Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
Could someone please let me know if they are experiencing nausea and headache for a week or so at a time and them it sort of lifts for a couple weeks and comes back. I am just strating to track this and just when I start to feel normal a get nausea, anixeity, can't sleep, headache. I am still getting my period every month (i am 51) but I am feeling different the course of the month. I am feeling like crap bascially. I have been to the doctor. I am not dying. Thanks for all your help. Alyce
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
All of these symptoms sound very familiar. I have had so much trouble with my stomach over the last week; bloating, flatulence and sometimes, my stomach is actually painful when I walk because of the bloating. I guess I have the anxiety problem, as well, because sometimes, when all of that starts, I just KNOW that I have cancer, or something horrible. I really didn't associate it with starting my period because I wasn't supposed to for a week, or maybe two. I started yesterday Wow...twice in one month; how exciting. I also had a couple of awful hot flashes over the weekend. Bad.
I guess I just need to make an appointment with the doctor and talk it all over with her and find out for sure that this is what I'm probably dealing with so I can quit worrying. And start trying to deal with all of this nasty stuff. It's nice to have found this board so I can see that all of you are dealing with the same things. Misery loves company, they say.
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
We are not alone-Menopause connects us, I would prefer Icecream but the final stage of our beautiful womanhood has predestined us to menopause.
Linn, there is another woman out there who needs YOU, to be comforted by
YOU, to make her laugh at the weird things this menopause does to us.
Menopause is not a Four letter word, and I find comfort being with other women
my age and we do share and cry, and laugh. If your daughter started to isolate
herself you would not allow that, so please consider that. For some reason
walking, or going to a nearby park helps me "let go" and is good for my emotions.
My husband and I started camping again, I know camping! We took memory
foam, that mattress. I've become a big fan of lots of fresh air. It's like there
was a fog that settled in around me and I just had to force myself yep, force
myself out. WE became big fans of the KOA campgrounds, they have beds
in cabins very affordable, I had to get out. I turned on the radio more, and
the tv less, music seems to help. I found an old song group, the Little River
Band that is fun to sing with music, what's your favorite music? singer? turn it
on and sing with them, dance with them. The fog isn't as dense as I thought.
It doesn't sound like what your doing is making you laugh or sing, so consider
doing things that would. I help out at the Senior center with their dances,
and their gardening club, I recently was handing out icecream cones to the
visiting families, and found myself comforting young sleep deprived mothers,
we have a lot to give, and SO DO YOU, now get out there girl, life is calling
to you, and Linn, we need you, your tears connect us.
All My love
Kathleen52
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
I really, really thought I was going insane. I am 51 in the throws of peri. I have read Ann's book and the list of various symptoms will amaze you, check out page 6 if you get near a bookstore. I think I have them all. My gyno finally did an endometrial biopsy and found I am very ESTROGEN dominant. She wanted me to take Prometrium (a natural progesterone in pill form), but the Prometium website advises against taking it if you are already depressed/anxious, also causes weight gain. Plus it has a breast cancer warning, although I thought being ESTROGEN dominant was a bad thing as far as breast cancer developing?? Atleast that's what Ann says in her book and she advises we use progesterone cream along with Flax oil, Vit Bs, C, Magnesium, & Zinc & primrose or borage oil. I've been on the Flax/vitamin regime for only a month, time will tell. I think sometimes we feel as though we are just being dismissed by various drs. Are they listening to our symptoms?? I've heard "You're just getting to that age", more times than I care to recount, what does that mean, anyhow? Am I depressed/anxoius/crazy because of peri or is it just all the symptoms combined? Hair is falling out, don't sleep well, weight gain & it's hard to lose, skipping periods and when I do have one it can last for 2 weeks, foggy brain, fatigue, irritable, thyroid dysfunction, decreased sex drive, lack of motivation........Has anyone here tried the natural progesterone cream & has it helped????? Does anything help?? What will get us through the next several years?
Sharon
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
Quote:
Originally Posted by 24chelios
the Prometium website advises against taking it if you are already depressed/anxious, also causes weight gain. Plus it has a breast cancer warning,
Hmm. So who in their right mind would want to take this stuff??!!
It's soooo frustrating trying to figure out what to do! Sharon I started Lexapro awhile ago and that has helped with the severe anxiety/depression. It's by no means a cure all, but it definately helps.
I'm 44 and wondering how long this will last-- I've been complaining on this board for more than two years. I'm wondering when our bodies finally just stop making estrogen do we start to feel normal again? Is there normal life after this?
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
Sharon,
what is the book you are talking about. I have all the things you have talked about and I really don't think the dr. understand. i feel like I am complaining when i feel like crap. Can you be on the cream even though yo still get your period.
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
Alyce,
The book is "Before the Change" Taking charge of your Perimenopause, by Ann Louise Gittleman. Mine's all dogeared & highlighted..... It has pretty good avice & I'm trying the Flax Oil with primrose & borage oils (Omega-3s), B50 complex, Vit C, E, need to get magnesium & zinc. It's only been a month on the supplements, skipped my period in May. Seems to be an everyother month occcurance now.....check out the list of 35 from Mommabee on the previous peri thread........it practically describes me to a T. I was starting to believe I was a hypocondriac there for a while, but I've never been one to "imagine" symptoms. They are real & I have them, for how long I do not know.........until then, we'll help each other through this..........I wonder what happens to our peri symptoms when we delve into full menopause, besides the stoppage of our periods??
