Still Learning
Lorie Moms
I am new here, a friend of mine (who told me that when you enter the
wonderful world of menopause, you start posting on newsgroups like crazy!
haha) suggested I post here.
I am only 43 years young, and just found out that I am "perimenapausal" (Did
I spell that right?) I noticed about 2 years ago my wonderfully regular
cycle (I used to be able to even tell what time of the day it would start)
went from 28 days to 27 days, now 26 days. I skipped a period a few months
ago (Man, that was SCARY! I was in tears for days, telling my SO that I am
too old to have anymore children and wanted to stay "retired!".) and I
skipped last month.
Now I never know when I am going to have my period...the 26 day cycle seems
ok, but then boom, it will change on me. I don't mind it too much, since I
never really suffered from PMS (ducking) just getting alittle bloating and
things like that, nothing serious.
What I hate is the bleeding with some of my periods. They are so heavy, I
sometimes wonder how one small uterus could hold so much blood!!! It starts
on day one and usually on day three, I get what I call the "whoosh", and I
go through tampons like nobody's business. I have had some embarrassing
moments..the worse was on my way to work one day, I felt that Whoosh and
looked down, and my entire pants were covered in blood..my measly tampon
didn't do a thing. I had to turn around and go home, shower and change.
Now I wear a tampon (I have read how some women use two tampons, but I don't
see how you can do that!) and a pad and I still am always checking out where
the nearest bathroom is whenever I go anyway. Its just awful. How does
everyone deal with it? You gotta go on with your life, no?
I am also greatly concerned about my health. I am trying desperately to
quit smoking now, because I understand it will make this process even worse,
and I suffer from bi polar disorder. I am taking neurontin to help with the
cycles, but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
read about. Does everyone get these?
How did you all feel when you first found out that you were going through
"the change"? Has it affected your lives that much? Did you feel
incredibly old? (I always felt I was so young and gads, this blows me
away!) I have had three children, my tubes are tied and my mother went
through an easy menopause at a fairly early age (mid 50's) with no hormone
replacement drugs. Should I pray I take after her?
Anyway, thanks for listening! I am enjoying reading all the postings!
Chris Malcolm
>I am only 43 years young, and just found out that I am "perimenapausal"
>I am also greatly concerned about my health. I am trying desperately to
>quit smoking now, because I understand it will make this process even worse,
>and I suffer from bi polar disorder.
Not an easy one, because BP is helped to some extent by smoking.
>I am taking neurontin to help with the
>cycles, but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
>read about. Does everyone get these?
Lots do. I'll let the others answer for menopause and HRT etc.. My
wife is a menopausal-onset bipolar disorder sufferer. You're probably
in for a rough ride, because your mood control systems are already
wobbly, not to say knackered, and menopause is going to destabilise
them further. Since Neurontin is pretty benign, if it's giving you no
unpleasant side effects consult your pdoc about raising it to improve
your mood control in this coming tricky time. If you are already up to
what you can tolerate, it's worth considering helping it with another
mood controller. Since another has different side effects, you get
improved control without increasing the side effects. That's the
theory. Does often seem to work, and this "polypharmacy" approach to
BP is gaining popularity.
You might also want to consider having on hand an anti-depressant to
take on an as-needed basis, if you get sufficient warning of a coming
depression. You probably know that taking it prophylactically, just in
case, is not a good idea for you, esp since neurontin has some AD
activity already. An unusually fast acting OTC, mild, and unusually
benign anti-depressant is St John's Wort from your local herbalist,
but don't take it unless you are definitely sinking towards or in a
depression. It's not strong enough for serious depression, but it
gives some helpful leverage. If you're not already doing so, start
taking omega-3 rich fish oil, and eating oily coldwater fish like
salmon (wild, not farmed) and mackerel. These oils have a stabilising
effect on BP mood swings, indeed some suggest that much BP disorder
and depression could be a result, in susceptible people, of fish
deficiency in inland non-fish-eating populations.
