Menopause- gentler reactions

[shootingstar]

In contrast to the postings in past few years about folks having strong hot flashes, prolonged/unpredictable menses, I'm just wondering if anyone here has experienced menopause as ..just stopping?

What's happening to moi, may be something else. But I know that I have been slowly and gently fading over the past 5 yrs. or so. Don't get much hot flashes just passing flush for 1-10 min. once early in morning. (Always tends to be morning ...around time when waking up...or just after.)

I haven't had a period in 5 months. I have not engaged in intensive, regular exercise. In fact, nowadays I just walk alot..cycling around here at times is icy. My diet I believe is fine and has not changed, except maybe I am as I had posted elsewhere, actually eating abit more meat (but unfortunately less seafood which I enjoy). My weight has not really changed much --if I've gained, it's around under 3 lbs. Big deal.

True I have had several major life-changing events happen around the same time. I'm probably underestimating the amount of stress I've had to handle...

[PamNY]

Yes "just stopping" was what happened to me. I haven't gained weight, I don't have insomnia, and never had a physical symptom. I have several friends and relatives who said the same thing.

The timing was such that living close to the WTC on and after 9/11 could have made me overlook or misinterpret minor things but I doubt I would have missed anything major.

[Chicken Little]

Its nothing.
For me, anyway.

[OakLeaf]

Haven't had a period in nearly two years.

Sometimes there'll be a few minutes when I'm not freezing. ;)

Dryness and atrophy are a problem, though. :(

[marni]

gentle menopause lucky you,enjoy it.

me I am taking tamoxifen as a post masectomy treatment and I am getting to enjoy the whole hot flashes, sweats, chills and weepies all over. It wasn't fun the first time and it is definitely not the second time. However the doctor informs me that it will settle down in another few months so in the meantime, bring on the arctic cold fronts to Texas.

In the meantime I find that several hours a day at the gym doing cardio endurance or cardio speed intervals helps a lot. ;)

[Catrin]

I went through surgical menopause 2 years ago (everything was removed, including ovaries), though I was very close to being there anyway. I have not had what others have described as a "real" hot flash, just the occasional warmth but it doesn't get bad at all. As far as moodiness...those around me may have a better perspective of THAT, but I don't think that it has become a factor - more than usual anyway :o

I HAVE noted that being careful where my chicken comes from (hormones) and working out properly decreases what few symptoms I have had. Dryness is an issue, which led to some unexpected saddle-related problems last summer until I realized what was going on.

[shootingstar]

Sorry for posting under here..:o Wrong place.

But anyway...useful feedback. Will continue to monitor myself. I just hope I don't get rudely surprised or I am better prepared if menses returns.

Because this and all the upheaval in life, I've been more vigilant about what I eat.

[Crankin]

Mine was mostly mild, maybe on the medium side. I started having symptoms in my early forties, actually late thirties! My periods got heavier and more irregular, until finally, around age 45-46, I had a couple of occasions of seriously heavy bleeding when I was out of the house, which was scary for me.
I gained some of weight during this time. Then I started cycling. I had 2 years where I went for 10-11 months without a period, and then I had one. That sucked. They finally stopped when I was 48. For the first year, I had no symptoms at all. Then I started getting flashes, but more like what Shooting Star describes. Always first thing when I woke up. I would get them a few times during the day, mostly in the AM, and not lasting very long. I just drank a lot of water to deal with it. My classroom was very warm and I had to make sure I wasn't overdressed for that. It seems like being in a warm environment made it worse. The flashes lasted for a couple of years, then went away, until I started taking medication that made them come back. I no longer take that medication, so no more flashes.
The worst symptom I've had is the dryness, which has been solved with using the E-string. It was severely affecting my riding when I first got a road bike, but thankfully, my doctor is a triathlete and she knew how important it was for me to be comfortable (not to mention how this problems affects the love life).

[Biciclista]

yes my doctor said it's not official until 12 months had passed. sure enough, 11 months later, it started up again for another 1/2 year... then... peace... ahhhh

[redrhodie]

I just want to thank you all for sharing your experiences. I'm not there yet, but I'm 43 and I know it's on the horizon. I don't have any female relatives to talk about this with, and I'm a bit older than all of my friends. It's really good to know what to expect, what is normal, that everyone's experience is unique. I'm less afraid now since it's not as mysterious. Thank you.

[shootingstar]

redrhodie..us ladies with gentler menopause experiences are the missing piece in the whole menopause melodrama.

We tend to keep a low profile..but womanhood is full of varied experiences. :)

[emily_in_nc]

So far, pretty gentle here. I'm still in peri-menopause 3 months before my 50th birthday. Periods are closer together than they used to be (which I hate), so anytime between day 24 or so and day 28 and still lasting about 5-6 days each time. About as heavy as always. I did have a couple episodes of flooding many years ago, like late 30s, but haven't had that in ages. It is scary when it happens, as Crankin mentions.

