Ladies, Menopause Question

[mesquite]

Okay girls, I'm 49, have all the equipment still, have been on Estroven for last 2-1/2 years, but for the last two months it hasn't been working. The hot flashes are turning into dripping sweats about every 40 minutes and nighttime is a nightmare. Cover up, cover off all night long. My question to you is this: Do you have all your equipment and take HRT? Last November my Dr. refused to give it to me for that reason and basically told me to suck it up. I have a new Dr. now but wanted to see what, if anything, everyone else was doing.
Tried to go the herbal route but that doesn't do anything either. Sorry this is so long.
Hugs
Sue

[JuliaL]

Mesquite: I can't answer your question because I'm not on HRT or in menopause. I am in peri-menopause, so I'm having some symptoms (night sweats and irregular periods) but not all that you are having.

Come over to the Challenge Board and post on the Peri-Meno challenge thread. There are some very knowledgeable ladies over there who might be able to give you a perspective.

Julia

[mesquite]

Julia, Thanks for the info.
Sue

[Sharon]

Mesquite
I'm 58 and have gone through menopause. It started for me in 1997 and I only had night sweats never a daytime hot flash. We are all different and experience different symtoms. I also opted not to take HRT as there is so much controversy about whether or not we have to take it. I decided to excerise more - I'm a racewalker who does marathons and skis at least 35 days a year. Be sure to have a bone density test so you have a starting point to track bone loss. My back and hips are not even on the chart for risk eventhough I have a mother who used to be 5'6" and is now 4'11". I also have an inversion table where I hang upside down to stretch the spine. My husband used to laugh when I would get on it. He would say to people when they called that I was just hanging around. The feeling of inversion is fantastic. You can certainly feel your spine lengthen. Back to HRT that's a personal choice that you have to make. Please do some reading on the subject and then decide. Don't just let the Dr. tell you to take this or that. Be informed first and then question the Dr.

[nonstickpam107]

My endocrinologist Rx's me naturally compounded, bio-identical estradiol, and I use compounded natural progesterone (also bio-identical) to slough uterine lining, but some women use it every day, instead of cyclically. I have blood testing to keep my levels where they should be, and use the very lowest dose that "alleviates the symptoms" and no more.

I went post-meno at the age of 42, and have autoimmune disease, as well as RA and osteoporosis (yep, at age 42, I had severe hyperparathyroidism, too several years ago, and they never told me to supplement heavily with calcium after).

I feel good on this regimen, and did probably about four months of reading and studying to find the difference between bio-identical compounds, and natural HRT. Do read Dr. Neal Rouzier, if you get a chance, he's pretty "new" with testing.

Pam

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