Older Women and Aging Related Health Problems

Pcola Girl · 04-01-2008, 02:15 PM

I was just wondering about us older women here and what type of aging realated health problems they are facing.
Do you have any of them now? What are you doing to prevent any problems with your aging?
Are the health problems you have or may face in the futrue inherited from your parents?

I know as we get older we tend to get health problems that the young do not have yet and I feel its imoportant to keep a record of our health problems for future family members to know and your doctor to.

So lets hear from you and what you got to say about aging and health problems.

idioglossic · 04-02-2008, 06:44 PM

Mental pause was huge for me...

Learned to live with the hot flashes and depression..

But the brain freeze stuff never got easier...

Pcola Girl · 04-03-2008, 12:01 PM

I use to get hot flashes real bad when I was in my late 40's but I was put on hormones and they eased up alot. Took them to up until about a couple years ago and my doctor took me off of them, said I no longer needed them.

Arthitis has set in on me bad and not in one place, I have it in all my body joints especially my spine and knees.

LS_Oregon · 04-03-2008, 06:32 PM

Menopause has been horrible for me. I started at age 43 and it is still going strong at age 53. I was so caught off guard, everyone else in my family just sailed through it. I have it all -- hot flashes, rages, mood swings, brain fog. I can live with the hot flashes, even though I average around 26 a day and several in the night, but the rages are the worse. I never even suffered from PMS, yet if I don't take hormones, I have road rage, temper, etc and normally I am one of those mellow types. The solution is easy, just take my estrogen patch, but I have no insurance and keep trying to go off it and no one is safe when that takes place. On my last visit to the doctor, she said I may have to take it the rest of my life.

I do exercise several times a week, not for the weight loss benefits, but to protect my brain. My brain functions so much better with exercise and always had. But I am living proof that you can jog, do aerobics, etc and still put on 80 pounds. If I would just quit exercising my mouth.....

nonstickpam107 · 04-05-2008, 11:38 AM

Rage plus the other symptoms (hot flashes, brain fog, being uncomfortably warm, etc.) usually also signals perhaps a thyroid problem. And that happen in peri and menopause. Very quick explanation: you lose progesterone first. That happens to be the thyroid's 'hormone of choice'. Once you lose that, the estrogen is unbalanced, then the thyroid tries to take over for the missing prog. It ends up petering out. You end up getting only a TSH and the docs keep missing 'the diagnosis'.

Can you get a Free T4, Free T3 (not to be confused with a T3 Uptake...), TSH and anti TPO antibodies??

Pam

LS_Oregon · 04-05-2008, 01:49 PM

I am being followed by a great thyroid physician, she believes that it's not the test results, but how you feel, which as you know, not all MD's follow that sort of thinking. However, she does not have me on Armour, which I am wondering if that would change anything (I have read some of your posts). I was originally put on thyroid after I was working at a medical clinic and I guess the doctors were tired of seeing me in a sweater in the summer. Those were the days of the really long ranges and of course I tested normal, but the head nurse handed me the brochure and I had most of the symptoms of hypo, so she talked one of the doctors into giving me some. It really helped.

I have no medical insurance right now, but should have some by August. I am hoping to explore this more then (once I am past that whole pre exist thing). Currently I am just taking 100 mcg of synthyroid.

Someone had suggested adding the supplement Thyroplex, to give me more of a balance effect, but I really don't want to spend money that I don't have on something that may or may not help me.

nonstickpam107 · 04-05-2008, 02:49 PM

Synthroid is a synthetic T4 ONLY drug. Those adding Cytomel (synthetic T3) or switching to Armour need WAY LESS mcg. of T4. Thyroplex has no 'therapeutic amount' of any hormone (and neither does ANYTHING not requiring a prescription, the FDA does not allow any 'noticeable' amount in the product).

A good thyroid doctor does FT4 and FT3 levels and makes sure the patient has those results in their hands once they have been discussed so that the patient is well aware of what happens when T4 doesn't convert to T3. The only way to tell if you NEED T3 is to test for it. A TSH test only tells you what the pituitary is doing TO the thyroid.

No patient should be put on Armour unless the doctor tests for both T4 AND T3 (that would be like giving you insulin without checking your blood glucose) so better that those patients whose doctors do NOT do FT's just keep them on T4 only. No patient should be put on synthetic thyroid hormone without testing either. And the 'how you feel' way is wonderful...but my doctor always does FT's to make sure, and then it's up to me to go up or down a little making sure first that I'm not hyPER or that my hormones aren't being 'bound in the blood' by other meds and/or hormones.

