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QUEENMARY50
7/31/06 8:39 P
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It hard to say how I feel about menopause. It occured in my late 40's, teenage son turned 18 when I turned 50. I think that's an evil trick for Mother Nature to play on moms. Having menopausal mood swings and a moody teenager. He's moved out on his own now, I've finally accepted that. I'm exercising more, watching what I eat and now I have hot flashes. geez! Body is not letting go of the weight, although weight training has made muscles tighten up.
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My name is Barbara, I'm 66 years old and still fighting memopause. If I do not take my prempro .45/1.5 mg every day I start my period.
For a year I was off hormones, and it did not work, sweatty, mean, and moody, and the rest of it. So last year I went on them again. Prempro helps with my moods and sweats. Weight loss has been a problem, especialy after turning the big 65. I lost 32 pounds one year ago, and am having trouble now. Must get back to CURVES, or the gym. Soon summer will be over and I can do something besides yard work, and go on vacation. On the three week vacation we recently took in our small motor home Bill and I both lost 2.5 each. Could it be that we didn't snack?
Well, it's good to get this off my mind.
Barbarajo 
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As i sit here sipping a cool glass of water after not being able to sleep any later (yep - I got up at 4:30 or so), I'm smiling looking at all the things I've experienced, too. Haven't had a period this month, but did last month - am always wondering when the last one will occur.
At 53, I'm ready to be finished with periods, I think, but also realize that hormone swings are part of the natural aging process. I'm a cardiac patient so have to be careful about anything interfering with my meds.
This summer I decided to focus on myself for a change (LOL) - and have lost 15 pounds and a couple of shorts sizes, plus have some great muscle changes - but now have the next 10 to lose. Menopause probably has made it harder to lose, but now I seem more determined than ever.
Good luck everyone - have a great weekend. LindaK
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CHESSIEMAMA
7/26/06 11:20 P
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| My sex drive was gone, too, so I talked to my doctor about it. He put me on a testosterone cream which is compounded by my pharmacist. It has helped a lot, but I did grow a few chin hairs.
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| hi Alrad81 i have heard of ZALESTRA but there are so many others out there I just don:t know which one to try if you start this let me know how it works I am taking CLA right now to burn fat and give you more lean muscle at the gym,it has only been one month and a half now I have lost a few inches not pounds.it:s A LITTLE BETTER BUT i am dieting and working out alot too so who knows anymore I am just so frustrated,let me know if this pill works, thanks for the info,coconut9
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Hi Coconut9,
I was searching the internet and came upon a pill called Zalestra. It is all natural, it helps with the symptoms of menopause and the weight gain. I talked to my Dr on Friday and she said it was good to take so I am going to get me some. I cost about $50.00 a month, but who cares if it works. I just put the name in the seach and that is how I found where to buy it. I hope this helps. Darla
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CIELO_MI_HOGAR
Yeah, the emotional slumps are tied with menopause. If you enjoy reading, now's the time to get a few books on menopause.
I think the slumps for me are because now I have to live for myself instead of through others. I face the question, "What do I want to be when I grow up?" It's just difficult to organize my own life now that my kids have theirs and my husband has his and I have retired from my job. I find myself wondering what I'm here for.
I've read a lot and have learned that this is a normal transition for us women at this age. The emotional slumps, sleeplessness, tiredness, lack of motivation, weight gain are all tied to this time of self discovery.
I've been doing this since 1996. Looking back, I can see how I've come to where I am, but still have a way to go. (And, after all, it's the journey that is important not so much the destination.) I have had some remarkable flashes of insight out of the blue seemingly, that leave me crying and breathless. Like the other day while cleaning out the garage, coming across some old pictures, and suddenly realizing what a gifted, productive, and creative and hard-working person my mother was - and such a good mother - I never appreciated all she accomplished in her life and with us kids - After years of feeling sorry that she had "wasted" her life because she never had a "career". Wow! m'I bad!