If you end up taking a few drugs for BP and something for menopause
you can get into an awful tangle of not knowing what is a disorder and
what is a side effect, and some docs will keep giving you extra drugs
unitl your eyes are spinning round in your head. Try to keep your
regime simple, only change one thing at a time, and keep a diary of
moods and medication. It's a bore at first, but it will become an
invaluable reference in time, esp. if you keep it on computer where
you can do word and phrase searches.
If you aren't already familiar with non-drug mood control (diet,
lifestyle, etc.), do start learning. It all helps. For example, never
sleep in in the morning, it's bad for depression (for you). If tired,
still get up early, but take an afternoon siesta, quite a different
effect on brain chemistry, and try to get out into bright daylight,
taking some exercise like walking, for at least half an hour every
day.
You can find more details at my BP web page,
http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/daidb/people/homes/cam/medical/bipol.html
Best wishes.
>How did you all feel when you first found out that you were going through
>"the change"? Has it affected your lives that much? Did you feel
>incredibly old? (I always felt I was so young and gads, this blows me
>away!)
It gets increasingly difficult being young as you get older :-)
Consider how you can enjoy being old. Research shows that cantankerous
eccentrics tend to live longer. You could start by easy stages, like
trying to embarrass teenage shop girls by your unladylike
behaviour. Make friends with an animal, they don't give a hoot about
age. Spend some time every week dawdling around exploring for
something enjoyable to do.
Best wishes!
--
Chris Malcolm c...@dai.ed.ac.uk +44 (0)131 650 3085
School of Artificial Intelligence, Division of Informatics
Edinburgh University, 5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK
<http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/daidb/people/homes/cam/> DoD #205
Jane W.
news:6N3j4.4476$bp2.2...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
> Hi everyone
> I am new here, a friend of mine (who told me that when you enter the
> wonderful world of menopause, you start posting on newsgroups like crazy!
> haha) suggested I post here.
>
> I spell that right?)
I had my first night sweat at age 38, and some of my worst perimenopausal
symptoms at ages 41-45.
> I noticed about 2 years ago my wonderfully regular
> cycle (I used to be able to even tell what time of the day it would start)
> went from 28 days to 27 days, now 26 days. I skipped a period a few
months
> ago....
The skipping became more common for me, and I skipped 6 months at one point
and 3 at another.
> What I hate is the bleeding with some of my periods. They are so heavy, I
> sometimes wonder how one small uterus could hold so much blood!!! It
starts
> on day one and usually on day three, I get what I call the "whoosh", and I
> go through tampons like nobody's business. I have had some embarrassing
> moments..the worse was on my way to work one day, I felt that Whoosh and
> looked down, and my entire pants were covered in blood..my measly tampon
> didn't do a thing. I had to turn around and go home, shower and change.
> Now I wear a tampon (I have read how some women use two tampons, but I
don't
> see how you can do that!) and a pad and I still am always checking out
where
> the nearest bathroom is whenever I go anyway.
It's easy to wear 2 tampons. Just hold the string on the first and the 2nd
slides in right next to it. Then just pull them out one at a time. If you
are heterosexual, your SO is probably much larger in diameter than 2
tampons -- even if the tampons are super-sized -- so you still probably
won't feel them.
> Its just awful. How does
> everyone deal with it? You gotta go on with your life, no?
>
> I am also greatly concerned about my health. I am trying desperately to
> quit smoking now, because I understand it will make this process even
worse,
> and I suffer from bi polar disorder. I am taking neurontin to help with
the
> cycles, but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
> read about. Does everyone get these?
No, some women hardly notice perimenopause. Ipm not one of them. I have
sometimes had severe mood swings the day before I start my period. I can
turn into super b*tch overnight and be hard on myself as well as those
around me. I have an SO that should be sainted at this point!
> How did you all feel when you first found out that you were going through
> "the change"?
