Just Entering Menopause...Questions - Menopause Message Board

Wizard · 03-27-2004, 10:34 AM

Hi:

I'm new here and think that I'm just entering menopause. I'm nearly 46 yrs old and had my last child when I was nearly 43. I've always had regular periods, every 28 days on schedule. In the last year, my periods have changed, ranging anywhere from 24-28 days in between. I haven't had any hot flashes yet and I'm only as moody as I've always been.

My sister who is 44 has already had a number of missed periods, days of pink spotting and hot flashes and I've heard that women in a family tend to enter menopause at about the same age.

This month, about a week before my period was due, I started a very light pink bleeding that is still going on faintly. It's enough that I see something when I wipe but a mini-pad isn't absolutely essential. I have some stomach cramps, am gassy, and feel overtired and a little irritable. I'm now 3 days past when my period should have happened and so far nothing. I was panicked enough to do a pregnancy test yesterday morning and this morning and both of them look sort of inconclusive to me. If I stare hard enough, I can maybe see a faint line.

My questions...could the change in hormones from menopause affect an HPT? Since I'm now 3 days late, I would have expected to see a very dark line if I was pregnant. Is it normal to have faint pink bleeding and then no period?

I have an appt with my doctor for next Fri, the soonest he can see me with all the bookings from people with the flu but it's driving me crazy not to have much in the way of answers.

Is HRT the way to go now with menopause or does everyone tend towards herbal treatments? I gave birth to a stillborn daughter at age 40 due to blood clots in my system so I'm not even sure that I could take HRT. I know that the pill is out due to blood clot risks. Are there any books out there that you'd heavily recommend as reading? Are there specific things I should ask my doctor when I see him? Should I consider diet changes? I'm very healthy on the whole, work out 5 days a week and do weights but since I'm very small boned, I do have concerns about bone loss, especially since I was on heparin for 2 yrs to ensure the live birth of my youngest son.

Thanks for any info you can give me. I suspect this is just the start of a long journey and I'd like to go into it wholly prepared with tons of info.

Joanne

becky1954 · 03-28-2004, 03:29 PM

There is a med the dr can give you for bone loss.I can't remember the name of it but it has no estrogen or progesterone in it.It gave me hot flashes all over again so I stopped taking it but my dr said the hot flashes only last for 3 months if you get them.I stay away from hrt b/c my mom had breast cancer and I am already at risk for it so I don't want to give it any help.I was on hrt for 6 months and then I just quit taking it.The more I read the more nervous I got about it.I just didn't like the odds.The dr had left it up to me in the first place so I didn't think there was a problem getting off it.If you do go the hrt route don't stay on them for more than a yr.Long term therapy will increase your risks of cancer.I am sure some women will say they have been on it for yrs and had no problems but I just don't want to take any chances on my health when I don't have to.We take enough risks just normally from day to day without adding any you don't have to.There are herbal supplements out on the market that don't have estrogen but they do nothing for bone loss.Whatever you do don't take anything that just has estrogen and not progesterone mixed with it.You are taking more chances.

csoar2004 · 03-29-2004, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wizard

Hi:

Is HRT the way to go now with menopause or does everyone tend towards herbal treatments? I gave birth to a stillborn daughter at age 40 due to blood clots in my system so I'm not even sure that I could take HRT. I know that the pill is out due to blood clot risks. Are there any books out there that you'd heavily recommend as reading? Are there specific things I should ask my doctor when I see him? Should I consider diet changes? I'm very healthy on the whole, work out 5 days a week and do weights but since I'm very small boned, I do have concerns about bone loss, especially since I was on heparin for 2 yrs to ensure the live birth of my youngest son.

Thanks for any info you can give me. I suspect this is just the start of a long journey and I'd like to go into it wholly prepared with tons of info.

If you are perimenopausal (vs pregnant) I strongly recommend handling your symptoms with peri-zappers (from the book, Before the Change, by Ann Louise Gittleman). It worked wonders for my perimenopausal symtoms! Now that I'm in full menopause, I continue many of them and feel better than I have in years.

(much to DH's dismay....he says he's having trouble keeping up. heh heh). Dr. Phil did a show on peri-zappers (his wife, Robin, uses 'em) and there's more info @ his site.

I wish you all the best!

charli
highest wt: 233
203/146/146 on the Fat Flush Plan for life and perky

age: 50, menopause--who knew? wish I'd found it sooner and skipped the perimenopause years!

ainfante · 03-29-2004, 05:07 PM

What are perizappers? And does it have any effect on the thyroid whether you are subclinical or otherwise in hypo or hyperthyroidism? Let me know. I'm 45 and going through hell with anxiety attacks, hot feeling in my body, then sometimes cold and nervousness. My doctor is still checking out my thyroid, but says so far normal but we took some other tests and I'm waiting for the results. Is perizappers similar to natural progesterone creme?

Belle2003 · 03-29-2004, 06:29 PM

The perizappers come from Ann Louise Gittleman's book "Before the Change". You should check it out at the library. The perizappers are a list of things that help alleviate perimenopausal symptoms. Some of these symptoms are the same as the thyroid symptoms. The book is very enlightening and is a must read.