Menopause - have you been through it?

I was thrown into menopause thanks to depolupron which was a 'test'. I either passed or failed depending on how you look at it as the complete hysterectomy followed, I was 34. I still went through the symptoms, I feel for you.

 

I have taken black cohosh for about 9 years. I take the brand that Costco has and stock up when it is on sale. I still get night sweats from time to time, but they usually happen around 5am when the previous pill is wearing off. I take them around 7am every day. Maybe once a week or less often (?) I will get a hot flash some other time. I don't notice the mood swings much either.

p.s. My mom was still having hot flashes until age 70 or so. gee thanks. but not having a period to deal with is the total bomb since my cramps were bad. give me a "own personal summer" any day.

 

I tried OTC remedies for hot flashes and I actually felt they made the hot flashes worse when using them than I did without. I was actually diagnosed by blood test as being in menopause yet I was still having sporadic spotting. It eventually stopped. Don't remember how long it took... that was about 15 years ago.

But I still had hot flashes but mine weren't as bad as what some people describe. Mine have never been the sweat drenching type that I hear a lot about. I found that if I put a towel on my neck when having a hot flash, it stopped. Don't know why, but it worked for me. I kept a hand towel in my desk at work and would pull it out when needed. My boss regretted asking me why I had a towel on my neck once. Never asked again! For hot flashes at night I had an oscillating fan directed toward me. Call me strange but when the hot flash would wake me up, all I had to do was turn my rear end towards the fan and the hot flash would go away.

About 5 years ago, I accidentally found another thing that helped with my hot flashes. Yes, I still get them but not as often as in the beginning. I was using peppermint essential oil for headaches. I would sniff the oil when I felt a headache coming on to get rid of it (or to keep an existing headache from getting worse). Totally worked for getting rid of them. Once I was having a hot flash at the same time... sniffed the oil for headache and the hot flash was instantly gone. Since then I will sniff the peppermint essential oil for hot flashes during the day time. I keep a bottle close by at all times. (I have not taken an aspirin for a headache in 5 years because of using the essential oil... so it is always near by).

 

I am on the other side now. I haven't had a period for a little over 2 years *happy dance*. I just commented the other day that it is so nice to wear my white jeans any time I want with no worries . I still get hot flashes from time to time but they have never really bothered me much too much. I think it's because I've spent my life being cold and it's like I got to have summer all year round haha. I've always been able to deal with heat better than cold. I also don't live in Florida lol. It's funny how they are different for everyone. My BFF said hers were pretty much only from the neck up, but mine are whole body heat. The night sweats were the worst for me...gahhh just awful to wake up drenched. DH used to have a heat gun thing, and one day we were talking about my hot flashes so I had him point it at me so he could see how warm I was.

Like @BevG, I've taken Black Cohosh in the past, when they were the worst, and I've had others recommend Evening Primrose. As far as the emotional stuff, I guess I've been pretty lucky and haven't really experienced any big mood swings or anything through any of it, so I'm not much help there.

 

My menopause started when I was only 39 - five years into marriage to my Ken so we only had that many good years
I went with natural medications but thankfully I have never had lots of night sweats at all. If I ( still get the odd one) hot flush in the middle of the night waking me up ... all I had to do was stick my feet out from under the bedding into the cool night air and I would soon be right.

My mood swings were never real bad and I do have a very and I mean very understanding husband.

Now the drawback to early menopause is that now I have Osteoporosis to deal with.

Cheryl, I do hope you can discover something that will help you through this.

 

I was a maverick and dealt with it all on my own. I didn’t know anyone going through it, and both my Mom and sister had hysterectomies - so they never went into it naturally.

I am 14 months no period. My menopause symptoms happened for about 5 years before I finished.

 

I had the early signs in my late 30's early 40's re the emotional mess but went into menopause at 45. (BTW - I never had children) I rarely get hot flashes during the day. I did a few times when I worked and once I was in a meeting and all of the women there (at least 3) had them all the time.. there was one guy in the meeting and all of a sudden it was like I was a thermometer.. I felt it travel up my body and the ladies across the table started to giggle as they knew... omg.., LOL They all saw the red travel up my neck to my face lol.... the guy took a folder and started fanning me.. it really was funny!