At first I just noticed strange symptoms: rushing in my ears the night
before periods, night sweats, then food intolerance, and eventually
moodswings. They seemed to come and go (each symptom lasted about 2 years).
> Has it affected your lives that much?
It significantly affected my life. I had to adapt to each symptom. The
moodswings were the worst, since they affected other people, too.
> Did you feel incredibly old? (I always felt I was so young and gads, this
blows me
> away!)
Not really. I've found it rather nice to no longer have the peer pressure
and desires of the young. I have become more focused on what's important to
me in life and moved away from acting like a yuppy. Instead of buying cars
that make me feel "hot" I buy practical functional ones that support my
lifestyle now (hauling around aging parents in their 80s and my 2 big dogs).
Things are just things now, and I am very careful about what I choose to
bring into my life and I only involve myself in things I really feel meet my
personal needs. I have a new kind of freedom. I see some signs of aging --
gray hairs are coming in, I have less raw energy -- but I have plenty of
company. I think of Leo Dicapprio and Brad Pitt as children rather than
potential sex partners, so the fact that they probably wouldn't be
interested in me, either, doesn't really bother me!
> ....I have had three children, my tubes are tied and my mother went
> through an easy menopause at a fairly early age (mid 50's) with no hormone
> replacement drugs. Should I pray I take after her?
Age 51 is supposedly average. My mom was fine without hormone replacement,
too. I remember she was a pretty serious b*itch during peri, but she
categorically denies having any menopausal symptoms! The eye of the
beholder....
>
> Anyway, thanks for listening! I am enjoying reading all the postings!
Welcome, and I'll still be learning as long as I can think and breathe!
You're in good company. I'm sure PatandJoanna will be along shortly to
officially greet you! (Or maybe they already did and my news server is
acting up!)
--Jane
Pat Kight
Lorie Moms <lori...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>Hi everyone
>I am new here, a friend of mine (who told me that when you enter the
>wonderful world of menopause, you start posting on newsgroups like crazy!
>haha) suggested I post here.
Hi, Lorie, and welcome to alt.support.menopause. Your friend may just be
right -- hmmmm, I wonder if we can call that a new "sign" of peri!
(Signs of change -- shortening/erratic periods, heavy bleeding, snipped)
You may be amazed to know that what you write could have been written,
verbatim, by several of us. We even have an entire, unofficial "bleeders'
club," and have been known to swap bleeding stories to the point where we
probably gross out the rest of the group. So first off, you're "normal."
Second, you might take a look at
http://members.aol.com/lblanch000/meno/bleeding.html
a little rant put together by laura, who's presently taking a work-induced
break from the newsgroup. I bet you'll find something familiar there!
>...Its just awful. How does
>everyone deal with it? You gotta go on with your life, no?
That's about it. I don't think anyone here is in a position to just put
her feet up and sleep through it (-; ...
How do we cope? The same way you are. Keep feminine hygiene products
stashed everywhere. Wear mini-pads all month long, just in case. Never
pass a bathroom without stopping in "just to check." Put your white and
light-colored clothes away for the duration and start dressing in darks
(big floral prints in maroons and burgundies really camoflage those
stains!) Me, I stopped wearing slacks entirely in favor of long, loose
skirts and oversized, untucked shirts that hang down far enough to hide
the occasional mishap.
Drink a lot of water. Stay away from alcohol and aspirin while you're
bleeding - they can both increase the flow. Ibuprofen, on the other
hand, may reduce it somewhat (if you have no medical reasons for avoiding
ibu). Some people also notice dietary triggers.
During and between bleeds, try to keep yourself as clean and dry as
possible; you may find that going through all that sanitary protection
leaves you with something akin to diaper rash.
The good news is, the really heavy bleeding episodes may not last that
long. For many of us, they seem to be a stage, and eventually things
settle down to - well, something else. I only get occasional floods now,
and nothing like the 20-plus-days ones that scared the devil out of me at
first.
