Menopause

I'm 47 and will be 48 in August. I still have my period, but my head is full of fluff. I have a lot of weird symptoms like very heavy painful periods, hot flashes, dizzy spells. I spent a week in the hospital a couple years ago. They did a bunch of blood tests and other stuff. It appears that my hormone levels are bizarre up and down but mostly down. Instead of putting me on a pill to fix it, my ob-gyn doctor inserted an IUD which releases controlled doses of hormones over two years. The idea was to lessen my periods and it has. The doctor says eventually this will accelerate my menopause and stop my periods all together. I think the hormones also have helped my other symptoms. I have more energy now overall, considering I am pretty tired all the time from my back problems which are caused by a progressive condition I have in my spine. My hormone levels have always fluctuated alot. I am more dizzy brained and forgetful and have extreme periods of agitation, including anger. So everything you are going through is NORMAL. I had terrible hot flashes and periods of uncontrollable shivering both times when I was pregnant, which was when I was 28-30. The doctor says that left to itself I would probably have a fairly early menopause anyway, but he thinks it's better just to get it over with, using this IUD hormone treatment. I have had no difficulties at all with the IUD, which I don't need for birth control since I had my tubes tied after the birth of my second child at age 31, so I think all in all the treatment is having good results. My bleeding has not stopped completely but I have a much smaller shorter time each month, and it is decreasing progressively. Talk to your family doctor and your gynecologist about getting some kind of hormone treatment. Soy milk is good for reducing and controlling hot flashes and is really nutritious. It tastes terrible in plain flavor, but it comes in chocolate and fruit flavors that I like. Get used to writing down everything important on notepads and get a big space calendar to write down appointments and events. My husband helps me a lot too with stuff that I tend to forget. Try one of those miniature voice recording note devices if you can find one. I have only seen them on TV but I would love to have one. Good luck!! Take care of YOU!!

Welcome to the club! I have been suffering for a long time. I can't wait to be over this crap. Memory loss is a big thing with the dreaded menopause. So great how Mother Nature can wreak havoc on our bodies and minds. Big huggers to you.

Yes we feel many bodily changes when we reach the menopause period but that is just natural and I don't believe that God made us to be such an invalid when we are in the period. God loves old people and one woman in the Bible is more than 80 years old and therefore 40+ is just about a half of that widow mentioned in the Bible. We can still do so many things. That period should not be dreadful to us women.

i'm 40 years old now but i begin to worry about that terrible time. it's said that some women suffer a lot during that period. my mother seemed to be a changed person during menopause. i wonder what i will become and hope i can be helped.

I think both, but partly stress can cause lot of things, menopause is a process that all women can experience especially if you are around 50. I also experiencing forgetfulness to think that I am only 30 years old. I am always stressed and full of problems and worries. Try to relax sometimes, give yourself a wonderful treatment, like going to parlor change your hairstyle, treat your body and give yourself a massage or "make it a habit", meet new friends or bonding with your friends is a good help. For me I enjoy shopping it is really a relief and my one way of releasing tension. Hope this will help you. Enjoy life.

I guess so... May be you could get help to professionals you know what I mean visit your gynecologist about that. But here is something that I want to share with you it is not an illness it is a biological process with many symptoms it can disrupts your sleep, sap your energy and trigger feelings of sadness and loss. But having this, does not mean the end is near you've still got as much as half of your life to go on. You may be one of the many women who find it liberating to stop worrying about pregnancy and periods. Like what I said earlier you can seek medical assistance with this and dont hesitate to get treatments because you may experience symptoms that you dont like. Ask about the HRT..... Go girl!