Physical changes in menopause?

[mwelters]

58 Here and still hot flashing up a storm. I admit the flashes are not as intense but they are annoying! My hair and skin are fine, insomnia is not. My husband just lays his head on the pillow and 3 minutes later just out like a light. Me 2 to 3 hours later just looking at the ceiling. Some nights I do sleep well but still feel tired during the day. Other parts of me are just falling apart but it's family genes and I got the worst of them. As for the dryness I am on Osphena and a once a week cream. I read that if you are avid exerciser it make vaginal dryness worse. YOU JUST CAN'T WIN!

[MsThistlebottom]

Originally Posted by LAC

Coconut oil is a natural moisturizer and, if I remember correctly, also an anti-inflammatory. The purpose of the coconut oil & vitamin E suppository is to lubricate internally - you leave it there.

It also has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

[LAC]

Originally Posted by Pat58

Are bioidenticals horse hormones? Synthetic?

I don't take either kind and I am no expert, but here's my understanding: The "horse hormone" is Premarin and its ingredients include pregnant mare urine that goes through chemical processes. It is one of the drugs prescribed in "traditional" hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Bioidenticals are derived from plants and although they tend to be thought of as natural (hey, horse urine is produced by nature too!), they are chemically processed as well (a yam doesn't just turn into estrogen without some intervention!), but they aren't considered synthetic.

[LAC]

Originally Posted by MsThistlebottom

It also has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

I didn't know this about coconut oil, but those are good things too!

[Pat58]

Thanks LAC. I wish a doctor had mentioned these things to me. I white knuckled it through peri and meno completely naturally. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

From reading this thread I've been looking back at the last ten years during which I blamed a lot of symptoms on my autoimmune issues. I never once considered The Big M might be to blame for hair loss, dry skin, wrinkle surges, joint pain and bad changes in my posture from my scoliosis getting worse. Oh well I can't go back in time.

[LAC]

Originally Posted by Pat58

Thanks LAC. I wish a doctor had mentioned these things to me. I white knuckled it through peri and meno completely naturally. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

From reading this thread I've been looking back at the last ten years during which I blamed a lot of symptoms on my autoimmune issues. I never once considered The Big M might be to blame for hair loss, dry skin, wrinkle surges, joint pain and bad changes in my posture from my scoliosis getting worse. Oh well I can't go back in time.

I can relate to white-knuckling it through. I can't use anything with estrogen or progesterone (doesn't matter if it is natural or synthetic) so I'm constantly on the lookout for other options. Even though we don't always find the answers that will work for everybody, I'm glad we can all talk openly about it and share ideas; it wasn't that long ago that menopause was one of those taboo topics that wasn't really discussed in polite company.

[ddj]

Originally Posted by cherimac

Check them out carefully. I am glad they work for some people, but they were my worst nightmare. Seriously.

Ditto. I sincerely wish I'd never taken them. I'm still paying for it.

[Trixoo]

I'm peri, although I haven't missed a period yet. I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the openness in this thread, since it's so helpful to know what may happen and what help may be out there. Thanks VF'ers!

[BigBadBetty]

Originally Posted by Trixoo

I'm peri, although I haven't missed a period yet. I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the openness in this thread, since it's so helpful to know what may happen and what help may be out there. Thanks VF'ers!

I second this. My mom had a hysterectomy so she skipped many of the phases. She did HRT for a while. (This was before that controversial.) A lot of women on my mom's side of the family had needed a hysterectomy before menopause. I was lucky that Mirena saved me from one. My sister is 3 years older. Everything about her cycle has been completely different from me (and my mom). I doubt we would have a similar experience. My closest female friends are several years younger.

You ladies are the only ones with experience. I am 42 so it's coming. I am not sure exactly how I will know since Mirena eliminates monthly bleeding.

[KellyMarie65]

I'm having an awful time. I am on BHRT and have been for a few years now. This year, emotionally, I fell apart. Became very depressed, excessive, extreme worrying, extreme anxiety/panic, it was like WAM!. So, I am now on an antidepressant, antianxiety and BHRT. It has not been fun. Prior to all this I also had trouble sleeping, dry itchy skin, PMS was worse, discovered I had Hashimoto's which caused hypothyroidism. I can't wait for this to be over. *sigh