[AngusFangus]

I made it through another month! JOY JOY JOY!

Today is the first day in a week I have felt like a human. First it was the PMS, then it was three days SOLID of cramps, then the fourth day I had the RAGING headache...that was a new feature for 2006. It's almost exactly 24 hours - within 30 minutes or so - of a mind-bending head-splitting headache. It hurts to touch my head, even. Then, very suddenly, it's just gone. In exactly 24 hours. ??? It all finally went away tonight. No more body aches, no more cramps, no more headache. I feel like a new person! YEA YEA YEA!

Kevin calls this "The Euphoria Stage." :

My cycles have gotten just ridiculous. I mean, it was bad before, but this really takes the cake lately.

I think all this MUST have something to do with some hormones that are spinning out of control, but every time I mention it to a doctor they just yawn. : Nobody cares. But it's reached a point now where it is an entire week out of my life each month! Quality of life!! Is there nothing anyone can do? ???

I'm 42, if you're wondering.

 

[AngusFangus]

Kevin just came in and looked over my shoulder on his way to bed:

"For Ladies Only? Ohhh no. Did you write this? Which forum do I want to stay out of for a while?"

 

[WeHeartLabs]

I'm 43 and I have been there Connie, you describe it SO well...the one thing that really helped me was SOY.
And I don't like the soy milks...tried them, even the choc one ACK...so I found in Trader Joe's they sell SOY pretzels..now them, I CAN do. The soy really does help and lessens the hot flashes too... (Lordy those are REALLY bad)

 

[WeHeartLabs]

Kevin just came in and looked over my shoulder on his way to bed:

"For Ladies Only? Ohhh no. Did you write this? Which forum do I want to stay out of for a while?"

lmaoooooo

 

[AngusFangus]

Soy? REALLY?!

I tell you what, that is SO weird. SO weird.

I have always felt that cravings are your body telling you there is something you need. So I always try to observe them and oblige my body. So, the last few times I have been to Kroger, I have been checking out the nuts. I have been noticing they have dried soybeans/nuts/whatever, and thinking, "Oh, that sounds so good." I pick them up but have always put them back. But I have been so strangely drawn to them. Now isn't that freaky!?

Too bad I just went tonight! Wish I had posted this earlier. I may have to stop back in for some soybeans.

 

[WeHeartLabs]

that is FREAKY!!! But I do know just what you mean..our bodies know best!!

Found this just quickly to explain what the soy does...I couldnt thing=k of the iso word :

Soy- contains isoflavones which naturally regulate and balance the levels of estrogens. This physiological action helps to reduce symptoms of PMS, menstruation and menopause. Consuming soy foods has many other healthful benefits including reduction in cancer and cardiovascular risks.

 

[Labsrme]

Oh, man - I could have written your post, Connie. That is my life in a nutshell. And the headaches - miserable! Nothing makes them go away. The week-long cramps - I'm there too! Uckkk. And the PMS - for the first 40 years of my life I thought PMS was something that depressed women dreamed up. Really, I didn't even believe in it. Well, you know what they say "karma is a b*tch". I'm 48 (49 next month) and this has been going on for a looooong time, although the headaches started about 8 or 9 months ago. I'm the only woman I know who prays for menopause to start. Really. I figure it can't be worse than this, can it? Please, someone - tell me it gets better!

 

[LarrytheLabs Mom]

Mom, you forgot to tell her about the organic stuff.

 

[Labsrme]

Unfortunately, organic food doesn't help any of these issues.

 

[Buckyball]

my mom went through this recently...all the doctor said was Exercise and eat healthy : :

With her it lasted a couple years...

 

[JLMom]

Check out using a good, quality Natural Progresterone cream (one that uses USP progesterone). There is a lot of information online about the effects of low progesterone on women who are peri-menopausal. I have used it for years. I had a lot of problems with my cycles about six years ago. I used Natural Progesterone cream by Emerita (you can get it online and at health food stores) to raise my progesterone levels to balance out my hormones and get my cycles back on track.

Dr. John Lee has been a recognized expert on the use of Natural Progesterone cream and women's health. He has a very informative website http://www.johnleemd.com/index.html

 

[BoatDog]

Black Cohosh seems to help somewhat too...and it has the added advantage of keeping me from killing Paul!

 

[Finnigan]

I don't know how her menopause stuff rates but Dr. Christiane Northrup has written a great book on womens health that I use always as a reference called Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom. It covers all stages of a woemn's life. she also has a book out on menopause that I have heard nothing but great stuff on. I'm sure your local book store would have a copy - I would go in and take a look to see if it is for you or not. I know the first one has a lot of great information on diet and how certain foods do certain things (like the soy).

 

[MidwestGirl]

sounds like perimenopause to me...good luck!

 

[phseamstress]

I think all this MUST have something to do with some hormones that are spinning out of control, but every time I mention it to a doctor they just yawn. :

I would say it is time to start shopping for another doctor.

I'm only 37 and luckily I don't have this to worry about yet. I say luckily, because back in the 80s my mom (then in her 30s) couldn't find a doctor that would believe she was pre-menopausal.....

But along with the options mentioned in this thread, I would be looking for a new doctor. How can a doctor be of any help to their patients if they don't listen or take seriously what is said to them?

 

[sawyersammy]

Just thought this might make you laugh at least. A friend at work passed this along....

http://notquitemartha.com/?p=1111

 

[AngusFangus]

But along with the options mentioned in this thread, I would be looking for a new doctor.

Well, I am thinking of switching GYNs. But honestly, I don't have a lot of hope that it will do much good....

You will see when you start talking to docs about this...I have talked to several, and they all just seem to want to prescribe something to address the symptoms, without addressing the "disease." :-\ Band aids. I don't want band aids, I want something to address what is obviously a wicked imbalance. But so many women (most women, I'd guess) go through something like this, so it's boring to the average doctor. "What, PMS? Cramps? Please, I have heard this one hundred times this week alone. Who cares." : Not that anyone says that...but you can tell that's the attitude.

So, these suggestions are exactly what I was looking for! Progesterone cream, soy. Keep 'em comin'!

 

[Labsrme]

As far as switching doctors goes, I've been through three gynecologists since all of this started (when I was 37, no less). My first doctor was not very sympathetic, in fact, he told me that I couldn't be perimenopausal because I was too young (yeah, right!). I switched to a woman doctor who was just a few years younger than I am, thinking that she would take this stuff a bit more seriously - but she didn't. The most I ever got out of her was "yeah, I'm having the same problems". Thanks. Really helpful. Now I am on doctor number 3 (another man) and while he is very nice he's no help either. Connie is right, every middle aged woman in the world complains of these same symptoms and I think they are just bored with it and tired of hearing it.

The most help I got from any doctor was from a holistic doctor. In fact, I should go back and see her, as I haven't seen her in a couple of years and she was most helpful when I did see her last. Holistic doctors seem to pay more attention to the whole person, and they are also better at tackling the problem, rather than just treating the symptoms. Yep, that's what I'm gonna do. Things have changed in the past few years (the headaches and the week-long cramps, in particular) and perhaps she can be as helpful to me now as she was a couple of years ago.

 

[AngusFangus]

sawyersammy, I just read that blog.

"Have a happy period...are you f*cking kidding me?!?"

Funny stuff! [email protected] to Walgreens with a rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory!

Ohhh, I needed that...

 

[Der]

Have you ever been on the Pill? That really alleviated most of my PMS symptoms.