I HATE Menopause!! I thought puberty was bad, this takes the cake. I haven't had a TOM since October (on my birthday, actually) and now I'm getting cramps and feeling bloated and cranky and then NOTHING.

For those of you who have more experience than I do, do you still get the monthly symptoms and then nothing happens or do you NOT get the symptoms and nothing happens or do you get the symptoms and something happens?

I'm sick to death of the mood swings, the power surges, the night sweats, etc. I'm not taking any HRT because I'm scared to death to. The only thing I take is a compounded progesterone, which is a cream.

I'm open to any and all suggestions (and yes, I do have an appt. to see my doctor next week).

Is Premarin really that bad and does it help???

Thanks!!

-Becky

Dianne, thanks for telling me that. I DO take thyroid medicine, so it's good to know that. Thanks for letting me know!

-Becky

By the time I was 38, I was in full blown menopause (hysterectomy at age 35)!! I had severe mood swings and sometimes had these "black" moods that I just couldn't pull myself out of....scary!

And then I started on estrogen (the pill back then) and my life calmed down again. When the patch came out, I praised the Lord--and within the last couple of years had the gynecologist reduce the strength of the patch back, until about five months ago when I found I didn't need the estrogen anymore. (Had tried a few times in the last years, always to have the hot flashes and the hair growth!!)

Now I'm finally free!! :shades_smile: Of course, it took me 22 years to GET FREE--but I feel great!! (Yes, I always thought menopause was a temporary phase we were supposed to go through:confused2: )

My best wishes to you--hang in there...

For lots of women licorice works to moderate menopause symptoms. The best source seems to be the old fashioned pipes, you know the ones with the sprinkles on the end. Anyway, eat half a pipe a day and if it's going to work for you, you should feel a difference in about 3 days.

Ahhh menopause!

Although I too had a hysterectomy at an early age, as the ovaries were left, I maintained normal hormonal functioning...that means the usual menopausal conditions kicked in...and are still kicking me!! DH can't understand how I can be cold and hot at the same time...I have the electric blanket on for heat, but stick my feet out so that "I can breathe"! Mood swings haven't been an issue, but my memory is shot. I'm calling things by odd (but creatively related) names....for example, I referred to the vacuum as a lawnmower, and the oven as the refrigerator...you can see the connections, right? :cursing: I have been reassured by my gyne and GP and my health care connections that it is not Alzheimers, but rather normal menopause. Am not doing any hormones or home remedies...yet!

In so many ways I am like my mother, but not this one. According to my mother, she didn't have symptoms - she just realized she hadn't had a period in about 5 years and her skin was dry, so she said, must be menopause!

For lots of women licorice works to moderate menopause symptoms. The best source seems to be the old fashioned pipes, you know the ones with the sprinkles on the end. Anyway, eat half a pipe a day and if it's going to work for you, you should feel a difference in about 3 days.

You mean like Twizzlers!:cursing: That's one of the foods that kept me fat! LOL! Still have not had one since banding and I have a package in the cabinet. But maybe if it cures menopause symptoms... well, then it's for medicinal reasons, right?

Just kidding! I just keep convincing myself that twizzlers will sit like a lead bullet in my pouch.... yes, tell me that's true.

My update to earlier post on this thread is still have not put my patch back on. sleeping is ok but hot flashes prevail. I also get these things I call "cold flashes". It's not my skin that gets cold, it's my bones or inside and it lasts kind of like a hot flash and then goes away. Weird.

I don;t think I'll go back on the patch. As soon as you go off you have to deal with all the issues anyway and I hate taking meds.

Oh tapshoes you really had me chuckling pretty hard here at my desk. Too funny! I can sooo relate especially to the making up the words as we talk along. Like we know what we're talking about? haha I can remember saying something like, would you just go dust of the deck? When actually I meant for my DH to wash the deck off because it was all "dusty"? haha. Thank goodness it is not Alzheimers because I think I forgot what I planned for dinner? You know, the other breakfast? hehehehe. Oh humor, what good medicine! Thanks for the afternoon nuckle, no..... chuckle. :-) I do "sounds like alot too". Dianne