View Full Version : (For Women Only) Uh Oh, I Think I Am Finally In...
the initial stages of menopause...my period is over a week late (BTW, there is NO chance I could be pregnant)! The last period I had started at the end of my vacation back in late June without any of the usual signs of breast tenderness and bloated feeling, but that one lasted about 9 days altogether and now it's been 35 days since. But now I feel horribly bloated and my pants are tight and I've gained a couple of pounds...well more like 5 lbs. Wahh! It had been so easy to keep the weight off all this past year. It kind of feels like my body is storing up a bunch horrible stuff that will be expelled somehow when I am out and about not ready for it...
Does any of this sound like part of the normal menopausal process for those of you who've gone through it?
Yup. Read this book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Wisdom-Menopause-Creating-Emotional/dp/0553384090
BTW, don't freak over the weight gain.
Could be. Sometimes periods can be closer together, and then farther apart. Its not unusual to have alot of bleeding. Just don't let it go on too long, as your hemoglobin can really drop.
But yes, sounds like you could be starting M. But don't worry.......it will all be over in about 10-15 years. :0!
I went through menopause early and had almost no symptoms. I occasionally get hot flashes - tends to be when my weight is at the high end of the range I permit and I'm eating more junk than usual. Anyway, just posting that it doesn't have to be a horrible time; it seems to vary a lot from person to person.
Perimenopause came and went for me, largely unnoticed except for the no menses part. I have had few hot flashes. I do sweat at night, and I sport some awesome new catfish whiskers, but, all in all, not too bad. It's been 2-1/2 yr since my last period, I think.
It just varies so much person to person.
Menopause has been of benefit to me. I used to be the person who was always freezing. Now I have hot flashes all the time. You can find me outside in the winter time when it's 40 degrees, sitting on my front step trying to cool off. It sure saves on the heating bill. :~)
LOL, last night I just bought a hand fan (think Japanese fan dances or tango dancers) to keep on my nightstand! That little fan will be carried with me to all places, just like my phone and my keys! Good luck...my hot flashes started a few months ago and they are CRAZY! My doctor just started me on a regimen of vaginal pessaries to deal with dryness, which seems to be working well. If my bloodwork and scans come back OK, we'll start with some HRT. I'm following my mother's lead on this, who did the same thing with good results. The variation among women with perimenopause and menopause is amazing!
Welcome to the club SiouzQ! Carry menstrual items with you in case you need them. Think very positively about this new transition. Drink lots of water to let go of some of the bloating. I had terrible mood swings but work was horrible for me at the time. Do something nice for yourself. I second, third and fourth the idea of a fan or dressing in layers that can be removed but still keeping you decently covered. They're power surges!!!
I don't think I have had a bona fide hot flash yet; I mean, sure, I get hot but attribute that to being at work and running around or dealing with the chickens on the rotisserie. However, I have a giant walk-in cooler and freezer to find refuge in for a few minutes!
I AM trying to think of it as a positive transition but this is funny - lately every month every time I get my period I so wish it to all be OVER 'cause I'm tired of dealing with it (not that they are that bad or anything, I just long for the freedom from it). But this month I am actually WISHING it would come along so I could just get it over with, as my body feels like it is filling up with all sorts of stuff and wants some kind of release from it.
It will be interesting to see how my journey through it ends up - my mom ended up having a hysterectomy at age 48 due to severe fibroid tumors, excessive bleeding, etc. I think she was on HRT after that too. My sister, I think ended up having some sort of procedure to "clean everything out" (I'm not sure what that means exactly) and I don't know where she is in the process because we don't talk very much these days). I really hope I can just sail through it with minimal problems and PTA (pain-in-the-ass) factor.
By the way, I will be 52 in October, so whatever is going to happen seems to be ramping up now...
Drink lots of water to let go of some of the bloating.
What has always worked for me is no caffeine and limited salt.
I had very painful bloating every month and was SO thankful to an LPN I saw at student health when in grad school who suggested I avoid caffeine. It made an enormous difference for me.
I love not having periods anymore. It takes one extra little source of anxiety out of the picture (anxious because I never knew exactly when it would start, so always had to be prepared). And also eliminates the mood swings and cramping, although they generally weren't terrible for me.
My hot flashes were subtle, really more like hot waves. My symptoms were pretty mild. I did think I was having symptoms that woke me at night, when in fact I had very mild, undiagnosed sleep apnea. Once that got diagnosed & I went on CPAP treatment, the night wakings ended. I was on bio-identical micro hormones for a year before the sleep apnea was diagnosed.
I had a radical hysterectomy this year (uterine cancer), and whatever hormonal contributions my retired ovaries were making to my overall system are now gone. At age 58, the only thing I have noticed is some vaginal dryness, and I am just learning how to have vaginal sex after radiation treatment as well. Try many different kinds of water based lubes as you negotiate perimenopausal sex! I recommend Sliquid Botanicals -- http://sliquidorganics.com/products.html
I had some emotional lability during perimenopause, and that settled after it was all over. I think it's been 6 years for me. Nice to forget! I do not miss menstruation at all!!
PS -- this just popped up on my FB feed: http://www.hystersisters.com/blog/?p=2770
I have enjoyed this website, and this post is about hot flashes.
