I'm 46 years old and have been having menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, sleeplessness) for about 7 years. I found a wonderful, informative book by Elizabeth Lee Vliet, MD, called "Screaming To Be Heard: Hormone Connections Women Suspect and Doctors Still Ignore". It's thick--almost 600 pages--but has the best information about hormonal changes I've found anywhere. It allowed me to knowledgebly talk to my doctor about what was going on with me and what the best course of action was. Some of the chapters are: Hormones, a guide to your body cycles; hormones and the brain; is it PMS, PCOS, or perimenopause; estrogen & memory; hormonal headaches; estrogen & your heart; hormone therapy, facts & fallacies; making holistic medicine work; just to name a few. I think it would benefit anyone going through this crazy time of life!
[This message has been edited by Cat54 (edited 03-02-2001).]