Early menopause :(

[Mattsmom277]

I'm no doctor, and haven't seen a doctor about this (yet, I plan to though). But I"m pretty sure I'm in early menopause I'm only 35.

I was reading the other thread (re: tender breasts) and boy do I relate. Its been going on for months and months now. Some days are worse than others. Some days even my bra makes me cringe.

Hot flashes? WHEW!! Let me tell you, my household is ready to rebel. I have spent most of our winter with a window cracked to sleep, and my table top fan turned on, additional to my ceiling fan. S/O will be shivering and shaking, completely miserable, and I'll be sweating, kicking blankets off and sometimes have to go take a cold shower just to feel sane.

I've noticed even when out walking in seriously cold temps (-30 celcius) I can be sweating so badly that I literally soak my shirt and through to my coat. My gorgeous wool pea coat must go to a dry cleaner. It's crazy!

I am noticing other little things too and I'm pretty sure I know that this is all down to "the change". Yuck. I had hoped to escape the family curse of all us women having it very early.

Apparently my genes are strong

 

[Fran]

I'm sorry to hear that you are going through such intense reactions. My change was relatively quick and painless. Other than feeling hot at night, I can't complain. I started quickly on premarin and really can't say that I notice. Of course, I noticed some evidence of aging once I made the change
but that is the course of a woman's life. I keep fighting it with exercise, mental challenges and trying to not get inflexible thinking. LOL

 

[AnnieO]

Something else to keep in mind... I had many of the exact same problems last spring. I started to worry about perimenopause... And then I went to the doctor.

When he started me on antidepressants - the symptoms faded. I occasionally get too hot at night, but that's a normal thing - happens. As it turned out for me - severe stress was causing it. As the doctor said to me, the stress could also head me down that path early.

So the ADs helped me... But that's me. Just my $0.02.

 

[nvts]

Ummm, uh, I thought I was going through menopause...


EVIE'S A YEAR OLD NOW!!!

Moooohahaha~!



Beth

 

[Star*]

HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND......

Herbal BLACK COHOSH!!!!!!

DId I say HIGHLY......

 

[GoingNorth]

MattsMom...do check with your physicians; MS can also impact the autonomic nervous system that controls things like sweating and such.

It could also be thyroid or similar. Plus, you know that overheating is not good for MS--it can exacerbate symptoms. So can some medications.

It could also be perimenopause and yes, it does start that early in many women. There's a blood test for hormone levels that can tell you if it is perimenopause or not. It's simple test, but I don't know if it is available on the Canadian Health Care System.

 

[Wiped Out]

I agree-definitely have it checked out to be sure. I went through a very early menopause (age 21) and went through the hot flashes in the winter in my dorm room-I think my poor roommate was about to freeze to death! Since then I've been on hrt and will be for about another 4 years-I'm guessing my hot flashes will return with a vengeance!

 

[klmno]

I also think you should get a complete physical and make sure you tell the doctors all these things. Watch though about the medications- while sometimes they can be a godsend, there are still some older generation male doctors who want to rx AD's or anti-anxiety medications for any complaint a woman has that he can't "see" a physical cause for. I'm just saying, don't feel pressured to take them if you feel something is physically wrong and a GP doesn't see it but wants to rx prozac or something. If you want it, of course that's fine.

If it is early menopause....well, I can tell you this- I'm almost 50 and have been going thru it about 2 years but think it's about over now. The past two years, I have really wished that I HAD already gone thru it years ago.

 

[GoingNorth]

My mother had a horrible time leading up to menopause and my sister is in peri right now.

Unfortunately, in my family, the women just have a rough time leading up to the "change".

I have a BFF who's entire menopause was "Wow. That's weird. I just realized I haven't had a period in the last few months" I could've slugged her, LoL

 

[ML]

I started it in my mid 30s as well and was completely done by 45. I would consider bio identical hormones if I had it to do over again.

Hugs,

 

[Hound dog]

I had vague symptoms in my mid 30's. By 40 I was into it hot and heavy....excuse the pun. Two years later I was done. Our family goes thru it early too. But we also start early so it evens out I think. lol

For about 3 yrs I've been enjoying the other side of menopause and it's great.

Get checked out and make sure that's what it is.

Hugs

 

[Mattsmom277]

I'll for sure see a doctor. We do indeed have good testing practices that can shed light on if this is early menopause. With our health care system, any tests I need are free, and I will have no problem being sent for them.

I agree about the MS thing. One never knows. Heat for sure affects me and brings on symptoms. I am uber careful in the summer months, I can do a number on myself if I push my luck outdoors. I also tend to get super super cold which we've already chalked up to the MS thing.

I do think it is likely to be a menopause change, it hits our family very young. I started my period at 9 years old. I'm running ahead of the game lol. But it will be good to know one way or another.

Star, if this is early menopause, I'll discuss that with my gyno. I truly am wary of a ton of different things commonly issued for this. I may hate the symptoms but I am super cautious of what goes in my body.

Luckily I am sure the medications I take aren't contributing. i havent tweaked or changed anything for a long time, and far before these symptoms cropped up.

I'll definitly get a complete physical. Having had cervical cancer cells removed after 2 years of he$# symptoms, I don't mess about much with this kind of thing. My periods are changing too. So a complete physical along with some hormone testing etc is on the agenda. Its needed regardless of these new things having cropped up.

