Change of Life

J.,

I don't know if it is menopause or not, but if you are not satisfied, seek a second opinion. Preferably with an endocrinologist. Or an Ob/gyn that specializes in these issue.

I wish you the best of health!
S.

Hi J.
I too am going through the same thing.
I get bad mood swings and hot flashes.
Everythings is changing inside.
It is part of life.
And we are in it.
I just find something to do.
To keep busy.
Get my mind off myself.
And just take one day at a time.

Vicki W.

I had the same problem happen to me when I hit 45. Luckily my mom warned me. I finally found a woman by the name of Charlotte Smith who worked with me along with the book Seven Secrets of Slim Poeple. It is an awesome book and has allowed me to lose between 10-15 pounds. IT is avaialbe in book stores and on overstock.com. If you don't feel you can do it alone Charlotte's number is 800-496-7710 and her website is http://www.secretsofslimpeople.com. Just tell her T. Dayton recommended her! Need any more info just give me a call at ###-###-#### or feel free to e-mail me.

Doctors often do not check everything they should. Has he checked Vit D 1,25?

And free T3 and free T4? Are they at a GOOD level - not just bottom-most of "normal"? Even their ratios matter. My older daughter was on thyroid hormone for years containing just T4 and was at the bottom on normal. She felt awful. Finally a new GP switched her to Armour Thyroid that has both T4 & T3 and he put her at a higher level of normal and BAM - she felt SOOOO much better! Makes me angry about all the needless years of her suffering!

And then of course, there are bio-identical hormones after checking which ones are low.

You may wish to consult with an MD who hs additional training & experience in Integrative Anti-aging medicine.

-J.

J.,
Could very well be what is known as Peri menopause. Not yet full blown hell on wheels menopause but a pre-cursor. I am right there with you. I recently watched an episode of Oprah because Suzanne Somers was on there talking about BIO IDENTICAL hormones. NOT synthetic but bio identical. I am going to my Gyno asap and looking into it. You may want to go to Oprah's site and find out more as there are 2 tests that you and I will have to request to be done before requesting the hormone replacements (both blood I believe)
Good Luck, I know your pain.
In the meantime, Black Cohosh which can be found in your local Dollar General or Walmart will help greatly with the hot flashes the hormones will take care of everything else

Hi J.,
It sounds like you're going through the perimenopausal phase of your life. Just to be sure, you can go to websources like www.womentowomen.com or web md where you will likely find a checklist of symptoms related to perimenopause. It won't make the symptoms go away, of course. But knowing what is going on will help in so many ways to deal with it. Perimenopause lasts, on average, about 10 years, and menopause is official once your period stops for one full year. Hormones do fluctuate during this time, causing the symptoms you're experiencing. And these symptoms tend to mess with our minds, which is more troubling than the symptoms, sometimes. It helped me to read up, and I found two books that were especially helpful to me.. "Emotional Phases of a Woman's Life" by Jean Lush; and "Dr. Susan Love's menopause and hormone book : making informed choices".See public library. These books helped me to realize how 'normal' I am, that I'm not alone, I'm not crazy, there is help, there are good ideas to use to deal with these issues, there is life after this phase, etc. etc. There are many modern ways to help deal with these things.. but I've found that most of the resources still come back to the old wisdom.. get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, exercise daily, preferrably outside in the sunshine. Keep a detailed daily journal of your symptoms, what you eat and when, how much you sleep, what day of your cycle, etc. This will give you clues as to cause and effect or timing issues, and how to plan life around your cycle, instead of allowing your cycle to run your life. Maybe ask your ob/gyn for a hormone test, to see where you're at in the perimenopause phase. If you have a hormone imbalance it could also be causing other physical problems that should be monitered, or could be minimized with treatment or lifestyle changes. For instance, my body in perimenopause makes too much estrogen. If I were to follow the popular remedies, which tend to give you more estrogen, I would have been harming my body seriously. Up until now, small lifestyle changes brought satisfying results, and I could pretty well count on my body responding generously to a little care. But now, I've found that I have to work harder at maintaining my health, and I have to be consistant. I've found that I have to be willing to be educated, follow up with prescribed behavior and lifestyle changes, and know that at some point, this, too will pass. Perimenopause is a marked change, which brings some grieving over the loss of our youth (and all that that entails), but we can also look forward to the next phase in our lives. It's just a season, and it has its purpose.I hope you're be victorious as you ride it out!

