Is it hot in here....

or is it me.....?

This phrase which has been uttered I am sure by many women over the generations, and now by me over the last couple of months, has become my mantra! Yes, it would seem at the tender age ( to me) of 47 I am going through the menopause! I was really not sure about posting about this issue but as it has become a such a part of my life at the moment I felt I should. Not one for taking tablets at anytime unless absolutely vital, I now have the dilemma of finding an alternative to HRT.  This has not been an easy decision. What women would not be influenced by the recent research about the long term effects of taking HRT?  A series of worrying studies – linking HRT to breast cancer, heart disease and strokes – have led to a significant drop both in the duration of time that women are staying on HRT and the number of women taking HRT. So what options are there out there? I started at my favourite site for all things alternative Victoria Health and checked out one of their best sellers, MenoHerbs 2. They suggest  that roughly from the age of thirty four, the ovaries begin to gradually shut down and this phase is termed the perimenopause. Now that explains a lot!  No wonder I've felt like c**p on and off for years! And as Mother Nature ups the anti in the form of hot flushes I find myself seeking out 100% cotton clothing like a women possessed! The merest suggestion of Lycra brings me out in a cold hot sweat! So its goodbye Magic Knickers (but not without some sense of relief ) they always feel a bit like an instrument of torture. Getting the darn things off after an evening out and a glass of wine did involve quite a few acrobatic movements especially when in the bathroom, not wanting my darling husband to see me in them! Finally it would also seem that menopausal symptoms are not all physical. There is a huge change mentally, mostly revolving around how you view yourself as a women. Ugh!   

Comments

[Mary]

Welcome to the furnace. My hot flushes started a few months ago - although I am a few years ahead of you (age wise). I'm just miffed that it's the Spring / Summer time. At least if it were Winter I could leave off the fluffy bed socks. Like you I'm debating how to manage it. At the moment I'm 'burying my head' hoping it will go away???? Mary

[Ali]

Thank you for TALKING about it. A girlfriend and I were discussing the other day, how we were less prepared for menopause than we were for puberty.

I am clueless as to what to expect and how to deal with it - so go ahead and spill the beans. I for one will be all ears.

[Sharon]

Welcome to the "women-of-a-certain-age" club LOL I'm almost 46 and started this menopause business about a year ago and I'm not a happy bunny ~ sob, sob I'm VERY reluctant to even consider HRT since there is a history of breast cancer in my close family, so at the moment all I'm doing is taking a supplement ~ no idea if it's ACTUALLY doing any good but so long as I think it is, that's okay LOL

[tracy x]

I can feel your misery!!!
At the age of 30 i was treated for endometriosis and part of the ordeal was being put through a fake menopause for 6 months - the hot flushes cannot be put into words - you can feel them coming and there is nothing you can do to stop them!
Stephen brought me a fan and slept in the spare room!!
It changed me as a person and it is something that i am dreading having to face again - so glad i will be in the cooler climate of Scotland when it happens.
Tracy x

[Clare]

Oh Jane, welcome to my world!!! I started going through the menopause in my late 30s. Hot flushes and night sweats have been the bane of my life ever since! I do have some reprieve for a few months but back they always come with a vengeance. I chose the natural alternatives. I am anti-HRT I'm afraid! Red clover helped with the hot flushes for a couple of years but then stopped working! Black cohosh lessens them somewhat. I think I can count on one hand the amount of really good nights sleep I've had over the past few years! I've heard the flushes can last for many, many years - eek! Needless to say I've thrown nearly all my polo neck jumpers away! I take a calcium and vitamin D supplement due to the risk of osteoporosis. It's no fun going through the menopause and it certainly does affect you mentally, but it is a natural thing, so I try to go with the flow and whenever I shout 'flush' to my husband he invariably rushes over with the newspaper or whatever's to hand and wafts me!!! Clare x

[marie]

I have yet to reach this milestone, but I wondered if you had heard of Vitex agnus castus or chasteberry? It is beneficial for perimenopausal symptoms especially for hot flushes.

Here is a link to some further information about this herbal supplement: http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Herbal/atkin23.htm

[beachy]

Well I hope this is a cheery comment for you... I did manage to finish the earrings! =) They are a tad different in that I wasn't able to totally duplicate the original pair. If you are interested, I've put them in my etsy shop with your blogname on them. You are not obligated of course... I can remove your name should you decide they are not for you. =)

[Angel Jem]

Not looking forward to this time of life!!! I know my Mum went through hell.... hope you find a solution that suits. (I know she took large doses of Evening Primrose Oil all her life... worth a go?)

[canada]

I have started taking Meno-Herbs 2 also for the last 3 weeks, and so far they really do seem to be working. My hot flushes have stopped, and generally I do feel a sense of well-being all round. So I would recommend. Also they are all natural ingredients.