I guess I'm at that stage in my life where I am starting to go through menopause. I'm starting out freezing when I get into bed at night and kicking the covers off hours later even though its cold. I can't sleep at night. Migraines are horrible and everyday. The last period before this one was two weeks late and now I'm having another one that has lasted seven days now with heaving bleeding and clots. My periods are never that long. I have been so busy doing my "gay rights thing" that I have learned very little about what is happening with my body. So Karabulut? Is there anything I need to be doing during this stage? Do I need to take any extra supplements? I'm already on calcium and a good multi-vitamin supplement. Help! I haven't got time for this. :lol:
As someone roughly the same age as you, don't jump to conclusions!!! Go and see your doctor and get some tests done. Thyroid problems can cause night sweats, stress can bring on long periods. My last period lasted 14 days, the day I arrived in England for Christmas and stopped the day I left to come back home!... see stress not menopause! :icon_bigg This is something that will catch all us ladies one day but don't go looking for it!
I went through menopause at 29 due to surgery. I had the night sweats and so on. The Dr. tried me on hormone replacement and my body rejected it. Even the smallest doses gave me bad side effects. I agree you should see the Dr. They can determine if you are indeed going through menopause. If that is the case,there are many different drugs that can help with it. Good luck. Mickey*
I can't afford to go to the doctor right now. Things are pretty tough right now. Both the husband and I are making less money due to the economy being such a mess. I have had my regular yearly physical exam and have had my thyroid levels checked. I don't have a thyroid due to cancer at age 23. I'm pretty convinced its pre-menopausal symptoms.
Based upon the symptoms you've described and your age, it does sound like you're beginning menopause. It's a bit early- most women start having these symptoms a few years later- usually late forties into early 50s. I'm not sure if you are aware of your mother's or aunt's experience with menopause- whether they experienced similar symptoms in their late 40s but it's very common for menarche and menopause to be very similar from generation to generation. One thing that is not common is that most women report that their migraines get better with menopause, so that is an uncommon symptom- you may just be one of the unfortunate women whose migraines get temporarily worse during the hormonal fluctuations that happen with menopause. There was a lot in the press about 10 years ago regarding hormone replacement therapy (HRT). At one time, women were put on long-term HRT at menopause. The large-scale studies that came out in the 90s, indicated that long-term HRT was not beneficial and might actually be harmful. But what didn't get covered in the press articles is that HRT is can still be beneficial for some women who are having irregular periods, hot flashes and other frustrating symptoms. Believe it or not, about 30-40% of women undergoing menopause don't have hot flashes and the other symptoms that are associated with menopause. About 30% have mild symptoms that are annoying but don't really impact their daily activities. Unfortunately, about 30% of women have the really annoying symptoms like loss of sleep, hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats and all the other problems that you're having. Dr Susan Love has a book that is a very good overview of menopause and she discusses the various options for managing symptoms. It's available on Amazon. Her approach to the issue acknowledges that decreasing hormone levels is a normal feature of a woman's life and should not be treated with long-term HRT but for the 30% of women who have significant menopausal symptoms, short-term low-dose HRT is appropriate for managing the symptoms. You may be able to talk with your doctor via phone instead of having to go for an office visit. Menopause isn't a disease or something to be treated like a disease but the symptoms that you're describing can be managed. And if you have been using the same doctor for some time and you recently had a physical, your doctor may be willing to prescribe something for you over the phone. But if, based upon your description of your symptoms, your doctor wants you to come in for an office visit- the by all means go. There's no reason to have to suffer through these symptoms.
