The Menopause Thread

[Zoning Goddess]

This thread may die an early death. Or possibly be offensive to some, although after all the political and sports threads, I'd be amazed.

I am 51 (although I know I don't look it. ). My best friend since 8th grade just finds it howlingly funny that "You are the ONLY ONE I know who hasn't gone thru it!!!" It is annoying. And frustrating. A logistical pain in the ass. The Mayo Clinic website says we could be in our 60's when it hits. I know I am one of the older women on Cyb so maybe there won't be many others my age who could weigh in on this.

I am worried about that Hillary Clinton middle aged wide-ass syndrome, since I've seen it on so many women.

[kjel]

This thread may die an early death. Or possibly be offensive to some, although after all the political and sports threads, I'd be amazed.

I am 51 (although I know I don't look it. ). My best friend since 8th grade just finds it howlingly funny that "You are the ONLY ONE I know who hasn't gone thru it!!!" It is annoying. And frustrating. A logistical pain in the ass. The Mayo Clinic website says we could be in our 60's when it hits. I know I am one of the older women on Cyb so maybe there won't be many others my age who could weigh in on this.

I am worried about that Hillary Clinton middle aged wide-ass syndrome, since I've seen it on so many women.

I'm not there yet, but I remember when my mom went through "the change". Hot flashes, being irritable, etc. I work with older women and we constantly do battle over the thermostat because of the hot flashes which means I get frozen out of the office and know when to steer clear of them when the hormones are fluctuating. Be happy you haven't gone through it yet, because the risks of hear disease, reproductive cancers, and other things increase markedly after menopause.

[kms]

I'm 48, and I'm bothered by an occasional hot flash. Bloodwork says that I am not menopausal.

I'm inclined to suffer through menopause without medication, but my doc disagrees. I figure I'll get through sooner without the meds.

I'm more worried about hair growing on my face as a result of it.

[Maister]

I'm not looking forward to male menopause (andropause?) if there is such a thing.

[ofos]

I'm not looking forward to male menopause (andropause?) if there is such a thing.

If you're not looking forward to it, are you down with it? Or not up for it? Just what are you trying to say? BTW, that was a blatant attempt to hijack this thread. For God's sake, think of the women...

[mike gurnee]

This guy gets an occasional hot flash. Not fun.

[mendelman]

I remember when my mom went through it.

That was rough.

(Glad to be a male)

[Queen B]

It will be interesting to see how many men pipe in on this thread.
I was thrown into it surgically. So has everyone else in my family so we don't know what the actual age of onset is. I took hormones for a couple of years, then my mom got breast cancer and they encouraged me to stop. I believe that I about went insane. Completely unable to control the emotional roller coaster. So basically traded the Hormones for Anti Depressant. It is really frustrating to not be in control of ones emotions, and think you should be.

I think I have said it before Hot Flashes are not fun but I also experience bone chilling cold, alot of time preceeding the flash. So I will be trying to warm up and all of a sudden I am sheding everything I have just put on. However, I do like the one benefit that comes from it.

[Zoning Goddess]

I had the first "hot flash" shopping at Lowe's a couple years ago; if I had already not had a bunch of panic attacks I would have freaked. Well, I kinda freaked.

Yes, there is "male menopause" but I don't profess to knwo much about that, so you guys chime in.

I guess, since most of my buddies are long past the process, I'm just hoping for some support and discussion here.

[ofos]

Yes, there is "male menopause" but I don't profess to knwo much about that, so you guys chime in.

Maybe I'm wrong but it sure seems like that it's one of those urban myths perpetuated by those who think men should get in touch with their "feminine" side. Basically, I think we men just age and slow down without any abrupt distinctive hormonal changes. And we all try to be like the Toby Keith lyrics from As Good As I Once Was... "i aint as good as i once was but im as good once as i ever was".

[Seana]

I was thrown into it surgically. So has everyone else in my family so we don't know what the actual age of onset is.

^^Exact same situation with me.

Thank goodness for estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). My doctor prescribes for me one estrogen pill a day and the problems are pretty much eliminated.

[Tom R]

My ex was neurotic at the age of 38 when we split 15 years ago. I'm just glad I'm not around her too much now if she's going through the changes.

