66 Peri menopause / Menopause Symptoms you may experience which may help some ladies
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SIXTY-SIX PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS: Part one 1 - 49
These are very real physical changes and conditions. Some symptoms alarm a woman that she may be suffering from a serious disease. Perhaps you know the more common ones related to menopausal symptoms in this list. But many of these may surprise you, as they have not been typically associated with this normal physiological transformation.
1. Change in Menstrual Cycle, Cycles may get closer together or farther apart, lighter and shorter in duration or much heavier, lasting longer than one has been accustomed to. Menses may seem to take forever to begin with dark spotting for days until you actually flow, or you might feel like you have your menses every two weeks.
2. Menstrual Flooding can come on with sudden onset and feel like you may hemorrhage to death. Or it can be a gradual build up just when you think your menses will end and you start gushing for days. Flooding commonly accompanies the woman with uterine fibroids as she transits into menopause.
3. Headaches, Migraines, especially before, during or at the end of your menses debilitate and radically interferes with normal functioning.
4. Decreased Motor Coordination, Clumsiness, almost begins to make the woman who experiences this feel like she is certainly less than graceful during perhaps an already awkward period in her life.
5. Lethargy, a persistent feeling sluggishness physically and mentally, that seems to negate ones ability to do much.
6. Physical Exhaustion , and Crushing Crashing Fatigue that can come on so suddenly and grip you into feeling like you will collapse unless you stop this instant.
7. Exacerbation of any Chronic Illness or Existing Condition transpires as hormones decline or deviate from their normal balance.
8. Insomnia, this includes a new or unusual pattern of either difficulty falling asleep, or dropping off to sleep for a few hours and then awakening with the inability to return to sleep.
9. Sleep Disturbances sometimes are from nightmares, night sweats, or just a vague sense of restlessness keeping you up or disrupting your precious revitalizing retreat from this realm of responsibilities.
10. Night Sweats often begin between a woman?s breasts, initially a night or two before her menses, waking her from sleep, later more profoundly disturbing with up to total body saturation, followed by damp or sweat drenched chills.
11. Interference With Dream Recall interrupts the sense of normal sleep, if you are someone accustomed to vivid or at least some detailed memory of your dreamtime.
12. Muscle Cramps can occur anywhere in the body from legs to back to neck, and sometimes reflects the need for more calcium, or simply that your progesterone levels are too low.
13. Low Backache often worsens before or during menses, but if your hormones remain at low levels, you can experience it on a regular basis.
14. Gall Bladder Symptoms of pain, spasms and discomfort felt in the right upper abdominal quadrant under the ribs, which may be accompanied by belching, bloating, and intolerance to certain foods reflect the increased liver load with declining hormones.
15. Frequent Urination, or sensations that mimic urinary infections is a disturbing symptom often unrelieved by actual urination. It is often experienced as the sensation of needing to urinate all the time, even immediately afterwards.
16. Urinary Incontinence, the uncontrollable and spontaneous loss of urine, or the Urge for Incontinence, can occur suddenly or feel continuous, and not only in response to coughing, sneezing, jumping or running.
17. Hypoglycemic Reactions happen when suddenly your blood sugar crashes and you must have food now.
18. Food Cravings, often for sweets or salty foods, but can include sour or pungent foods.
19. Increased Appetite, especially at night and after dinner contributes to that unusual and unwanted weight gain.
20. Dark Circles Under Eyes can also be caused by adrenal exhaustion and thyroid dysfunctions, but no amount of sleep seems to eliminate it.
21. Joint and Muscle Pain, Achy, Sore Joints, Muscles and Tendons, which sometimes develop into actual carpal tunnel syndrome, or give rise to the questioning of other disease possibilities.
22. Increased Tension in Muscles demonstrates itself in those hunched up shoulders as you work or talk about anything uncomfortable, along with promoting lower back pain and a stiff neck.
23. Increased Hair Loss or Thinning anywhere on body, including your head, armpits, pubic area.
24. Increase in Facial Hair especially under your chin, or along your jaw line. It may be defined by generalized hair growth, or a specific and coarse single strand of hair that pokes out, even curls.