I only had one or two hot flashes during the day. All of my hot flashes happen at night while sleeping and I cannot tell you the last time I had a full night sleep! I keep a dry wash cloth handy and when I have the sweats, I dab my forehead and then the legs and feet come out of the covers. We sleep with the overhead fan on so that helps too.

I don't take any hormones as cancer runs in my family and I have already had melanoma so I am not going to test fate taking hormone pills. I would rather have the hot flashes. Anyway - It has now been 13 years and I still have the flashes but it is ok. you get used to it after a while. It is better than the monthly

 

The emotional swings were bad for me about 5 years ago. I hated it. I went for a vit B injection and thankfully that worked or happy pills would have been my next option. I take natural menopause vitamins and vit B everyday now, with magnesium at night.
My inner child plays with matches once a week or so.

But mostly I am dealing and looking forward to no periods.

 

Hyster sister here but with part of my overy,so I got to have the joy of rivers of sweat down my back, and feet feeling like fire. Bhaha, but my overy apparently was supposed to help me not grow a beard.
Exercise helped, staying away from caffeine (hard for me). Lots of showers, because I also started getting UTIs on a monthly basis.
For mood swings, I pushed myself to help others. I started driving meals on wheels for shut in seniors. I also rearranged and organized, painted, crochet just to get off thinking of it.
Having people over helped to, entertaining. My hubby would see my stiffen and we would laugh together, at the river that flowed down my back. My scalp would be soaked.
I’m done now, and rejoice!

 

@gonewiththewind they put me on hrt for a while because I was young and thrown into it (ovaries were the problem but why leave a uterus without ovaries?). They made me feel weird and I stopped taking them, doctor said to just stop then. Good news for me was by taking the ovaries when they did it saved my life as four years later I was diagnosed with aggressive triple neg. breast cancer.

I went through it naturally and found my hot flashes were worse at night. As for the emotional piece I don't believe that was an issue for me, although I could be wrong, lol.

 

I started menopause in my 40s as did my mom before me. She got hot flashes much worse than mine. I don’t know if essential oils helped but I think they did. I rubbed peppermint into my temples or back of my neck. I had an EO blend I rubbed on the soles of my feet at night. I also took a pill from a local natural store that had black cohosh and other stuff in it which I believe took the edge off my symptoms of irritability and flushing. So I got thru it without really major symptoms. I actually miss the overall increased body warmth as now I’m back to my normal self, being cold all the time. When I had a hot flash at home I used a little battery operated handheld fan I bought at target yrs ago. It was on a rope so I could hang it around my neck. I loved that little fan.

 

Have any of you ever tried Estroven? I've been taking it for years and they're the only OTC or prescribed med that ever helped me. A nurse actually told me about them several years ago. I swear by them. I had a hysterectomy at 36 and my dr left one ovary in. He said there was nothing wrong with it, and that it would keep me from being thrown into menopause and it did. I went through it at a natural age, just like normal. I have always had occasional hot flashes, but not like I've heard other women tell about. I don't have the terrible sweats, either. Honestly, do try Estroven!

 

Estroven was the OTC that I tried... and it made things so much worse for me. So bad that I decided to not do any hormones at all.

 

I had a partial hyst almost 3 years ago. I still have my ovaries.
I believe I'm in peri-menopause and have been having increased temp fluctuations and have been more moody in the last 2 years or so.
Sending cool vibes to you all!

 

Well, things don't work for everybody. It worked for me and I have a couple of friends that have had wonderful success with them.

 

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time, Cheryl. I hope you find some relief.
I made my doc order the blood test that showed I "had levels consistent with menopause" because I didn't want to go off the pill without proof. ha ha And now, I'm just waiting for the bomb to go off. Tick. Tick. Tick.

 

This is what I take - the primary ingredient is black cohosh. I am thinking I am mostly done with things, so I am going to stop taking it soon - maybe this week - and see what happens.