I am sorry if everyone is sick of the menopause topics but I would like to ask if anyone is doing it a natural. I have decided not to take anything. I am 51 and experiencing hot flushes, my periods are irregular now and were heavy. I started training moderately again and I was able to lose 5kg in 5 weeks.
I would love to read how it has been for women who decided not to take any hormones during menopause period.
My hot flashes started in earnest at 51 as well (I’m 52 now). Until 2 months ago, I also chose to accept this as a natural stage of life. However, I was no longer able to sleep normally because the hot flashes intensified, repeatedly waking me up and interfering with my training and job performance. Not sleeping was an absolute deal-breaker for me.
The bio-identical progesterone cream I take is made from wild yam extract, 12%, with 3% progesterone. If you can continue to get a good night’s rest, train, and do your job throughout menopause, then you will be luckier than most.
Hi – I went through it natural, posted a long response in the other menopause thread above . . . won’t bore y’all twice!
I’ll be 52 at the end of this month and I’m currently peri-menopausal. I have not gone the full year without a period - I keep thinking when I have one ‘well that is maybe the last one’ but then 2 or 3 months go by and I have it again. I have experienced a couple of bouts of hot flashes that have lasted about a month each time. I also get the chills which apparently is all part of the adjusting hormones. I also get wicked headaches when I’ve had the hot flash episodes. I’m not taking any medications at all except tylenol when I have a headache. My doctor has not suggested that any treatments are necessary quite yet. So, mostly I suck it up - my emotinal state seems quite stable to me but my loved ones may say otherwise! hahaha.
I’m training quite lightly right now, biking about 3 hours a week (indoors), running about 15 km a week and swimming 2 to 3 times a week for about 45 minutes to an hour. I do find I have to watch how much I eat - this seems to be the biggest challenge to control portions of food especially when training volume is decreased.
I am the same as you in my peri-menopausal stage kimbie, I am not sure what I will do yet. I do find that I want to eat alot and all I do is smell food and I put on weight.
I am going to have to go and find that other post which was written by kiki about menopause, I am very interested to see what she did.
Oh, I’m hungry all the time it seems. I’m about 10 pounds heavier than I want to be. I do try to focus on eating the right things and managing portion sizes. I know it could be worse so I try to focus on staying fit and worry less than the number on the scale (easier said than done!).
I am doing it naturally. My mom had breast cancer, so no HRT for me.
Sleep disruption is the worst symptom I have. I limit caffeine later in the day, train so I will be physically tired, take vitamin I (ibuprofin for you youngsters) and/or a Benadryl if needed. I can fall asleep but have trouble staying asleep. Training through it helps a lot. I am not running as well as I did, but can still swim and bike pretty strongly. I am trying some other activities as well, such as yoga and dance based classes, just to keep it fresh and interesting. Should add weight training.
On this thread or another someone had an interesting point about joint pain and feeling pain more in general. I am finding that to be true. After years of being bullet proof, I have aches and pains. That may be aging more than menopause in particular, but it is true that I have to get used to feeling different in my body.
I keep telling myself this is only temporary.
I’ll be 52 at the end of this month and I’m currently peri-menopausal. I have not gone the full year without a period - I keep thinking when I have one ‘well that is maybe the last one’ but then 2 or 3 months go by and I have it again. I have experienced a couple of bouts of hot flashes that have lasted about a month each time. I also get the chills which apparently is all part of the adjusting hormones.
this is me too. I’m almost embarrassed thinking i should have “gone over” by now also (oh, and I’m 6 months away from 52) and still fertile, each month. Each month I keep thinking, well this will be the last one…maybe. have had a good ride of hot flash-free weeks for quite a while now also.
Before a hot flush, someone told me they call them power surges now. I get palpitations and a feeling of danger and fear, does anyone else get that. Even though I would like to go natural I am getting my blood checked for hormones and then I will see my gynaecologist to discuss these horrible feelings, I also found the libido has gone, I really need to pick up.