Have you had your throid checked?
In '98 when I was 23 I knew that I shouldn't be as tired as I was and I kept slowly gaining weight and could not get rid of it no matter what I did. I told my Dr. and he said that life was tiring and I wasn't a teenager anymore and that was it. Shortly after I changed doctors b/c our insurance company changed, and the 1st thing that my new dr. did was a simple blood test to check my TSH 3 & 4 levels. We'll I was so out of wack (numbers so bad, my thyroid had ovbviuosly given out and I had a goiter - even though you could not see it on my neck - since I didn't even know it was there, she said that I had probably been hypothyroid for about 5 years and was just pushing my way thru it with desire and coffee. So she reffered me to an endocronologist and I'm fine now (have even been blessed to have 2 wonderful babies (it's hard for hypothroid indivuals to get pregnant b/c of many factors - low estrogen, high testorone, pitutary malfunctiong, etc.)

.

Isn't it amazing what affect the hormones getting whack have on our bodies? I'll tell you what worked for me. I started using Isagenix products. This way I get good nutrition and it has helped balance the hormones without me having to take chemicals. It has also helped in the weight gain dept. I am getting all the nutrients the body requires so I don't get as hungry and am drinking a lot more water. If you want to know more call me evenings at ###-###-#### and I'll give you a web site to check out.
These products have truly been a life saver for me.

You're too young for that! (Unless you have a family history of it starting early in females in your family?) Sounds suspicially like a thyroid problem a friend of mine had. She had similar problems and lots of tests before finally being diagnosed with a NON functioning thyroid. The first 3 thyroid tests showed 'nothing significant', but the 4th said it was hardly functioning! Have you tried different doctors and second/third opinions? Good Luck, hope it gets better!

Hey J.,
It might be time to see your GYN or internist and have them do the hormone tests to see where you are with the approach of menopause. There are many things you can do to combat those symptoms without taking replacement hormones. Such as increase the soy in your diet etc..talk to the doc about those..sweats etc aren't fun and there is no reason to not get the assistance that is available. A GYN would be more likely to pick up on that..Good luck,

B. B

You are the age for peri-menopause. Have your hormone levels checked? It is probably the problem. Welcome to it. I have had heat flashes for 4 years (off and on). There is certain food that trigger it....tomato based foods, some spicey, wine/alcohol,etc. Google it and you will learn.

About me: 52 yr old mom of 25 year old son with a disability. I am freezing everyone in my house. It keeps the heat bill low.

My hot flashes started when I was 39 but by the time I was 50 I was nearly done. It is a strange sensation--"is it hot in here or is it just me?" But it's nice during the winter. You may have mood swings too. Warn your family, as someone said, and learn to live with it. It won't last forever.

There are some great books about menopause and peri-menopause. I wouldn't recommend going with the hormone-replacement therapy. That creates risks for cancer. Instead, keep doing what you're doing, connect with other women who are going through the same thing, and learn to laugh through the "change of life." Embrace the hot flashes, too. How many people have their own personal heaters?

Hi J.,
UGH!! I hear ya loud and clear! You are not alone and I'm surprised a lot more haven't jumped on this wagon with you!

I have an awesome doc and he is not into anything chemical. But he will help supplement where it is needed. The hot flashes will get better. Just warn the family to deal with it. They will need to layer in the summer. That is what I tell mine. Put on a sweater if you are cold because the temp is going to be low. I'll do my best not to be moody, but if you feel the need to toss your hat in the door before entering, then so be it! I'll let you know if it's safe to enter. I got books and read, and read. Realized that I knew what was happening to me, nothing was new, and gave them to my family and told them if they wanted to know why I was the way I am, read up. They did and decided it was something they would help me with. Life got easier and became a lot better once we all became more aware and educated.

The worst thing for me, was the weight and the different shapes my body was taking.I didn't feel sexy. Later, you will have more control of the shape your body will take. You will have more control of where you can loose the weight and shape up at. So don't get discouraged. I have began to loose and shape up now. My energy has spiked also. Which was at an altime low before. I don't know why, it just was. Perhaps it was just a slight depression before. Now I feel great, and have accepted the fact that we all have to go through this change and I choose to embrace it. Now if there were just a cheaper cure than botox for all the wrinkles then I would be just fine! :)

Did you have your thyroid checked?

If you did that is fine. Then, I KNOW where you are coming from. (I also have thyroid issues and that doesn't help)

You may consider seeing an OB/GYN who specializes in women's health as they may be more in tune to the issues you are having.

hi, i wish you the best. i have been going through this for about 3 years. no fun. all i have done is live with it and know that one of these days it will stop. i am sorry but i don't have the anwser. R.

Have your periods been irregular lately or stopped altogether? It could be peri-menopause if your periods are irregular. Mine just stopped cold a year ago January. I just turned on the 6th of this month.

I did put on some weight but have lost quite a bit lately but that is because of some stressful stuff going on in my life. When I get stressed I lose my appetite.

