View Full Version : Good Books/Advice for Entering Menopause
It has started for me, and I really don't know a thing about it. Those who have been through it, what advice can you give me? And any books or other resources that were particularly helpful?
An online forum for menopause that was helpful to me at the time. I looked it up just now: https://power-surge.co/
Dr. Christiane Northrup has written many books on it including "The Wisdom of Menopause."
I've been having perimenopause symptoms, mainly hot flashes, that are annoying. During the day at work I'm often running into the walk-in fridge/freezer or rubbing my neck and arms with ice cubes. So far I'm over 20 a day, lasting about 2-3 minutes each.
Anyway, there's a series of informative videos under Menopause Barbie on YouTube that are really useful. My fingers are crossed that the hot flashes are the only bad thing I'll experience; no mood swings, heavy bleeding or excess facial hair for me!
Teacher Terry
7-20-18, 6:30pm
I had a horrible menopause that lasted for 15 years. Horrible hot flashes where you felt like you were on fire from the inside out and heavy bleeding. Ugh! I did not go on hormones as my Mom got breast cancer at 78. During the winter I always wore a tank top under a button down sweater.
Then when hot I could take the sweater off. In the winter I would drive to work with my windows down. I could not drink anything hot and had to wash my hair at night because the blow dryer in the morning set them off really bad. Fun times:confused:. I wish you a much easier time.
It has started for me, and I really don't know a thing about it. Those who have been through it, what advice can you give me? And any books or other resources that were particularly helpful?
I'm unclear where you are. Menopause is simply the absence of menses and is immediate so not really a starting.
What are you experiencing? It's hard to be proactive after menopause hits, although building muscle with resistance training and healthy eating are beneficial as we no longer have the estrogen for bone protection.
I was experiencing premenopausal symptoms for 22 years before I finally hit menopause. ICK! I've had as many hot flashes as the Sonoran desert.
oh dear lord, that many years!
I had hot flash/anxiety attacks a couple months ago that combined with stress caused a medical leave for mental health. Pretty dramatic! However I have not felt like I am going to get another period for some reason. I have been perimenopause for awhile now, and while I was off work so I noticed my body more I felt it kinda straining to start the period process and then stop. That is rather vague, a couple times I started to get pre-cramps, a couple headaches, and then back to nothing and no period. Of course my step tracker just added female health tracker now that I have nothing to track!
Menopause is actually only one day----the 366th day of not having a period.
Perimenopause is the h*ll before that day. Post menopause is the stuff afterwards.
I found another video that was helpful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZAZOdMVX50
There are symptoms that occur when progesterone is low, and other ones when estrogen is low later on. Somehow I breezed through the first stage without realizing it, and am now in the second one. It's both empowering and frightening to learn what is in the future.
I could not drink anything hot and had to wash my hair at night because the blow dryer in the morning set them off really bad.
You can get a blowdryer with a cool setting.
Some may consider this extreme, but my friend got prescribed Paxil for flashes. She was a regular flusher / sweater. She even carried a change of clothes since it was so bad!
Its an off label side effect way to utilize the pill.
I started taking 400iu of Vitamin E a week ago and my hot flashes have tapered down quite a bit. They're almost unnoticeable now; just a small wave of heat compared to an internal raging inferno. Could be a coincidence, but they started fading a few days after starting the E.
Teacher Terry
7-28-18, 12:19am
That worked for me to until it stopped.
cindycindy
7-28-18, 8:55pm
I would recommend Susun Weed's book New Menapausal Years: The Wise Woman Way. Lots of information.
Has anyone read The Silent Passage (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1451607423/) by Gail Sheehy? I've considered recommending it to my sister, as I found Sheehy's book "Understanding Men's Passages" very helpful for navigating the midlife changes in men.
That worked for me to until it stopped.
Until the flashes stopped or the E stopped working?
Hot flashes: Black cohosh 50mg (find one without additives) and Flaxseed Oil 2000mg. Give it 8 weeks. If not working yet, double the Cohosh. This kept my hot flashes away for years during Perimenopause.
My flashes post-menopause are different...a short flush but not full flash. I'm generally warmer until I get tired, then I'm cold.
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