I am 36yrs old, total fitness buff (did aerobics 4x/wk in my 20's and spinning 4x/wk now in my 30's) I eat very healthy (lots of salmon, chicken, and veggies), I drink lots of water, and I've never smoked or done any drugs. In just the past 5 months, I've started having:
- extreme insomnia, waking up after 4hrs of sleeping and not going back to sleep until 4hrs later or just never being able to sleep at all!! always exhausted!
- was just diagnosed last month with a heart murmur and heart palpitations. Sometimes when I'm lying in bed at night, I can literally hear and feel my heart racing and pounding! It's the worst feeling!!
- Night sweats and then chilly and few minute later
- low sex drive (much lower than just 8 months or a year ago)
- dry hair and dry skin
- difficult achieving orgasm when having sex because I don't have much feeling down there lately (like the nerves have been damaged or something).
- I pee constantly all day long
- Edgy, nervous, jumpy (like if a door slams or a bird chirps suddenly)
- Waist is not as flat and lot less muscle tone, harder to maintain weight
- not as happy and cheery as I usually am, slightly depressed
I went to a hormone doctor and she had most of my hormone levels checked, with the exception of my estrogen and pregesterone which she said fluctuates too much (I need to insist on it), but I SERIOUSLY think I am starting to go thru perimenopause. I going to get a Natural Progesterone Cream and see how that works. I'll keep you posted.
Last edited by mod-anon; 03-12-2009 at 11:30 PM.
Reason: starting a new thread with this post.
Yes, before you go out and get progesterone cream, you should definitely have your levels checked to find out if you're even deficient in progesterone or anything else. You may even actually have too much of something. If you don't know what your levels are, you're only treating the symptoms. Your symptoms actually sound alot like mine, though. I'm deficient in progesterone and testosterone (I'm 38 y/o). However, this may not be the case with you, so go get a hormone panel test done first, and then go from there.
I went to a hormone doctor two weeks ago (Dr. Lisa Hirsch in Newport Beach, CA) and she did a blood test which checked pretty much everything except Estrogen and Progesterone. Everything came back normal, including thyroid, FSH, DHEA, and Testosterone. The only thing that came back abnormal was % Free Testosterone, which was a little high. Said she never tests progesterone levels (which I thought was weird) and she would only test my estrogen if I insisted on it (she made me sound really demanding for even asking her). She said those two hormones fluctuate too much to get an accurate reading. Instead, she just wrote me a prescription for bioidentical Estradiol gel from simply hearing my symptoms, which I don't think is very wise of her. I've heard that taking estrogen without being tested or offsetting it with progesterone can be really dangerous and I could be wrong, but I think that was professional negligence on her part. Needless to say, I won't be going back to her. I will go to a different doctor to get my E & P levels checked out. I'm just bummed because I paid her $600 cash for the first visit where they took my blood test and $350 cash for the second visit where she simply gave me a prescription for the Estradiol. Aaargh!!! I appreciate any advice or response you can give me!
Please do NOT start using bioidentical estradiol without checking the levels because it can lead you into deep trouble. I'm on bioidentical progesterone because my estradiol levels were sky high as compared to the non-existent progesterone and I have landed up with a thick uterine lining and need to get a D&C done, so please get your hormone levels checked. A simple blood test would help to find out the ratio.
Hi there, This is my first time on the board (any board for that matter) but I think I might be able to offer a little insight. I am 47 and was diagnosed with POF (premature ovarian failure) at age 30. They told me that in order for my hormones to be at the levels they were, I had to have started "menopause" at age 25! I didn't catch your age, but in answer to your question, no one is "too young" for menopause. There are always weird cases such as mine.
In response to the other part of your question. I am scheduled to see a GYN next month (and it can't come fast enough) to have her test my hormone levels (which are naught) and to be perscribed bioidenticals. Here's the key. Bioidenticals are something that should be specifically compounded for your needs. If she didn't take any hormone levels, how did she perscribe a bioidentical cream for you? My GYN will test all my levels and then "design" a specific personalized perscription to be compounded in a pharmacy just for me. I am unaware of other ways of doing this (not to say there aren't any).
Hope I answered part of your question anyway and good luck.
Yes, that definitely wasn't wise on the doctor's part. It sounds like she's just trying to treat the symptoms and not the actual problem. Good luck finding a new doctor, chersmith77.
I have experienced all that you have experienced. I will be 40 very soon but this started when I was around 33.
I would tend to agree with the Perimenopause thought. I have had my hormone levels checked three different times during three different stages of one menstrual cycle, and they did not fluctuate beyond "normal" at any time.
We know this is not in our head. The physical is worse than the emotional for me, personally. If someone specialized in this perimenopausal issue for women in their 30's - 40's, they would be a gazillionaire.
Someone suggested an endocrinologist who specializes in hormonal issues, and I'm going to do that.
On another note, there are several books on Perimenopause that have been interesting and helpful. The progesterone cream did not work for me, but does work for many.
Interesting researchers in this arnea are Ann Louise Gittleman and John R. Lee.
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Good luck.
Last edited by mod-anon; 03-19-2009 at 11:41 PM.
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Re: Getting hormones checked 