I have hot flashes too. At first it was just that I would FEEL really hot, kicking off blankets, etc but not sweating. But then about 6 months into it, I started the sweating which is a pain but I know why I'm doing it. The OB/GYN told me that hot flashes slow down during colder months & that has proven to be true.

I would either seek a 2nd opinion if you want or read up on peri-menopause and menopause at your local library. I am not on any medication for it as of now.

You can also google those topics online & find out lots of helpful information. It's a weird feeling going through this. I don't feel any older than I did when I gave birth to my children but obviously my body says differently, LOL.

This too shall pass & things will even out. But read up on it so you're knowledgeable of what is going on with your body.

Oh and I too freeze out my family members. I'm rarely cold and it totally freaks out my sweats wearing, 3 layered shirt and socks wearing husband, LOL. Ok, maybe he doesn't layer that much, but he does sleep in sweats while I'm sleeping in summer p.j.'s.

Best of luck to you & let us know how you're doing.

Did they check your female hormones?? Sometimes when your ovaries are going crazy you will develop Insulin Resistance or vice versa. They need to do a different test other than a traditional blood sugar test. Did they do a glucose tolerance test? Just a thought. I have Polycystic ovarian syndrome and it is so hard for me to stay thin. If I smell fries my belly gets bigger!!!!

I have heard that some woman are taking white cohosh
(?spelling), not sure if t works, anything may be worth a try. I dread when that day comes!

J., I feel for you! I have been gaining wt myself, and it used to be much easier to lose but age has certainly caused an issue. Have you talked to your doctor about other things happening, maybe menopausal issues? I know it's a bad word but....it could be part of the issue. As long as you are eating right, and exercising regularly, that will certainly help your health. Unfortunately the age has a big problem with wt! Time period of the wt gain should be discussed with your doc. Hope this helps and yes, we've all been there!!! Take care

It definitely sounds 'hormonal' (which includes thyroid). I, too, suggest that you see an endocrinologist. If YOU know something's wrong, don't let ANY doctor tell you, 'it's just normal'!! My sister (now 56) kept having trouble with her digestion over a period of 2 or more years. They did a lower endoscopy. Nothing. They did an UPPER endoscopy. Nothing. They prescribed prilosec, but the symptoms worsened. FINALLY, someone did a scan of her SMALL intestines and she has 'carcinoid' tumors all through there. Inoperable, in and of themselves, but they DID do TWO MAJOR surgeries which -- along with LOTS of prayer -- have helped. She's not a canditate for more surgery (having had a ruptured appendix at age 5 in 1957 when surgery wasn't very advanced, especially at the little country hospital 40 miles from home!), and the tumors aren't reduced or eradicated by ratiation or chemo-therapy (which is probably good, because I hear they're more damaging than helpful and that doctors won't even resort to them if THEY get cancer).

ANYWAY . . . Keep going til SOMEONE finds what's WRONG!

God bless!

I am sure that you probably are starting to go through it. Another one of those lovely "GIRL" THINGS WE ENDURE. See if you can find a woman doc who specializes in the change, maybe she can give you some hormones. I had a hysterectomy at 35,had the ovaries left in, so went through the change, but was not as aware except for the hot flashes which was a real pain. We joked about them and called them power surges, and you wanted to rip your clothes off. Been there done all that and survived.

I am just getting over all that!!! It was awful. My MD couldn't figure out what was going on and kept telling me all the tests are coming back normal (for 2 years) and I kept telling him that there REALLY is something wrong with me. Finally I took a evening class on hormonal changes in women and all my questions were answered. The lady that gave the class was an PA that specialized in women's health and she did more tests at her office and found the answers for me. I am on bio-identical hormone replacement drugs and I feel better than ever and have lost 40 pounds.

I haven't read the other posts, so sorry if this is reiterated.

I have seen a few of Oprah's latest shows, which have covered hormones on women. They have the same symptoms you are describing and all they really needed was a little progesterine or estrogine (sorry for the spellings:)). I would look on her site and see what they still have on it. One thing they really hit home with on the show was to get a second opinion. Us women know our bodies better than anyone else, if you think something is wrong it could be.

I'd also check your thyroid!

It's strange how the late 40's can change a girl. When I turned 46 I began to feel it too. My eye-sight changed some what. I now carry about 7-10 extra pounds,it looks and feels bad. My mood swings, night sweats and hot flashes all started just about the same day. My hair started greying and my skin got dryer. Oh well,thankfully we're not the first. I'm learning what works and what does'nt. I'm not into replacement hormones just yet. I'm trying all things natural and pure. I do intend to enjoy this phase as much as I possibly can. Good luck! M.

Do you know if your doctor has checked your thyroid? Thyroid can become under or overactive and the symptoms are sometimes hard to notice. One symptom of an underactive thyroid is weight gain. Called hypothyroidism - might be worth checking into.

