I Am A MidLife Crisis * Perimenopause Madness

I Need To Get Rid Of This Cold

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 04:23:00 +0000

I have the worse cold. Don't know where it came from or why I got it but I did. Just woke up the other morning talking "like dis, please bake it go away." It felt like I was having hot flashes this morning, but I think it is just because I am not feeling well.

It's a busy time of year for me, and I am still trying to play catch up from being gone a few weeks.

Talked to T and she isn't doing so well with her diet. She doesn't handle stess well, and since perimenopause hit it seems to have compounded the lack of ability to handle the stress plus added some of it's own stress into her life. Poor girl, we'll see if she is still sane - after the holidays.

And how am I doing? I think depression is trying to set in, and I am fighting it all the way. I don't know if it is a depression thing or a grieving thing. A person needs time to grieve and it doesn't always follow the schedule that you wish it would. What ever it is, I foresee that the holidays are going to be a lot harder to deal with this year.

My friend KB is having a really difficult time right now dealing with hot flashes, migraines, heart palps and all the other fun stuff we go through. Her hormones are out of whack, but unlike me, I think for her the cause could be low estrogen her periods are late, breasts are tender and she is retaining a lot of water. She is starting to explore the natural options she has as far as herbal products go. She is thinking if trying Estroven.

That's all the news for now. I need to rest and get rid of this cold.

I'm Back To The Real World

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:23:00 +0000

I'm back, whew - what a job that was. I'm glad to be home.

Physically, I feel drained, the work was hard the hours were long. Emotionally, I feel drained, I have another death to deal with.

Actually, I feel like Charlie Brown, someone keeps yanking the football away from me. And right now it seems as though it will never get better. And the holiday season is here - Ohhhhhhhh that's just great, (note the sarcasm you're reading between the lines here) now I have to be getting things ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas too. The holidays are way too commercialized for me.

I am having one of those I want to run away from it all days - again!

Natural Progesterone Cream UPDATE:
On the upside my hormones have stabilized - think. I went off the FemGest progesterone cream when I had my period. It only lasted 5 days and seemed normal. But the best thing was - NO cramps. I have always cramped, I can count the number of times I haven't on one hand. I am hoping that it is an effect of the natural progesterone cream and will continue to be that way. I have read that it is often used to treat cramping as well as heavy bleeding.

The hot flashes came back the second day I was off of it. Remember use the cream 21 days and off for 7. Thankfully the hot flashes subsided the 2nd day I was back to using the progesterone cream. I think that this stuff is really helping my perimenopause hormone levels.

Long Hours and Natural Progesterone Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:56:00 +0000

Well, working 14 - 16 hour days of manual labor is a killer.
I am feeling better than I have been. The prolonged bleeding has finally stopped. I don't know if it is the natural progesterone cream - Femgest, or if it is just the natural progression of things. There have been fewer hot flashes the past few days too. So maybe the natural progesterone cream is doing it's job.

I'm short on time right now, but thought I'd make a short post anyway and give everyone a quick update.

Natural Progesterone Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:51:00 +0000

The brand of natural progesterone cream I have decided to try is ‘Femgest’ by the Home Health Company.

Progesterone is the forerunner hormone and its job is to help regulate all other endocrine and hormonal activity in the body. In my this case, hopefully it will help to lower the level of estrogen in my body and maybe I will turn back into something that resembles the me I use to be.

The directions say to use it twice a day by applying ¼ to ½ teaspoon to soft areas of skin.

Although it doesn’t give specific directions on the box by searching the internet I found that progesterone cream when used to support perimenopause and to relieve perimenopause symptoms should be used beginning with the 8th day from day one of menstruation onset until the next menstruation cycle begins. And not used at all during your period.

If any of you have experience with this and have found that schedule to not be true please let me know.

Now back to the diet – nothing is happening yet for T or myself, and she has really been working on it with diet and exercise. The weight just seems to hang on. I really believe that once my hormones are balanced and things are working, as they should be the weight will come off much easier.

It irks me the doctors always advise you to watch your stress level and learn to relax but then they charge you hundreds of dollars for a minimal amount of work that they do and expect you to just go with the flow and not worry about making ends meet. I think they have it figured out that if they can stress you out and charge you so much money that you won’t be able to afford to eat you will most likely get sick and have to come back in to their office.