That was through the power of menopause. It's a very weird and confusing time and a lot of work on myself after all those years of neglect. Anyway, that's my story. You'll have yours, too, as you go along. Just prepare for some intense learning about yourself along with all the physical changes. It can be surreal at times. A good time to keep a journal, or somthing.
Wish you all the best.
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| The Vitamin B-12 is explained on the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. It is essential for metabolism, red blood cells, circulation, nerves, fatigue, etc. I take it to hopefully increase my energy level. With a low thyroid, I am tired & tend to gain weight easily & not lose it very fast. If Vit. B-12 will help the heart, the nerves & give me some energy, hey why not? Everything ties together in some way.... Tired & fatigued from low thyroid, poor or slowed circulation & Wt gain, etc. I can watch Fit TV until I'm blue in the face, but many times No energy to exercise. :(
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| I have been hearing alot also about insomnia and weight gain,I really don:t sleep well but fortunately I don:t have to get up in the moning so I sleep in quite late then of course I never go to bed early either so it becomes a cycle but I wouldn:t say I don:t get enough sleep although it might not be at night. I haven:t heard of vit,b though also I takr omega-3 ,calicum and magesium,multi-vitamin,vit-c and transform a vitamin and mineral and soy shake and now I started CLA also ,so that:s alot already but hey if more vitamins helps why not?since I take HRT also I don:t take evening primrose or black co-hosh but this seems to work for alot of people,well let:s just keep on the search for the ultimate answer!!!yeah right good luck!!!
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CIELO_MI_HOGAR
6/19/06 8:41 A
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| Oh, interesting; I am 53 now and this month I did not get my period. Last month, only spotted so I suppose this is the onset of menopause. The symptoms of sweating and chills, set in periodically but tolerable. Wondering if the moments of a don't care about anything mode has anything to do with menopause. Sometimes I go through a emotionally stump.
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Here's an interesting thing I just read:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nm_articles.asp?id=129
This article talks about how insomnia plays a role in weight gain. One of my menopause symptoms was (and still is) bouts of insomnia. When I think about it that whole period of my life was a circle of stress, insomnia, and weight gain. I remember my doctor asked me how I was sleeping and when I told her I wasn't, she prescribed trazadone for me to try. It did help break the cycle and got me sleeping again. I definitely get hungrier and snack more when I am tired. So, you might look at your own situation and see if lack of sleep might be part of the weight-gain-in-menopause problem.
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I agree with you completely LotusFlower! If I don't take the Evening Primrose Oil & use my Progesterone Cream daily I notice a return of the flashes. I also try to take in some soy & I take a Vit.B-12 Sublinqual. Now if I could just find "ONE" thing that would take away the flashes, lower the cholesterol, regulate the thyroid & make me lose 30 pounds all at the same time...... Wow! I would be eternally grateful!
That's why I'm here. Using the food tracker helps me to be more conscious of what I'm eating (most of the time) & knowing I need to exercise & mark it down is an added motivator to do something about it. Wish me luck!
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WHITE-LOTUS
6/18/06 9:22 P
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| I am several years into menopause at 53. evening primrose oil, black cohosh, B vitamins,worked for me. as soon as I'd forget to take them a day or two, hot flashes were much worse. I rarely have one now and don't have to take all that now. You have to experiment, plus my doctor was very support of holistic measures.
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| Well it seems from all these lasr threads that black cohosh and evening primrose oil really works and soya products,I am HRT so I guess I wouldn:t see results from natural products and I was using soya powder till somone told me it could lead to thyroid problems and it makes you gain weight so I stopped doing that,I will be geting a personal trainer at the gym to give me a better workout program than what I have been doing.I guess I will really have to step up my exercise and really watch my diet to lose any thing, Yes good luck to all of us for real.It is really hot here like 95 today and boy that extra weight feels like a ton of bricks! That:s another reason I am so irritable,oh well I guess there are alot of worse things like some of the people who have written that they had cancer,so we will survive
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| I am so very glad to read that I'm not the only woman that has experienced weight gain with menopause. It seems that no matter how much I watch what I eat, I have gained a pound or two when I get on that scale. It was almost to the point that I started wondering if something was terribly wrong with me. I have joined a gym, I hope the added exercise will help. I would certainly appreciate any advice or tips. Thanks to all and good luck to us all.