Have you had your thyroid tested yet? AND by and Endocrinologist? Primary care Physicians are great but when it comes to the thyroid you need an Endo. Yes, you are "at that age" for the change, but also this is the time in life where people find out they have a thyroid issue and those symptoms sound like Hypothyroidism. I have been diagnosed since I was 24, I'm now 35.
Good luck.

Weird weight where?

It's possible it's a medication side effect. HIV+/AIDS-affected women get a hump in the middle of their shoulders as a side effect of their antiviral medications. I'm not saying that you are HIV+ or have AIDS or any other disease, but be alert to the possibility that something in your diet or environment could cause that kind of thing. Good luck.

I agree 100% with Dawn B. If your doc said you are getting too old, you need a new doc! That is ridiculous and an old way of thinking. Must have been a man! Anyway! I go to a nurse practioner who specializes in hormone balancing. There are blood tests they can do specific to those areas. Also have your thyroid checked. I love my nurse practioners and if you need help finding someone in your area, I would be happy to see if my NP has any recommendations. You might try googling the topics in your location and see if anything pops up. Undoubtedly you are going through peri-menapause. Oprah just did a show or two on this recently so you might want to check her website for some information. I know that sounds stupid but Susan Sommers was on it and she is a huge advocate for bio-identicals. Just do the research and make your own mind up. You HAVE to be your own doctor as the general medical doctors don't have the education or sometimes they don't believe in this type of treatment.
Good luck!

I have had some similiar things happening with myself. Go to a Dr. that does the salivia testing. You will get a totally difference results than blood work. I go to Dr. Lena Edwards in Lexington,Ky. You could call her office and see if she could recommend someone in you area, or check on the computer.
V.

Hi J.,

It might be premenopause but you can dodge the symptoms and delay the inevitable if you do a few things....First of all, you're right to exercise!That's great!

The next is to eat right. If youre eating food laden with chemicals, it's going to exacerbate the problem. Extra chemicals in the system knock the body's natural chemistry off. I always suggest eating organically. Before you say it cost too much, it really doesn't. The food is so good for you, and it taste so much better, it satisfies and you don't eat as much. That right there balances your budget.

Are you taking a multivitamin? If you are, make sure you are taking the right one. Multivitamins with minerals can actually be dangerous for you. They can create free radical activity which is the cause of major disease like heart disease, diabetes, cancers, etc...There's one that is safe and effective along with several whole food suppliments.

If you are doing all this already, you may need a jump start to restore the chemicals that are off balance. That'w when supplimentation becomes a precise art!

Hope I helped!

M.

Not sure if this could be what is going on with you but I had gained some weight in my stomach area and had stomach problems and sweats like you mentioned. Doctors thought it stress, like the say a lot of times when they can't find something and gave me acid reflux medicine. I ended up in the hospital 6 months later for 5 days when my small intestine started to rupture. I had diverticulosis which turned into diverticulits after eating flax seeds(thought those were healthy). I guess the only way to know if you have something like that is a colonoscopy. I would keep having it checked out and do your own research on the internet. I've heard so many stories of people being sick but not having it detected right away. You know your own body best. Hope it helps a little.

That's what doctors say when they have no clue, and think it's in your head.

Check out this website: www.womentowomen.com. That isn't "normal" or just "getting older".

I started gaining weight for no reason and finally started going to a Naturopathic Physician, who figured out what was wrong (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) and I've gotten so much help (even got pregnant - which we'd been trying), without drugs. www.naturopathic.org

Also, the book Feeling Fat, Fuzzy or Frazzled by Shames, MD is excellent, and cheap on amazon.

Good luck - and keep looking until you get some help!

See an Endocrine doctor,(thyroid)(hormonal). They usually listen to whats going on in your body. They'll do some blood work and check your TSH level and any vitamin defiances. I would start there first.

I am 34 y/o and for the past 7 years I have been battling PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Like you, all my tests came back normal, but what triggered the tests for PCOS was weird weight gain despite working out, hot and cold flashes (aka I call them "personal summers"), skin tags, anovulation (lack of ovulating), excess hair growth around my belly, and severe mood swings. Although everyone has different symptoms of PCOS the two things that cause red flags are weight gain with no explanation and insulin resistence, which they test with a 24 hr urine test. I would ask your OB if you can go see an endocrinologist. Once they do blood tests and urinalysis they send you back to your OB to look at your ovaries itself. Mine were...shrunk and covered in cysts. This explained why all of my hormone levels read I was in menopause and that it was so difficult for me to get pregnant. They told me I would NEVER get pregnant, but after a long stint of fertility drugs and a ruptured cyst my cycles returned to normal and I actually ovulated for the first time in 5 years and got pregnant.

I hope this info helps. Good luck and keep us posted!