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

[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

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-...1e5b789bbaa31c

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.