I have to leave on Saturday and travel to do some house remodeling work in the next state over. Have to pay those doctor bills somehow! (Whether I feel like working or not)

I am hoping I can find Internet access while I am there so that I will be able to keep up with this site.

Perimenopause - I've Never Been So Happy To Be Old

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:14:00 +0000

I have never been so happy to be old. That’s pretty much what the doctor told me when she finally called with all my test results. It is all due to perimenopause, just as I expected, a hormone imbalance.

For those who do not know what all is going on I have the never ending period, It started on July 1^st and is still going.

Her answer was to put me on hormone therapy or for me to just ride it out. I am going to the store in a little while to pick up some natural progesterone cream in hopes it will straighten this mess out.

So for all you women out there, who are having this problem, don't let it scare you to pieces. Don't listen to all your best friends while they diagnose you with deadly diseases. Chances are in your favor that you have a hormonal imbalance - a normal abnormality caused by perimenopause.
I am not saying don't get it checked out. You are in charge of taking care of yourself.

A bit of advice: Try to look at yourself as your best friend, take care of her, love her and support her. Do what is best for her.

I Thought The Most Embarrassing Times Were Those Awkward Teenage Years?

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:55:00 +0000

I thought I had the hotflash thing well enough under control so that If I had one in a public place no one would notice. BOY, was I ever wrong.

I was in line at the store today, minding my own business, standing behind an older gentlemen and his (I assume) wife. I felt the heat starting to rise in me, I tried to look cool. You know, the no problems here kinda attitude. So anyway there I am standing in line and suddenly it was like someone had turned the propane on full blast inside of me and lit a match.
WOOOOOOSH - I felt the flames rise, I swear I could feel it clear up behind my eyeballs. OH dear, the old fellow in front of me chose to turn around – just at that very moment, when the the sweat was gathering on my forehead and upper lip. I smiled at him the best I could, and he asked “Are you alright, you look a little faint.” Sweet old guy, I wanted to sock him. I so wanted to just run away; instead I said, “Yes I’m fine, thank you.” What could I do? My hands were full, I couldn’t even wipe my brow, I’m dripping sweat and feel as though I’ve just crossed the Sahara Desert. Then he turned around, nudged and whispered in the woman’s ear. She turned around and looked at me, gave me a knowing smile and told him in a rather loud voice. (I think he was a little hard of hearing.) “If she says she’s fine then she must be fine, leave the girl alone.” So now on top of the hot flash thing goin’ on I had the embarrassment thing going on. Now I was not only HOT and SWEATY, I was RED. I’m sure it was a lovely shade of bright crimson and everyone within 30 feet was looking at me.

And I thought the most embarrassing times were those awkward teenage years? NOT

Increased Anxiety

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:30:00 +0000

Along with perimenopause came increased anxiety. I am lucky, I have been able, for the most part to control it fairly well I am not the kind of person who gets overly nervous over health concerns. At least I have never been that kind of person. But lately – with all the advice I’ve been getting from friends I am starting to go a little nutz!

My usual take on things is a logical approach to health issues. Our bodies are like machines and sometimes things need to be adjusted to make them run smoothly.

It is funny that friends not only give advice but they brainstorm, throw ideas out there on what could be wrong. Just ideas, mind you no real basis for fact. But these ideas can be like seeds that grow into a full-blown jungle; a multitude of illnesses that could kill you off by next month.

Yes, they are my friends and I love them dearly – but I wish they would just shut-up.

Why Do Men Think They Know?

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 02:08:00 +0000

While looking up information on the Internet I have found that men write a large percentage of the articles written on perimenopause and menopause. So tell me how that works? They can describe a cramping uterus and hot flashes about as well as I can describe a swollen prostate or how erectile dysfunction feels. Maybe I am just in a mean mood, LOL. I don’t want some guy telling me what he thinks, in a half-assed description what (he thinks) is going on with my body.

I was lying in bed last night, having one hot flash after another and just thinking how much cheaper my heating bill was going to be this winter made me smile. Maybe this perimenopause stage does have some good points.

I managed to get a walk in today; maybe I will be able to sleep a little better tonight.

Perimenopause Weight Gain and Hormones

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 01:23:00 +0000

This waiting for test results is hard. Can you sue a doctor for mental anguish? LOL

I’ve been looking into the perimenopause weight gain issues again. It seems that ALL of the hormones go a little wacky at this time of life. Most women tend to think just of the estrogen/progesterone issue that is taking place in their bodies as THE hormone issue. Insulin and cortisol are among the major hormones that help to balance out the minor hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. If you are insulin resistant or have excess cortisol in your system from stress issues weight gain will be inevitable.

