menopause, anyone?

[fasteryet]

Anyone out there my age (50) going through menopause? I'm trying to get a sense of what helps and what doesn't. For the past two years I've had very few problems, i.e. mostly regular periods and very few hot flashes. I have been taking all the "women's" herbs, and eat and drink lots of soy. Now, though, I'm getting more flashes and less regular. Plus am hungry ALL the time. So even though it's finally nice weather and I'm getting out for a ride every other day, I'm gaining weight.
Has anyone tried Hormone Replacement Therapy? If so, how has it worked, and has it affected you in other ways? I want to get some firsthand feedback before I go to see my doctor.

[emily_in_nc]

Hi - I'm not quite there yet (just turned 43), but I read Dr. John Lee's book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-Menopause , and I believe he also has a similarly titled book about Menopause. He provides research citations re. using natural progesterone cream rather than HRT for pre- and during menopause. It may even help prevent breast cancer, which was a big plus for me since my grandmother died from that. You might want to give it a read. With all the scary studies recently about HRT causing higher cancer rates, I hope to avoid it completely (as my mother has). I am already using the natural progesterone cream and find that it eliminates all my pre-menstrual symptoms such as sore breasts. YMMV, but the book was an eye-opener for me.

Good luck!
Emily

[Adventure Girl]

Any reason this is in the "Press Releases" category?;)

[fasteryet]

Emily, thanks for the info. I'll look for the book.
AG, I have no idea why it's in Press Releases, although for those of us at "that age", it sometimes feels hot off the press :D

[administrator]

moved thread to open topic - admin

[Biking Chick]

Originally posted by fasteryet
Emily, thanks for the info. I'll look for the book.
AG, I have no idea why it's in Press Releases, although for those of us at "that age", it sometimes feels hot off the press :D

Another Red Hat Biker!!!

I was forced into menopause when I had 'the big H' about 18 years ago. Over the past 10 years I've noticed a lot of changes;)

I've been doing the soy milk and tofu smoothies for a couple of years (if you are interested I would be happy to email you off list with the recipe .. they really are good!) ... I take vitamin E which seems to help as well . The only thing that I know for sure works is exercise ... if I don't exercise I find myself waking up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep and with that warm, glistening body experience (read: night sweats).

Have you read Gail Sheedy's book 'The Silent Passage'? What a great book

[fasteryet]

I found an herbal and soy formula by Source Naturals called (what else) "Hot Flash", and it seems to help. I've also been cranking up the soy intake. But you're probably absolutely right about the exercise - now that the weather is good and I can get some decent rides in, I feel better. Or maybe just too tired to care!

[Biking Chick]

Originally posted by fasteryet
I found an herbal and soy formula by Source Naturals called (what else) "Hot Flash", and it seems to help. I've also been cranking up the soy intake. But you're probably absolutely right about the exercise - now that the weather is good and I can get some decent rides in, I feel better. Or maybe just too tired to care!

A few years ago my ob/gyn cautioned me about taking any type of soy supplement as the 'jury' is still out on exactly how much of the isoflavens in the supplements are actually absorbed; the concern was that we would be taking in more than was needed/possibly safe. The advice (for what it's worth) I received was to stick with tofu, soy milk as well as the actual beans and edamanes.


I know what you mean about feeling better after getting in some decent rides ... even if I can't get a 'decent' ride in, a 20 or 30 minute ride on my bike does wonders for my mental health!

[KTeach]

There is just so much bad press about HRT it's scary. But after reading the book Could It Be Perimenopause, I tried low dose birth control (the patch)... it helped a lot with premenopuase symptoms (I've been lucky not to have hot flashes... thus far. but it is supoosed to help with that). Yet the patch made me hungry all the time and bloated and the boobs got big and sore - it was like being pregnant! I went up 2 clothes sizes real fast! So I went off the patch and tried adding a more intense cardio type workout 2x week. I can't say if it's coincidence or not but I feel much better. I admit the exercise doesn't help with "memory lapses"!
Good luck!

[Biking Kitsune]

This is a curiosity of mine and it seemed to at least fit a little with the topic.

Has anyone here experienced the pre-menopausal symptoms that seem to hit some women after they stop using Depo-provera (the birth-control shot)? i.e. sore breasts, hot flashes, reduced libido, etc....
if so, are the same creams etc used for regular premenopause helpful?

[emily_in_nc]

According to this very good site, the progesterone cream might be usefull for just the symptoms you mention:

http://www.drnorthrup.com/menopause-4a.php?PHPSESSID=759a86af0d5a631c001e5b789bbaa31c

And, Dr. Northrup gives lots of other suggestions as well.

