The perimenopause/menopause journey - #$&@!!! - Advice SO Welcome!

[Desperado]

I’m 51 and have been having perimenopause symptoms, including hot flushes, on and off for 10 years now. I was on an estrogen/progesterone contraceptive pill at the time and my doctor suggested I take it continuously. It fixed things for a while, but then I got one ocular migraine and was told I had to switch to a progesterone only pill (POP) 5 years ago.

A few months ago my GP prescribed Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The plan was to use transdermal Estradiol until my last contraceptive pill pack, then switch to an oral progesterone. The plan ended up in the trash when I got too many side effects from the Estrogel (nausea, headaches, gained 6lbs in 2 weeks, then intestinal issues came in to say hello).

The estrogen increased my mental energy level in such a good way though that I miss it.

Since progestins have an effect of estrogen levels, I’m wondering if I should just stop my POP and see what my body tells me, but I’m worried about opening up the flood gates from hell. (I would ask to be put on a less “potent” pill but there aren’t any available in Canada.)

I’m reading tons on the subject. There are so many pluses and minuses regarding HRT and the new thing is apparently progesterone only HRT? And bee pollen supplements and antihistamines help with flushes?

I’m waiting on a gynaecologist referral, but in the meantime, I’d love to hear about your, your friends’ and/or your family members’ experience. Is there anything you wish you would’ve known about earlier?

 

[AxelAnnie]

Good luck. It was a nightmare for me. The hot flashes..................had to rip of clothes RIGHT THEN. My biggest problem was migraines. 5 years straight two per month that lasted up to 4-5 days each. I had trouble getting doctors to see that they were hormone related (duh) one when I ovulated and one with my period. I had pills. I had the shot I would give myself (that every now and then worked). Then my OBGYN gave me an estrogen (I think) patch. It was great.......until I took it off.......................POW- Migraine. I told the DR that that was what would happen.....made perfect sense to me.
The only thing that helped at all was vicodin. The issue there was I would wake up with a migraine. The Dr. kept telling me to take the vicodin just when the headache started.................I could never quite figure out how to do that.

A couple of times I had to get a shot Percocet I think. I totally remember the first one. I had been in agony for hours, and finally called the doctor. When I got there, the nurse said (it was a shot in the tush) this may hurt. I laughed. Nothing could hurt as much as my head.

They have fans that can be put between your sheets to keep you cool. Good luck!

 

[Susan1]

I really can't be any help here but, yeah, I feel ya! I still have the night sweats from the neck up. I'll just be sitting there and my hair starts dripping. I can be sitting in air conditioning in shorts and a t-shirt eating ice cream in the evening and poof. I have fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and peripheral neuropathy. I can't take ANY kind of medication because of side effects. Soy makes me sick.
We haven't had any real heat this summer yet, but so far I have followed the advice of still wearing socks at night to regulate body temperature and "no" caffeine. I've never drank regular coffee, but I still have to cheat with Dr. Pepper in the morning. (LOL - I just read what I wrote!!!) I've never had migraines. Isn't caffeine related to that somehow? (I'm still laughing..........)

Anxious to hear other opinions now too....

 

[Rob]

Lucky that I don’t have night sweats, and my hot flashes are very short- like pin pricks really- but I have burning mouth. A salty sour taste and burning sensation in my mouth at all times. It goes away when I eat, but comes right back.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

The anti-depressant Effexor can alleviate hot flashes. It didn't get rid of mine entirely, but it did significantly decrease the number and intensity.

 

[quartz]

I’m almost 57 and I just put up with it, let my body do what it’s going to do, and try not to whine too much. I avoid going to the doctor and any sort of meds/treatments/supplements as much as possible.

 

[Rob]

I’m almost 57 and I just put up with it, let my body do what it’s going to do, and try not to whine too much. I avoid going to the doctor and any sort of meds/treatments/supplements as much as possible.

Same here, I’d love to get rid of the salt taste, but I haven’t tried hormones.