What perimenopausal woman doesn’t have stress issues? I suppose there a few but I’m sure not one of them!

More than 25% of women going through perimenopause are estimated to be insulin resistant. Insulin is a major hormone in the body, besides regulating the bodies sugar it also helps to regulate estrogen and progesterone

Eating foods that are low fat and high in carbohydrates or foods that are over processed (read prepackaged prepared foods) causes insulin resistance. Insulin resistance causes the body to hang onto every calorie that it can.

When you are under stress your body releases the hormone cortisol. Excess cortisol causes your body to treat the stress issue like it would a famine, it goes into starvation mode and hangs on to every fat cell that it can.

All the extra fat cells store estrogen – BAD NEWS for the woman in perimenopause who already has estrogen dominance issues.

What this tells me is – get the insulin resistance under control and your stress level down to a minium, THEN the estrogen and progesterone will fall into place more easily this will lesson the perimenopause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, palpitations ect. AND weight loss will be much easier.

Now I just gotta figure out how to make that all happen.

About Today and More Info On Enviromental Estrogens

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:58:00 +0000

The doctor I went to today, seemed like she was quoting a text book most of the time. She did a biopsy and scheduled an ultrasound for tomorrow. On Friday I will be going in for blood test. All of these, to rule out reasons other than perimenopause for my symptoms.

When I asked, “if and when all the test came back normal how can we balance my hormones and get my body back on track?” She talked about synthetic hormones, then endometrial ablation, or a hysterectomy. I will not even consider any of those options without first trying everything I can to naturally.

So, for now it is a waiting game as far as test results go, those should be back from the lab next week. In the mean time I will continue to try balancing the hormones through diet and exercise changes.

I asked her about the natural progesterone cream that is available over the counter, she said she really didn’t know. But that if everything came back normal on the tests that it couldn’t hurt to try it.

Part of the problem, I think, is she was too young and has never experienced any perimenopause symptoms. If she had, she would have done a little research herself to find out what could control them.

Here is some more information on estrogen dominance and the environment.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/400190/how_women_of_today_suffer_the_consequences.html

I have read taking 50 – 100 mg of vitamin B-Complex often helps to relieve hot flashes, anxiety and irritablitlity. I think I will be buying some of them in the near future.

A Little Apprehensive

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 02:30:00 +0000

I am more than a little apprehensive about tomorrow. Doctors always make me uneasy.

I’m just trying to take it easy, not think too much about it.

I’ll be back tomorrow evening.

Girl Talk

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:36:00 +0000

And it goes on. Today was not productive for me at all. I have a deadline, and NEED to work but my energy is drained. I will HAVE to be work late tonight to catch up.

Yesterday while talking to my buddy KB, a very odd subject came up. We don’t know what IT really is or what causes it. But, IT is when you get that sudden sharp pain, and intense itching and it feels like you instantly have the world’s worst vaginal infection or UTI that ever existed. BUT – the pain only lasts a few seconds and then it’s gone. We named this mysterious condition - Cooch Bites - LOL. It is a most uncomfortable, unexpected happening.

After we finished discussing this new ailment, I looked for more information on the Internet to explain this malady. The only thing I have been able to figure out is that our skin is becoming thinner and more sensitive.

I decided to take a pole. I called my girlfriends who are in perimenopause and asked. “Do you get Cooch Bites?” Turns out 3 out of 5 said yes, after some explaining and hysterical laughter. So it doesn’t seem to be some rare medical thing that I am going to have to wonder about. I think I will ask the doctor though when I go in for my appointment.

My friend T is feeling down. She is very sad about the midlife changes in her body over the past few years. She is not a vain person; she just hasn’t accepted the changes that have come with age. I’m sure there are others out there who feel the same way.

To all of you, I say, you are beautiful women. Be confident in yourself, look back at ALL that you have accomplished in your lifetime, and realize just how strong you are. A little gray hair and a laugh line only add to your womanly mystique. There is NOTHING more beautiful than a confident middle-aged woman.