25. Unusually Hair Growth, around Nipples, between Breasts, down your back, places where your hair was finer, less coarse.
26. Acne, quite disturbing to any woman who dealt with this in adolescence and never thought it would recur.
27. Infertility causes grief in the woman who postponed pregnancy in her earlier years and now wishes to conceive, carry to term a healthy baby, and discovers she is unable to do so.
28. Loss of Breast Tissue begins with the decrease of progesterone production. Women often feel as though their breast have become empty sacs devoid of their normal fullness, with or without sagging.
29. Breast Soreness/Tenderness/Pain/ Engorgement and swelling, occurs particularly a few days to one week before bleeding actually begins, which usually potentiates complete relief of any pain or swelling.
30. Painful, or tender nipples have been described as this exquisite localized pain only in the nipples and suggests estrogen excess.
31. Cold Extremities feels quite strange especially in the presence of a hot flash, the combination of which is not impossible.
32. Being Accident Prone, bumping into things, not even realizing it until the bruise reveals itself later and then lacking the ability to recall the causative incident feels perplexing and a little scary at the prospect of something more damaging.
33. Hot flashes initially may be described as mild to severe flushes of heat waves, and for some women these evolve into intense outbreaks of sudden heat with sweating and turning bright red all over.
34. Loss of Sexual Energy, our Libido, can be marked by a gradual or sudden disinterest in sex, to the development of an actual aversion.
35. Painful Sex often described as if one?s vagina would tear open at the point of penetration along with feelings of abrasion during intercourse.
36. Vaginal Dryness, Irritation, sometimes accompanied by a consistent unusual discharge - typically odor free, negates a woman?s ability to be sexually active, or able to enjoy or be comfortable in her body.
37. Dizziness, feeling lightheaded and the loss of physical balance, and even a bit wobbling at times, requires pause in movement to prevent falling over or deepening into vertigo or feeling faint.
38. Ringing in the Ears, Tinnitus, can be experienced as a pulsing sensation, a whooshing sound, an almost musical or buzzing sound with a fuzzy sensation.
39. Abdominal Bloating comes on suddenly often after eating, or seems to be all the time, and can be visibly evident making you feel that you look like you are pregnant.
40. Weight Gain disturbs most women, particularly when it seems to happen over a couple of days, settles in the waist, buttocks and thighs, promoting a visceral thickening from the waist down, the classic middle-aged figure.
41. Fluid Retention, Edema, commonly with swelling in the legs and ankles, though not limited to this area and it is unrelieved by urination.
42. Palpitations or Heart Racing usually comes on suddenly, without warning or provocation, and dissipates spontaneously. The experience can be so wild and intense that a woman may become alarmed and wonder if she is having a heart attack.
43. Irregularities in your Heart Rate may feel more like your heart has just done a flip-flop or skipped a beat.
44. Constipation/Diarrhea, intermittent or alternating, results from declining hormone levels, which increase the demands on liver function and alters intestinal motility.
45. Tendency towards Candidiasis can increase, even if you have no prior known history ? and if you do, it may worsen.
46. Gastrointestinal Distress, Increased Flatulence, Unrelieved Gas pains, Indigestion, Nausea all can reflect intestinal changes due to hormonal imbalances.
47. Slow Digestion often goes along with the bloat ? what previously took four to five hours to digest, now seems to take all night. It seems worse in the evenings.
48. Lack of Appetite may be experienced as more of a lack of interest in food, going to the frig and standing there with the door open and staring blankly. Feeling completely uninspired, you busy yourself with something else and forget that you need to eat.
49. Changes in Body Odor especially disturbing when it seems to focus in the groin area, but can be anywhere on the body.
50. Puffy Eyes, not only from sleep disturbances, but also can accompany low progesterone.
51. Facial Pallor alternating with Facial Flushes is often intermittent with hot flashes.
52. Flare up of Arthritis worsens with low progesterone levels and increase sugar intake.
53. Loss of Bone Density, Osteoporosis, is not only an elderly woman?s disease, though it seems to develop over an extended period and is triggered by the decline of hormone production.
