I turned 50 this summer with no symptoms at all. Now I am having 5-6 pounds of water weight gain (in 2 days!), then cramps and swelling, sometimes for 2 weeks solid. This month I've had 2 periods, 2 weeks apart, but not as heavy as they were last year. Last year I had pretty heavy periods but incredible pain from cramps (another new treat), so bad I asked my OB/GYN for something for the pain. So, I guess this is it -- it's finally started. The worst part for me is the weight gain and inability to lose it -- hey, if you're PMS-ing (something I never did before), you can't lose weight! And I have to get weighed in and measured by the military every 6 months. This April may be the end of my military career -- since I have no control over it and they boot you out if you're over. Does anyone else have this big range of water retention? It's so bad I can see it in my ankles AND my stomach. Help!
Last edited by mod-anon; 02-29-2008 at 10:58 PM.
Reason: starting a new thread with this post.
Cara..yes, I have terrible water retention. I normally gain 5 to 7 pounds of water when I'm PMS-ing. I take OTC stuff for PMS symptoms and it helps very little. My mom says that she also had terrible water retention when she was about to go through the change. Last month I waited an extra 3 weeks to start my period. I had PMS weight gain for 3 weeks instead of the normal 5-7 days. I have even bought several items of clothing a size larger to wear on these days because my regular clothes won't fit. It's the most horrible symptom that I have. Cucumbers and asparagus help with water retention but you have to eat it every day while you're retaining. Best wishes...hope it gets better. If you find a short-term remedy, please post it here.
Sorry, I'm new. Thanks, GBug. It was driving me crazy and no one I talked to had this symptom. My older sisters said they had no trouble going through menopause, and I need to ask them about this one -- in the grand scheme of things, I guess it could be much worse -- but, then, few people get weighed in every 6 months, so it may not matter to them. I found this site b/c I woke up yesterday many times with my hands falling asleep - another new experience. Thanks for the support!
Cara
