-steroidal compound that imitates a woman’s own estrogen

If you would like more info please feel free to email me. I would happy to help you out. Hope that helps! Have a great day.
S.

Oh sweetie, I could write a BOOK on it! I'll hit the highlights...Sometimes I take black cohosh (Remifeminine or others)-it helps with sweats, MOODS, anxiety. I strarted it for sweats, but the mood issues and sleep issues are/were worse on me than the sweats.But cannot be taken indefinitely. 6 mo max. I am anti RX hormones-too much bad press, and just weird putting animal hormones into us, but they do keep you younger in many ways (bones skin etc).
We all wonder at first if this is the big menopause ewhen it starts. It lasts YEARS! As I count myself among the (HOPEFULLY) almost done, i feel the worst is over. I have had maybe two periods in the last year. Must go one full yr without it to be counted "done". Must bleed til ALL eggs are gone. Skinny white women have the hardest time (me). Estrogen is stored in fat.
Let's see...what else? At the beginning and middle I felt like i was LOSING myself. bigtime. Now, closer to the end, I discovering the new person I am (goodbye to using looks to get by haha or even a catcall haha) and I like her, but it was a rough stretch of years, for me and my fam at times. The moods were the worst and so unlike me to be riddled with anxiety and blues and bad temper...that part did not last that long. But when our hormones begin to slow down, it is NOT like steps! They bounce all over the place. At one point, my blood showed i had NO hormones, doc was stunned I still menstruated. Still I refused the Prempro. I did use Premarin way back at the start with good rsults but very pricey (no ins)
So now I am settling into the granny phase. Pretty happy with my self, more girl power.
Oh and did i mention NO SEX DRIVE? rarely.
Still get the sweats: here is the BAD news...Even when you are all done, some of still suffer the hot flashes for years after. When my mom told me this I felt like crying. I still get the sweats at night but the tend to run with when my cycle USED to be. Also drink lotsa water. If we could harness the power of HOT FLASHES, we could end our dependency on fossil fuels.

Hello!

I am 49 and the happy mom to a 4-1/2 year old. I am in pre-menopause which I am sure was made worse by the 6 IVF cycles we went through prior to our adopting our daughter.

After suffering for years with hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety, depression, weight gain, lack of consistently good sleep etc etc, I went on a search for help.

The hard part for me was that I was unwilling to take any more synthetic hormones after injecting them into me for three years back in the the early stages of my marriage with nothing but two miscarriages to show for it.

I found an OB/GYN who worked with bio-similar hormones (made from the same natural ingredients) as the much advertises bio-identical hormones but the bio-similar ones are FDA approved, filled at your regular pharmacy and covered under my insurance.

I ended up on an estradiol (estrogen) spray Evamist I spray on my arm once a day. I then also take a prometrium (progesterone) capsule at night the first 25 days of my cycle. And lastly for me since I had a very low testosterone level (which for women is important for mental clarity - in other words no BRAIN FOG and also energy and libido)I take an over the counter supplement called micronized DHEA which converts to testosterone. I have NO masculine effects but my brain is working again and I find my libido returning.

It was crucial for me to get on something and something I was comfortable with. Even at 49, I have a period every 28 days still and my hormone tests showed that actual menopause could be years away.

Well it's been two months and I feel better and better every day! I am eating better and starting to work with a personal trainer to get rid of this mid life weight gain that has appeared. I plan to hit fifty in July as one hot mama LOL!

Hope this helped!

Hi M.,

A quick note. I bought a small, battery-operated fan from Brookstone. It's really great to be able to get it out now when I am suddenly overcome by a heat flash. I'm living in an apartment now that I'm divorced. with no window in the bathroom. Now I can put it on and it helps so much. I love the authorDr.Christine Nortrupt (?) from KQED pledges. She is terrific-two books now on the subject with LOTS of good tips from beauty to supplements and everything in between.
Bye,
G.

Hello M.: First let me say MY HERO! I have 5 children (2 girls and 3 boys) I'm not sure I could have lived with 5 girls emotions and 5 grandchildren and I think its wonderful that you were able to do what you have done. I started going through the change at age 39. The doctor could not believe it sice he thought I was to young. So if the doctor doesn't listen them dump him! I did not use medication because my husband feared its side effects and that it might hurt me and I struggled so I encourage you not to just use homopathic methods but what ever works. Think clearly about what you do since your emotions will be all over the place. My friend kept fans in her bag and would declare that she was having her own personal heat wave of summer when she needed to use it. It was a clue for everyone to let her be. Good Luck and know that I am cheering you on! Nana G

Hi M..
You know the old saying, 'misery loves company'? Try not to hear what the others are saying, and just be happy you aren't having severe symptoms. I've been going through 'the phase' for the past couple of years. I am thrilled to say I have not had hot flashes, night sweats, high irritability, etc...Just unusual cycles (after being normal/regular more whole life). Smile. Be empathetic. Feel fortunate - and take care of your health.
I look at it like this: Some people have great nails. Some great hair, great bottoms, whatever. At last -I- get something, very low level menopause symptoms! YAY!
:) K.

