Little Lifestyle Changes

    The worst menopausal symptom I've been having is Gastrointestinal Distress (GID). While it usually comes along with a myriad of other symptoms such as hot flashes, depression, chest and leg pain, Doom and Gloom thoughts, insomnia, anxiety, etc, etc., the GID is the most hellish. It has put me in my room for days on end, making me lay there holding my abdomen and feel the jagged softball-sized rocks rolling around in my intestines and crashing into each other as well as smashing all the other organs. I wouldn't eat (the very idea of food was nauseating), and I couldn't sleep. When it would finally go away, I would be exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, usually winding up crying for hours. Then I'd have to pull myself together; I had a child who missed her mama, a husband who missed his wife, meals to plan, shop for and prepare, a house to clean, and piles of laundry to do (hubby often works 10-hour days at a job he hates, and there's no extended family to come take over).   This had to stop.   11 days ago, I started the vitamin schedule I listed in my last entry. Here what else I did; see if any of it works for you. 1) Cut down the coffee to 2 cups in the morning, with one in the afternoon once     a while. 2) LISTEN to my body: if I need time to myself, make sure I get it. If I need to     sleep, go ahead and sleep when I can. Same for crying, venting, and asking    for company and/or help. This is not a time for sacrificing, and if I don't     mother myself (that is, take care of myself), then I'll be in no condition,     physically, mentally, and/or emotionally, to do what I have to do, including    taking care of those who count on me. 3) ACCEPT the changes that are happening in my body. Denying it, fighting it,    and getting ANGRY at the situation only makes it tougher to ride it out.       This last one is the hardest, at least for me. Everytime I'd feel the Symptoms start up, I'd get all angry and upset about it starting up, then the frustration would worsen not only the depression that would come along, but  also make each minute last an eternity.  The last Bad Episode I had...was actually not that bad. I'd gone to a gastrointernist who took some tests just to make sure that my GID was menopausal not pancreal or anything like that (I used to get extremely hypochondriatic which made me even more anxious and several times led to bouts of dementia). All seemed normal, so when the stomach started rolling again, I first munched on some crystallized/candied ginger (this works better and faster than tea, and I can carry it with me!) then I calmed myself down, reminding myself that it's just the menopause again, and went to bed. I warned my family not to expect anything from me until further notice,and I stayed in bed and listened to New Age music, getting up only to fix myself some instant miso.And I rode it out. I felt a little better on the third day, but when I went out, I realized that I needed to cry and scream, so I went back home and did just that.And now, so far, I'm fine.    But I'll let you know; I overate a little tonight and I'm feeling bloated, and I just got a little twang in my gut, so I'm going to take a shower, put on the Vivelle Dot, and go to bed.   Good luck to you, Sister, whoever you are, and remember: some day, the Symptoms will go away.....and never come back.