>I am also greatly concerned about my health. I am trying desperately to
>quit smoking now, because I understand it will make this process even worse,
>and I suffer from bi polar disorder. I am taking neurontin to help with the
>cycles, but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
>read about. Does everyone get these?
I'm not familiar with neurontin, but no, not everyone gets depression
and/or mood swings, at least not in the extreme. Though I'd be willing to
bet most of us get a little cranky after all that bleeding - with good
reason!
>How did you all feel when you first found out that you were going through
>"the change"? Has it affected your lives that much? Did you feel
>incredibly old?
*chuckle*
After the first shock of flooding -- once I'd been to a doctor and this
newsgroup and found out I wasn't dying of some godawful disease - I've
found peri to be quite an adventure. Not always pleasant, but *always*
interesting. And all the more so because of the women I've met hin
alt.support.menopause.
Stick around the newsgroup, and I'll bet you won't find many people who
admit to feeling "incredbly old." Me, I'm getting more comfortable with
the *idea* of old, but other than some creaks and pains, I don't actually
feel much different than I did 10 years ago. (Heck, I don't feel terribly
different, inside, than I did at 14!)
Old age is what we make it. I plan on making mine a helluva lot of fun.
You can make yours whatever you like.
Best wishes,
--Pat Kight
kig...@peak.org
Pat Kight
Chris Malcolm <c...@holyrood.ed.ac.uk> wrote:
>It gets increasingly difficult being young as you get older :-)
>Consider how you can enjoy being old. Research shows that cantankerous
>eccentrics tend to live longer.
Citations, please? (Seriously - I could use some for self-defense!)
--Pat Kight
cranky-old-lady-next-door-in-training
kig...@peak.org
Joan Livingston
things:
1. Quit smoking, pronto. I -know- you know that, but here is one more voice
prodding you on. Many here have quit successfully, so there is support for
you in doing this. Just do it!
2. "Aging" is really a one day at a time process. There does not seem to be
any "bright line" that one day, or because of one event, you are now "old."
3. The "song" you bring into menopause can often define your own experience
you have with it, and midlife as well. Take some time to see what kind of
"song" you are singing about all of this.
4. The volunteer website put together by some of the women here has gone
over a lot of this when it was "our time" and faced many of the same
questions you have, even wrote a little story called the Menopause Cave to
help give a larger picture of some of these major issues, as well as the
website being an excellent factual resources as well:
www.oxford.net/~tishy/beyond.html
Best wishes.
J
Lorie Moms wrote in message
<6N3j4.4476$bp2.2...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net>...
>Hi everyone
>I am new here, a friend of mine (who told me that when you enter the
>wonderful world of menopause, you start posting on newsgroups like crazy!
>haha) suggested I post here.
>
>I am only 43 years young, and just found out that I am "perimenapausal"
(Did
>I spell that right?) I noticed about 2 years ago my wonderfully regular
>cycle (I used to be able to even tell what time of the day it would start)
>went from 28 days to 27 days, now 26 days. I skipped a period a few months
>ago (Man, that was SCARY! I was in tears for days, telling my SO that I am
>too old to have anymore children and wanted to stay "retired!".) and I
>skipped last month.
>
>Now I never know when I am going to have my period...the 26 day cycle seems
>ok, but then boom, it will change on me. I don't mind it too much, since I
>never really suffered from PMS (ducking) just getting alittle bloating and
>things like that, nothing serious.
>
>What I hate is the bleeding with some of my periods. They are so heavy, I
>sometimes wonder how one small uterus could hold so much blood!!! It
starts
>on day one and usually on day three, I get what I call the "whoosh", and I
>go through tampons like nobody's business. I have had some embarrassing
>moments..the worse was on my way to work one day, I felt that Whoosh and
>looked down, and my entire pants were covered in blood..my measly tampon
>didn't do a thing. I had to turn around and go home, shower and change.