 

[taf2002]

I had a complete hysterectomy at age 41 while pregnant with a tubal pregnancy. So my hormone level crashed & I spent the next 3 yrs with almost constant hot flashes (and the moods that went with them). My doctor finally got the right hormone replacement dosage & I was hot flash free until age 51 when I got breast cancer so they took my hormones away. (I cried at the doctor's office when he said no more hormone replacement.) I've had hot flashes on & off since then but they have been tapering off in the last few years.

 

[PRlady]

After a hysterectomy at 48 (following years of heavy bleeding, weight gain, fibroids, mood swings) I was on estrogen-only patches....for 15 years! Just stopped using them this year with other health issues. But at least I’m past hot flashes, finally.

 

[Susan1]

Lucky that I don’t have night sweats, and my hot flashes are very short- like pin pricks really- but I have burning mouth. A salty sour taste and burning sensation in my mouth at all times. It goes away when I eat, but comes right back.

I don't know if it would help since it is a menopause/hormone symptom, but have you tried Biotene. My dentist gave me all of her sample bottles and $1 coupons years ago for dry mouth that was supposedly related to my having Sjogren's. Discovered it really had to do with white tooth"paste" after she gave me a sample tube of gel toothpaste. And I don't have to use sensitive teeth toothpaste anymore. I still use the Biotene at night because it helps with the dryness from nighttime congestion.

The anti-depressant Effexor can alleviate hot flashes.

I had a prescription for that until I got home and read all of the side effects. I already had most of them from menopause and fibromyalgia. I didn't fill it. I didn't want to make things worse.

 

[quartz]

Effexor makes my head disconnect from the rest of my body and float 10 feet above it.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

The first few days I was on Effexor, I had that floating effect. But it went away after that.

 

[Rob]

I don't know if it would help since it is a menopause/hormone symptom, but have you tried Biotene. My dentist gave me all of her sample bottles and $1 coupons years ago for dry mouth that was supposedly related to my having Sjogren's. Discovered it really had to do with white tooth"paste" after she gave me a sample tube of gel toothpaste. And I don't have to use sensitive teeth toothpaste anymore. I still use the Biotene at night because it helps with the dryness from nighttime congestion.


I had a prescription for that until I got home and read all of the side effects. I already had most of them from menopause and fibromyalgia. I didn't fill it. I didn't want to make things worse.

Thanks, that is definitely worth trying. My problem is constant watering, not dry, but I will give anything non carcinogenic a try.

 

[Aussie Willy]

I went straight into menopause after radiation therapy 3 years ago (am 52). I was treated for squamous cell carcinoma on my butt. I feel lucky compared to others in that I just get mild hot flushes. I know when they come as I get a bit irritable, then get hot and then they go away. Only last a couple of minutes and it might be every hour or so. I live in cooler climate which actually helps. If I am in warm weather I find it worse. At night I sleep pretty well. A couple of times a night I wake up getting hot and then cool down pretty quickly.

But I have a drug free life and glad things are not so bad that I have had to use anything for it. And I am probably the happiest and content I have been in my life. Also helped that I moved to where I wanted to live which was a change of life thing for me.

 

[Japanfan]

I've been so lucky. I never suffered from dysmenorrhea and always had short periods - the worst it ever got was a bit of bloating beforehand.

And I sailed through menopause with hardly any hot flashes.

 

[just tuned in]

I did not have hot flashes, but I did have night sweats. Soaked thru t-shirts, sheets... woke up covered with slimy sweat for about 3 years. Every morning shower, all I could think about was that I was washing away the youth that had escaped through my skin. :-(

I would not take hormones because my mom did, and these ultimately led to her ovarian cancer. I know, though, that hormone therapy is much better nowadays than it was two decades ago.

 

[taf2002]

I did not have hot flashes, but I did have night sweats. Soaked thru t-shirts, sheets... woke up covered with slimy sweat for about 3 years. Every morning shower, all I could think about was that I was washing away the youth that had escaped through my skin. :-(

I would not take hormones because my mom did, and these ultimately led to her ovarian cancer. I know, though, that hormone therapy is much better nowadays than it was two decades ago.

