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.

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/ Menopause Support Group

Perimenopause or Menopause?

broc2612
broc2612

I'm 45 and I've been experiecing the following:  insomina (10 years now), anxiety and agigtation, mood swings (seems... like I'm ready to bite someone's head off at any minute), muscle and joint aches, hair is falling out.  It's like I constantly have bad PMS.  I haven't had a period in about 10 years due to an ablation.   My doctors have told me that I'm too young to be in menopause.  I've been prescribed anti depressants, but they put the weight on so I dropped them.  In my 20s, I had bad PMS and was prescribed anit depressants.  30s were good with the exception of heavy periods.  40s have been mostly okay until a few years ago when I began experiencing the above.  I take ambien and xanax for sleep.  My doctor suggested magnesium for muscle/joint pain and moods.  It has helped.  Any suggestions for natural ways to help the mood?  I do exercise.  I have a physical next month and will try to revisit the perimenopause theory with my doctor again.

dfj50
dfj50
I think you need a different doctor. Lots of women start into peri or even menopause at your age. I'm 53 but I started down this road probably about 3 to 4 years ago. I've tried some natural supplements for mood but never really found anything that was a magic bullet, so to speak. I did find out a couple of foods that I had previously eaten with no problem now seemed to affect me. Milk was one, can't drink it or eat yogurt, butter, etc, but hard cheese seems fine. Also, Coke used to be my favourite but now it just about sends me through the roof with an angry mood and I mean right now too. I have no idea why but I've tried it several times with the same result. Crazy! Plus you would think since I dropped drinking Coke, the pounds would drop off but noooo! So frustrating. I tried anti depressants years ago, they just made me tired all the time, I slept alot. I wish you the best. Hope you are able to find some help from your doc or another doc. I changed docs last year. He's helped me more than the last one did but, of course, they can't know everything either. But they do have a fresh perspective. I wish you luck!
Hotmess46
Hotmess46
Wow! Sounds exactly like me! Every symptom! Just feel like I’m trying to climb my way out of a deep dark hole every day with joint pain! Crying all the time! Anxiety, insomnia, hair loss and just no motivation!! This sucks!
GardenLass
GardenLass
A new doctor is one solution, making him or her listen is the goal. There are a coupe of natural options for antidepressants. One is St John's Wort; my mom chose that herb to combat her depression and grief after losing dad. Another natural option to antidepressants is Sam-E, which Costco used to carry in the vitamin section. Don't do what I did when I stopped Prozac. Don't go cold turkey. It will send you into an emotional hurricane, cat 5. Make your doctor wean you off them if you really want to get away from them.

Weight gain is one of the biggest bummers. My mom went from a size 14 to and 8 when she went through it. I was already losing weight and determined to stay down. Wouldn't you know my body would grab onto every calorie it could. Now I'm as heavy as I have ever been and I agree with both of you; it sucks!

Going the natural route with vitamins and herbs can only benefit you. Get two books; a vitamin encyclopedia and an herbal encyclopedia. Sounds old fashioned, but you can bookmark, dog ear, and highlight every vitamin and herb you need. Keep them with the cook books; they will be readily accessible. Use Estroven; right now organic soy is one of your best friends; keep soy milk in the fridge. Drink it instead of milk once in a while. Make yoru doctor give you a prescription for boniva or another osteo preventative and take calcium; you'll not only need it for bones now, you also need it for digestion. Lots of vitamin C, can't get enough and skin and hair vitamins. We need an abundance of everything right now except for calories and fat.