What do you do for your menopause symptoms?

[AARPTeri]

Have you found things to help with sleep loss, hot flashes, weight gain?  Have you experienced any of or all of these symptoms?

[EeshanI768309]

After a year of stopping menstrual cycle - one gets confirmed that its her menopause period. That's the end of reproductive cycle. Once these symptoms are recognized then one should consult gynaecologist. 

[MichelleR644395]

I don't have vasomotor symptoms, but at 51, with my cycle quickly tapering off, I've been plagued with weight gain despite a plant based diet, and the mood swings are really unpleasant. My social media feed is plagued with ads for every crazy supplement, diet plan and menopause-specific exercise plan, so that I don't know where to turn.

[Anonymous]

1 comment (12/4/22) .ALL of them @AARPTeri. I dress in layers and travel with a hand fan for my face. And I spare no $$ on the air in my car during the Summer. Too hot! .😭. Great post, Nicole 🙂

[evelevrae1]

I have no symptoms because I eat a whole food plant based way of eating. Read "your body inbalance" by Neal barnard.

[m830416b]

I used a "chillow" at night for sleeping.  It is like a cold pack one refrigerated that is placed in a cover.  I also used 100% cotton nightgowns, sheets, and alight cotton blanket.  I drank lots of ice water.

During the day I wore cotton tops.  I used a hand held fan when needed.  After 10 years the hot flashes stopped. 

[BillieL662298]

Embrace the energy surges that keep you up at night. Soon enough, you will be on an even keel as you age. I used to get up and write poetry with the extra energy. I like getting better sleep now, but I miss the feeling of power cycles. 

Billie

[BronwynM413834]

Hi, all 🙂

I am only turning 40 this year, yet, I have had all those symptoms for about 6 years already. It started soon after my hysterectomy. So, naturally, I thought menopause or hormones. I went from one doctor the to next and no one could tell me why I was having all these symptoms except that it was not menopause or hormones.

After trying hormone tabs and other medications, that did nothing, I eventually got to a doctor who suggested it might be sugar. So, I had my sugar levels tested and wham, that was it. I changed my diet and most of the symptoms disappeared. I can only hope that by the time menopause actually hits me it will be a bit less of an inconvenience than that time was for me, lol 🙂

Thanks for sharing all the great advice as well, interesting read 🙂

[Cirice]

Hi Bronwyn

What changes did you make to your diet that helped you? Who know... maybe it will help me, too!

[BronwynM413834]

Hi, Cirice 🙂

I cut out sugar, processed foods and things like bread, rice, cereals, etc. I added yogurt, full cream, and a bit more veggies. It allowed me to be myself again, lol.

[Cirice]

@BronwynM413834  Sounds like a good, healthy diet. I don't know if I could do it.  I'd have to really ease in to it, lol!

[BronwynM413834]

@Cirice

It is a good diet, was not easy though if being honest 🙂 I also eased into it, I was never very fond of veggies but today I almost eat all of them, lol. It's all about finding recipes that suit your taste. The sugar I reduced on a monthly basis, I started by removing 1/2 a tsp per month, now I am sugar-free 🙂 I also tested different coffees, I went from normal coffee to percolator and then found chocolate coffee beans for the percolator, now I'm hooked, lol 🙂 Baby steps gets it done 🙂

[dk9757]

I have a prescription for 0.1 mg of Clonidine daily. I take half of the pill at noon and the other half right before bed at about midnight. No more hot flashes. I take two other meds for my high blood pressure, one in the morning and one at night. I was experiencing high blood pressure in the middle of the day until I started taking the Clonidine at noon. It lasts me longer than two hours, so I'm happy and so is my doctor.

[Bruizer8]

That sounds great! I am hoping it will work for me, too.

[SaraL218963]

Wild yam cream is often sold as Progesterone Liposomal cream.
I read that it is often promoted as a “natural alterative” to estrogen therapy. Some women apply wild yam creams to the skin to reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.
I got the below info from the Nutricelebrity website.

" Natural Progesterone Liposomal Cream is a Natural Progesterone Cream from Wild Yam and balancing herbs"

[SaraL218963]

Sorry I keep posting this reply wrong...

Wild yam cream is often sold as Progesterone Liposomal cream.
I read that it is often promoted as a “natural alterative” to estrogen therapy. Some women apply wild yam creams to the skin to reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.
I got the below info from the Nutricelebrity website.