[Richmond Jake]

Could you like, bury this thread in a hidden sub-, sub-, sub-forum where only the Womyn of Cyburbia can even see the title and they alone access the thread? The topic gives me the heebie jeebies.

[Coragus]

I'm not looking forward to male menopause (andropause?) if there is such a thing.

I'm glad to see someone put this out first. I remember the first time I was sitting in a meeting. At first, I thought that the room was getting warm. After about 2 minutes, I felt like I was putting my face into almost boiling water. I ran to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, which gave a moment's relief at best.

It happened several more times, until I read up on it myself. I'll say this. Once I started working out regularly and lost a few pounds, it went away. So, if it's tied to testosterone drop in guys, I suggest that you go and hit the weights! It hasn't happened to me now in about a year.

[Jen]

tweezing doesn't hurt

When the tme comes, I'm gonna ride my meno wave, full metal jacket no excuses, but the energy (it burns like the sun sszzzt! )it is not to be abused or squandered or repressed.

whatever works, otc, scrip, herbal, dieting exerise retreats and pampering, i guess it is something to prepare and think about. With my kids in puberty and a Mom with that M word on the horizon and the Dad's MLC...

[cch]

ZG, from the limited pics I've seen of you...you are built like my mother, and she has stayed very petite even after "the change". No wide ass syndrome to speak off.

She's never complained about hot flashes or moodiness or anything. But, she's been on hormone replacement therapy for awhile now. I guess it really helps. She's just happy to not have to screw with Shark Week anymore.

[Zoning Goddess]

She's just happy to not have to screw with Shark Week anymore.

lmao. I never heard "Shark Week" before, although living in a peninsular state, I can appreciate the term.

RJ, being from that other coast, never heard it referred to as "The Curse", the term I usually use.

Yeah, you do see some skinny old ladies post-menopause, but I just seem to know a lot who get large, and I think I read somewhere that most women have to drop their calorie intake a couple hundred a day; another reason I wanted the treadmill we got earlier this year.

[Bear Up North]

Katie is 45 and has not entered the menopause phase yet.
_____

This Bear has always enjoyed the phrase, "mental pause", because so many people you come in contact with have entered that realm. Men, women......plenty of "mental pause" tags to go around.
_____

Important to remember: Once in a while the things your body is going through may not be what you expect. Night sweats can be a part of menopause.....but night sweats can also be an indicator of something very serious. Example follows.....

This Bear was proclaimed "cancer-free" in the late 1990s. Radiation in 1996 and 1997 "cured" my Hodgkin's Lymphoma. When I started to have severe night sweats in the early 2000s I checked the web's medical pages.

Of course, the symptoms I typed in immediately took me to menopause. I looked down to verify "something"......OK, good, can't have menopause.....so I read the list of other possibilities to the night sweats. There it was.....Hodgkin's Lymphoma. That led me to a string of docs and tests.....and the eventual diagnosis that the "C" had returned.

My night sweats would completly soak my sidfe of the bed.
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Off to check my prostate.

Bear

[Tom R]

She's just happy to not have to screw with Shark Week anymore.

Believe me, it's no fun being in the same ocean with the sharks either.

[Zoning Goddess]

Bump: When I started this thread, I had a LOT of irregularities in schedules, and the occasional daytime hot flash. Fast forward: for the last month, hot flashes every hour, on the hour. All night, I wake up on fire, throw the covers off, 15 min later, I'm cold, culminating in days like today when I wake up at 3 a.m. and can't sleep. Last week it was 4 a.m. so it's getting worse. Obviously, I don't want to do the now-discounted hormane therapy.

[Maister]

It's come to roost at our house big time the last few months. Violent mood swings, weight gain, hot flashes, the whole nine yards. Can't wait for it to be over. How long is this going to last? It's almost like somebody else moved in.

[Mud Princess]

Well, isn't this timely... I am just starting to show signs of "The Change" as someone in my family used to call it. Fortunately, I have not had any hot flashes (yet). My older sister hasn't had any either. Maybe I will be one of the lucky 20-25% of women who do not experience hot flashes.

I don't think I'm any more moody than usual, though my SO disagrees.