Just for the Women

[Boho]

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Originally Posted by rodi I feel very fortunate that my menopausal night sweats and hot flashes aren't that bad.... I can deal with it by kicking a foot out from the covers....

That's helped me too.

For anyone thinking it can't possibly be as bad for a guy, some nights it can. Last night was one of the worst ever for me. It was one of those times when I woke up from a heat related bad dream in which I was hot in the dream. I was using two cotton blankets instead of the poly fill comforter but for whatever reason I was still hot (it was less cool outside than it's been in months so that could be it.) When I went into the 72 degree living room wearing just boxers I was still too hot.

Nevertheless, the good thing about multiple light cotton blankets is you could remove one. A remote control fan is good too. And I envy people with thermostats. I just have a radiator with a broken valve and windows that all face one way.

[Amethyst]

Last night we watched "Fried Green Tomatoes." For some reason, we missed it in 1991. Anyway, Kathy Bates's character is heading toward menopause. Her "Towanda!!" scene, while ridiculously exaggerated, highlighted the biggest plus: One becomes less willing to put up with BS.

[pdxgal]

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Originally Posted by Amethyst One becomes less willing to put up with BS.

So true! I think it has to do with seratonin levels decreasing. My menopause has been pretty easy, except for the mood swings. I had a lot of other crap going on in my life which didn't help. If you haven't already seen a naturopath, do! Preferably an older, female one who's can relate to what you're going through. A lot of the traditional herbal remedies help -- women have figured this stuff out over millennia, trust their wisdom :-) For night sweats, do NOT sleep on anything memory foam if possible, that stuff doesn't breath. And no matter what you're sleeping on, you could try a wool topper (The Company Store has one that gets rave reviews). Wool regulates temperature naturally, and it just feels good to lie on.

[Boho]

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Originally Posted by pdxgal For night sweats, do NOT sleep on anything memory foam if possible

Yeah, and spring mattresses are best. I think polyurethane fill pillows are memory foam, and they're not the healthiest to breathe in either, so I avoid those. It's too bad though because I like the fake feather pillows but they're all polyurethane these days. I'm thinking of getting some polyester fill and cutting it up to make my own fake feather pillow.

[Amethyst]

Not for me...it's not a mood swing at all (I was definitely joking about Towanda!) I don't want to do anything about it.

I'm quite happy with my new assertiveness. It showed up right about the time the periods went away, so I'm sure there's a connection.

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Originally Posted by pdxgal So true! I think it has to do with seratonin levels decreasing. My menopause has been pretty easy, except for the mood swings. I had a lot of other crap going on in my life which didn't help. If you haven't already seen a naturopath, do! Preferably an older, female one who's can relate to what you're going through. .

[tmm99]

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Originally Posted by Rascal Your doctor is misinformed. Synthetic forms of hormones are distinctly different molecules chemically. Bio-identical means it's the same as human hormones. There are many scientific studies documenting the danger from medroxyprogesterone and horse urine derived hormones. Estradiol is the most biologically active form of estrogen. Premarin is deprecated. Premarin does not contain estradiol and consists of is 50% estrone sulfate, 25% equilin, 15% eqilenin. Estradiol Valerate is actuality derived from Mexican yams by the pharmaceutical manufacturer. My doctor, who is a woman and very well versed in HRT, is adamant about what she will prescribe. I'll stick with the real thing, thanks.

I reached the same conclusion (mainly reading "Screaming to be Heard" by Elizabeth Vliet Obgyn and finding an Obgyn who cared enough.) as Rascal.

Most of the participants who were in the infamous study that showed the high rate of heart diseases, strokes and breast cancers used Premarin, the urine-derived from a pregnant horse with a synthetic form of progestin (Provera).

Here is the breakdown of Premarin (synthetic horse urine-derived estrogen) according to Vliet (Rascal already mentioned, but I wanted to elaborate on one point...)

estrone 49.9%
equilin 22.8%
17-alpha dihydroequilin 13.5%
delta 8, 9 dehydroestrone 3.7%
17-alpha estradio 3.6%
equilenin 2.8%
17-beta dihydroequilinin 1.4%
17-alpha dihydroequilinin 1.4%
17-beta estradiol 0.5%


17-beta estradiol is the estrogen we stop producing after menopause, and Premarin only has 0.5% of that. The bio-identical HRT estradiol, on the other hand, is 100% 17-beta estradiol.

