Women Heal Yourselves

What is Perimenopause

So what is Perimenopause anyway and how do you know you are beginning it?

First off there is no real set age that menopause begins. The average is 51 but I went through mine beginning at age 46. It used to be that you could base your time by your mothers, but many of our mothers had hysterectomies so we don’t have any idea. That and the many factors of modern life, such as not having kids, have thrown our factors out the window.

Evidence seems to point to the fact that those of us who are childless will have a more difficult time going through it. In the past women started having children soon after puberty on through their 40′s. Menopause symptoms were basically unheard of in our grandmother’s generation. Even those of you who bore only two children should prepare for the onset of menopause, and believe me some of it is no fun at all.

My Story

For me it started with hot flashes. They were not too bad, sort of feels like when you take too much B3, a bit of a flush of heat. It was winter when I had my first few, a week or so apart, and I thought. Gee if this is all there is then piece of cake, I can handle this. Then summer came, and the night sweats begin. Used to be I was always cold, now I’m throwing the sheets off and cranking the AC. Except for the lack of sleep, I again thought no big deal. 

I also had a few missed periods and times of memory loss. At the time, I was not aware of the cause of my memory and energy levels dropping. I could not remember simple things and I felt like I was in a fog all the time. I was so tired just going through the regular routine of a day exhausted me. I thought it was the normal toll of motherhood (I adopted) and did not associate it with menopause. After all I was too young to be going through that.

Another 6 months or so passed and the sleeplessness was taking its toll on my body. My immune system started to act up, I was getting skin infections, and I was put on strong antibiotics three times, throwing my system into a tail spin. By now my adrenal glands were haywire, I was beginning to experience anxiety, something I have not ever had, I had heart palpitations and I’d pace the floor at 3 am wondering of  I should wake my husband up to take me to the hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack. 

At first I thought it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotics so I went back to the Doctor, we change the antibiotics, with no improvement. He gave me a small script of Lorazepam (like a Valium) and I could at least get through the night without feeling like I wanted to jump out of the nearest window.

It was at this point I began my search to try and understand what was going on with me. My health both mental and physical was declining and I was too young to be going into menopause, or so I thought.

What are the Symptoms?

The most common symptom of early menopause is a change in your menstrual cycle.  It can be heavier or lighter or you may skip a month or two. Then there are hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, depression, night sweats, memory and concentration problems, anxiety, irritability, nervousness, and vaginal dryness.

As your hormones fluctuate it is perfectly normal to feel tense and irritable, even crying for no reason at all is very common. The reason for this is estrogen and progesterone affect chemicals in the brain that control sleep, pain perception, and a wide variety of emotions, diminishing your ability to cope with problems you normally handle with ease.

YOU ARE NOT CRAZY!!! DON”T RUN FOR THE ANTIDEPRESSANTS! AND IF YOUR DOCTER SAYS THAT IS THE ONLY ANSWER:  RUN DON”T WALK TO THE NEARIST EXIT!

There is a better way to control what is happening to you and the sooner you address the problem the less severe your symptoms will be.

It is in my opinion that once you start noticing the symptoms of menopause that you should find a doctor you trust that is educated about and will prescribe Bio Identical Hormones. But what to do until you get that appointment or get your blood work back?

NOTICE:  Do keep in mind some of these remedies’ below may effect your blood work results so I recommend not taking them for at least 3 days prior your blood work appointment. Also be reasonable don’t go crazy and try eight things at once obviously stay away from things you may have allergic reactions to, you are the only one who truly knows your body and what it can tolerate.

I’m going to tell you about some natural remedies for hot flashes since this are usually the first symptom of menopause, if you are just at the beginning stages. These remedies may be all you need for awhile and you can get on with your life right away.

On doing a search of what has helped many women resolve hot flashes this is what I have found. Do keep in mind that usually Hot Flashes are signs of a drop in estrogen and many of these hot flash remedies’ will work for other premenopausal symptoms as well.

Please for your health look for Organic products. Especially using Soy, as the process to make it can be extremely toxic if not done organically.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Mix 2 tablespoons ACV, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 6 oz of warm water.  Drink Morning and Evening.

Blackstrap molasses: 2 teaspoons a day

GABA: as written in the previous article, ‘Depression is Big Business’  GABA Supplement was vital for me during my transition.

Soy I found organic soy milk did wonders for my hot flashes and headaches I often got before my period when my estrogen levels dropped. 

Vitamin E. 1000IU a day. Many women found just adding this supplement helped ease their symptoms.

Wild Yam Wild yam has been know for and used for years as a natural replacement for estrogen, although many studies claim it does not work some women swear by it. It also is a natural cholesterol lowering plant so it certainly can not hurt to try it.

Other herbal remedies’: plants that cool the system, such as chickweed, elder and violet; plants that nourish or increase oxygen utilization in the liver, such as dong quai, dandelion, Ho Shou Wu (polygonum multiflorum) and yellow dock; and  plants rich in phytosterols, such as black cohosh.

I want to hear from you: If you try these remedies please log in and tell others how these remedies did or did not work for you. We need to help each other in these times when many in the health field will just cast us aside.  Please pay it forward and help other women out there in need. So many will not speak up and suffer in silence. It’s time to break the silence.