Perimenopause

[Klane1118]

I'm a 41 year old woman experiencing perimenopause.  I'm looking for other women who are experiencing perimenopause as well so we can help support eachother through this roller coaster ride.

[MelC23]

Hi - I'm there with you - I'm 48, this started for me about 5 years ago.   It's been a roller coaster, as you say, for sure.  All the 'rules' and what I thought I knew about my body changed.  It doesn't help that I have a very long commute to work, and sit all day.  

so I'm a married mom of two - watching my diet is tough with a family that likes their sweet stuff.  I live in the Midwest,and work full-time.  How about you?  My name is Melanie

[Klane1118]

Hi Melanie!  I am a 41 year old married mother of four.  As I look back, my symptoms started about four years ago.  They were very mild and I noticed changes and even went to the doctor and was told everything looked normal after an ultrasound but the doctor never did a blood test to check my hormone levels.  At this point I have night sweats and battle with anxiety as my chief symptom, not to mention foggy brain and losing my ability to focus and concentrate.  This sucks!!!

[MelC23]

Night sweats - day sweats - I get them on a regular basis!  My face gets all red, and next thing I know, I'm soaking through my clothes.  I call them my "personal summer days".  They leave me drained of energy and very tired.    They have been getting better recently - I have started upping my workouts, and doing more cardio.  I started running again (when I say this - i mean gasping my way through a couch-to-5k app - LOL), and it has really helped my anxiety.  I wish I could turn my brain off sometimes!    To says it sucks is a complete understatement.

I see a number of others have read our posts so far - come join the fun if you're out there.  You wouldn't have clicked on our posts if it didn't resonate with you, right?!?  🙂

[DanielleinDC]

I'm almost 49, and I luckily haven't experienced any yet, except for ridiculously irregular periods. Last year I went five months between periods. I'll have cycles that are 40, 50, 60 days, and then I'll have a three-week cycle. I used hormonal BC until my mid-30s, and had regular periods until the last five years or so.

I can't really go by family history because my mom had a hysterectomy in her late 30s and my sister had one in her early 30s.

I also eat a fair amount of soy since I'm vegan, and that may help mitigate symptoms. But if I start having them, I'll want a support group.

[Klane1118]

DanielleinDC we're definitely here for you.  Maybe you'll be lucky enough to skate through with no symptoms.  Be glad!

[JoannaPW]

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@DanielleinDC wrote:

I'm almost 49, and I luckily haven't experienced any yet, except for ridiculously irregular periods. Last year I went five months between periods. I'll have cycles that are 40, 50, 60 days, and then I'll have a three-week cycle. I used hormonal BC until my mid-30s, and had regular periods until the last five years or so.

I can't really go by family history because my mom had a hysterectomy in her late 30s and my sister had one in her early 30s.

I also eat a fair amount of soy since I'm vegan, and that may help mitigate symptoms. But if I start having them, I'll want a support group.

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You are not the first vegan woman to note the lack of perimenopause or menopausal symptoms.  I am a vegan and my only symptom was that I started skipping periods.  Eventually they just stopped.  No mood swings, hotflashes, or anything else I can attribute to menopause.  It just faded away.  I am not sure soy has anything to do with it though.  I do eat edamame on occasion but I have never been much of a soy fan.  There are some interesting thoughts here on why a vegan diet makes menopause easier for women, from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/a-natural-approach-to-menopause

[DanielleinDC]

I'm also trying to eat a healthier diet, cut back on junk food, and exercise more. According to the article you posted, @JoannaPW, aerobic exercise helps, and I get a good 45 minutes of it (although not at once) five days a week. I also do a fair amount of strength training.

[Klane1118]

I wanna be like you!  Being active definitely helps!  Things are progressively starting to get better.

[DanielleinDC]

I'm also having a bit of trouble sleeping. Granted, I should probably get to bed earlier, but I have trouble falling asleep and seem to spend too much time awake. I read that that lower hormone levels cause sleeping issues and happen with women going through menopause.

I have aromatherapy and a sort of bedtime ritual to relax, but I still have trouble. It could also be because it's summer and hot outside.

[Klane1118]

Try melantonin, it works for me.