More on Diet and Controlling Estrogen Dominance

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 01:31:00 +0000

Wow - I think I have been losing a lot of iron and it's catching up with me. Either that lack of sleep finally got the best of me. I slept for the better part of the day. I usually don't do naps at all, and I hadn't intended too today either. I just meant to lay down on the couch for a few minutes and it turned into a few hours.

I have been looking again, at ways of balancing progesterone and correcting the estrogen dominance with diet.

This is some more information I found today.

Eat More Zinc. Zinc is a controlling nutrient when it comes to progesterone production. Lean protein will raise zinc absorption. Eggs, lean beef like top round, lean pork, chicken and turkey, fish and shellfish are all good examples of lean proteins.
Try to eat organic meats that have not been fed steroid hormones to boost meat production.

CUT COPPER. Copper keeps estrogen levels high, by not eating foods rich in copper you can lower your estrogen level. Try to avoid these foods until you get your perimenopause symptoms under control.

Avocados
Almonds
Bran Flakes
Baker's Yeast
Brazil Nuts
Crab
Grapes
Liver
Lobster
Haddock
Herring
Mushrooms
Peanut Butter
Pecans
Sesame Seeds
Shrimp
Sunflower seeds
Trout
Walnuts

Do not use copper pots for cooking.

High levels of copper also will cause brown spots/patches on your face or skin If your nipples turn from pink to brown, it is a sign of excess copper.

I probably have way too much copper in my system, I eat mushrooms and sunflower seeds in my salads several times a week, munch on a handful of almonds when I need a pick me up snack and I indulge in my extra crunchy Jif peanut butter right out of the jar. So this may be a big part of my problem.

I'll give it all up starting right now - just to feel a little more like my old self!

A Little Rant - Why Don't Doctors Treat The Underlying Cause?

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 19:22:00 +0000

Looking back on this last week, I have to say, "I am so glad that I work from home."

I feel for those of you who HAVE to go in to the workplace even if you do feel sick.

T called and bragged about how well she has done on her diet this last week. I am thinking I didn't do hardly any exercise at all this week, but I haven't felt like eating much either so maybe it balanced itself out. At least that's my way of justifying it.

O.k. I am going to get on my soapbox here and have a little rant. This has been heavy on my mind the past few days.

It really bugs me that all my friends who have gone to doctors with a multitude of perimenopause symptoms are being treated for the individual symptoms and not the underlying cause. I don't know about other countries but it seems in America as long as the doctors make you feel better they think you will be o.k.with it. For instance, the symptoms my friends are experiencing. They went to the doctor for anxiety and the doctor gave them anti anxiety drugs. For depression they gave them antidepressants for gastro disorders they gave them prilosec, or zelnorm. For migraines they were given something else, ect. Ect. But, what about treating the underlying cause? It is a known fact that estrogen dominance is the main reason most women feel out of whack during perimenopause. Why aren’t the doctors addressing this issue instead of just trying to cover up all the symptoms?

And when they do address the hormone issue why is it that they try to fix it with synthetic hormones when there are other options that are more natural, without as many nasty side effects available?

I’m sure that it has to do with the monetary kickbacks from the drug companies but it seems very unethical to me.

I have not seen the doctor before that I am going to on the 10^th; she took over for my previous gynecologist. If she is not willing to treat me as a whole then I will be looking for a new doctor.

Food Sensativities and Perimenopause

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:49:00 +0000

It seems a lot of women develop food intolerances during perimenopause. For years I was plagued with indigestion, bloating and gerd. The doctors had me convinced it must be lactose intolerance and IBS. They put me on the purple pill and it helped somewhat but didn’t make the indigestion go away.

I bought the Lactaid pills and they seemed to do no good at all. It was weird, cheese had no affect on my system, and neither did yogurt or cottage cheese. But if I ate a bowl of cereal or pizza I was in pain. It was a mystery.

Then my friend TM (for those of you following this blog, TM is a different person than T) asked me if I was allergic to wheat gluten. I said, “I don’t think so, I’ve eaten it all my life.” Sometime later I made fresh homemade bread, it don’t get much better than that. I over overindulged. O.K. you know what I’m sayin’ I pigged out – big time! I got sick, not just a little sick. Indigestion, heartburn, nausea and by evening I was bending over with cramps. I realized I had not had any milk or dairy for days.

The next day I cut out all the gluten from my diet. By the end of the week I felt better than I had in a long time.