54. Dry Hair, Change in Skin Tone, Integrity, and Texture, becomes more wrinkled, and may begin the thinning process.
55. Changes in your Fingernails characterized by easy breakage, bending, cracking and getting softer.
56. Itchy, Crawly Skin with a strange sensation like insects crawling around under the skin ? quite different than the dry skin feeling.
57. Muscle tone seems to slack and sag, and loose its previous response to normal exercise.
58. Pelvic Pain can be random and independent of cycles and may feel continuous for some women.
59. Dry, Itchy Eyes felt in the deep posterior aspect of the eye socket, as well as superficially.
60. Teeth Aching or the experience of a strange sensation in one?s teeth or gums, often accompanied by an increase in bleeding gums.
61. Change in the normal Tongue sensation, which can be accompanied by a feeling of burning in your tongue and roof of mouth, malodorous breath or change in breath odor, and/or a bad taste in your mouth.
62. Memory Loss or Lapses in time, makes one feel disoriented and less focused, especially when you go into another room to get something specific and seconds later cannot remember what you went to retrieve.
63. Feeling Faint for no known reason (this does not include standing up too quickly)
64. Tingling in Extremities not only feels weird and like your hands or feet are falling asleep, but if persistent can be a symptom of diabetes, B12, potassium or calcium deficiency, or a compromise in blood vessel flexibility.
65. Sensation of Electrical Stimulation,or Shock occurring in the tissue under the skin, and may signal you that a hot flash will begin.
66. Increase and worsening of Allergies occurs as hormones become imbalanced, so can our immune system.
153 likes, 3046 replies
Lara66 jayneejay
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jayneejay Lara66
Posted
Glad it reassures you ... i think decreased co ordination and peri go together, some days you can bump into things, other days grip is weak, legs are wobbly, always seems worse when you just get up, then eases through the day..
all to do with the peri estrogen decline..
try not to worry .... Jay xx 😃
Tazchurch Lara66
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Big Hug xxx
natalie86711 jayneejay
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cathy55794 Lara66
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Hi there is that a symptom...my hand and arm gets listless sometimes as well...now that I'm about to have my period in a few days symptoms seem worse😳
Guest cathy55794
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cathy55794 Guest
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Sochima822 cathy55794
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sangs1992 cathy55794
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i too get this wierd listless feeling in my hands(mostly right hand) on and off for last few months, am 46 now..
also have many other symptoms mentioned here ... make me anxious ans scared
thanx and mercies for this blog, it helps me a lot in dealing this
one questions..does this stop after menopause of is this what my rest of life will be...
rosaline87185 Lara66
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jacqueline06286 rosaline87185
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Do you also have a burning sensation
tamsin00119 Sochima822
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oh my Sochima... I know what you mean!! Sometimes my leg/s feel like they are not numb and when I get up walk or rub it and shake it ... feeling goes away... it feels soooooo strange! Frightened the hell out of me the first time!
Tams
ameroon89350 jayneejay
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i am from New York
ameroon
jayneejay ameroon89350
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yea sounds like night sweats and start of peri menopause ..
i had my peri for 9-10 years and now i am one year no periods, full menopause reached .. I am aged 50..
if you want some help with what supplements to take just ask..
maybe you take some already
jay jay xx
laurie70017 jayneejay
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jayneejay ameroon89350
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Perimenopause is a time of transition when a woman's ovaries start to slow down the production of hormones. It may be as soon as her 30s, or it may not be until sometime in her 40s or even 50s.
Regardless of when symptoms begin, actual menopause may still be years away. That's a long time to be "in transition."
Periods during perimenopause can also get shorter and lighter -- or longer and heavier, or a combination of the two. If you notice anything that simply doesn't feel right, like heavy clotting, trust your intuition and make an appointment to get yourself checked out.
Unfortunately, sleeplessness is one of the most common symptoms of perimenopause.
With the withdrawal of estrogen, the brain sometimes releases the chemicals responsible for the fight-or-flight response [source: Booth].
That rush is necessary for escaping mountain lions, but less helpful for remaining blissfully asleep.