My whole life changed for the better when switched to Armour Thyroid. And it costs me a 'whopping' nine dollars a month!! (I think Synthroid costs more, doesn't it?).

ETA: I sympathize with the no med. insurance...are you aware that you can get a TSH, FT4 and FT3 at Online Lab Tests: blood work, blood testing and laboratory tests for under 90 dollars? (It's usually about 300 to 500 dollars if put on insurance or requested by a doctor).

Pam

Pcola Girl · 04-07-2008, 11:50 AM

I have arthritis in my spine and hips and knees to.
Do any of you have it?

nonstickpam107 · 04-08-2008, 06:45 AM

I have it in lower spine, but I don't 'feel it' since I started lifting weights. I have it in wrists, almost all my joints, etc. Actually, it's hyperparathyroidism (not to be confused with thyroid disease) I had (adenoma) that caused Paget's disease, which in turn, caused arthritis. Whew! But I do well on glucosamine/chondroitin and weight bearing exercise.

Pam

Pcola Girl · 04-08-2008, 01:46 PM

I have been on Glucosamine/Chondroiton for six years and I have not been able to tell any difference in my arthritis. To me it seems to be getting worse and also popping up in new parts of my body.
I am just so tired of all this pain I stay in, thats all.

04-01-2008, 02:15 PM	#1
Pcola Girl Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pensacola, Florida Posts: 3,175 Gallery: Pcola Girl Stats: Start-325 Today-225 Goal 160 WOE: Atkins Start Date: Sarted Nov. 2000---Restarted New January 2008	Older Women and Aging Related Health Problems I was just wondering about us older women here and what type of aging realated health problems they are facing. Do you have any of them now? What are you doing to prevent any problems with your aging? Are the health problems you have or may face in the futrue inherited from your parents? I know as we get older we tend to get health problems that the young do not have yet and I feel its imoportant to keep a record of our health problems for future family members to know and your doctor to. So lets hear from you and what you got to say about aging and health problems. __________________ Mary

04-05-2008, 11:38 AM	#5
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 12,120 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: 230/116/120 (BF<26%) WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	Rage plus the other symptoms (hot flashes, brain fog, being uncomfortably warm, etc.) usually also signals perhaps a thyroid problem. And that happen in peri and menopause. Very quick explanation: you lose progesterone first. That happens to be the thyroid's 'hormone of choice'. Once you lose that, the estrogen is unbalanced, then the thyroid tries to take over for the missing prog. It ends up petering out. You end up getting only a TSH and the docs keep missing 'the diagnosis'. Can you get a Free T4, Free T3 (not to be confused with a T3 Uptake...), TSH and anti TPO antibodies?? Pam __________________ So many fireworks. So little time. "The thyroid is nothing to mess with" ... Sunset

04-05-2008, 02:49 PM	#7
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 12,120 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: 230/116/120 (BF<26%) WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	Synthroid is a synthetic T4 ONLY drug. Those adding Cytomel (synthetic T3) or switching to Armour need WAY LESS mcg. of T4. Thyroplex has no 'therapeutic amount' of any hormone (and neither does ANYTHING not requiring a prescription, the FDA does not allow any 'noticeable' amount in the product). A good thyroid doctor does FT4 and FT3 levels and makes sure the patient has those results in their hands once they have been discussed so that the patient is well aware of what happens when T4 doesn't convert to T3. The only way to tell if you NEED T3 is to test for it. A TSH test only tells you what the pituitary is doing TO the thyroid. No patient should be put on Armour unless the doctor tests for both T4 AND T3 (that would be like giving you insulin without checking your blood glucose) so better that those patients whose doctors do NOT do FT's just keep them on T4 only. No patient should be put on synthetic thyroid hormone without testing either. And the 'how you feel' way is wonderful...but my doctor always does FT's to make sure, and then it's up to me to go up or down a little making sure first that I'm not hyPER or that my hormones aren't being 'bound in the blood' by other meds and/or hormones. My whole life changed for the better when switched to Armour Thyroid. And it costs me a 'whopping' nine dollars a month!! (I think Synthroid costs more, doesn't it?). ETA: I sympathize with the no med. insurance...are you aware that you can get a TSH, FT4 and FT3 at Online Lab Tests: blood work, blood testing and laboratory tests for under 90 dollars? (It's usually about 300 to 500 dollars if put on insurance or requested by a doctor). Pam Last edited by nonstickpam107 : 04-05-2008 at 02:52 PM.