Good luck!

[Dogmama]

We're all so different, there is no one size fits all hormone answer. I like "Hot Flash" also because soy & the herbs (black cohosh & vitex) don't bombard your system with estrogen. My gyn recommended soy products at least once a day. Estrogen blows me up and progesterone makes me suicidal. I've done the patch, the pills and bio-identical hormones. Nothing worked as good as the herbs in Hot Flash (no, I don't own stock in the company). In Germany they routinely prescribe black cohosh for perimenopausal symptoms.

If I didn't ride, I'd really be nuts. I don't know how women go through this time without exercising.

[Jadelinski]

Hi ladies!

I hope I can shed a little light on the problems you are experiencing. I had a total hysterectomy (oopherectomy) in 1999 & have been on natural hormone replacement therapy for about 3 years now. Since mine is a surgical menopause, you and I are going through virtually the same thing. I'm 41.

The journey I have taken has been a long one with alot of trial & error, but I have to tell you...............synthetic hormones are the ones they have studied & found side effects, not natural hormone replacement therapy. Since women create 3 estrogens & usually only receive one kind from your doctor, you really need to have 2 (one of the estrogens we create when younger is utilized only during pregnancy & not so necessary when not) - so I take what's called bi-est. It is compounded for me by a pharmacist - like they used to do in the old days! It is not any more expensive than regular medications. I also take Prometrium because if you're going to take Estrogen, you really need progesterone in order to be in balance - gets rid of the hot flashes. The herbal remedies you find will slightly alleviate some of your symptoms, but you can't possibly take enough to really help your situation - you need bio-identical hormones. With the nasty hormones they give women (Premarin - pregnant mare's urine, by the way), your body does not recognize it as bio-identical (meaning able to synthesize it like the real thing), your body tends to only absorb minute traces & it can actually cause damage. Hence the way to be healthy going into menopause or having a surgical menopause like myself is to have your natural hormones made just for you. So, as I said earlier, I take bi-est, progesterone & a testosterone cream (testosterone is vital for a woman's overall fitness level as it maintains your strength, sex drive & feeling good about yourself). Without estrogen, you will gain weight & your bones weaken, plus you leave yourself wide over for heart disease. I also have found out that my thyroid was desperately malfunctioning. Since I eat alot of protein, I too eat quite a bit of soy, but come to find out too much soy can cause your thyroid to dysfunction. I figured out that since I didn't have any more equipment, it made perfect sense I would be missing other hormones as well as the "girl" ones. I was experiencing hair loss, weight gain, dry skin, cold feet. I checked out Dr. Joseph Mercola online and he is an incredible source for subclinical thyroid difficulties. I had found that my mind was just not quite as quick as it should be, even with NHRT. My thyroid was not functioning at a full level, so I added it to my daily regimen & feel so much better. My bicycle rides are stronger & my fitness level is increasing.

As women, we have been ignored for a long, long time when it comes to health issues. Get online and really check things out. This discussion board is such a benefit for everyone because we can all share our experiences and help one another!!

Just because you're aging, doesn't mean you have to fall apart! Doesn't it make perfect sense to give your body the hormones it had when you were 30 - 35 & let it operate at peak levels? One excellent benefit by using estrogen - my breasts are nice & firm!! Like when I was 25!! No kidding!!

Check it out!!!!

[mainerider]

Hi - this is an old posting but I looked at the other ones related to menopause and this one seemed the most likely one to start with. If any of the other threads already cover this topic, please let me know.

My question is has anyone noticed a decline in athletic ability with menopause? I had to take a shortcut to menopause because of breast cancer. I'm currently on hormone therapy that has stopped all estrogen production both in the ovaries and the other organs that create it after menopause. All spring I noticed very little power in my legs, I can't ride as fast as I once used to though my speed has gotten a little better this summer with more miles, but I'm still finishing last on my group rides. My medical staff are pleased I'm riding but aren't too sympathetic to the fact that I am very slow.

I'm working on the mental aspect of riding slower and am grateful that the treatment is working.

Maureen

[Dogmama]

How long ago was your cancer diagnosed? If you recently (within the last year or more) went through chemo, that will absolutely zap your energy. Surgery is also an energy killer.

[mainerider]

Initial cancer 8 years ago, surgery, chemo, radiation, tamoxifen 5 years. Lymph node biopsy in October confirmed cancer was growing again in my lungs. Have been on hormone treatment since October.