Late-night/wee-hours prowling around the house can be calmed with vitamins and supplements.
Sleeping pills can help you nod off, but not all of them leave you feeling rested, either.
Pick up some melatonin supplements, exercise daily and try meditation to see if you can get your snooze back.
Hot flashes, hot flushes, vasomotor symptoms -- call them what you will (this writer prefers "power surges"), they're never convenient.
The sudden blaze of heat that can leave you soaking with your own sweat is the result of your hormones confusing the temperature regulator in your brain.
The hypothalamus misreads the body's signals and puts its cool-down system in high gear.
Your skin gets hot so the body's core temperature can return to "normal," and perspiration pours out to help regulate the heat.
Some women report mood swings and irritability during perimenopause, but it's hard to tell if it's hormones that are causing it or side effects of other symptoms, like a lack of sleep (which makes anyone cranky).
And while women in perimenopause may have been prepared to add a rich face cream to their makeup bag, they may not have been expecting dryness in more intimate areas.
Vaginal dryness isn't a sign of sexual inadequacy or dysfunction on a woman or her partner's part.
It's simply biological fact, the result of thinner, drier vaginal tissue. The problem is that it can make sex painful.
Hormone changes can cause water retention, as anyone with a case of period bloat who can't fit into her favorite jeans can attest. Your breasts can retain fluid, too, swelling the tissue and making them feel heavy and sore.
Breast pain, also known as mastalgia, is a very common complaint among women, perimenopausal or no. While most people agree that cyclic breast pain is hormone-related, one interesting theory posits a fatty acid imbalance in breast tissue cells is to blame [source: Smith].
To reduce your discomfort, you can try cutting your caffeine and fat intake, popping some pain relievers and applying a cold or hot compress.
It may help to wear a sports bra during the day or while sleeping for extra support.
Some women swear by evening primrose and vitamin E capsules, but make sure you talk to a health care provider before adding them to your daily routine -- supplements can have dangerous interactions with other medications you're on.
This one is a common symptom of perimenopause you may not have heard much about: urinary incontinence. Some women may be too embarrassed to discuss their leaks, but it's not unusual to experience some bladder changes in perimenopause.
sensitive bladder syndrome, need to wee often and during the night ..
jayneejay laurie70017
Posted
oh .. Sorry you feel crap aswell 😧
did you say you recently started hrt patch or am i getting confused ..
was wondering if it was that making you feel funny, kicking in ...
jay jay xx
laurie70017 jayneejay
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jayneejay laurie70017
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yeah i reckon you may have a period on its way.
i always felt sick when i had mine ..
and headaches .. And achey boobs
poor laurie 😥
jay jay xx
Tazchurch laurie70017
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jayneejay Tazchurch
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correct... Its 7pm and 32 degrees 😊
jay jay xx
laurie70017 Tazchurch
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laurie70017 jayneejay
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Tazchurch laurie70017
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jayneejay laurie70017
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and you ... Hope you feel better soon..
jay jay xx
beth64101 jayneejay
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Beth
jayneejay beth64101
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No no i never said i was disappointed with you beth ..
Just concerned as you really need to get sorted, and you cancel your appointments last minute.. And they need to check you and treat and help you.
All i said was only you know how you feel, not for me to judge hun..
Everyone different ...
You take care Beth..
I not been too well either ..
But getting there now Gyno told me what my smear test revealed and now at least i have correct meds for it..
Big hugs
Jay xx
joanna49787 laurie70017
Posted
I have had the year from hell with all sorts of symptoms, but my worst by far has been this horrible nausea. Ask your doc for motilium. They are great. I tried everything else but these really DO work.
Nausea is ghastly. I can deal with any of the other symptoms, of which I have had many! but the nausea is just rotten. What age are you?
Jo
joanna49787 jayneejay
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I need some reassurance from your good self! I am 49 and have been feeling not too bad lately but again like a thunderbolt I feel dreadful - sore boobs, nausea, tummy pains, hip pains, pelvice pain and exhaustion. Could all of this horror be perimenopause?
