Just thinking about the title is bringing on a hot
flash. I am mad at menopause and
although I am excited about being in the 50 club, I am not enjoying the
hormonal changes that my body is experiencing right now. I will be talking very candidly about my
experience with hormone changes and my body in this blog, and this is not meant
to offend anyone, but this is a subject that many are afraid to discuss out of
embarrassment, fear, and the belief that these things are to be the “kept
secret” of women. I say bullshit to
that. Health involves discussing all
things as it relates to the human body and aging, and I for one am all about
sharing, learning, and getting feedback from others on the subject.
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| LIFE SAVER |
I have been frantically researching hormone imbalance for
a few years now, have tried supplementation, herbals, transdermal creams, and
natural moisturizers at an attempt to restore balance in my body. I am very aware of the foods that help with
hormone balance and eat my share of raw pumpkin seeds and watermelon. Being a trainer and walking the talk of my
profession and passion, I exercise consistently which is another way to help
with the stresses of hormone imbalance.
Some women may sail right through without a hitch in the get along, but
not this girl, and through my research I have discovered I am not alone in a
big way with those that are suffering.
I began experiencing night sweats years ago, which I
easily managed with a transdermal OTC progesterone cream, and that seemed to be
the biggest drag of my premenopausal time.
However and for a few years now, my periods began to dictate when they
would come, or not, and if I would need super plus everything or not. I do not know from one month to the next if I
am in full menopause. According to my
doctor, I am required to not have a cycle for one full year. Also, I enjoy my gynecologist and have to say
she is easy to talk to, and I respect her opinion and am able to share my desire
to go through this process as natural as possible. The thing about most western medicine doctors
is non-support of bio-identical hormones, and they are generally not covered by
insurance. So be prepared for such
roadblocks, but also do not be afraid to be yourself and cover every concern
with your doctor.
Menopause has been a thief of my womanhood, has plagued
me with sleepless nights, is cooking me from the inside out, caused frequent
UTIs, and the worst part … a broken “ya-ya”.
This may sound funny, but I am at the point of frustration and working
very hard at making the best decisions for me and my body. I am sure that many can relate to what I am
sharing and I am hoping for lots of comments so that we can all support and
share what has worked or not worked.
This can no longer be a hide behind the door subject, but as women, it
is important to be brave, embrace who we are, what we are going through, and
create a voice for answers. I will get
off my soap box now and dive right into my journey of being mad at menopause.
The dreaded hot flash comes at all hours of the day and
night, and for some reason, I am bothered most at night. It is so frustrating to not get a full night
sleep and that alone can really put me on edge.
I have discovered that I am best under a light sheet with one leg
covered and one leg exposed. I also
sleep with the ceiling fan going which seems to help. Lord help me if I have a glass of wine in the
evening as that will trigger a hot flash before I finish the glass and will
definitely haunt me during sleep time, so the key is to stay away from the
triggers. What has helped, and with my doctor’s recommendation, with many of my
symptoms is Maca Root powder, an
herbal that I mix in my green shake each day.
Before taking the product, I put in the necessary research of pros and
cons, and decided to give it a go. What
I am sharing has worked and not worked for me, and it is important for each of
us to be our own health care advocates and not jump into the “try this” without
putting in the research time. Do not
take my word as gospel, as my body is different than yours, and what I share is
helpful and informative, and hopefully a motivation to start your own journey
of research.
Moving on to other mad at menopause symptoms: decreased
sexual sensitivity, increased bladder discomfort and UTIs, and the dreaded “dry
vagina” or what I like to call the broken ya-ya. Talk about the worst of the worst and are you
kidding me?? This has got to be the most
unfair situation ever as sex is a very important part of a healthy marital relationship,
and we as women need to feel confident about our bodies, our abilities, and not
feel guarded about the act because our minds get so focused on things
like: “will I orgasm, am I too dry,
will it hurt too much, it is too much trouble … and the list can go on and
on”. Personally, I refuse to be a woman
on the edge with the inability to get over the fence and I am referring to
orgasm here. I enjoy this part of my
life in a very positive way so research focused in this area has been very
thorough. I have discovered a new
vaginal suppository with a coconut oil and vitamin E makeup that works better
than most of the OTC products out there.