" Natural Progesterone Liposomal Cream is a Natural Progesterone Cream from Wild Yam and balancing herbs"

[Muttville]

These plant-based bio identical pellets were recommended to me. They are implanted under your skin. I've heard two success stories. Has anybody experienced these? https://www.biotemedical.com/

Thank you,

Amy

[georgiek]

It may not be menopause.

10+ doctors told me my "hot flashes" were from menopause. Menopause was five years ago, "hot flashes" started two years ago.

It might not be menopause. Doctors assume that a woman with hot flashes/sweating is having menopause symptoms. I insisted that it was not, and finally found a doctor who agreed with me. See a specialist - endrocrinology or hematology. It could be many other things that are hormone related, but not caused by menopause (i.e. adrenal glands, pituitary glands)

[SaraL218963]

I found that Natural herbs like Black Cohosh are great Hormone balancers. Google search will show you several studies. I get mine from a supplement formulation. I can message you the info and maybe a photo of it, if you need.

[krhammonds]

I take 1000mg of vitamin E(natural) and  put wild yam cream on soft area of body. I put on my stomach. I did this every morning for a year. It really worked for me. I didn’t have hot flashes for 10 years .  They started back last year and I started back taking the vitamin E and using the wild yam cream, it works for me, no hot flashes or night  Sweat

[SaraL218963]

Magnesium also works well, I get the spray on kind. Trans-dermal, absorbed by the skin.

[j780214w]

Yes, I have never heard of wild yam cream? Where you get it? Thank You

[Bruizer8]

I tried the yam cream to no avail. I have not tried the vitamin E though, so thanks for that! 🙂

[8588]

I suffered terribly 35-62. Finally it just tapered off. Now, only occasionally with hot fluids or food. I was on HRT for 5 years. Md advocated no longer than that. It helped. All the philopina women I worked with said they never had problems with hot flashes. They attribute that to all the soy in their diets. 

[Bruizer8]

I'll bet she is right about the soy. It didn't work for me, but I haven't had it in my diet all my life. My Mom had absolutely NO menopause issues....no hot flashes, no mood issues, nothing! She had one long period about a month and a half, and that was it, done! Must be nice, huh? Obviously how your Mom went thru it has no similarity to what you may experience! LOL sheesh. lol

[evelevrae1]

 i've got it totally dialed. i went plant-based, which means no flesh or secretions from animals last april and added a tablespoon of ground flax seed and a serving of soy every day. and not only did it nix the menopause symptoms, but it protects against breast cancer and heart disease and all the rest of the western diseases. don't believe the bad press that soy gets. look at the science. give it a chance. i am still noticing improvements every day. and the food is delicious and hearty. better than popping pills. and it's much cheaper and the only side effects are more energy, weight loss, and looking great.

[Bruizer8]

That's great! 🙂

[dk9757]

I am 71 years old. I had a full hysterectomy when I was 43 and went on hormone therapy for many years because the hot flashes were unbearable. After the women's study came out indicating that HRC can cause breast cancer I stopped the hormone pills and tried everything that was 'natural'. Nothing helped. Fortunately, about five years ago a friend of mine told me about a high blood pressure med that stops hot flashes. It's called Clonidine. She was on it for less than a year and experiences no more hot flashes. I have high blood pressure so have been taking this med since about the time she told me about it. I have no more hot flashes, and also my blood pressure is under control - a really great two-for-one.

[Bruizer8]

Oh my gosh!  Thank you so much for the tip.  I also have hypertension and I am currently on Lisinopril.  I will call and ask my doctor about trying Clonidine.  Thank you for some hope! 🙂

[am54885493]

I’m 64 now but the ages of 45-55 were brutal! Weight gain, thots askew, a misdiagnosis or two and the sad reality was .... MENOPAUSE. I can remember my mother leaning into me on Christmas morning, patted my thigh and whispered. ... “The middle years weren’t good to me either.” .... Well, I had to dig deep to give myself some positive coaching! I decided to fight thru it with no HRT, no anything. I survived but it was no fun. I wouldn’t want to revisit that time, actually I can’t think of a time I would revisit. Onward and upward! Tally ho ho ho, keep on keeping on!