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Hi there, I'm only 52 but what they call 'post-menopausal', having had a hysterectomy for because of cancer when I was 25 (I still have my ovaries). Because I didn't get my period, the only way I knew I was post-menopausal was through blood tests. I went through the worst of the pre-menopausal mood swings and hot flashes not even knowing that it was menopause because I was in my mid-40s. I put the anger and mood swings down to working for a particular lawyer - LOL. I didn't want to go the HRT route, so I looked to natural alternatives. Along with the black cohosh, evening primrose, I found a supplement called chasteberry really helped with the hot flashes. I found a menopause forumla that had the chasteberry and black cohosh together. It really helped me with that. I also found that L-Tyrisine, another supplement really helps with the mood swings. And I eat alot of soy products and use soy milk instead of regular milk for most things, which I believe has helped me stay balanced. Exercise really helps me too, for me it's power walking and strength training. The shift in metabolism with menopause has made the weight around my middle harder to lose, but with diet and regular exercise it's starting to come off and stay off. This is a great post! Let's keep it going!
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My good friend swears by black cohash. I've never tried it. Her doctor told her to go outside to cool off when she had a hot flash. He'll never know how lucky he is to be alive today. If they could just harness all of this rage, we'd have the energy crisis licked.
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I used progesterone cream as directed when I was in the thick of menopause. It really helped me then. I don't take it anymore, because I don't need it now. There is a very good book about it. "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause"
by John Lee, MD and Virginia Hopkins. I wouldn't mind being Canadian these days.
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| Hi Kaizan,Good to hear another Canadian is on the message board where do you live I live in Montreal.Trying not to commit murder!!!!I am thinking about getting a personal trainer at my gym maybe I can get some better pointers on weight lossI have also been resherching some menopausal diet aids on the interent like Zalestra and Estrin D and Estrolean I have no idea which one to try but Zalestra has very good reviews I am taking CLA right now but it will be at least two months before I see results and I am doing acupunture also if you know of anything else please let me know,
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| I'm new here and I just started a new topic on the same subject. Had I read a little further I would have seen this one. I'm a chemotherapy induced menopausal woman and I am looking for tips on how to keep motivated by this slow weight loss. I'll read a little further and see if there are any tips here. Thanks.
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Right on! let's keep this thread active, we need to hear positive outcomes...What is it like to be "on the other side of menopause"....
Best wishes for your resolves to loose weight and please try not to kill anyone! LOL
From one canadian to another,
Cheers,
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| Well Boy did I start something good!!!! we should all keep this going,there are so many of us out there ,I know it will pass but when? How long does menopause take that:s what I would like to know,when am I going to be the same again because I sure do not like the way I am now.I feel like a person out of control.The HRT does help but it:s not normal that I still feel like killing everyone,and everything gets on my nerves.I still am very frustrated with my weight gain even though it:s like 10 pounds it feels like 50.My acupunture is going ok but will have to wait at least a month and a half to see any results. Have read the book The Wisdom of Menopause which was informative she said that Rvival soy shakes really work and help with the symtoms and also help lose weight I tried to order them but can;T get them here in Canada.that:s a drag,Well if anyone has any other suggestions out there about weight loss I am trying CLA just started that it takes at least two months,So we must all unite and carry on and hope for the light at the end of the tunnel,at least we all are going through the same thing,We should continue our talks I think it is good to talk about our crazy times in menopause we should write a book from our experiences!!!!!!!
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I agree, EPR works well, I also take supplements and the only remaining struggle with menopause or perimenopause (I am not quite menopausal, 5 more months to go) is the weight that won't come off no matter what! 20lbs doesn't seem like a lot but it is! The mood swings are gone that was many years ago and the hot flashes are less and less, may be one a day at the most...