I use ½ a suppository daily and that keeps me naturally moisturized for
the day and into the evening. My goal is
to prevent vaginal atrophy and yes this is what occurs during menopause and in
laymen terms, we women start drying up like a prune with a sandpaper interior
that clearly states “do not enter or else”.
I refuse to allow any such nonsense to happen, and am fighting for my sexual
right as a woman and wife.
Decreased sensitivity during sex can also occur as the
body no longer carries the blood supply to the vaginal tissue and
clitoris. Research sent me to L-arginine
supplementation which is an amino acid naturally occurring in our body, and
studies have shown help with blood supply and flow to the sex organs. Well, this turned out to be a huge waist of
my time, and contributed to cold sores which I can be prone and my research
lead me to discover that although it may assist with increased blood supply, L-arginine
use also stimulates the virus causing cold sores and so that really ticked me
off. I tossed that out and refused to
walk around with a mouth full of hurt in order to supply my other lips. Thank
goodness I also keep a supply of Lysine, an immunity boosting amino acid which
works to prevent cold sores and I increased the dose to counter act the
negative side effects of the L-arginine. L-arginine will not be a part of my program.
Another unfortunate menopause related problem that occurs
with me has been severe bouts of UTI (urinary tract infection) type symptoms
that will wake me in the middle of the night, send me to the floor, and in a
fetal position. I have a low-dose
antibiotic on standby when these events occur, OTC Cystex, and cranberry supplements.
I found that a heating pad also helps along with OTC pain reliever like Aleve. Also, I begin a protocol of increased water
and additional 100% cranberry juice to flush out my system. I am very in tune to my body and can feel when
this starts coming on so many of the times I do catch it early and am able to
not lose too much time or days off work.
The night may suck getting the symptoms calmed down, but once
manageable, I can function pretty well at work and in general.
I have also looked into HRT (hormone replacement
therapy), and currently researching bio-identicals which is still HRT, but with
hormone closely related to our own body production. I have decided I will not take any systemic
estrogen by mouth because I do not want the hormone to metabolize through my
liver and into my bloodstream. The
incidence of cancer is greater with such therapy so this door is forever closed
for me. I am trying a vaginal insert
pill of very low dose estrogen which is localized to the vaginal tissues and in
an effort to plump up and restore natural vaginal lubrication and reduction of
UTI issues. I even had doubts and fears
regarding cancer with the vaginal insert, but after discussion with natural
doctors, and those doctors prescribing bio-identical hormone, their first
course of treatment is this very thing: vaginal cream, pill, or ring. My online research also reduced my fears, and
I am willing to give it a go for a few months and am hoping for a positive
outcome. I will need to report back with
my personal findings. I do welcome
feedback from women, or husbands whose wives are currently using vaginal insert
low estrogen and how it has been helpful or not.
I have had many discussions with women going through the
same issues from menopause and that alone is a help that I am not alone. It can feel like such a desperate and
frustrating time not knowing the best course of action to take, and most
important not to subject ourselves to cancer or other disease in the process of
discovery. It feels unfair that very
little research and clinical studies into women’s dysfunction caused by
menopause have not been completed so that we may have more options, and feel
more confident in our decision making. If
anything, I hope my personal share on the subject has been helpful, and
provides a comfort that you are not alone in your frustration. Keep up the research and find what works best
for you and your body. We are all on
this journey of life and the transitions along the way and all we can do is our
best. Take good care and Stay Healthy!
I dedicate this Blog to my fabulous husband who is always
supportive and understanding. Thanks Don
for your patience, and always knowing the right words to say at just the right
times. I love you forever and a day!
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