[fasteryet]

I'm impressed you're even riding, with all you've been through, and are still going through.
I'm not in the medical profession, so I can't say for sure, but I don't think menopause would be the cause of riding more slowly, unless the lack of estrogen has some effect on muscle fibers. There's probably so much happening in your body that is foreign to it, with the current and earlier treatments, that it could be anything. What does your blood count look like? And with a tumor in your lungs, could it be that you're not getting enough oxygen into your bloodstream? Do you have any problems with your liver, from all the medication?
I have not had your experience with cancer, just with menopause. I'm now on natural (as opposed to synthetic) hormones, which has helped me tremendously, as far as hot flashes, mood swings, appetite, and all those other symptons. It has not affected my riding speed in any way.
I imagine you've tried many things, but perhaps there's a trainer in your area that's had some clients with similar issues? Or maybe you could get some names from Lance Armstrong's website, or other cancer or sports training sites.
There must be someone out there who has faced this kind of problem. Keep searching, and let us know how you're doing.

[Dogmama]

Mainerider - your lung tumor might be why you have no energy. I have lupus & when it attacks my lungs, riding becomes difficult.

What else are they going to do, if anything, about the lung tumor? Will the hormones shrink it?

I hope you keep posting & keep us informed. Take good care.

[margo49]

rides. My medical staff are pleased I'm riding but aren't too sympathetic to the fact that I am very slow.

I'm working on the mental aspect of riding slower and am grateful that the treatment is working.

Maureen

Sounds familiar.

Takes *years* to get over chemo. Physically I mean. My blood took 2 years to return to what is "normal" range(s). Which I would question anyway being of an anarchistic bent!! :cool:

The last bit is the most important. There was a post a few days ago about someone rediscovering the pure *joy* of bicycling and we all liked that as it returned us to perspective.
Will go and look it up and re-post (limited on-line skills)

btw sent you a PM so feel free to PM me back

[margo49]

:confused: Couldn't find it...anyway she wrote about looking at everything and appreciating it in a way that she had lost in concentrating on speed and mileage and such and remembering why she started riding in the first place...
and we all said "Oh *yeah*"
Someone tell mainerider where it is...

[mainerider]

Hi all - thanks for all your comments back. The hormone treatment has been very effective and my last CT scan in May showed all the cancer gone from my lungs and my bloodwork looks good (except for the elevated tumor markers it has looked good since this all began). I continue to have some shortness of breath when I climb hills (more than what I'd call normal).

I am looking into the menopause angle because 3 other women I ride with are all experiiencing a decrease in abilities. One is in menopause naturally, 2 because of hysterectomies. When I told one about my lack of leg power she identified immediately with it. I can't seem to find anything related to exercise and menopause (except that you should exercise) so I figured this forum would be a good place to find what others are experiencing.

Maureen

[jeannierides]

I haven't really thought too much about whether menopause has caused me any lack of power, because I didn't start riding or running - or doing any type of endurance exercise until about 3 years ago. I'm now 56, and I went through surgical menopause 20 years ago, so I don't know any different!:rolleyes: I think that maybe one of the reasons there's a lack of information out there on losing strength or power after menopause is because no one really expects women to be doing these kinds of endurance sports after *a certain age* or menopause anyway!:( We are certainly not the *norm*.
As for hormone replacement, I, like many others were scared away from hormones when all of the hoopla about hrt came around. If you read about it these days, there really was not sufficient evidence for such a wide spread scare...the groups used where very specific and not representative of the *real* women who used hrt. At any rate, I went off Premarin, which had been working fine, went on *natural* products & progesterone cream. It was ok for a while, but I experienced severe symptoms, and could never quite get it right. I did this for two years, and finally after a long discussion with my doc, went back to a very low dose of Premarin. My symptoms went away. I say do what works. :) While menopause is a very real thing, it is not a disease, and I refuse to blame it on any of my *issues*.
Congrats on getting back on your bike after cancer!

[mimitabby]

Ah, Menopause. I love it!

about 4 or 5 years ago, I was talked into HRT because it would make me sleep better. Well, after a few months I noticed I was still having hotflashes which woke me up at night ... so i wasn't sleeping better. So i went off the meds
and have not taken any since.
I am NOT less athletic, My muscles seem to be pretty much the same. Not having periods is AWESOME. I have no idea when the hotflashes will cease,
but among other benefits of menopause is that i have less of the headaches and no more odd pms symptoms i used to have.
I'm 54.