Since then I have read several sources on line that it is common for women going through perimenopause to develop food sensitivities. It doesn’t matter if you have never been allergic to something, it can happen out of the blue. So, if you are having a lot of gastrointestinal upsets you may want to look into your diet. Sort it out one thing at a time; lactose and gluten are the two biggest food sensitivity offenders.

How do I feel today?

Ucky, crampy, and miserable. 5 more days until I can see the doctor. I do hope she can help, some how.

I would hate to have an epitaph that read:

“She died from being an OLD girl”

It's Just One Of THOSE Days

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:46:00 +0000

I don’t know what’s happening, I am SO tired. I only got 3 hours of sleep last night. I called the doctors office first thing this morning and asked to speak to a nurse. She moved my appointment from the 19th up to the 10^th. That’s still 6 days away. I’m cramping a bit today and bleeding heavier. I just want it to be over.

I’m a little scared because I really don’t want to have to take hormones. They tend to make me sick, grumpy and weepy. Not to mention all the other side effects that can come with hormone replacement therapy.

Other than that – it’s just another weird day for me. Someone, who, must have been me has been putting things in strange places. WHO put the No-Stick Spray in the refrigerator? WHO put the milk in the cupboard? WHO put my reading glasses on top of my head instead of on my desk?
I searched for those dang-blasted glasses for 45 minutes before I found them.

It's Just one of THOSE days.

Magnesium Supplements for Perimenopause

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:47:00 +0000

I just thought I’d let you know of something that works for me.

When I started getting heart palpitations I looked into what could be done to prevent or at least make them come on less often.

I found that taking magnesium supplements helped the palpitations, I still get them, but less often than I did before taking the supplements. As bonus taking the magnesium made my monthly cramps less painful. I take over the counter supplements, two times a day a combination of calcium, magnesium and zinc.

The magnesium, calcium and zinc supplement is good for some perimenopause symptoms. Everyone knows you need calcium to keep your bones strong. But, the calcium needs to be balanced with magnesium or it isn’t going to be absorbed effectively into the bones.

Magnesium helps muscles relax, and can help you get a better night sleep.

Women who are in perimenopause are often deficient in zinc. Low levels of zinc are related to osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, psoriasis, and acid-base balance disorders.

As a word of warning – if you are going to try the supplements start slowly and work your way up to the recommended dosage. Diarrhea is common if you take too much magnesium before your body has had a chance to adjust to it.

The following info was published in Alternative Medicine - 11/1/1999
by Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S

If you are deficient in magnesium, you are prone to these perimenopausal symptoms: depression, apathy, increase in body odor, perspiration, and urination, memory loss, concentration problems, muscle cramps, anxiety, or irritability. I generally recommend that women supplement with magnesium at the rate of 500-1,000 mg daily, between meals.

I can’t say that the supplements help every symptom on that list but they have helped my palpitations somewhat and they have definitely helped with the monthly cramping.

Midlife Attitude

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:24:00 +0000

Let's talk about midlife attitude.

As I have gotten older I tend to say what I have to say. It may not always be nice, but if I have an opinion and you ask for it - you're going to hear it.
Is that a bad thing?
Sometimes it gets me trouble. I am not completely tactless, but it you ask a stupid question at just the right time your going to get THE answer.

It's not like I am trying to hurt anyones feelings, it's just a part of who I am these days. What I'm sayin' is ....... If you really don't want to know if your butt looks big in those pants, then don't ask me, because I just might tell ya the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I'm in a comfortable place in life as far as just being me is concerned. I am not going to dress to impress just because. I like being comfortable. I'm not a slob, my clothes are nice, clean, presentable and I still have my own style. If you ask me it's all good.

I also have this 'I NEED my space' thing goin on. Some days I'd like to just paint a solid line down the middle of the room and say in my best gruff voiced western drawl, "I DAAARE you to cross it" LOL

And some days I just wanna run away, as far away as I could ever get. Start over and re-invent myself.
My friend D and I were talking last week, she said "Wouldn't ya just like to pack up a van and just go? Somewhere - anywhere?"
It didn't take me long to answer that one. "Yep, I sure would"

This all makes me sound so selfish, I'm really not. But it just seems to be a 'ME' time of life.

Do you know what I mean?

Got My Workout In

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:50:00 +0000

O.K. so I only got in a one mile walk today so far. But at least I did it. I was huffin' and puffin' well, maybe not puffin' but I was huffin' a little bit. I had a brisk pace going because I had to get back to work as soon as possible.