I have been seriously debating having my lawn guy get some Premarin from Mexico for me. My doctor won't prescribe it. I know it's like Russian Roulette but I.want.it!

 

[myhoneyhoney]

I wish I have some advice, I’m having problems myself. I started having 2 week long periods months ago and it’s like a river. It made me severely anemic, my red blood count was down to just slightly above 6. After some iron infusions it’s back up. I’ve been prescribed different b.c. pills to try and control the bleeding but non have worked. I think I will request a hysterectomy once my territory is fully staffed. arrrggghhh!!!

 

[floridaice]

I was on full time BC most of my 40s because of migraines. When I was taken off I had maybe two periods (very light at that) and about a year later started having issues sleeping, 'brain fog' and hot flashes. I started on HRT (both estrogen & progesterone), lowest level. They worked wonders! After about 6 years my GYN wanted me to start tapering off, which I did over the past year, taking the last in April. So far the only issues I'm having are occasional 'warm' flashes at night. Not sweating just warm enough to wake up, but they don't last long and I'm able to go back to sleep. If you don't have any health issues that prevent you from taking HRT give it a try. Start on the very lowest dosages like I did and see if that helps.

I didn't really want to stop, I was afraid of full blown symptoms, but so far, so good. I don't have the brain fog like I did before, but I do notice my attention span isn't great. Some of that is stress and some in untreated ADD. I'm thinking I might need to treat the ADD, something I should have done years ago.

 

[Desperado]

Thanks so much ladies for all your posts. I feel so bad that it’s 2019 and there are so many of us suffering like this.

I’m on my fifth day of stopping my progesterone only pill and I’m already feeling my ovaries and uterus in an uncomfortable way. I expect a “period pill” any day now and then I’ll see.

I was really scared to stop because I used to be very sick with cramps and nausea when I wasn’t on the pill, but my mood and energy are so low now and the norethindrone has been known to cause depression so I’m giving it a shot. Still no news on the gyno referral.

Two things worked well for me for hot flashes at night: antihistamines (20mg) before bed (although it made me groggy in the morning), or 0.75 ml of (legally purchased) THC oil (cannabis).

I keep reading and learning from others and will share any other good info.

 

[Susan1]

Geez, you guys (that's just an expression since we know this is all "girls"!). I had a cyst on my ovary, gall stones and fibroids all at the same time and I didn't have all those problems! I had the cyst removed, one gall stone went back out of the duct to where it belongs the night before I was supposed to see the surgeon, and the fibroids were small enough not to have to worry about if I didn't want to get pregnant. I was on the pill, so, no. I didn't start "feeling" bad till I actually started menopause at 47. I can't take antihistamines. They make me so dry I wake up gagging. Menopause and fibromyalgia have a lot of the same symptoms, so they feed on each other. I bet that "THC" oil would take care of a lot of my problems. Oh well.

 

[rfisher]

I’m almost 57 and I just put up with it, let my body do what it’s going to do, and try not to whine too much. I avoid going to the doctor and any sort of meds/treatments/supplements as much as possible.

There are some interesting anthropological studies comparing menopause among different cultures and there seems to be a cultural component based on expectations.

 

[Desperado]

Menopause and fibromyalgia have a lot of the same symptoms, so they feed on each other.

Aren’t we lucky? I’m finding a lot of crossovers with CFS/ME too. And all three situations often see doctors resorting to prescribing antidepressants without mentioning side effects, timeline or withdrawal symptoms, sometimes creating additional problems.

 

[Susan1]

There are some interesting anthropological studies comparing menopause among different cultures and there seems to be a cultural component based on expectations.

I also remember that they say if you want to know what your "change" is going to be like, ask your mother about hers. My mom just stopped having periods and went to the doctor because she thought she was pregnant. She wasn't. She never had hot flashes or any other menopause symptoms that she could remember. Not me. But then, again, she did not have any of my health problems, just high blood pressure, which I definitely don't have.

