<p>My OB/GYN had told me that menopause would hit me at 51 and he was right; howevr, I think I peaked out at 52.</p>
<p>I’m 46 and the hot flashes are starting but no waking up soaked yet!</p>
<p>The forgetfulness is one of the worst symptoms but my friends are getting forgetful too, so we try to be helpful and remind each other about things.</p>
<p>A baby now :eek: I’d probably leave it in its carseat on the roof of the car like the nit wits in Raising Arizona!</p>
<p>At least I’m already up in the middle of the night!</p>
<p>I’m 46 and 3 months - and, (sorry if this is repetitive! I’m the OP.) have had basically no periods for the last 6 months. I had 1-2 days of spotting a few months ago, and a 2-day light period/spotting a few days ago. Hot flashes come and go, but no pouring sweat - just sticky, sweaty feeling. My mother didn’t hit menopause until 51 or so, so maybe this is just a temporary faze for me. (I wouldn’t mind if it isn’t!!!). I have had only a few migraines in the last 6 months, as mine are hormonally/period triggered. (I usually have headaches for the two weeks near my period, then 2 weeks w/ practically no headaches.) Being post-menopausal will be a GOOD thing for me! :)</p>
<p>dmd–tell me more about the Sprint 8 program–is there a website?</p>
<p>I am 48 and haven’t had major symptoms. My mom didn’t have too many difficulties so I am assuming I won’t either. However, if I want to get a full rested night’s sleep, I must do at least one full hour of cardio every day. I must not drink ANY caffeine incl decaf and if I wake in the night, I must meditate on the word ‘nothing’ for ten to fifteen minutes. Otherwise, I start solving constrcution problems at 3 am.</p>
<p>Oh my gosh!</p>
<p>Do you actually get an hour of cardio every day?</p>
<p>When I am in the groove…including spinning, spinner, which is called RPM over here.</p>
<p>I do 1 hr of cardio daily too… good for sanity and helps me deal with my prodigious appetite.</p>
<p>Ill be 49 in teh fall- haven’t had any symptoms as far as I can tell-
I have been doing teh gym- not quite everyday now that it is summer but I aim at 5 times a week- 35minutes of stationary bike- 10 of stair machine and 25 of the rowing machine each time I go & about 30 min of weights.
it helps me sleep, even if I do it at night- although I still like my coffee- I mean this is seattle!
It helps my mood too- and I find that I don’t get as hungry- my blood sugar seems more stable-
I am not really dieting, but I find that exercising makes me more aware of my body and what I eat & my friends who have been through this counsel me to lose it before menopause cause it is harder after.</p>
<p>My 16 yr old really wants to try a triathlon with her friends but my gym doesn’t allow kids- so I may find one closer to her school that we can join until she goes off to work at camp.
First I didn’t want to switch- but then I thought “hey- this is something she * wants* to do with me & I can’t get my husband to go to show off my bench press skilzs- so I might as well get my teenage daughter to go!”</p>
<p>I am 47 and had a total hysterectomy about 8 years ago. I have to take Premarin or I have hot flashes like crazy. I still get flashes, I switched to a lower dose in hopes of weaning myself off HRT. So far I can’t stop. I wish I could figure out a way to get off HRT totally though. They say having menopause is a way of giving us more time to deal with our newly acquired misplaced hairs. Luckily for me I only have 4 chin hairs I have to keep on top of, I am relatively nonhairy otherwise. In fact, I am losing hair in a rather intimate place. My husband suggested a little toupee. I let him live. :D</p>
<p>I use a fan all year round, my poor husband is huddled under the covers like he’s burrowing into a cave and I have my legs out and only use the top sheet. Sometimes I think I am going to die if the cat decides that sleeping on mummie is a good way to get cozy. I can tolerate it for a while, but then it gets to be unbearable. Poor cats, they love warm places but I am not their personal heating pad.</p>
<p>I finally, after total despiration to get a good night’s sleep, asked my doctor for some help. He gave me Xanax, the lowest dose is .25mg. I take half of one at night and it helps. To live it up I take a whole one on Friday and Saturday nights cuz I can sleep in on those days, unless I have some wine, then I don’t take any. He said it’s no shame to get a little help to get some sleep… his wife is going through the same thing so he’s sympathetic.</p>
<p>Better living through chemicals. ;)</p>
<p>n fact, I am losing hair in a rather intimate place. My husband suggested a little toupee.</p>
<p>you are right in style- some apparently have it waxed
( don’t men deal with their bald heads by shaving the whole thing?)</p>
<p>for the sleep I would try b vitamins and melatonin, my husband especially likes the sublingiual
<a href=“http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/alternative/10/12/melatonin.clock/[/url]”>http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/alternative/10/12/melatonin.clock/</a></p>
<p>I do like the spinning classes and have now discovered “Boxing Boot Camp”, which is great for the upper body. I am too disorganized and too lazy to exercise every day, though!</p>
<p>My 16 year old daughter is sometimes my exercise partner. My 30 extra years may give me a little wisdom but she bounces back from exercise a lot faster than I do.</p>
<p>Just as a heads up:</p>
<p>Thyroid problems can cause body hair loss.
My sister and I are both hypothyroid. She has the nice side effect of losing unwanted hair. Didn’t really happen for me though. A classic hair loss symptom is losing the outer portion of your eyebrows.</p>
<p>Ladies,</p>
<p>Several of these remedies have worked with a great number of women. But, if you are like me, a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed two years ago, had surgery, radiation, and now on a drug called tamoxifen which is used to inhibit estrogen production for woman with hormone receptive cancer. Since most cancer is hormone receptive, than this applies to most woman with breast cancer. Tamoxifen is the drug of choice for women who were pre-menopausal when diagnosed with cancer. I am in the drug induced throws of menopause which is accompanied by night sweats, day sweats, weight gain,
drying skin, chronic itching, and lethargy. The good news is, I’m alive. The bad news is there if very little I can take as oncologists does not recommend any herbs as a good deal of them mimic “estrogen”. I do recommend, a remote control fan in your bedroom, light sleepwear with a fresh pair on the side of the bed to change into quickly in the middle of the night, and a large bottle of water on the nightstand. Remember ladies, this too shall pass, but I would love to hear any suggestions that don’t involve hormones.</p>
<p>Oldhat, nice to see another BC survivor. I finished radiation last August. Unlike yours, my cancer is HR-, so I can’t take Arimidex or any hormone therapy. I know the side effects suck, but I also know that you are grateful that you have hormone therapy as an option, as it decreases your chances of recurrence. And if it makes you feel any better, I’m also suffering with night sweats, day sweats, weight gain, drying skin and lethargy (no itching, at least!). Hang in there!</p>
<p>patsmom,</p>
<p>Hope you are doing well, and it’s nice to know that I am not alone.</p>
<p>I sleep with a small fan on the nightstand blowing directly on me. This is in addition to the air conditioner, a ceiling fan and another oscillating fan in the room. I keep a giant insulated mug (with a lid and straw to avoid the inevitable spills at 3 am) filled with ice water on the nightstand. I’ve even used one of those extra large gel-filled freezer things you use for putting on boo-boos (it’s about 12" x 24"). Keep one in the freezer and put one on you somewhere. I put mine in a pillow case, which keeps it from being so cold it might keep me awake. It thaws fairly quickly, so even if you fall asleep with it on you won’t get frost bite. </p>
<p>I hate to be hot.</p>
<p>Patsmom and Oldhat, my sympathies.</p>
<p>over30</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, I like the frozen gel pack idea and will give it a try. The
night sweats are far worse the warmer the weather. Sadly, I live in CA and we seldom have very cold weather here.</p>