>Now I wear a tampon (I have read how some women use two tampons, but I
don't
>see how you can do that!) and a pad and I still am always checking out
where
>the nearest bathroom is whenever I go anyway. Its just awful. How does
>everyone deal with it? You gotta go on with your life, no?
>
>I am also greatly concerned about my health. I am trying desperately to
>quit smoking now, because I understand it will make this process even
worse,
>and I suffer from bi polar disorder. I am taking neurontin to help with
the
>cycles, but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
>read about. Does everyone get these?
>
>How did you all feel when you first found out that you were going through
>"the change"? Has it affected your lives that much? Did you feel
>incredibly old? (I always felt I was so young and gads, this blows me
>away!) I have had three children, my tubes are tied and my mother went
>through an easy menopause at a fairly early age (mid 50's) with no hormone
>replacement drugs. Should I pray I take after her?
>
Pamela Dean Dyer-Bennet
>There's
>also supposed to be no correlation between the age at which your mother
>became menopausal and the age at which you'll become menopausal....but I
>think most of us do assume we will pretty much follow in our mothers'
>footsteps.
I don't, actually, because our experiences with puberty, menstrual
patterns, and perimenopause have been so completely different. I am
far more like my maternal grandmother in all these areas, including,
my mother told me a year or so ago, the terrible flooding and cramps.
I read somewhere, in my teens, a theory that menstrual patterns skip
generations, so that if I had any daughters they might repeat my
mother's patterns as I really do seem to be repeating my
grandmother's. But I've never seen anything real-looking about this,
and I doubt it could really be that simple.
--
Pamela Dean Dyer-Bennet (pd...@demesne.com)
"I will open my heart to a blank page
and interview the witnesses." John M. Ford, "Shared World"
HomemakerJ
Welcome to a.s.m.
Lorie Moms wrote:
> I noticed about 2 years ago my wonderfully regular cycle (I used to be able to
> even tell what time of the day it would start) went from 28 days to 27 days,
> now 26 days. I skipped a period a few months ago
Mine started with irregular cycles and more frequent infections at age 37.
> Now I never know when I am going to have my period...the 26 day cycle seems
> ok, but then boom, it will change on me. I don't mind it too much, since I
> never really suffered from PMS
That's good. I always had PMS and when I hit peri-menopause it got longer for a
year or so.
> What I hate is the bleeding with some of my periods. They are so heavy,
It may not stay heavy. At first with the skipped periods and heavy ones I often
wondered if I'd miscarried. Later, the periods got shorter in length and the
bleeding much lighter. You'll probably find that it will come in all varieties
before you are done. Has anyone mentioned that peri-menopause is a process that
takes years and changes you gradually?
> How does everyone deal with it? You gotta go on with your life, no?
Yes, you go on with your life but you make minor adjustments here and there.
You may have to give up a food for awhile or live on less sleep for awhile, but
the symptoms are temporary. The minor lifestyle changes often remain because we
find our needs have changed.
> but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
> read about. Does everyone get these?
No, everyone does not get these. A majority of women have mild symptoms if any
during peri-menopause. The mood swings are more on the order of laughing at a
funny movie one minute and reaching for a kleenex at a soppy commercial the
next. The irritability, I think, in retrospect had alot to do with my not
knowing much about what to expect or with the PMS, which you say you aren't much
bothered with.
> How did you all feel when you first found out that you were going through
> "the change"?
Awed. I thought my periods would stop next month and that would be that. I was
surprised that I wasn't older.
> Has it affected your lives that much?
A great deal, but I can't think of one symptom that hasn't somehow led me to
learning more about myself that created a positive change. Well, maybe
insomnia...that wasn't so fun.
> Did you feel incredibly old?
Not right away, but I did go through a phase when it seemed like everything was
falling apart and I was alarmed at how fast. Fortunately, as I learned, most of
it was do to decreasing hormone levels and the feeling old part went away.