For those in menopause, how much impact if any does it have on your energy level?

 

[klmno]

With me the energy level varied. Truthfully, there were days I felt exhausted for no reason but I was dealing with difficult child issues and have no idea how much was one thing or another. Waking up during the night and not getting a good night sleep was probably the worst thing for me.

 

[GoingNorth]

With me? I felt a lot of fatigue sometimes, it really screwed up my sleep (I have issues there, anyway), and my moods were all over the place and required some medication tweaks to control.

I also noticed some changes in cognition beyond those caused by my medications, but that seems to be recovering somewhat.

 

[Mattsmom277]

Gosh I hope if this turns out to be menopause, that this fatigue isn't at all related. I deal with fatigue issues with the MS. It is one of my severe symptoms. There are medications for MS related fatigue, but adding new medications just isn't on my radar for something like fatigue. I'd add medications for pain related symptoms but otherwise, I'm leary of adding into the mix.

I have noticed a dramatic increase in fatigue, above the new norm for me. I hate it. I am workign with myself to battle it and get through it daily and still function in my daily life. Some days I just happily give in, stay in pjs and cuddle with a book, nap when I want. I find when I give in to the body urge to rest for a full day, I'm better able to battle through it for a period of time following the rest, and with much less resentment. I do hope that menopause doesn't launch this further though. It gets a bit tougher every few months as the fatigue deepens. Yuckers!!

I've noticed I have to watch my mood lately too. Again, YUCK! I'm particularly tuned in to not wanting to affect the others in the house, so I often just FEEL that awful mood, or the nasties coming on, but I reign it in and just feel it without showing it alot of time.

Well, this is a stage of life. If my periods stop all together, at least there will be a perk hahahaha. Thats one I'm hopeful for!

 

[GoingNorth]

MM27, My BFF has MS and has found Provigil to be very helpful for the fatigue. It seems to work without being "speedy".

husband used an older medication for fatigue related to his illness and his medications, but I can't remember the name of it offhand.

 

[Kjs]

I would definately go to the doctor to be sure there isn't other medical reasons this is happening.

For me, a total hysterectomy threw me right into menapause. No ovaries. AD did help with hot flashes. Didn't stay on them too long and hot flashes came back. Only for me, I am so hot and sweaty I swear I steam. Then I am freezing because I am all wet.
Last Spring I started with bioidentical. Checked blood for hormone levels and I am taking what my body needs. However- my hair started falling out last spring, about the time I started this. It still is falling out and I am afraid it is from the bioidentical.

It is pretty embarrassing when you are talking with your boss and your glasses steam up!!!!

 

[Nancy]

I was watching The Doctors the other day and they were explaining all the home diagnostics tests that are available today and one of them is a menopause test. You may want to look into that and then follow up with your doctor.

I went into menopause very early right after the birth of my easy child at 36. At the time my dr put me on hormone replacements but that was before all the warnings came out. When I came off the hrt I didn't have any adverse effects. There are natural treatments now that can help many of the symptoms.

Nancy

 

[Hound dog]

Fatigue was a problem for me, but the menopause gave me a major case of insomnia. bleh If I wasn't just lying there dog tired yet wide awake and I did happen to drift off.....the hot flashes would start and I'd feel like someone lit my torso on fire. Now that will keep anyone awake as there is very little that releaves it. So I took naps when I could. The hot flashes rarely bothered me during the day so I caught most of my sleep that way.

Both my older sisters are jealous. They are 5 and 7 years older than me, but the eldest has only just begun to have symptoms of menopause....and my other hasn't even started that yet. lol While I got mine out of the way relatively quickly and early. I'm not complaining a bit. I was finished having more children anyway.

 

[Mattsmom277]

My neurologist has mentioned Provigil. I'll have to speak to him again.

It gets confusing with medical things due to the MS nowadays. So many things it can cause, can have other causes. Or make one worry about a new issue when its the MS. A catch 22 alot of the time.

I guess I'm in a small (or start of a major - hope not!) flare with the MS. My back is gone right out. I was doing nothing. Crossing the living room from my bookcase towards the couch. Its been a while since it went completely into spasm this way. I was hoping it was a thing of the past.

I hadn't heard of home tests for hormones, I'm going to ask a pharmacist about that if I dont' see a doctor quickly.

However, if my back persists like this, I'll be heading to ER or a walk in clinic by tonight or tomorrow anyhow. And if thats the case, I plan to ask for lab work for hormones at the same time. Both the ER hospital and the walk in have a lab next to them, so would only take a few extra minutes to stop in for some blood work.

The joys of aging lol. I went from no grey or white hair just 2 years ago, to rapidly going pure white. Shiny silver practically. I'd say about 20% of my hair, which is substantial seeing as I literally the thickest hair of anyone I've ever known. It looks quite ridiculous seeing as my hair is nearly black and down to my wait. S/O used to pluck the whites fo rme, but they are now too much to keep up with. Guess I'll be getting my lovely tresses lopped off soon enough.

Maybe I should embrace this aging phase of my life. I can use it as an excuse to be the person I've always been, the one who marches to the beat of her own drummer. I'll just be the middle aged eccentric lady. Instead of that strange young woman down the street, or that odd child next door (hahaha!)