betts

Dear Sweating,

I am [removed] 52 ys. old and my dr. was completely unconvinced when my hormonal levels showed that I was actively ovulating. "Oh, well this doesn't really mean anything" she says. Six months later, on HRT, antidepressants and sleeping pills. I was asked to count my hot flashes and sweats, they were 24/7. Again the disbelief. I have just stopped all medications (almost a month now and do not notice much of a difference execpt for my brain is a bit clearer. I am almost always wet, my hair has not been dry in over year. I live in San Diego and have had temps in the 90's-100's since May! Doesn't help. I am now on the go looking for something, anything except more traditional medical treatment. I am increasing soy in my diet, yams are a good source of progesterone and can sometimes be found in a health food store in a cream form. One of the major problems I have found is that "no one knows." My questions to health care people all over the intranet and to my own personal (female even) md are ones that solicit only one anwer. "I don't know". How long does it last? How bad or good will the symptoms get? What else is there to treat the symptoms beside drugs. ect. I am sure you have asked all of the same questions and more. I am now trying diet, (no red meat, increase soy (any form should be ok), and I just read an article posted on webmd that decreasing stress (any form) with gentle to mild excerise, examples used were yoga, and using meditation decrease the symptoms. Is it working for me? I have the perfect answer: I don't know. I take a towel to bed with, haven't had the heat on in my home for three years, make my dogs sleep on the other side of the bed and keep a light cover next to me "just in case" I may need it and keep a portable fan near by at all time. Wish I were rich to afford a handsome young man to follow me around with that fan, but alas. I am still doing much aggresive reseach into this area as I am just not satisfied with "I don't know" and being told to suffer through it until it is gone. I am tired of being wet, tired of crying at the drop of a hat, tired of not having the engery to not be tired!! I am told that not having a period for at least a full year means it is finally over but......does spotting count as a period? I don't know. Good Luck , sweating, check out the article and if you hear of some solid answers besides "I don't know" please please share with all of us other wet girls. (On the positive side- I don't use as much make up or lotion, as it would be gone within 15 min. or less!!)