> (I always felt I was so young and gads, this blows me away!)
Time flies. But there's no reason for you to change and start acting old.
You're just on the threshold of middle age, after all.
> I have had three children, my tubes are tied and my mother went
> through an easy menopause at a fairly early age (mid 50's) with no hormone
> replacement drugs. Should I pray I take after her?
Why not? Sounds like you have a nice life. Mid 50s, by the way, is just
average, not early. So, see, it does take some time and progresses slowly.
Hope you stick around and feel free to ask questions.
Cool Runnings,
HomemakerJ
Theresa
Pat Kight wrote in message <86ip5m$ld1$1...@news.NERO.NET>...
>In article <86illd$6aq$1...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk>,
>Chris Malcolm <c...@holyrood.ed.ac.uk> wrote:
>
>>It gets increasingly difficult being young as you get older :-)
>>Consider how you can enjoy being old. Research shows that cantankerous
>>eccentrics tend to live longer.
>
>Citations, please? (Seriously - I could use some for self-defense!)
>
Something I read some time ago - by Prof Grimley-Evans a UK geriatrician -
came back to me during perimeno and has spurred me on to greater heights of
selfishness. He looked at personality characteristics of the very old
(centenarians I think, I can't find the study but will keep looking).
He seemed to find a link between longevity and cussedness - people who are
self centred and don't care what others think of them are more likely ensure
they get what they need to survive to a great age. It makes sense, but of
course it's possible that people who are like this are also much healthier
to begin with, and that's why they tend to live longer.
I remember when I was a hospital nurse it was always the awkward patients,
those we knew who were likely to make a fuss or complain, who got the most
attention. The pleasant old ladies who "didn't want to be any trouble" were
largely ignored.
Theresa
Anne Marshall
The message <6N3j4.4476$bp2.2...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net>
from "Lorie Moms" <lori...@earthlink.net> contains these words:
I loved reading your post Lorie - someone "going through" pretty much
the same sort of experience as me at the moment:
> I am only 43 years young, and just found out that I am "perimenapausal" (Did
> I spell that right?)
I'm just 44
I noticed about 2 years ago my wonderfully regular
> cycle (I used to be able to even tell what time of the day it would start)
> went from 28 days to 27 days, now 26 days. I skipped a period a few months
> ago (Man, that was SCARY! I was in tears for days, telling my SO that I am
> too old to have anymore children and wanted to stay "retired!".) and I
> skipped last month.
I haven't skipped yet but my cycle has gone totally unpredictable -
we have no children (trying for years) and when I went to day 36
(usually 26 day, sometimes 19 day) - I actually did a preg check just
to make sure ....
> Now I never know when I am going to have my period...the 26 day cycle seems
> ok, but then boom, it will change on me. I don't mind it too much, since I
> never really suffered from PMS (ducking)
> and I suffer from bi polar disorder.
I was diagnosed as bipolar 20 plus years ago, but oddly enough
whenever I have had to be admitted with a crisis it was immediately
before or within 48 hours of start of period, I have been taking
lithium. I was hospitalised just after the start of my really
delayed period (last summer), but have since been okay and off the
lithium (for months, with the psychiatrist's knowledge and
encouragement - promises of a hormone work-up never happened ....)
- I have just had another really long cycle - 34 days this time, but
so far no deep mood swing (I am keeping a daily mood chart - my last
bipolar "event" really shocked me with the intensity (emotionally
bombed out) ..and I was dreading a recurrence (with my docs
knowledge I take lithium premenstrually).
> but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
> read about. Does everyone get these?
As you may gather I am really concerned about going totally out of
control, but so far so good - I'm watching diet, getting exercise and
"looking after myself" a bit more these days.
> How did you all feel when you first found out that you were going through
> "the change"?
