His and Her Health

I am 34 years old and am wondering if I am starting perimenopause. I have always been a very good sleeper, but in the past couple of months I am very restless. I also have had a weird itchy sensation (which sometimes keeps me up at night) on both of my arms and my upper back, chest, and neck. I have had weird migrain headaches, they start really strong on day one then they are just a dull pain for about a week. Headaches in general are common for me. Other symptons are hot flashes at different times of the day, I don't think they are extreme yet; and earlier in the summer I had a few nights when I woke up soaked with sweat.

I don't have any real consistency with the symptoms. It seems when one stops another starts. Is this normal?

My biggest question is, is perimenopause possible when I am still on the Pill? Should I change the dose of the Pill? What if I go off it, will I end up with even more symptoms? I feel silly asking my doctor about all this because I feel I am too young for this to start. My mother's periods stopped only recently at about 57-58 years old, and she doesn't remember any real symptoms for much more than 5-7 years before her periods started changing. I also have an older sister (by one year) who hasn't had any symptoms.

If anyone can help me with this I would really appreciate it. I want to get some education on this before I talk with my doctor.

In the meantime, you might try reading a book called "Screaming To Be Heard: Hormone Connections Women Suspect and Doctors Still Ignore" by Dr. Elizabeth Vliet. It has a chapter about headaches and hormones, which you might particularly want to read. FYI - I had a very hard time slogging through the first two chapters - felt that the author just kept repeating generalizations, etc. without giving any real info - but after that it improved. I checked the book out from my local library, so look there before buying it.

Good luck!

49 cards

jb: how are you doing now? did you get the information you were looking for?

34 is young, have you had your thyroid gland checked? Itching, sweats sounds like that. I'd see a doc. Night sweats are also associated with lymphoma and tb. Next stop would be an interist's office.

Perimenopause can start sometimes at the age of 35 to some females. I am 43, and going into it right now. Check with your doctor. Ask for a FSH blood test-hormomnes. It will tell you where you are.

Having a baseline test for your hormones and allergies is a good idea.

You may also want to get a BLOOD allergy test, which identifies "delayed" reaction to various foods. The delayed reaction makes the allergy hard to isoloate otherwise. For example, I had the test and found I was allergic to peanuts, cheese, banannas, eggs, milk, and sugar. I am also allergic to pinto beans, and had to therefore turn in my "Mexican" card. (Just kidding, I am of Mexican ethinicity so this elimination was not an easy one.) Once I eliminated these foods from my diet, the itchiness and sores caused from excessive itching disappeared. Also, in the year since I eliminated these foods, I have had only one almost migraine, which went away with a Bayer aspirin. I have not refilled my migrain medication in the same length of time.


Here is the company that administers this test: Immuno, Fort Lauderdale, Fl. and BetterHealthUSA.com.

<small>[ 08-23-2006, 02:14 PM: Message edited by: Moderator ]</small>

OK I dreaded this day....I busted my Mother for the entire thing hell I moved out because I thought she was going to kill me. Now I know. Walk from the car to my office and I need the fan 3 inches away from my face....or I hear a song on the radio that I have heard 1000 times but NOW it makes me cry no wait boo hoo not cry but uncontrollable sobbing. Having this feeling of RAGE deep down in the pit of my being for no reason what so ever. Waking up several times at night and in a total sweat have to go stand in the shower. I have the central air on ceiling fan and a floor fan on high. Yes I will be 45 on Friday and welcome to the Wonderful World of pre-menopause. Happy Birthday to me.. I am driving everyone around me insane even myself. My cycle well flood gates dont even beging to describe. I got up out of bed last month and ruined a rug my PJ's and everything else look like a crime scene. I am wearing two to three pads at a time forget tampons...at this point it's not even worth the effort. I am getting these migraines, tired no wait exhausted is the word. Waking up 45 minutes after I fall asleep and up for the next 4 hours. Of course now all my laundry is caught up. I have already gotten checked out with my doctor, sugar, blood,,,blah blah all good. He felt I might be starting jee doc ya think....Sorry did I mention cranky.
I have been reading well I am awake so I might was well. I have increased my intake of soy products to help with the hot moments. Cut out coffee 9 weeks now. Joined a gym to keep things moving. Am I missing something or is it just going to drive me over the edge. Mt doctor jokingly said to me you must embrace this yea doc I will embrace it I have some thoughs on what you can do. He means well I love him but jeeze doc come on.

Everyone including me is feeling the heat(no pun intended) I am afraid if I dont get this in check I will be sitting in a cardboard box outside a Goodwill store mummbling sniddy comments to little children and puppies.
Help help help anything else I can do.

I had the type of bleeding you described for over several years. I was having 18 day periods and bleeding throughout the night. Blood clots galore. Once at work, the blood actually squirted through the tampon/ kotex/ girdle/ nylon layer (designed to stop leakage) and shot onto my work chair. Doctors wanted to give me a full hysterectomy and other procedures that would render me sterile. I felt like I was propelled into the dark ages!! Long-story-short, I discovered bio-identical hormone replacement. This stopped the bleeding and provided me energy to work through the rest. The bio-identical hormone replacement has risk, but, for me, the immediate benefits outweighed the risks. Once everything stablizes, I will revisit other alternatives. Perhaps.

I have also commenced a cleansing process. I also re-learned the importance of high levels of fish and primrose oil, as well as protein every 4 hours. (See UGLY CRYING.)

Oh yeah, the other thing that I have done is weeded out all negative or draining relationships, including my husband. Oh well. It really comes down to the quality of life. Do you want to live live a crazy woman or do you want to simply live?

These type of reactions have been around, I am sure, for as long as women have inhabited this planet. Why it is so difficult to get information on the subject is beyond me. In some respects, we do still live in the dark ages.

I am glad you found the where-with-all to post your question here. Although I am now turning things around, your story made me feel so not alone. Thank you for that!!

Take care of yourself.

<small>[ 08-27-2006, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: Moderator ]</small>

I believe I am in perimenopause as well. I have the typical symptoms...too many to name. I was reading "The Hormone Survival Guide for Perimenopause" by Nisha Jackson and the first paragraph totally described me. I am going to the dr. next week to see what we can start working on to try and get me balanced. Ever since the birth of my last child(almost 4 years ago) I lost my libido. My previous Gyn said to give it time. Time is a wastin' My periods have gotten down to 3 days. The 2nd day is pure hemorraghing. Clots bigger than I ever thought possible sliding right past the tampon and falling out of me. Scary stuff! I hope that my doctor takes me seriously and we can start a regiment. I would like to try BIHR and not synthetic drugs. What are your thoughts?