It has been about 3 months since my last period
Pine - RE: “a feeling of danger and fear” - I get this a bit too. Even when I had regular periods, I would have episodes of anxiety about a week before getting my period. I still get the odd anxious episode and irrational thoughts like thinking that my partner does not love me anymore. I’ve learned what they are and how to calm my self down (this is where tri training comes in yes?). A therapist helped me with that however along with a few other things! (that’s a much longer story and a different topic)
I am 51 and have been in menopause for 4 years now, perimenopause started at 45 and lasted 2 years… I went completely natural and never ever considered doing it any other way. Yes, hot flashes come and go, especially in the summer months, but they’re less intense now. I used to have phases of insomnia but training hard helps that a little (knocks me out!). The most difficult thing for me now is water retention which I try and combat by eating lots of greens and diuretic veggies (fennel is the best). Keeping my weight down is a constant battle but I’m fine with it. Love not having my period, love not having to worry about birth control 
Very interested to know what most perimenopausal symptoms are… I’m 49 and still have my period - irregular, short and fast but man…when will it end? My old eggs should be long gone by now. I do notice night sweats before every period now. Other than that - nada. I’m a vegan so not sure if that helps ease the discomfort. Would love to hear what others experience with perimenopause so I know if I’m already there or not. Google hasn’t helped me much and I don’t listen to doctors…
I am 51 (52 is fast approaching) and I haven’t had a period in about two years. My symptoms were very similar, powerful headaches, hot flashes, night sweats (soaking wet sheets), chills, sleep disturbance and severe fatigue. I went to a dr. of Chinese medicine and was helped greatly. Headaches are almost gone, night sweats are gone, hot flashes are mild, chills are mild. I am still working on sleep and fatigue. I’m hoping that if I can work on this fatigue and get back to training, my sleep will get better. TCM has an interesting take on sleep disturbances. Might sound weird but its helped me a lot, just my two cents. I like this thread
all I can say is please keep posting about this topic. I lurk a lot but don’t post. enjoy reading about others’ experience. I’m just about 49. I am on NuvaRing and terrified to stop using it because of debilitating hormonal migraines. So far the quarterly periods I have are short lived and the GYN recommends removing the ring @ 50ish to see what will happen. Again, I’m terrified b/c of the migraines. Genetics says I should stop at 51 but who knows. Not looking forward to hot flashes as not a big fan of the heat. My aunt /paternal GM (biological pattern I seem to be following) said that was the only symptom she really had. Undecided about HRT, but I’m not one to lose days of my life over debilitating symptoms (see above with the migraines)
Okay, I’m freaking out. In the past week, I gained 7 pounds! Ack! I was not training last week but did a couple of hikes. My eating habits remained the same. How is this possible? I’m really trying to watch what I eat - this is nuts. I’m starting to obsess and really don’t want to. Anyway, I’m just looking for sympathy mostly.
On the upside, I started taking a herbal remedy for the hot flashes about 2 weeks ago and they have subsided. But now I get to be bloated maybe?
This article mentions a comprehensive study on soy as beneficial to menopausal symptoms. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/...lash/article2405295/
What is annoying is that only a year ago there was an article contradicting that one: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/...tudy/article2124233/
What the heck, I’m going to try soy. Last week I wasn’t exercising while on vacation and I had a ridiculous number of hot flashes. Plus, I’ve been gaining weight despite eating less and exercising more. Since I’ve starting trying to get to race weight two months ago, I’ve gained two pounds!!! ARGGGGGGGH! And I doubt it is muscle that is overspilling the elasticized top of my bike shorts.
Hello, I always read the post over at the tri forum but I have found recently coming over to the Women’s more. I am glad I did since I have enjoyed and found some of the post with information that pertains to me and what is happening right now with my life. I am also experiencing peri menopause and I am having problems with my training and performance. I am getting cramps a week before I get my period and whenever I try to cycle or run I get the cramps even worse. Do any of you have this and have you seen a drop in strength in your training? I find myself not being as strong on the bike and struggling with hills. Also I have put on weight because I gained it due to a Thyroid problem and have not been able to loose a single pound. It is very frustrating.
OK, I caved. I am on hormone replacement and I feel much better, but I have also started to eat a lot, I just love food. No more hot flushes or feeling of impending doom. I am also cycling much better again and kicking ass. The only down side is the eating
I get hot flashes continually but find that with 1 cup of soy milk/day (i recently switched brands and found this to be the case as the other brand didn’t “work”) keeps the DRENCHING hot flashes away. As long as I’m drinking soy milk the intensity is definitely decreased.
Well misery loves company and this thread helps! I’ve stopped taking my herbal remedy to see if that was making me bloat up. It’s only been a couple of days so we’ll give it a bit of time. It’s true that we can eat less and still gain weight. I’m pathetic and dieting as I’ve exercised my whole adult life and up until now that has always worked. Sigh… now I’m counting calories.