Hi Hopefully...can you help? - Menopause Message Board

pixiek · 09-03-2005, 06:06 AM

Hi, I am new and have been reading past posts and noticed you suffered with brain fog a lot...that is me as well! It seems to be one of the worst symptoms for me 24/7 and seems to get worse with stress...good or bad...does that sound like you?

Wondering what you finally did to help your brain fog...hope you are still on line here! Thanks for any help...been at this for five years....

Hopefully · 09-03-2005, 08:54 AM

Hello Pixiek. If your brain fog is a spacey, dizzy, lightheaded feeling that is with you from sun up to sun down then we are definitely twins. I agree with you that this was one of my worst symptoms with panic attacks, mood swings, and depression following a close second place. Yes, stress, anger, and not eating correctly also made me feel more spacey.

Mine was simply horrible when my perimenopausal symptoms became severe in August 2002 to about mid 2004. I'd have days when it was so severe that things did not seem real, then I'd have a couple days where it was so mild that I felt "normal" again. Lately I've had more mild days than severe spacey days.

Initially, it was my understanding that this feeling that the doctors call derealization was caused by anxiety, panic attacks and/or depression. I was given various antianxiety medications that did not eliminate the spacey feeling, but did help me to better handle that sensation. It wasn't until I tried the CombiPatch that I noticed, within about 30 minutes, that the fog started to lift and the spacey feeling wasn't as intense.

What worked well for me was birth control pills, primrose oil, flaxseed oil, Wellbutrin XL and a good multivitamin. I really began to notice the "fog" lifting when I started taking birth control pills. I have a friend who is 56 years young and she also has this same hormone imbalance symptom. She found relief by using Vivelle hormone patch, compounded progesterone cream, plus antidepressant. She was the first person that I actually know who confessed to having a difficult time going through perimenopause and menopause.

Please don't think that I'm pushing using antidepressants because I was strongly against using them when they were first prescribed...but when I found myself spiraling down I had to do something to regain my life. The antidepressants helped get me out the house, but it was hormones that helped with the mood swings, spacey feeling, depression, anxiety, panic attacks...and the list goes on and on.

I've tried just about all the natural remedies, except for black cohosh because I just didn't feel right about that particular herb. I read so many books and articles about perimenopause and tried using "natural progesterone" based upon a certain book that I read. I know that progesterone cream work for some women, but in my case it made all my symptoms worst despite varying the dose. Thank God for the pharmacist who told me that some women just can not tolerate the progesterone cream.

Presently, I'm not taking birth control pills because of my blood pressure (a product of perimenopause). What are you presently using, or have tried? Do you have days when it's not intense? Did you sometimes feel off balance like you're leaning to one side when you are walking?

Please remain encouraged because this will pass...when, did you ask???????? If someone here finds out then please let me know

.

pixiek · 09-04-2005, 01:10 AM

Thank you Hopefully! You made me hopeful! Seriously, you are the only one so far including doctors,who has offered me ANY hope on alleviating some of this fog! Thank you!

I have been contemplating BC pills and I am in Japan so don't exactly know what might be in them here. Sorry I have so many questions.

1. Did you take a BC pill that was (what is it?) mono something? That is you take it every day and a consistent amount of something without any break for "the period"?

2. Or one that gave the break for the period?

3. What did the BC pills have in them? Progesterone and estrogen? (I am asking all of this because I never took BC pills as I had fertility problems way back when (have a lovely daughter now thanks to lots of prayers and medical science)

BRAIN FOG:
With my brain fog I don't feel dizzy as a rule but can't concentrate and sometimes I don't know what day it is...like I am drunk or have cotton in my brain....certainly cannot retain any new info....in a haze....

Other funny thing about me is that it:

1. tends to get better WHILE I am exercising or doing some physical something and afterwards returns

2. not always but not uncommon for it to "lift" in the PM from about 7:00

3. I tend to wake up feeling ok, but it kicks in about an hour later

4. sometimes (just sometimes) I feel better while I am eating and for about 10 minutes or so after....

5. increases a LOT with good or bad stress.....

That has pretty much been my life for five years and since I have been getting a thyroid problem under control, I wasn't sure where the peri came in....

Thanks in advance for your answers on BC pills!

Pixiek

Hopefully · 09-04-2005, 09:23 AM

Pixiek, I met someone this year, my co-worker, who really educated me about thyroid problems. While she shared her experience with me I kept thinking that her symptoms where almost identical to my perimenopausal symptoms. I even asked her about feeling spacey all the time and she was also going through this spaciness. As you know both thyroid problems and perimenopause/menopause can cause mental confusion.

When I last saw my co-worker she was still dealing with that spacey feeling, but did tell me that when she increased her Synthroid (sp.) she felt better, but her doctor did not advise her to make that increase.

If you are trying to get your thyroid problem under control then it might be challenging to distinguish between peri. issues verses thyroid. Honestly, I don't think even the doctors know...or at least some that I've seen, but remain encouraged because others have been down this path and are now doing very well.

The bcp that I've tried are Mircette, Loestrin, and then Ovcon. I've tried taking them for three weeks and then off one week for my period, then I've also taken then continuously. The bcp that I've tried consisted of progestin and estrogen.

The last ob/gyn that I saw prescribed Aygestin, which is a progestin only pill. Since my blood pressure is elevated the doctor believes that I would be a good candidate for a progestin only bcp. I have not tried Aygestin because I'm hoping that I will not have another period. It's been 30 days since my last period and I'm praying that I'm on my way to the 12 months countdown without a period.

May I ask how long you have lived in Japan? Are the doctors there knowledgeable about perimenopause/menopause?

If you've read some of my previous post you've probably read about my turning point in deciding to take hormones. It began when one of my students asked me my daughter's name and I could not remember my own daughter's name. I could only recall her nickname. Talk about on the verge of panic. I almost asked one of the teachers to watch my class while I tried to contact my husband. I could imagine my DH face if I was to call him at work to ask what did we name our daughter LOL

. Talk about brain fog, mental confusion, memory lapses, feeling spacey and disconnected...Oh my! Thank God, and I truly mean thank God, that one of my students called out another students name which triggered my memory. This students name happens to rhyme with my daughter's name LOL.

It might be worth discussing with your doctor the possibility of trying a very low dose birth control pill. If you are postmenopausal then you might try a hormone patch.

What have you tried to help with your peri/meno? How young are you?

pixiek · 09-04-2005, 05:29 PM

How young or old? I am 47 and up to this point I have not tried anything. Thyroid is a problem I have been working on for quite some time and meds have helped some but not all ...mainly brain fog. For the thyroid meds I take, I have tried increase and decreasing and all that and it should have helped my brain fog by now, but it hasn't and so I look elsewhere. I wish it had and it still may as I also have very low ferritin and that can apparently disrupt the loop.

But I have some other reason and symtoms to suspect peri...hot flashes, night sweats, premenstral crying.....(though some of this lessened with thyroid meds) so the BC well, it is worth a shot anyway and doesn't seem low control BC would hurt.

Since it is Japan and women eat lots of tofu from birth, the meno, peri meno and premenstral problems are not big here...that does not mean they do not exist, but not all doctors are up on them. I had a really bad experience with one GYN who even refused to test my blood...refused! Like HE had to pay for it! So I will find a new one, but seeing a doc like that can make you weary to go again!

Daughter's birthday...that is what I couldn't remember...name is probably next! You have students too? I teach English as a second language here...poor students to suffer from my memory....told the students it was Tuesday when it was Friday...great way to learn English! Thank you for all your advice.

Pixiek