The crisp air felt good. I really like the fall season.

Hopefully by the end of 3 weeks I will be full swing into my workouts and maybe I will be able to feel some difference in the perimenopause symptoms because of it.

Here is some info on the effects exercise has on women in perimenopause:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/394906/the_benefits_of_exercise_during_perimenopause.html

I am just glad that I actually felt well enough today to go for a walk, even if it was a short one.

I am still doing some research on 'Estrogen Dominance'. It's amazing the things you can learn on the Internet.

Do you know, the reason our mothers probably never told us about all the perimenopause symptoms is because they most likely didn't have them as severe as we are experiencing. It has to do with all the environmental estrogen's we have been exposed too in our lifetimes. I'll write more on that some other time.

I want to thank all those who have visited this site so far. And thank you for your emails and posted comments. Your support is appreciated.

It's So True

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:40:00 +0000

NOBODY EVER TELLS ME ANYTHING !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:33:00 +0000

Why is it that women are so uninformed about perimenopause? Why is I, that it seems like nobody’s mother ever told them what is going to happen to us when we age?

It MUST be because we all would have committed suicide if we had known! LOL

We have all heard we go through 'THE Change' BUT nobody ever told me what I was going to change into and at this point I am REALLY wondering.

I am my mother’s midlife child. She turned 44 less than a month after I was born. The next sibling in line is 6 years older than me. I was the ‘OOPS’. She had experienced perimenopause and menopause symptoms and thought that her childbearing years were over. Then I came along, the doctor tried to tell her I was a tumor. She told him after already having 6 kids she thought she knew better than he did when she was pregnant.

It was funny to hear her tell the story. I think she must have been super-woman to have been raising small children and looking after grandchildren when she actually did go through perimenopause.

Now, what I want to know is, why nobody told me this was going to happen? When it first started I was 36 years old. Symptoms of perimenopause weren’t to bad at the time, more annoying than anything, a night sweat here and there and some irregular bleeding. The doctor told me to find out my family history because you usually follow the same pattern as your parents and siblings.

I asked my Mama about it when I was 37, she was 80 years old by then, and said it was just so long ago she couldn’t remember very well. So I did the next best thing and asked my sisters. Well, they aren’t much help at all! One of them had had a hysterectomy for reasons unrelated to perimenopause. And the other one gave me the same answer I got from my mother, she was in her early 60’s at the time I asked her and she said she just couldn’t remember.

Soooooo - I’m on my own here trying to figure this out! And all I know so far is - NOBODY EVER TELLS ME ANYTHING !!!

Estrogen Dominance – That’s what is the matter with us!

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 01:11:00 +0000

Estrogen Dominance – That’s what is the matter with us! That was the conclusion T and I came too yesterday. We knew that’s what is going on in our bodies, but we never knew there was an actual medical term for it. Estrogen and progesterone are the 2 main hormones that regulate all this girl stuff. According to the lists of symptoms we found we concluded we are estrogen dominant, as most women are during perimenopause. In other words are girly mechanisms have gone overboard!

Estrogen Dominance Symptoms include the following:

Mood swings

Pre menstrual syndrome

Lack of concentration

Depression

Lack of Libido

Bloating

Weight gain

Anxiety

Irritability

Sinusitis

Breast Tenderness

Fatigue

Fibrocystic Breast

Adrenal Exhaustion

Allergy Symptoms

Asthma

Insomnia

Cervical Dysplasia

Hair loss

Heartburn

Bone loss

Sluggish Metabolism

Vertigo

Palpitations

Acne

Aching Teeth

Sore Throat

Fibroids

Panic Attacks

Aching Joints

Headaches / Migraines

Endometriosis

This is not a complete list; there are a lot of symptoms that are not listed here.

There are a number of foods known to effect estrogen levels in the blood. Some of the foods that can LOWER estrogen levels and help to balance the hormones are:

Berries

Figs

Broccoli

Onions

Squashes

Cabbage

Citrus Fruits

Corn

Grapes

Fruits (except apples, cherries, dates, pomegranates)

Buckwheat

Green beans

Melons

Millet

Pears

Pineapples

Rice

Tapioca

A diet high in fiber aids in balancing excess estrogen.

By eating a diet high in fiber the estrogen binds to the fiber and passes through the intestines.