Hi M.:

I am also going through Menopause and I am using a Natural Progesterone cream to help with my symptoms. I have a website that has a lot of information on Menopause with Natural ways to control and/or get rid of the symptoms. Please go to http://www.Women4Balance.com/MichelleJ and hopefully you will find some great information. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks,
M.

Hi M.,

There are natural ways to keep your body balanced so you will not have to get on drugs. I take a women's whole food supplement that is great. I also have a far infrared blanket that keeps my body temperature regulated. If I get hot the fibers open up and cool me and if I get cold the fibers close down and reflect my heat back in my body.

If you are interested in more info let me know and I will share.

Have a great week.

N. Marie

Hi M.,
You've had great advice from women who have direct experience, but I'll chime in here because I haven't seen mention of this before. My Mom was committed to going through menopause naturally (i.e. no prescription meds, no hysterectomy). She was being pushed hard by her OB to have a hysterectomy as she had serious fibroids and heavy bleeding. She ended up seeing an acupuncturist for about 2 years and taking herbs. She got acupuncture about once a month and took herbs sporadically (she's never been very good at taking vitamins or meds). She made it through with not too many hassles and with all her parts intact. She is a real inspiration to me.
Good luck and don't worry about complaining!
A.

Woah! this is a subject that can open up all sorts of 'horror' stories! I like the response you got from Nicole. There are probably as many different ways of going through menopause as there are women. I didn't have much in the way of physical symptoms, but was a mental/emotional mess! My personal story is that I went through it early, fast and hard! The Drs changed hormones on me every time I went (military doctors and I never saw the same doctor twice.. and each successive doctor basically told me the previous one had given me the wrong meds... not a situation that encouraged confidence in the medical system!) After a couple of years of that, a friend mentioned that her mother had not been able to take the hormones and finally had gotten a good multi-vitamin supplement and that had gotten her through it. I tried it and it worked for me too. I'm not recommending that as medical advice, but regardless of what you decide for HRT or other meds, you might consider a vitamin supplement to keep your system in top shape.
One bit of advice I do have is to be sure you have someone you trust and can confide in when you have problems of an emotional nature. I think if someone had warned me about that part prior to my experience, I might have been able to get through it better. I imagined all sorts of things, and thought my husband was cheating on me (in actuality I was 'cheating' on him by not being myself and making life so miserable for all of us with my craziness). For me the mood swings were awful... almost like what you hear about a bi-polar person.
Don't listen too much to what others at work are saying, because it's too easy to pick up on their symptoms and make them your own... ditto for what we've all said on here!
I just want to add that it does end... hopefully for you it will be a short lived thing like it was for me (though I wouldn't wish for it to be as hard). Once you're through it you'll find life is much better than it ever was before. No worries about the 'monthlies' and much better attitude and mood. At least that's what I've found, and it's been 20+ years since mine ended.

Hi M.,

I can add some very helpful info also.

I had to have a complete hysterectomy 15 years ago at the age of 39. After taking the rx hormones for 4 years, I started my journey into the natural, more healthy and safe way of hormone replacement therapy. I won't go into all of the details of my story here. But the bottom line is that I have been successfully addressing my hormonal needs for 10 years with Female Balance (phyto estrogens) and Bio Infinity (Pregnenolone) and omega III fatty acids. I feel great, I don't look 55 years old and I am confident that I have protected myself tremendously from cancer. If I can do it with no ovaries, anyone can do it at any stage of the hormonal journey. I would love to share more with you about the products from Symmetry Direct. You can check my website (see Local Business Reviews/Victorious Living with Symmetry Direct) or call me.

D. Hendon
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Hi,
Menopause is cessation of the menses. the decline in the hormones is responsible for menopause. there are many symptoms of menopause including the hot flashes, night sweats, dryness in vagina. lower libido, etc. Pre-menopausal phase has irregular periods, sometimes heavier, sometimes lighter.

