
Menopause Support Group
Menopause is the physiological cessation of menstrual cycles associated with advancing age. It normally occurs in women between the ages of 45 and 55, when the body begins to slow and stop the production of eggs, estrogen and progesterone production decreases, and menstruation diminishes, eventually stopping altogether.

deleted_user
HI - new to this discussion. I am 56 in my second year of menopause. Am on estrace and provera which seems to help. However I get lightheaded and a bit dizzy once a day or so. Sometimes my thinking is a bit cloudy as well. I can't sleep without an Ambien and get very anxious. I've never been like this before and am wondering, particularly about the lightheaded feeling. Does anyone else get this. I'm also very tired sometimes - all of this behavior is extremely unlike me - I don't recognize myself. If others out there are having similar issues please let me know.
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Thank God you came onto this discussion group. I too am having lightheadedness and lost of balance on some days. I am also very tired and have anxiety. I am taking Klonopin for my anxiety which I take now only at night to get to sleep. I too don't feel like myself and I want that person back. I'm going to see a Wellness doctor that deal in natural healing, so hopefully when I get back from seeing him, I might have some answers on what we can do. Hang in there, we are all in the same pool together and drowning most of the time, but better days have to come (that's what my mother keeps telling me). Check out the 35 symptoms of menopause list that I know I have about most of them. You are not alone
DebbT
Could it be time to have your female hormones tested again for signs of excess or depletion? This is something I can't wait to get figured out. Good luck
It helps to know that I am not alone in this. There have been times when I thought I was slowly going crazy.
Having your hormones tested through use of a saliva test through a bio-identical doctor is what I did. My doctor checked estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, Cortisol, and she also did bloodwork for Vitamin D. I was "ok" with estrogen meaning it was okay for the postmenopausal range which isnt where your estrogen is when you arent in meno. My progesterone tanked. I had very little. I was low on DHEA and Cortisol both and my Vitamin D was very low. I was glad to be tested because then the doctor knew what I actually needed and didnt give me what I didnt need. So, I was considered estrogen dominant and I use progesterone cream. I find it definitely helps with my hot flushes at night, it helps with sleep naturally, I am more calm, and the fatigue is gone. Has made a difference. Its not magic but I feel better. Checking your Vitamin D has a lot to do with depression. If you are deficient you can feel that way. I started taking 50,000 IU 2 x week for 8 wks then went down to 50,000 IU once a week thereafter. It has helped with the depression in menoapause. I just think its good to know where you are at hormone wise so you can give yourself what you need instead of being put on a pill that is a one size fits all dose. We are all unique in our own bodies. That's like saying one size of pants fits every woman and we all know that isnt true LOL! Im on 200 mg of progesterone cream at night. The Vitamin D dose I take has to be done through a doctor because you cant buy that dose over the counter. My primary keeps telling me it will get better. She says it kind of creeps up on you and one day you realize you feel better than you did. I take Klonopin ( a half of a 5 mg) and I take Amitriptyline for sleep at night. It's a small dose of 10 mg and it has a histamine effect and keeps me asleep. I took Ambien for a long time and just dont feel its good to take that for longer than 2-3 weeks over the long term because it can make you sleep walk and sleep eat and sleep drive and it loses its effectiveness after a time and it wont keep you asleep. I took it for 8 yrs and decided to get off of it after developing ringing ears in menopause.
A side note ladies....be careful if you are in menopause not to take dizziness or nausea too lightly if it gets bad. The reason I say this is I just recently found out I had two mini strokes just two and a half years after entering menopause. An MRI for something else showed two very small aneurysms in the internal carotid artery indicating two mini strokes. I also have microvascular disease. I am now on a full strength aspirin daily to thin the blood. Didnt even occur to me that would happen to me. But in menopause the lack of hormones can cause vascular changes, can cause mini strokes, and increase cardiovascular (heart) disease, increase your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol. So, even though menopause can cause lightheadedness and dizziness be aware of the indicators for stroke. If you have a loss of coordination or balance, slurred speech, dizziness, remember STR which stands for Smile, Talk, Raise your arms. If you cant do these three things it is imperative you get to the hospital. Look at Sen. Kirk who just went to the hospital at 52 with dizziness over the weekend. He had a pretty bad stroke but it didnt affect the side of his brain that controls speech and thought, thank God. So much happens to us in menopause and I just dont want what happened to me happen to you, but many people who've had mini strokes dont even know it.