The estrone that Premarin contains (49.9%) is the predominant estrogen found in postmenopausal women and this form of estrogen are thought to be related to the higher risk of breast cancer in older women especially if they are obese. (Evidently, the fatter the woman, the more estrone is present in the body. I personally think a small amount of occasional progesterone to oppose the estrone may be a good idea. My former OBGYN mentioned that some of her clients do this.)

Like I said in my earlier post, educating ourselves is the key. We don't want to take just anybody's word for something this important to us.

[Boho]

Here are what two studies say.

Womens Health (Larchmt). 2017 Jan;26(1):18-28

Bioidentical Estrogen for Menopausal Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

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CONCLUSIONS: In this first systematic review of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, we found that bioidentical estrogen has no clear benefit in treating depressive symptoms in menopausal women, but heterogeneity of available studies limits the potential for definitive conclusions. Future research should compare bioidentical estrogen with nonbioidentical estrogen for treatment of depressive symptoms in perimenopausal women.

Climacteric. 2017 Aug;20(4):331-338

Bioidentical menopausal hormone therapy: registered hormones (non-oral estradiol ± progesterone) are optimal.

Quote:

Though not yet proven in a randomized, controlled trial, MHT continuously combining oral micronized progesterone with transdermal estradiol can presently be considered as the optimal MHT. It is not only safer than custom-compounded bioidentical hormones but also than oral conventional MHT and has the best breast profile; registered products for such optimal MHT are available around the world and must be preferred.

[meridiver]

As soon as I went off the pill at age 48, the hot flashes started up, pretty much every hour from 3PM to 6AM. However, that wasn't my biggest problem with menopause. The big problem was that it felt like I was having the worst PMS ever, for 2-3 weeks out of every month. I honestly gave serious consideration to divorcing my sweet DH, and sometimes felt like I wanted to bang my head against the wall or cut my skin.

I finally gave up at age 50 and went on the Vivelle Dot transdermal estrogen patch with bio identical 17-beta estradiol. One of the best decisions I ever made. Within a couple of weeks, it was like I was a different person. Suddenly, DH was my best friend again and all was relatively well in my world.

I'd love to get off it (I'm now 56), but every time I try to stop completely, the hot flashes come back. I'm not so concerned about those, I just don't want to go back to that horrible mental state. I'm concerned with the potential health risks, but I'm hoping that taking the lowest possible dose (0.025 mg) and the delivery method (transdermal rather than oral) will mitigate some of the risks.

[rodi]

As far as the hormones, I'm staying away from any form of HRT - including bioidentical. Mom died of ovarian cancer and I don't want to take the risk. From the studies I've read BHRT has an increased risk of ovarian cancer similar to traditional HRT. Add in my family history of ovarian cancer and.... nope.... I'll put up with the hot flashes. I might consider it if I didn't have the family history.... but that's a hypothetical that I don't know...

My sister has chosen to do some hormone treatment (same mom, same risks)... premarin for example. Fortunately, I haven't had any pain, thinning of the walls, or other common issues with the, erm, hoo-hoo.

[Amethyst]

Though it's been many years, I haven't forgotten the awful feeling of PMS. It used to make me so frustrated, not to be able to control how I felt. Not nearly as bad as you describe, but still, I don't blame you for taking what you need to keep it at bay.

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Originally Posted by meridiver As soon as I went off the pill at age 48, the hot flashes started up, pretty much every hour from 3PM to 6AM. However, that wasn't my biggest problem with menopause. The big problem was that it felt like I was having the worst PMS ever, for 2-3 weeks out of every month. I honestly gave serious consideration to divorcing my sweet DH, and sometimes felt like I wanted to bang my head against the wall or cut my skin. I'm concerned with the potential health risks, but I'm hoping that taking the lowest possible dose (0.025 mg) and the delivery method (transdermal rather than oral) will mitigate some of the risks.

[Omega]

I love this thread! I am 5 years post-menopause and I really feel let down by my gynecologist and my primary. I SUFFERED through peri-menopause, I actually ruined several relationships because of my erratic, out-of-control behavior.