I agree one size doesn't fit all, we do have similar threads though and it is so nice to be able to communicate with each other..I find that menopause is still not completly understood, it hits us like a ton of bricks, and that many people are not willing to talk about it.
Cheers,
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I only worry about it because it seems abnormal. It's good to know that someone else is also slowing down in that area. thanks
The hot flashes, etc have also slowed down for me, thank goodness. But I have had to get used to the fact that I can't eat like I used to and get away with it. I can no longer judge when I'm full and am amazed at how much I can eat. There is some biological reason for this, but can't remember it. Just wish I had known about it going in. When I do portion control now I walk away from the table hungry. I wait awhile and try to distract my mind with something else, and then I'm full. The idea of many small meals is good if you don't have to cook 3 squares for your family.
Have you tried evening primrose oil for the moods? I take it and like it's effects. I also take other supplements now - vitamins and minerals. I didn't used to before, but find I am more in control when I take them. I had to experiment to find the right combination. A little soy each day used to really help my hot flashes. I used to drink soy milk, but now I see there are many soy products out there.
I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution to menopause comfort. That's why these discussions are important. You can get ideas of what to try and see if anything works for you. Good luck in your journey.
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Hello everyone,
Short of repeating everything that was said int this thread...I am totally in the same boat! Minus HRT..never tried that...The weight gain had been very frustrating, it is a first for me, I always ate healthy and have been active but what used to work before doesn't work anymore!... We need new strategies...Or may be just patience!
It will pass I am sure, the hot flashes, the sleepless nights, the mood swings...
XQQQME, (Cute name!) you mentioned that your sex life has gone away, Is it b/c of your lack of libido or may be your husband's or is it that it has become painful d/t dry vaginal wall? I have also experienced some big gaps in my sex life...My husband is also a saint, but he is also getting older...just like me..and he is slowing down too!
Cheers,
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| I found that my hot flashes were tied to eating sugar, white flour, and potatoes. They were relieved by drinking soy milk. I never did have very bad ones, though. I have gained about 20 pounds since beginning the whole thing about 10 years ago. I feel like I'm finally on the other side of it, and now if I can get this weight off,,,,One positive out of menopause, I am becoming more truthful, not feeling so much pressure to please other people, while finding I'm more open to their differences. It's very nice and I hope it all continues. One negative is that my sex life has gone away. I would find out why, but I'm too embarassed to talk about it with anyone who may be able to help me. My husband's a saint.
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| I had planned on bringing up this very subject today to see if I was crazy or if the HRT makes a difference. I had a complete hystercomy 2 years ago and started taking HRT soon after. I have put on the pounds but that was all in conjunction with quiting smoking after 31 years. My problem is that even on a healthy diet and good exercise program I can only lose 5-8 lbs and then my body just stops. Has anyone heard of a way to keep my system losing? When it slows down, I just give up and then the weight is back on in no time.
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I take Evening Primrose Oil Capsule (OTC) one per day & I also use the Progesterone Cream "Prolief" from Arbonne (I am a consultant). Only an occasional flash & that's only if I get overheated or overstressed. Try that out. Flashes are vicious at times, I'm really glad I can get them down to a minimum at times to none some days.
I refused to use the HRT after my hysterectomy in 1989, also refused to let him take the ovaries.
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Oh, I'm fine, thanks. It was fourteen years ago. Not taking HRT is just one of those things that goes along with it. I used black cohosh and it worked pretty well.
3dogs
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| dear three dogs,Poor you hope you are well now that:s all that maters thanks for the info I will get that book
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There is another book titled "Outsmarting the Mid-Life Fat Cell" by Debra Waterhouse. Lots of good information about menopause and the way it changes your physiology, and how to adopt strategies to cope withall those changes.
Best of luck with all this. As a breast cancer survivor, I am unable to take HRT, so you can just imagine how much fun menopause has been for me!
3dogs
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