[NativeMom]

Hi Ladies!  I am a 49 year old mom of three boys and am definitely experiencing perimenopause. It sucks! Anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks, my periods are different every month, headaches, stomach issues...uugh! I have vowed to lose the weight I'm carrying and be fit by the time I turn 50. I've picked up my exercise and am mindfully eating better. Exercise helps a lot with the anxiety but like someone mentioned in of their comments, I wish I could turn off my brain!

[Klane1118]

Sent from my iPhone

[Klane1118]

Hi Native Mom!  Yes it is quite the journey.  It's unfortunate that something that each woman experiences is rarely talked about.  Since implementing walking I have decreased anxiety.  It was really hard for a while.  I'm learning to embrace the change and try to keep a positive outlook about it.  As everything in my live is changing, children aging out of the house, so is my body and I am learning to listen to it and not have unreal expectations.  I could tell you some stuff about this journey!!!!

[NativeMom]

You get in a ton of steps each day! How do you do it?

[Klane1118]

I walk in the mornings, at lunch, and the evenings.  Right now there's a work challenge.  After it's over I will probably drop back in steps.

[Klane1118]

I walk in the mornings, at lunch, and the evenings. Right now there's a work challenge. After it's over I will probably drop back in steps.

[debbie5983]

Hi Ladies, I'm 50 this year but was post menopausal at 35, long story short I thought I was pregnant lol. I had absolutely no symptons periods just stopped.  Went to see the Doctor for a pregnancy test (had home tests which proved negative) and again 5 tests later still negative so blood tests taken.  Definitely post menopause. Because of my age I had some bone density scans done and it was decided due to my age that medical help was needed.  That all stopped when I was 45.  I have some minor "tropical" moments now which I didn't have before but that's about it.  For me the biggest issue is the weight gain.  All my life I have weight around 118 lbs, I'm 5ft 2" but since the menopause I have gained 27lb.  I not a gym lover never have been but I have 2 dogs, 2 horses and I work full time - I spend around 2.5 hours per day at the yard with the horses and dogs "being busy" and my fit bit tracks my steps on average 15000 per day.  I do yoga when I can.  I used to do Body Pump but now have tennis elbow and I used to do HIIT but have just had an MRI for problems with my knee. The other thing that I hate is my body has gone from hourglass to barrel - the one consolation is I have wisdom. 

[Hypnopickle]

Thanks for that link! I'm not a vegan or vegetarian, but I've been reading about how soy products can help with the perimenopause symptoms that are starting to come on strong right now.

I'm 46, never had kids (by choice), and have been having hot flashes, night sweats, increased anxiety/depression (beyond what my daily dose of antidepressant seems to be able to handle), even worse insomnia (always had trouble sleeping and now, OH MY GOD IT SUCKS), super irritable within the 4 days before my period is due and my boobs are now sore for about 5 days a month! Like so sore that it hurts to put on a bra & take it off. Seriously, I was going to do some HIIT on my elliptical and I thought, "well, they're super sore, probably should wear a sports bra." I did and it hurt to have it on and then the girls hurt ever WORSE when I took it off.

I feel like I'm suddenly living in another person's body. Like aliens came down & swapped my other body out for this one. UGH.

[chocl8truffles]

Hey there.  I have found my people.  I just began reading a little bit about the weightloss thing and perimenopause.  It is really thing and I'm not losing my mind!  I am 45.  Have gained 45 pounds over the last 3 1/2 years.  20 of those pounds while I recorded my weight watcher points  (life timer) and trained for my first half marathon.  I gave up trying to lose about a year ago or so.  I was so exhausted exercising and eating right and gaining at the same time!! 

It sounds like many in periM turn to the ketogenic diets and have success, but I'm happy to see that there some vegetarians here and I definitely lean that direction.  I did try whole 30 with some success last christmas, but I only managed the whole 14.  soooooo much meat!  

I am currently in a boot with a bad sprain and small break in my foot.  Someone pulled the bottom stair out from under me as I went to step on it. So I'll be starting slow on my steps.

I would love to hear what  has been successful for you.  

I am using the charge 2.

Tanya