My gynecologist offered nothing in the way of help, not even a conversation about HRT of any kind. My Primary eventually gave me a script for anti-depressants for the anxiety and sleeplessness which I have been taking on and off for the past 7 years. I wonder now if HRT is what I needed all along, and if it's something I could try even though it's been 5 years since my last period.

I would say that my libido taking a nose-dive is one of the worst symptoms, and since it's also a side effect of anti-depressants I really can't be sure of the cause. Menopause was/is a nightmare for me and even though my husband tried to be understanding, I feel like I went through it completely alone.

[harllee]

Omega, try to find a gynecologist who specializes in menopause. I found one and she was a lot of help.

[Omega]

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Originally Posted by simple girl OK well I was gonna stay quiet, but I've gotta back you up on this one! My gyn told me the exact same thing - along with lubricant. (FYI Astroglide is way better than KY any day.) She told me this specifically: "if you don't use it, you lose it." It is very true. Don't wait too long in between episodes or it will become painful again. Ok now all the guys are loving this thread. Oh lordy.

Soooo.....if you're single does "using it" by yourself count? Serious question! I don't plan on being single forever and at the end of my marriage the dryness was definitely becoming an issue. I want to be prepared when I finally meet someone!

[Sunset]

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Originally Posted by Omega Soooo.....if you're single does "using it" by yourself count? Serious question! I don't plan on being single forever and at the end of my marriage the dryness was definitely becoming an issue. I want to be prepared when I finally meet someone!

(IMHO)
It can't hurt and as long as one completes "the job" a lot of the time, I think it will help or at least be worth doing

[simple girl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omega Soooo.....if you're single does "using it" by yourself count? Serious question! I don't plan on being single forever and at the end of my marriage the dryness was definitely becoming an issue. I want to be prepared when I finally meet someone!

Yes indeed it does!!! Keep things working!

[meridiver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omega My gynecologist offered nothing in the way of help, not even a conversation about HRT of any kind. My Primary eventually gave me a script for anti-depressants for the anxiety and sleeplessness which I have been taking on and off for the past 7 years. I wonder now if HRT is what I needed all along, and if it's something I could try even though it's been 5 years since my last period.

I don't think there's a time limit on when you can start HRT and it might be worth a try if it helps you get off anti-depressants. Of course, HRT has its own risks, so you definitely should do some research and find a more knowledgeable/interested doctor to work with.

If you do decide to go that route, definitely look into the transdermal patch rather than pills as the current thinking is that the transdermal route may mitigate some of the risks (although AFAIK there hasn't been any solid research results to back this up). My personal experience was that it significantly changed my mood for the better, but YMMV.

[ugeauxgirl]

OP here- Thanks to all who responded and especially for this suggestion.

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Originally Posted by gwraigty I started drinking flavored soy milk regularly, just a glass a day, to help regulate my moods. After several years, my moods evened out, so I stopped drinking soy milk (I was getting so tired of it), only to find that they had been keeping the hot flashes at bay! So, you might want to try drinking some soy milk at a level that works for you.

I wrote down lots of things to try, but the very first thing I tried-the soy milk- was very effective- and I'm now sleeping as well as I used to. It did take about 10 days for it to begin to work, so if you're trying this, be patient. I do think I need a change of doctor though, and after polling my friends, I will make an appointment with one I think I'll like next week.

Thanks all, for your (as usual) great advice!

[Accidental Retiree]

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Originally Posted by sturbridge For those of you who reported increased anxiety- did it get better over time? I don't normally struggle much with anxiety EXCEPT if I wake up in the 2-3am hour. Then my brain reviews everything I've ever done wrong in my life, all the things I could have done differently, and anxiety about the future. I sure am hoping this goes away in time.

So *that’s* where it comes from. Thanks for sharing this.

[Amethyst]

I've read that age 60 is the cutoff. And you are supposed to stop by 60 or at latest, 65. One of my cousins, in her late 60's, got into a battle with her doctor, who was insisting she stop HRT because of dementia risk. Cousin pointed out that her father died of Alzheimers and her mother is living with it, so she's bound to get dementia anyway, and may as well be comfortable.

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Originally Posted by meridiver I don't think there's a time limit on when you can start HRT .