Aren’t we lucky? I’m finding a lot of crossovers with CFS/ME too

(sidebar to menopause) Yeah, I have a friend who is in her early 60's with CFS and FM who has been on disability since her 30's. It was easier to get back then than it is now. She had a hysterectomy a long time ago, so no menopause later.
I just had blood tests last week and I have the ANA factor for Lupus. You can have ANA without Lupus, but you can't have Lupus without ANA. Do I really need another autoimmune disease? I pretty much don't have any "immune" left! I'll probably have MS and lyme disease next week. ha ha (not)

 

[quartz]

There are some interesting anthropological studies comparing menopause among different cultures and there seems to be a cultural component based on expectations.

I blame my Calvinist childhood indoctrination, in particular, total depravity and unconditional election/grace. I am not one of the chosen, therefore I am unworthy of redemption and suffering is my fate. By seeking out medical relief from womanly pains, I would be denying the inherited sin of Eve, which in turn will surely doom me to the eternal pits of hell. Or blahblahblahbullshitblahblah.

 

[rfisher]

I blame my Calvinist childhood indoctrination, in particular, total depravity and unconditional election/grace. I am not one of the chosen, therefore I am unworthy of redemption and suffering is my fate. By seeking out medical relief from womanly pains, I would be denying the inherited sin of Eve, which in turn will surely doom me to the eternal pits of hell. Or blahblahblahbullshitblahblah.

Actually, you benefit from this stoic POV in this case. Research comparing Japanese women, Japanese-American women and American women in general shows a considerable difference regarding how they approach the issue. Japanese women report far fewer issues than American women. They also have a very different POV. In Japan, menopause signals a freedom for women. They are no longer raising children and focused on them. They are finally free to do what they want. Of course, aging is not seen as a bad thing in Japan. Elders are respected and cared for. In the US, OTOH, menopause has a very different signal. Aging is bad. You're no longer sexually attractive, blah, blah, blah. Many women struggle emotionally with aging and that is reflected physically.

There has been a number of studies done on this. I usually have my transcultural healthcare students read one of these to illustrate how culture impacts wellness or even the definition of illness. Menopause is "treated" in the US. It isn't a disease.

 

[quartz]

Yeah, stoic. Because that makes life easier.

 

[MacMadame]

Don't most people go through menopause in 10 years or less? It may be that you are already "out the other side" and don't need to take anything any more.

I know when I had my IUD I was pretty sure I was going through menopause, but since I got no periods I couldn't be 100% sure. However, when I had it taken out, I had a big one a month later and then that was it. (My GP also had my hormone levels checked to be sure.)

 

[Jenny]

@rfisher thanks for sharing those perspectives. I wasn't going to say anything, but now I will because I do believe that the medical community in Canada and the US is far too quick to apply drugs to everything. The pharmaceutical industry is very powerful and 100% profit driven, so the more women think that drugs are the answer, the better for Big Pharma. They want us to be miserable and feel bad about ourselves, and rather than any other option, they'd rather we take their drugs. Even better when we take more and more of them because then it gets complicated then we need to try different ones and it goes on and on.

It's also a cultural issue in that - speaking very broadly here - we're all looking for the easiest path. The miracle drug, the magical no-exercise-eat-anything diet, the one-day solution that will change our lives for the better, forever. Big Pharma feeds into that - just take our little pills, no need to do anything else, and you'll feel better. And if you don't, not to worry, we have more pills where those came from.

I get that for some women there are very serious issues for which drugs may be the best solution, but I also believe that we are as a group very much overprescribed and willingly so, and the more we are, the less knowledge and control we have over our bodies and how they function.

I also think that men - I'm speaking of male partners on the assumption that female partners have a bit more understanding and sympathy - can play a big role. I think if we speak more openly about it, ignore the old taboos, then the support of one's spouse can go a long way.

 

[PDilemma]

I have moved into perimenopause hell. Considering seeing my doctor about progesterone at least, but my body doesn't do well with any medication. So I'm not sure it would be worth it.