Feeling so meh today, actually the last few days. Yesterday was worse though, on top of this new menopausal stuff I had terrible head and chest congestion and plain general yukkiness so I took a rare day off. I guess it's that out-of-sorts feeling that I really don't like. I'm going to blame it on hormones being wacky. I talked to the nurse practitioner today about this weird sense of heaviness and bloating/cramping that I have been feeling for the better part of a week, as if I am about to have the most horrendous period EVER if it EVER starts. I'm sure everything is progressing normally with this new phase but she said to call back next week if it hadn't cleared up.
I just want and need to get back to my regularly scheduled life, which will start at 4:45 am tomorrow (I have to be at work at 5:30 am...)
I hope you feel better, and please do get checked out if you don't improve. Any odd symptoms that relate to our reproductive capacity can be normal or serious. I am very glad I acted immediately on my symptoms! I have a friend who waited for two years with post menopausal bleeding to get checked. Very bad.
I'm 39 (in 2 days!) and have been enjoying (ha!) perimenopause for several years. My hormone-driven issues were getting worse and worse (*heavy* flow, erratic bleeding, painful cramps, bloating, sleeplessness, tension headaches, depression). I tried to ride it out but then went on a low-dose BC pill (I didn't need it for contraception) at the advice of my OBGYN. Stayed on that for 5 months but quit because it made me an emotional mess. Went back to trying to ride it out but started taking melatonin, which greatly improved my sleep quality. About 6 months ago, I started taking evening primrose oil at the suggestion of someone here, and that has noticeably improved the heavy flow and cramping issues. I am now seeing a massage therapist regularly for tension headaches. I feel better these days than I have in a long time (at least 5 years).
As everyone else has said, there seems to be great variation in symptoms and issues, so you may have to go through some trial and error and a lot of reading and talking about this stuff before you find out what eases your pain. But you will find the things that help, don't give up.
Kara
the initial stages of menopause...my period is over a week late (BTW, there is NO chance I could be pregnant)! The last period I had started at the end of my vacation back in late June without any of the usual signs of breast tenderness and bloated feeling, but that one lasted about 9 days altogether and now it's been 35 days since. But now I feel horribly bloated and my pants are tight and I've gained a couple of pounds...well more like 5 lbs. Wahh! It had been so easy to keep the weight off all this past year. It kind of feels like my body is storing up a bunch horrible stuff that will be expelled somehow when I am out and about not ready for it...
Does any of this sound like part of the normal menopausal process for those of you who've gone through it?
Everyone's peri menopause is different. Those are definitely possible symptoms. I struggled with the peri menopause and am glad to be done and in menopause now.
I hope you feel better, and please do get checked out if you don't improve. Any odd symptoms that relate to our reproductive capacity can be normal or serious. I am very glad I acted immediately on my symptoms! I have a friend who waited for two years with post menopausal bleeding to get checked. Very bad.
This was my issue. I was rung out. I couldn't walk across the street without feeling faint. It was horrible. I was ILL as far as I was concerned. Doctor help (hormones) only gave mediocre results. Cohosh and other herbal therapy the same. Then I remembered an herb I took during pregnancy for a condition called "boggy uterus" which results in post partum hemorrhage. When I took it I never had trouble. On my last child I couldn't get it and nearly bled to death. So I found it again. I had to order it online, although I notice the Natural Grocer has it now. (too late now!) So I ordered I think two or three bottles over the time span of my condition. It's called black haw. It's an herbal uterine toner. Within a couple of weeks, my bleeding stopped. And stayed stopped. No more bleeding. Since this was my number one issue and the most debilitating I was in heaven and would take it again in a heart beat. That said, I don't want to play "doctor" and encourage anyone to do their own research. For me, it was a life safer. There are other herbal remedies that some people swear by, so you have to do some research and make your own call.
Perimenopause came and went for me, largely unnoticed except for the no menses part. I have had few hot flashes. I do sweat at night, and I sport some awesome new catfish whiskers, but, all in all, not too bad. It's been 2-1/2 yr since my last period, I think.
It just varies so much person to person.
Kay, you cracked me up, "Catfish Whiskers" indeed. I totally understand.
I guess it's not over until its over. I got my wish - my monthly visitor arrived, albeit 43 days after the last one. Maybe now I'll be able to loose the 5 lbs. of bloating that I packed on...
Gardenarian
8-7-13, 6:17pm
I bet you'll feel much better in a day or two. My menopause started when I was 51/52 and the main feature was irregular cycles and heavy periods. The cycles got longer and longer and then just stopped after about 14 months.
My hot flashes were never severe, but I found taking evening primrose oil helped with both the heat and the PMS, as well as with disturbed sleep (waking and not being able to get back to sleep.)
I'm so glad I'm over my moon time! It really is a relief not to have to deal with that every month.
My hot flashes were never severe, but I found taking evening primrose oil helped with both the heat and the PMS, as well as with disturbed sleep (waking and not being able to get back to sleep.)
REALLY!!!??? I'm gonna look into that! I hate that waking up at 2:30 crap and not being able to go back to sleep...I didn't think it was meno-related tho. And it helps with the sweating, too???
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.