It was the pits at first thinking I might at last be pregnant, then
starting late - I guess THAT won't happen again - felt such a fool to
think I might have been pregnant - and at least this time I expected
the worst and nothing happened! (emotionally that is - I'm sat here
flooding and clotting away - super size tamps and nighttime
waterproof pads) Actually I do look forward to the total lack of
menstruation at the menopause. I walk/hike, USED TO run, USED TO
weight train (and now is the time I really should be taking these
things up again!)
Has it affected your lives that much? Did you feel
> incredibly old?
I HATE young kids or teens calling me granny! (early white hair runs
in the family - I think it shows off my tan and "young" (unwrinkly)
face nicely ;-)
(I always felt I was so young and gads, this blows me
> away!)
Best wishes to you - you sound like a fellow traveller.
--
Anne Marshall
Joan Livingston
Anne Marshall wrote in message <200001252...@zetnet.co.uk>...
>> but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
>> read about. Does everyone get these?
>
>As you may gather I am really concerned about going totally out of
>control, but so far so good -
Many, many feared "excesses" pinned on menopause simply are not true, nor
common, nor lacking other life context issues. This shows what a real danger
there is in having the drug companies and the product sellers define
"menopause" in the media and consequently in far too many women's minds.
For some really good facts on the impact of marketing on the perceptions
about menopause, please think about reading "The Menopause Industry" by
Sandra Coney. It will put your mind to ease about a lot of this.
When you already have a complicated health history, I can appreciate your
heightened concerns, but the generalized scourge of "menopause" has been
greatly over sold, along with allegedly "curing" drugs.
Glad you have found a place to start discussing these things and your
fears are one a lot of us had heard about too, until we started digging for
the sources and the context of who was reporting those fears.
Take care,
J
Lorie Edelman
I am still digesting everything and will write back more later! Thanks
again!
"Chris Malcolm" <c...@holyrood.ed.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:86illd$6aq$1...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...
> "Lorie Moms" <lori...@earthlink.net> writes:
>
> >I am only 43 years young, and just found out that I am "perimenapausal"
>
> >I am also greatly concerned about my health. I am trying desperately to
> >quit smoking now, because I understand it will make this process even
worse,
> >and I suffer from bi polar disorder.
>
> Not an easy one, because BP is helped to some extent by smoking.
>
> >I am taking neurontin to help with the
> >cycles, but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
> >read about. Does everyone get these?
>
> >How did you all feel when you first found out that you were going through
> >"the change"? Has it affected your lives that much? Did you feel
> >incredibly old? (I always felt I was so young and gads, this blows me
> >away!)
>
> It gets increasingly difficult being young as you get older :-)
> Consider how you can enjoy being old. Research shows that cantankerous
Lorie Moms
(Snow is a foreign thing to us! haha!)
I am amazed at the amount of replies I have been getting about
bleeding..sure makes me feel better about it. It is such a scary thing.
All the things you hear about when it comes to Menopause is the "complete
bitch" you turn into, and the hot flashes. Nobody ever seems to talk about
the bleeding, and the changes in your body in general.
These are wonderful hints! I dread the summer...I can't imagine what it
will be like to be laying on the beach, then suddenly...WHOOSH!
Pat Kight <kig...@ucs.orst.edu> wrote in message
news:86iogu$jk4$1...@news.NERO.NET...
> In article <6N3j4.4476$bp2.2...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net>,
> Lorie Moms <lori...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> >Hi everyone
> >I am new here, a friend of mine (who told me that when you enter the
> >wonderful world of menopause, you start posting on newsgroups like
crazy!
> >haha) suggested I post here.
>
> Hi, Lorie, and welcome to alt.support.menopause. Your friend may just be
> right -- hmmmm, I wonder if we can call that a new "sign" of peri!
>
> (Signs of change -- shortening/erratic periods, heavy bleeding, snipped)
>
> You may be amazed to know that what you write could have been written,
> verbatim, by several of us. We even have an entire, unofficial "bleeders'
> club," and have been known to swap bleeding stories to the point where we
> probably gross out the rest of the group. So first off, you're "normal."
