Perimenopause - Menopause Message Board

Only46 · 04-03-2004, 07:26 AM

Hello ladies,

I'm new to the board and symptoms of perimenopause. I have not had many symptoms to date. A few times I have woken up with night sweats over the past year and sometimes during the day I'm feeling warm and am unsure if it's my body temperature or the room temperature so check in with others about how hot it is. Most people confirm that they are warm as well.

I hate humid weather and dread the thoughts of feeling like I'm in a heat wave when it's the middle of winter.

I have been having *very*heavy periods for the past year and sometimes they would be normal. I quit smoking over a year ago and gained considerable weight. When walking to catch the transit to work I would find myself out of breath. I was perturbed by the fact that I had quit smoking and found myself in worse shape from the weight gain. A yearly physical found my blood levels anemic. Good grief, I had no red blood cells carrying oxygen for me!

So, that's the story of my introduction to perimenopause at the young age of 46. I'm now taking high iron supplements and trying to increase my iron levels through diet. It's been 3 weeks and I'm still not feeling the return of my usual hi energy self. I found a Canadian (my home) site that talks about perimenopause and this symptom of heavy blood flow during menses. I'm going to try taking the ibuprofen as suggested and hope it helps. I feel like the life is literally draining out of me.

My friends are either already finished with menopause or close to it, so i'm hoping to learn and commiserate with others in this stage. I'm just statrting to read and learn. Here is the Canadian site with a chart for flow etc.
[url]http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/articles/misc/very_heavy_menstrual_flow.shtml[/url]

Cheers
Only46

carol24 · 04-03-2004, 07:41 PM

HI
i am also new to this site so nice to know we are not alone.
I also have heavy periods had them all my life, but now i am getting them every other week, somtimes i am so tired i cant stand it.i cant take iron as i am so constipated it would just make it worse. i dont have any answers. thanks for the website you submited it was very helpful.
carol

bobana10 · 04-04-2004, 07:25 AM

Dear Ladies, As I have just finished posting on the previous thread, Welcome to the board, and you are not alone by a long shot. Heavy periods has been a way of life for me for several, several years missed periods, spotty ones, hot flashes, depression, wieht gain, you name it I felt it. And I felt so alone as visiting many doc's for these symptoms over the years and not one ever mentioning per-menopause, I felt that I was doomed to loose my mind, and body forever. As Molly and others on this board suggested I purchased the book " Before The Change" by Ann Lousie Gittleman and I purchased her other book "The Fat Flush Plan" I have been taking the peri-zappers that she talks about in her book for over 2 weeks now and have felt SO much better already. Hang in there and maybe check out the book, you have come to the right place. Sincerely Dana

google2007 · 04-04-2004, 10:02 AM

Hi ladies, I am 34 yr old and had one ovary removed 2 years ago due to ruptured appendix. I have all so had all the symptoms of perimenopause: night sweats, hair loss, and most of all bleeding for a month at a time. I have been to gyn but they believe I am to young to be going thru meno. I was started on provera 10mg for 10 days out of the month. Now , I know all the bad rap on hormones but I'll give em a try . Any body else on Provera or progesterone?

molly123 · 04-04-2004, 10:35 AM

Hello Only46 and Carol24,
Welcome to the board! It's amazing what we women have to go through! You are not alone! I never had heavy periods (thank goodness!) but my sister had them. Now, get ready for this....she had extremely heavy periods for 3 years straight - EVERYDAY!! I know it is hard to believe-but it's true. She also had clots to the point where it was like giving birth to a liver, it would clush out (sorry to get so graphic), had to constantly wear both tampon and pads, almost every 15 mins. going to the bathroom. She went to her gyn regularly and all checked out. The gyn wanted her to have a hysterectomy. She didn't have it done but instead dealt with it. What's weird was that my sister wasn't anemic from all this. She had to be high in estrogen in order to bleed so much. There is a section in the book "Wisdom of Menopause" by Christiane Northrup that talks about heavy periods, so it is normal. She also put on a lot of weight suddenly too. It all settled mostly in the stomach area.

I also hate humid weather. I get occasional night sweats and hot flashes but they are very mild. I think the supplements that I've been taking as recommended from the book "Before the Change" by Ann Louise Gittleman has really helped. Another book to read is "What Doctors Do Not Tell You About Perimenopause" by John Lee. With all of these 3 books, you can put together a plan for yourself to help alleviate the symptoms you have. Do whatever it takes to make yourself feel better...don't rely on drs. (esp. men drs.) to help you. You can vent here .... there are some terrific ladies here who are friendly, fun and great motivators!

Take care,
Molly