I also read that caffeine can raise estrogen. Women who drink 4 or more cups of coffee a day have estrogen levels that are 70% higher than those who drink less than 4 cups a day.

The caffeine one is going to be my downfall. I tried quitting once, in hopes of curing my insomnia. I was like a zombie, dead in the water, with absolutely no energy what so ever. After 2 weeks I couldn't stand it anymore. The insomnia was just as bad as ever and I had no energy to accomplish anything during the day. I NEEDED my caffeine fix. O.K. I’m addicted.

T is going to have a tough time with the caffeine too; she is a diet coke drinker, from morning to night. She is going to try to go the herbal tea route. We’ll see if that works.

Exercising will not be that hard. I’m not going to push it. I’ll start by walking and doing 5 minutes of other exercises here and there throughout the day. I might go shoot some baskets in the evening. I miss exercising regularly; it’ll be good to get back into it.

If any of you who are reading has ever corrected a hormonal imbalance with diet and exercise please let me know how you did it.

Man, am I ever tired

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:36:00 +0000

Man, am I ever tired. I'm setting here blurry-eyed, thinking, I HAVE got to get some sleep tonight.
After tossing and turning; getting, maybe, 3 and a half hours of sleep I was wide awake at 6 A.M and ready to go to see T (My friend from the previous post) by 6:30 It is a 1 hour 45 minute drive to her house. It is now 8:15 P.M. I just arrived back home 30 minutes ago.

We had a good day. We talked and laughed. She has mental fog bad right now, poor girl can't even remember what she was talking about by the time she reaches the end of a sentence. Another wonderful symptom of perimenopause. It's a good thing she has a great sense of humor, we spent a good deal of time laughing at each other for sounding like forgetful old ladies.

Since both of us are a more than a little out of whack, due to hormone fluctuations; we researched foods that contain natural estrogen and progesterone, and the effects they might have on balancing the hormones in the body. Neither of us want to go the HRT (hormone replacement therapy) route. So we are trying to figure what we can do naturally. We also looked up the effects of exercise on women in perimenopause.

We agreed that Monday morning we would start our diets and exercise routines.

I am sorry for the short post tonight, but really, I am so tired right now. I need to rest.

Tomorrow I will tell you more about the foods and exercise info we found.

Good Night Friends,
Until tomorrow..................

Embarking On a Weightloss Quest

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:19:00 +0000

I was talking to a friend earlier today, and she commented on the weight gain that seems to be connected with her perimenopause issues. I concurred, weight gain seems to be a problem for all of my girlfriends right now. So we are setting off on a weight loss quest!

Now, I am like a marshmallow in the microwave, when I get fat I just puff up and I get fat all over. Most of my friends are gaining in the hips and belly areas. We were discussing the fact that weight is harder to lose when you reach perimenopause. I know it CAN be done. It will just be harder to do because your metabolism slows with age. We are getting together this weekend to discuss a plan and put it into action.

I think, another reason losing weigh during perimenopause is much harder than it was when you were younger is; so much of the time you just don't feel good. That makes it harder to get a good work-out in. And for some of us it makes us crave comfort food. And I gotta tell ya, no matter how you look at it that yummy chocolate cake drenched in mouthwatering fudge frosting is whole lot more comforting than any measly celery stick !!!

I Should Buy Stock In The Pantyliner Industry

noreply@blogger.com (Todays Woman) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:52:00 +0000

I am really thinking I should buy stock in the pantyliner industry.

I have had irregular daily bleeding since July. I called in August to make an appointment and was told by some perky 20 year old office girl that mid October was the soonest I could get in. My reply? "But I could bleeeeeeeeeed to death by then." And what did she say, in her perky little teenage voice with all her worldly wisdom? "If it gets so you can't handle it, you can always go to the emergency room." So I grunted and said "fine," I know it's no use arguing.

I really do not like doctors, or maybe, I dislike doctor's receptionists even more than the doctors themselves. I wonder if doctors even have a clue as to what goes on in the front of their offices. I'm guessing for the most part they do not.

So, I am waiting - waiting ...................waiting, until mid October. I am not going to complain too much, at least I have no cramping, it's more of an inconvenience than anything. And I have read and researched and researched some more. The conclusion I have come to is it is most likely just a normal part of perimenopause and quite possibly is stress related. Besides, it is not nearly as bad as what some of my friends are going through.

And life goes on......................
...... I'll be back!