>
> Second, you might take a look at
>
> http://members.aol.com/lblanch000/meno/bleeding.html
>
> a little rant put together by laura, who's presently taking a work-induced
> break from the newsgroup. I bet you'll find something familiar there!
>
> >...Its just awful. How does
> >everyone deal with it? You gotta go on with your life, no?
>
> That's about it. I don't think anyone here is in a position to just put
> her feet up and sleep through it (-; ...
>
> How do we cope? The same way you are. Keep feminine hygiene products
> stashed everywhere. Wear mini-pads all month long, just in case. Never
> pass a bathroom without stopping in "just to check." Put your white and
> light-colored clothes away for the duration and start dressing in darks
> (big floral prints in maroons and burgundies really camoflage those
> stains!) Me, I stopped wearing slacks entirely in favor of long, loose
> skirts and oversized, untucked shirts that hang down far enough to hide
> the occasional mishap.
>
> Drink a lot of water. Stay away from alcohol and aspirin while you're
> bleeding - they can both increase the flow. Ibuprofen, on the other
> hand, may reduce it somewhat (if you have no medical reasons for avoiding
> ibu). Some people also notice dietary triggers.
>
> During and between bleeds, try to keep yourself as clean and dry as
> possible; you may find that going through all that sanitary protection
> leaves you with something akin to diaper rash.
>
> The good news is, the really heavy bleeding episodes may not last that
> long. For many of us, they seem to be a stage, and eventually things
> settle down to - well, something else. I only get occasional floods now,
> and nothing like the 20-plus-days ones that scared the devil out of me at
> first.
>
> >I am also greatly concerned about my health. I am trying desperately to
> >quit smoking now, because I understand it will make this process even
worse,
> >and I suffer from bi polar disorder. I am taking neurontin to help with
the
> >cycles, but I am so concerned with this depression and mood swings I have
> >read about. Does everyone get these?
>
> I'm not familiar with neurontin, but no, not everyone gets depression
> and/or mood swings, at least not in the extreme. Though I'd be willing to
> bet most of us get a little cranky after all that bleeding - with good
> reason!
>
> >How did you all feel when you first found out that you were going through
> >"the change"? Has it affected your lives that much? Did you feel
> >incredibly old?
>
Pat Kight
>
> Phew, we have had some bad days here in NC, so am slowly catching up again
> (Snow is a foreign thing to us! haha!)
Oh, my, you're down in the new Snow Belt, eh? Sorry to hear it! I hope
things are getting back to normal for you.
> I am amazed at the amount of replies I have been getting about
> bleeding..sure makes me feel better about it. It is such a scary thing.
> All the things you hear about when it comes to Menopause is the "complete
> bitch" you turn into, and the hot flashes. Nobody ever seems to talk about
> the bleeding, and the changes in your body in general.
I suspect this is because bleeding is considered more private - or maybe
more "gross" - than some other meno-signs, so people don't talk about it
as much. I've been surprised to learn, in those in-the-restroom sorts of
conversations, how many women my age have gone through this.
> These are wonderful hints! I dread the summer...I can't imagine what it
> will be like to be laying on the beach, then suddenly...WHOOSH!
Now, now, don't borrow trouble. There's a reasonably good chance that by
summer, this particular sign will have let up and you'll be on to
something else! If not -- invest in red beach towels!
--Pat Kight
kig...@peak.org
c lindau
Pat Kight wrote:
> Lorie Moms wrote:
> > These are wonderful hints! I dread the summer...I can't imagine what it
> > will be like to be laying on the beach, then suddenly...WHOOSH!
>
> Now, now, don't borrow trouble. There's a reasonably good chance that by
> summer, this particular sign will have let up and you'll be on to
> something else! If not -- invest in red beach towels!
>
> --Pat Kight
> kig...@peak.org
Don't forget the red swimsuit!!
Cindy