The Menopause Journals

Cathy Tiffany, author

I'm 42.  I'm in menopause.  Seriously - full blown, no periods menopause.  The new period thing I dig.  The hot flashes, body changes, sleep altering stuff - I do not.  It's really strange.  I got off the birth control pill three yearsish ago.  As soon as I did, I dropped 5-7 pounds (I'm thin anyway), the nifty wave in my hair disappeared, My sleep went to hell in a hand-basket and my hot flashes went from occasional to crazy.  Oh yeah - and my breasts started leaking milk.  Really?

My next gyno visit bought me a mammogram, an internal and external ultrasound (by a male technician - great.) and blood work $$$.  Anyhoo - as suspected, all was fine, but I am one of not many my age that is in early menopause.

The thinner you are, the younger you are and the faster you go from regular periods –irregular periods – no periods, the worse your hot flashes are.

Isn’t this crazy?  What is the pits is that my gyno office was so worried that they signed me up for all these tests, but once everything was OK, they sent me on my way with no info as to how best to deal with all this crap.  Hmmmm.

My hot flashes went away for a bit but are now back and my body is changing, which is not making me happy.  I’ve been blessed with a high metabolism and don’t have to be too careful with what I eat, but choose to eat healthy.  I now better start watching or I won’t be happy L

So, as an act of sisterly love, if you happen to be facing any of this, I researched info on my own that will help alleviate these symptoms.  As I was reading these symptoms (just now) I am shocked that I see several other things that happened to me that are all associated with menopause!!  Aha – I’m NOT falling apart or crazy!!

Common and not so common symptoms:

• Hot flashes and/or night sweats
• Fatigue
• Cravings for sweets or carbohydrates
• Diminished sexual desire, vaginal dryness
• Irritability, mood swings, depression, and/or anxiety
• Insomnia or restless sleep
• Fuzzy thinking (difficulty concentrating, memory problems)
• Weight gain, especially around the middle
• Stiffness and joint issues
• Irregular periods

Other menopause symptoms include headaches, heart palpitations, thinning hair, dry skin, dry eyes, increased facial hair, urinary dysfunction, and digestive problems.

Common Treatments:

Avoid caffeine/alcohol
• Sleep 7-8 hours per   night
• Intake vitamins B,C,D,E
• Practice breathing   exercises
• Eat a balanced diet
• Exercise regularly
• Stay hydrated

Here is a link that had much more info……http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/treatments.htm