[Tuckervill]

>>While menopause is a very real thing, it is not a disease, and I refuse to blame it on any of my *issues*.<<


It's not a disease, so why should we have to take medication for it?

That's been my question for a while, as I approach 45 with peri-menopausal symptoms.

Did generations of women before Premarin just suffer through? Did they do other things instead? Did they just become stereotypical cranky mothers or what?

Sure, we should do what works to help us live our best life. But like medical intervention in pregnancy, why is medical intervention necessary in menopause? Maybe there's an evolutionary reason for hot flashes and night sweats that we're ignoring.

I wish I knew more from a historical perspective.

Karen

[mimitabby]

>>While menopause is a very real thing, it is not a disease, and I refuse to blame it on any of my *issues*.<<


It's not a disease, so why should we have to take medication for it?


Did generations of women before Premarin just suffer through? Did they do other things instead? Did they just become stereotypical cranky mothers or what?

I wish I knew more from a historical perspective.

Karen

Welll, Karen, historically, few women lived long enough to reach menopause!
that's the rub. When the average life expectancy of a woman in 1929 was 49(edit; this was black american females but in 1900, this was the average for all american women, black and white
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr53/nvsr53_06.pdf
) years, that means most women never made it to age 55!

I like your idea though; what evolutionary reasons would women have for having hot flashes?

I read an ethnography about the small africans called Bushmen; the women DO NOT have hotflashes. Perhaps if we lived more naturally we wouldn't either?

I agree with you about not medicating, but then i opted for natural childbirth too.

[Dogmama]

but among other benefits of menopause is that i have less of the headaches and no more odd pms symptoms i used to have.
I'm 54.

I'M JEALOUS! I'll be 52 next month & have had periods since I was 9 years old! Complete with horrible PMS. My periods are getting a little odd (too short, too long) but those suckers just keep on coming. I can't WAIT for menopause!!!

As for HRT - we are all so different. Some women have mild symptoms and others are homicidal. Coming from the latter crowd, I can understand getting chemical help - but it messes with my lupus. So, I take antidepressents, bite my tongue a lot and RIDE MY BIKE A WHOLE LOT during "those days."

[mimitabby]

As for HRT - we are all so different. Some women have mild symptoms and others are homicidal. "
Yes, bottom line, we really are all different in this area. even if i compare myself to my own sister or my own mother; they are completely different from me.
My mother ? "I never had a single hotflash"
my sister ? "I need HRT because I am such a mess"

[Brecca]

As a nurse I can say that it can take the human body up to a year to fully recover from the effects of surgery. As a soon to be 53 year old deep in the throes of menopause I can fully sympathize with everyone out there. I tried the HRT without much success. I actually felt worse on the replacements than I did off...no energy, increased appitite, weight gain, the whole ugly picture. The OTC herbal treatments worked in the early stages but reached a point where they were ineffective also. I'm currently using the low dose estrogen patch and feel my best while on it. Not perfect, but better. I also agree that exercise helps although it frustrates me when my hormones, or lack of them, affects my performance. The truth of the matter is that what may work for one woman, won't necessarily work for another. It's an individual process and a matter of hit and miss to find the right symptom relieving treatment. Hang in there, keep trying and don't be afraid to talk to your doctor or health care provider. That's what they are there for.

[Crankin]

I haven't had a period in 4 years and I have taken nothing for menopausal symptoms. I had horrible PMS all of my life, from age 11 on. When I turned 37 my periods started getting weird, perimenopause was starting. So i had about ten years of that. During the end of that time I was getting bored with my gym routine and started slacking off and gained some weight. I started cycling and it came right off. Right before my periods stopped I had a couple of really bad ones, clots and the whole thing. I also had at least 4 periods of time when I didn't have a period for 6-8 months, but then it would come back. I had a few hot flashes, too. When the periods stopped, I went for close to a year with no bad symptoms, but then I started having hot flashes regularly. I mostly have one when I wake up and then it depends on the temperature of the place I'm at. I just deal with it, take a drink of water and go on. They have decreased a lot, but for some reason I've been having more lately.
I took black cohash for about a year and it did nothing. I also have osteopeinia and was put on Evista, but I stopped taking it because of weird side effects. I also restarted my weight training program and try to run/walk/hike in addition to cycling. I am not sure if I really have anything; I've read a lot of stuff lately about athletic women who have low body fat often have false positive bone scans. All I know is that I've had a couple of bike crashes in the past 2 years and nothing broke! So, I am happy to deal with the flashes a couple of tmes a day and keep cycling. It is harder to keep weight down, but I still weigh the same as i did in high school.