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04-02-2008, 06:44 PM	#2
idioglossic Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Virgin Islands Posts: 9,700 Gallery: idioglossic Stats: 172/132/125 5'2" WOE: Stillmans, low carb, low fat, low sodium, 2 meals Start Date: August 29, 2004	Mental pause was huge for me... Learned to live with the hot flashes and depression.. But the brain freeze stuff never got easier...

04-03-2008, 12:01 PM	#3
Pcola Girl Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pensacola, Florida Posts: 3,175 Gallery: Pcola Girl Stats: Start-325 Today-225 Goal 160 WOE: Atkins Start Date: Sarted Nov. 2000---Restarted New January 2008	I use to get hot flashes real bad when I was in my late 40's but I was put on hormones and they eased up alot. Took them to up until about a couple years ago and my doctor took me off of them, said I no longer needed them. Arthitis has set in on me bad and not in one place, I have it in all my body joints especially my spine and knees.

04-03-2008, 06:32 PM	#4
LS_Oregon Senior LCF Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 82 Gallery: LS_Oregon Stats: (240 high) 208/148/140 WOE: Low Carb My Way Start Date: 01/09/2008	Menopause has been horrible for me. I started at age 43 and it is still going strong at age 53. I was so caught off guard, everyone else in my family just sailed through it. I have it all -- hot flashes, rages, mood swings, brain fog. I can live with the hot flashes, even though I average around 26 a day and several in the night, but the rages are the worse. I never even suffered from PMS, yet if I don't take hormones, I have road rage, temper, etc and normally I am one of those mellow types. The solution is easy, just take my estrogen patch, but I have no insurance and keep trying to go off it and no one is safe when that takes place. On my last visit to the doctor, she said I may have to take it the rest of my life. I do exercise several times a week, not for the weight loss benefits, but to protect my brain. My brain functions so much better with exercise and always had. But I am living proof that you can jog, do aerobics, etc and still put on 80 pounds. If I would just quit exercising my mouth.....

04-05-2008, 01:49 PM	#6
LS_Oregon Senior LCF Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 82 Gallery: LS_Oregon Stats: (240 high) 208/148/140 WOE: Low Carb My Way Start Date: 01/09/2008	I am being followed by a great thyroid physician, she believes that it's not the test results, but how you feel, which as you know, not all MD's follow that sort of thinking. However, she does not have me on Armour, which I am wondering if that would change anything (I have read some of your posts). I was originally put on thyroid after I was working at a medical clinic and I guess the doctors were tired of seeing me in a sweater in the summer. Those were the days of the really long ranges and of course I tested normal, but the head nurse handed me the brochure and I had most of the symptoms of hypo, so she talked one of the doctors into giving me some. It really helped. I have no medical insurance right now, but should have some by August. I am hoping to explore this more then (once I am past that whole pre exist thing). Currently I am just taking 100 mcg of synthyroid. Someone had suggested adding the supplement Thyroplex, to give me more of a balance effect, but I really don't want to spend money that I don't have on something that may or may not help me.

04-07-2008, 11:50 AM	#8
Pcola Girl Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pensacola, Florida Posts: 3,175 Gallery: Pcola Girl Stats: Start-325 Today-225 Goal 160 WOE: Atkins Start Date: Sarted Nov. 2000---Restarted New January 2008	I have arthritis in my spine and hips and knees to. Do any of you have it?

04-08-2008, 06:45 AM	#9
nonstickpam107 Thyroid Patient Advocate Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NE Indiana Posts: 12,120 Gallery: nonstickpam107 Stats: 230/116/120 (BF<26%) WOE: Started w/Atkins/Now BFFM Start Date: Nov. 23 2000	I have it in lower spine, but I don't 'feel it' since I started lifting weights. I have it in wrists, almost all my joints, etc. Actually, it's hyperparathyroidism (not to be confused with thyroid disease) I had (adenoma) that caused Paget's disease, which in turn, caused arthritis. Whew! But I do well on glucosamine/chondroitin and weight bearing exercise. Pam

04-08-2008, 01:46 PM	#10
Pcola Girl Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Pensacola, Florida Posts: 3,175 Gallery: Pcola Girl Stats: Start-325 Today-225 Goal 160 WOE: Atkins Start Date: Sarted Nov. 2000---Restarted New January 2008	I have been on Glucosamine/Chondroiton for six years and I have not been able to tell any difference in my arthritis. To me it seems to be getting worse and also popping up in new parts of my body. I am just so tired of all this pain I stay in, thats all.