All these menopause symptoms can be treated with the HRT. there are certain tests like the FSH which is responsible to confirm the menopause. most women seem to have side-effects due to HRT. The herbs are better alternative to treat the menopause symptoms without having adverse effects on your skin. http://www.thebeautyinsiders.com/menopausal-guide-for-wom...

I have found the herbal formula "Hot Flash" by Source Naturals very helpful for all of my menopausal symptoms, not just hot flashes.

I don't know if I can help you or not, because I am struggling with it too. I am interested in other's responses. For me I had a hysterectomey 10 years ago so it is even more confusing. I just know it must be menopause because of the hot flashes. I have had my symptoms for about the last 2 years. They don't seem to be going away. I just try not to do those things that bring on my symptoms. They usually hit me when I am stressed and rushing around.

look into bio-identical hormones instead of meds. A lot of Dr's are using them now. Suzanne Somers has written book son it.

Hi M.,

After having 9 children, you probably don't complain about much! :O) So, why do you think you would complain about menopausal symptoms?!

I have no advice on meds, simply experience :O)

After a little researching for myself, I discovered that each woman is very different about how/when they go through menopause. I've also learned that each woman handles it very differently. Some have more patience than others with the symptoms. It doesn't mean that the symptoms are always stronger for one person more than the other, just that some woman have more of a tolerance. This sounds like you.....and me actually :O)

At 43, I have been going through pre-menopausal symptoms for about 1 year. They seem mostly mild, yet they do have their days of being severe. I am not a complainer, as I try to "get it all over anyone else". It is just my personality. Yesterday, the sweats were so bad, my armpit sweat was nearly down to my waist! Oh Well! I fought through it and survived another day!

I have heard that the menopausal experience can be hereditary. So far, my experience is exactly like my mom's. And like my mom, I deny that the symptoms are that bad. BUT! we were in business together and let me tell you.......she was bad! So, I need to take alook in the mirror :O) My mom has 6 other best friends, and they are all finishing up menopause, so it's very interesting to watch how different these women are experiencing the symptoms. One of her friends actually took off her shirt in public because she couldn't stand "clothing" touching her skin any longer. :O) Funny, I've wanted to do this same thing, but I was able to control it.

Anyway, about the meds, all 6 of my mom's friends are on some kind of hormone for menopause, and have been the whole time. My mom has refused to take it over the years, saying her symptoms weren't strong enough to need meds. She succeeded. My mom believes she is done with menopause however, I still see ocassional "signs". It just reminds me that my experience will be LONG yet tolerable.

Basically, my point is tell you that some woman do not need any meds. You might be one of those woman to be able to handle the symptoms and not get "caught up" in all the drama.

M., I hope something I've said has helped you in some way today.

~N. :O)

I have not gone through this yet, however I do know herbs pretty well and I understand your desire to be careful about medications. Try to start with Alfalfa tablets first. Start with just two each day for the full week. The second week increase by one tablet every day until you are taking 6-8 tablets a day. This sounds like a lot so decide what works best for you 6 or 8. The only side effects are constipation or diarrhea if you started off taking more than 2 per day, thats why you want to start off slowly. Alfalfa tablets are estrogenic so they can help to balance the estrogen levels naturally. This is what effects women the most as the estrogen levels lower and become imbalanced to your system. The tablets are very helpful, if you have high blood pressure I would start with just one per day, and work up to more than 4 per day. You can find them at most vitamin stores or even some whole food stores. Good luck!

Hello,

At 57 I'm just going through menopause, but started perimenopause about 12 years ago (!). At the time I read the book "What Your Doctor May Not be Telling You About Menopause" by Dr. John Lee and it changed my life. I've been using natural progesterone cream for years and it has significantly improved my symptoms. . .

. . . Until the past year, when I actually hit menopause. I started getting hot flashes and losing sleep for the first time. I have a friend who works at a Pharmaca (and is also menopausal). She recommended Transitions by Pure Essence Labs. She said that a huge majority of women who use it love it. So I tried it, and I love it too. It improves EVERY symptom - hot flashes, sleeping, depression, dryness. I really recommend it. It's sold at lots of places, but I believe you can find it online at the Vitamin Shoppe.

Good luck!

Hi,
I just have one thing to add, lots of excerise really helps. It keeps the extra weight off and helps your mood level. My step mom is big into walking, I run and I have a lot of friends who swear by yoga. One friend even took up Karate.
Good luck
J.

Go to Syringa.com and look up their cream called Resolve. It is terrific and you can eliminate all moisturizers and just use this. It helps with just about everything including itching for insect bites, restless leg syndrome,etc. I love it.