Misty,
I agree on the prometrium pill.....with all the black box warnings, why would I want to take it? Also, my gyno knows my Mom died of breast cancer at age 50 (I'm 51), and my Grandma was a survivor. But, in all fairness, I think we can all agree that ESTROGEN dominance is not a good thing either. I have researched into the natural progesterone creams & not found similar warnings, but they are OTC products, so they can "omit" the truth. Now, Lexapro.......I took Effexor XR before & gained a whopping 60 lbs. in about 7 months. Stopped Effexor, all 60lbs. came off in 4 months. Depression returned, repeated Effexor gain & then loss. Has Lexapro caused you any weight gain? I've been told if I gain on one, most likely I'll gain on all, with the exception of Wellbutrin which I am taking now although I don't think it's really helping, as I'm still sobbing for no apparent reason. Sometimes it's just a little thing that sets me off......... I saw a Humane Society ad on tv yesterday and sobbed for 2 hours....can't get those sad looking dogs out of my head.
My emotions are really easy to set off. Wellbutrin is not helping that. My shrink is talking about adding Cymbalta....the newest version of Effexor, but she knows how I feel about this weight thing. I'll ask about Lexapro.
Effexor did its job very well, but then the weight adds a new twist to the depression....win/lose situation.
Sharon
My husband really is a great, supportive guy. I just think he's desperate for answers also........he's trying to be helpful.... I've been seeing a shrink for 7 years, I think she would of noticed bi-polar!!!
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
Sharon,
Thanks for the info about the book. As soon as this tropical storm barry passes I am off to the book store. Anything that will allow me to believe I am not crazy will help. YOu have been very supportive. Thanks. Alyce
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
Some of your symptoms also sound like exhausted adrenal glands. You can have them tested by an accupressurist, a naturepath, or maybe a DO. I am menapausal, and was coping pretty good with diet, exercise and supplements. The one are in my life that I wasn't dealing with was stress. I feel like I pushed my body to the limit and in 1 days time I felt so fatigued, I could barely move. My heart was racing and the anxiety I felt was really high. I started feeling really nausious and dizzy in the mornings after I got up, so I went to a Naturepath and discovered my adrenal glands were exhausted. I also had a blood work up and it came up that I have thyroiditis. Since I have been working on all three areas, my body is coming into a balance.
I'm still not feeling back to par, but its alot better than I was..........
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
hannasnana.........I, too, was just diagnosed with thyroiditis, Hasimotos to be exact. My thyroid is still functioning, so they(Mayo Clinic) said I didn't need meds, will watch & recheck in a year. I also had a biopsy on a nodule which turned out to be benign. do blood tests reveal adreanal gland problems? What did you find to help with the adreanal & thyroid problems, as well as peri-problems? seems like they are all inter-related, so where do we start?? I am 51, having periods every 60-70 days.
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
I'm there too. I feel like I'm in such a wierd place. I use to be so social and loved to be in the crowds with people. Now I can't stand it. I feel like a pork-u-pine. I can really relate with feeling like hiding so I don't make others lives uncomfortable. My daughters and husband all know I'm going through this dreaded time of life, and they love me, and laugh with me....as I joke about all this. But, I feel self-contious around our younger friends who think I'm going off my rocker....
Its been difficult at work because my job demands a sharp mind, and good memory recall.......etc. I started getting really stressed out because I can't remember things......I was making mistakes.....(more than I use too) lol...... So, I talked with my boss and told him I needed some help.
All these threads about everybodys symtoms and lives with menapause have helped me feel OK about me. That Its not just me.......
((((hugs)))) to you all........
Last edited by hannasnana; 06-07-2007 at 08:54 PM.
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause?
Quote:
Originally Posted by 24chelios
hannasnana.........I, too, was just diagnosed with thyroiditis, Hasimotos to be exact. My thyroid is still functioning, so they(Mayo Clinic) said I didn't need meds, will watch & recheck in a year. I also had a biopsy on a nodule which turned out to be benign. do blood tests reveal adreanal gland problems? What did you find to help with the adreanal & thyroid problems, as well as peri-problems? seems like they are all inter-related, so where do we start?? I am 51, having periods every 60-70 days.
Hi Chelios,
I went to a Naturepath for the adrenal exhaustion. She tests the adrenal glands by testing the eyes. She put me on a natural supplement called Phytisone. I went back to my Dr. for more blood work, and thats when they found the thyroiditis. I was already on thyroid so she told me to come back to see her in 4 months to be rechecked.
I can't really tell if the Phytisone helped me. I had to stop all my activities except work. I started taking a nap everyday and gave up exercising. I also became aware of the major stressors in my life and elminated them. (the ones I could elminate)....it was the only way I could begin to heal.
I'm starting to feel better, but, I'm still staking it easy. Before I was really pushing myself......even when I was tired, I would say to myself, ....you can do it.........push, push, push........until I pushed myself to far. I started haivng anxiety attacks again....and could barely function.
Its been a hard thing for me to accept that I cannot do what I use to do anymore. I have to set limits for myself.
Re: irregular periods/exhaustion and nausea - could it be perimenopause? 
Wow...twice in one month; how exciting. I also had a couple of awful hot flashes over the weekend. Bad.
I can really relate with feeling like hiding so I don't make others lives uncomfortable. My daughters and husband all know I'm going through this dreaded time of life, and they love me, and laugh with me....as I joke about all this. But, I feel self-contious around our younger friends who think I'm going off my rocker....