As for hot flashes, mild ones infrequently so far. A few night sweats now and then, especially right before my period starts. Moodiness, no more than usual. I've been lucky and have never had severe PMS in my lifetime.

Now my memory...and waistline. Those are probably the things I miss the most! I weigh the same as at 41 but have no waist and more softness all around my belly, more love handles. And I'm definitely more forgetful. Not scary forgetful, but just more absent-minded.

I'm hoping I can just kind of segue into menopause gently with no severe symptoms. I'm ready to be free of "Aunt Flo" any time now. Not having to buy so many feminine supplies would help the budget too! :D

[oceanwaters1]

Ok, how about weight lose and menopause? What to do? All the bike riding and watching intake of food and type of food, is just not helping....yikes! I have had surgical menopause, removal of everything 2 years ago...any help, suggestions, ideas, would be great!

[Catrin]

Ok, how about weight lose and menopause? What to do? All the bike riding and watching intake of food and type of food, is just not helping....yikes! I have had surgical menopause, removal of everything 2 years ago...any help, suggestions, ideas, would be great!

I went through the same thing you did, I assume you mean that your ovaries were removed as well? What did it for me was to have intense exercise in my schedule at least 5 days a week (strength training as well as riding) and to move to a very high protein/low fat/moderate carb diet.I do not have a thyroid either, so I do have to work harder than the average bear at the best of times. I do not take hormones, it might have been a little easier with this, I honestly do not know. Have you visited with a nutritionist or your doctor?

Also make certain that you are getting enough calories, I was eating far less when I was much larger - my body wouldn't give it up until it "knew" that there was enough coming in that it could let it go. I never actually believed that until I saw it in action.

[Biciclista]

gee, Catrin, not much of you left is there??? :D

[Catrin]

gee, Catrin, not much of you left is there??? :D


LOL, nope - but it was cycling that really started making me feel better - it is my fountain of youth :)

[zoom-zoom]

At what age do most of you suspect you hit peri-menopause? I will be 38 in 10 days and my cycles have been horribly short for probably close to 5 years. I am lucky to hit 24 days. Most months I'm in the 21-23 day range...then I spot for 7-10. Drives me nucking futs! I had thermal ablation 7-8 years ago, so that likely explains how light my actual flow is. I have endometriosis, but that doesn't explain the short duration of my cycles. I've likely had endo since my very first period and my cycles used to be in the 28 day range.

[Crankin]

Given your prior things, it may be related (endo, etc.). That said, I was your age when my symptoms started. It makes sense, since I officially was done at 48, ten years later. I had horrible PMS, which got worse as my periods got closer together. I wasn't having any real menopause symptoms like hot flashes until I was about 45-46. They did not bother me as much as having my period every 3 weeks. I hated that whole thing from the minute it started... pms with horrible physical symptoms, cramps the first day. When the periods got irregular, like not coming that often, I was thrilled.

[OakLeaf]

I went through close to ten years of perimenopause also. Irregular periods - sometimes two weeks apart, sometimes long enough that I had to buy a pregnancy test :rolleyes: - when I'd always been very regular. Major estrogen surges with so much breast swelling and pain that I didn't even realize it was "cyclical" until about the third time it happened. Two years into it, so far menopause itself has been way easier than perimenopause. I didn't even have any hot flashes until several months after my periods stopped, when I cut way back on soy because of breast issues.

[shootingstar]

I've been fading very gradually for past 4 yrs. in perimenopause Only in the past 5 months, I've had no period. We'll see.

I turned 52 a few days ago.

Honestly, I didn't monitor my periods precisely like many women seem to. I never bothered nor cared to predict the precise day when my period would start. I knew some women who could predict on the exact day and hr. of the day. I had vague ideas when my monthly period would begin, but never actively monitored day by day as a count. I never quite monitored the length of it ...I guess in some dimwitted way over the decades, I ranged from 6-9 days before complete fade-out per period each month. Maybe I'm forgettin'.. :o

I have had different times in life, amhorea due to being too low weight or whatever.
I did notice my period seem to start a few days later from last 30 days or so. So every month the "start date" pushed forward. That's as accurate as I could ever be.

I have not experienced pain in my abdomen nor any menstrual cramps. Just usuallly you know heavy then fading, blah, blah...like normal.

[emily_in_nc]

I have no idea when I began peri-menopause...it was gradual. I had a couple of very short, irregular cycles right around my cycling accident in '05 (I had just turned 44), but those could have been stress related. Definitely in peri-menopause in my late 40s, but as I mentioned above, my symptoms have not been severe. Shorter cycles are my main symptom. No real PMS.

My last cycle was only 21 days. Frustrating to say the least. I used to know when I needed to carry supplies, now I never know. I still have the occasional 28-day cycle.

[macopagirl]

Anyone knows the supplement MX Menopause Factor that said to be relief from night sweats and hot flashes? quite curious about this...