Thanks again
Jo
joanna49787 jayneejay
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I think I am ready to crack. My GP gave me progesterone pills to help with heavy bleeding, but guess what -- it hasn't worked. I feel worse than ever now with ongoing bleeding and a "sort of" urinary tract infection. Antibiotics seem to have helped a bit, but have you any advice on the feeling of constantly needing to pee?
I don't think I can take much more of this. I am actually crying writing this message - how pathetic am I?
I don't know what else to try.
Jo
x
jayneejay joanna49787
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i remember when i was in Peri i had a couple of years of the needing to pee, my Doctor said it was due to hormone decline .. I dont take HRT as i am high risk etc etc etc.
i had a cystoscopy and all was fine, i drank more water etc etc .
but still had times of this urge and discomfort, and tests showed it wasnt always a UTI.. It was hormonal and a sensitive type of bladder and muscle spasm my doctor said ..
i use to go shopping and as soon as i parked it was need the loo right now, like an urge but no urgency as such..
doc gave me some oxybutinon tablets but only took one when this urge was annoying, i cant say if this is the same for you hun..
jay x
joanna49787 jayneejay
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It is horrible. Thanks for your help again. Did this pass for you?
Pardon the pun!!
Jo
x
jayneejay joanna49787
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yes it did pass my lovely ..
Its not nice ... But for me it did pass nearing end of peri ..
jayx
joanna49787 jayneejay
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Thanks again. I have been having horrendously heavy periods now for about nine years, with an endometrial ablation that wasn't really successful. These other symptoms have been bad for the last two. Do you think I could be nearing the end? I will be 50 shortly after Xmas?
Jo
x
jayneejay joanna49787
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poor thing.. I couldnt really say if your near the end ..
i am 51 and almost 2 years post menopause now..
12-14 months following peri is post menopause
jayx
Trishann jayneejay
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Zigangie laurie70017
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Try 2 ginger capsules half an hour before meals and ginger tea made with fresh ginger after meals for the nausea. The bad taste the only thing that really helped was extra strong mints. I always hated them and wondered as a child why every granny could only seem to offer mints now I know why!
Zigangie laurie70017
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Feeling sick and gastric reflux improved with 2 ginger capsules half an hour before meals and fresh ginger tea after them.
The only thing that helped with that horrible taste was extra strong mints.
I had the taste all through peri and got a little better more of a lemony taste when I was post.
After 8 weeks on HRT it went away.
tina64579 jayneejay
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maisie05 tina64579
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Hi. This site is great isn't it! There have been other discussions in this menopause forum with suggestions to help with breast pain. Put breast pain in the search box and they should come up for you to read. I've heard that evening primrose can help, and read up on (google) vitex agnus castus a herbal remedy, some have had success with that. Keep in touch.
jane14832 ameroon89350
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Hi. I quite often get symptoms at work, which can make me anxious. I just find being honest is best as people are generally supportive. Sometimes I just sit quietly for a few minutes at my desk, after all we're not robots. I hope things are going well for you.
malina55946 tina64579
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hello! i am still experiencing sore and breast on fire sensations for a couple of months now. i was prescribed femicur and evening primerose oil, vitamin a and e. no improvements yet, I need to have the treatment for at least 3 to 6 months. have you ease your breast pain. can you give me some advices? my left breast is bigger and painful and the alveola around the nipples is swollen. i look like a woman that breastfeeding. many thanks!
gilly_64426 malina55946
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hi Melina
my left breast has a mind of its own. i too have the same issues. the pain in the left breast sometimes unbearable. i tried warm pads but i found that by cutting out coffee or caffeine helps. i use to drink 3 cops a day and stopped. my left arm in general is still pains me. im so over these symptoms. any ladies got recommendations what remedies they tried and helped ease the pain?
linda1291977 malina55946
Edited
try the castor oil pack
this oil help me with my sore breast
search on youtube how to do the castor oil pack
tamsin00119 ameroon89350
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HI Ameroon
When you feel that anxiety coming on stand up, walk around in the garden, play with your doggy/cat whatever... get busy ... it distracts you and soon you will feel better... that is what I do... it works for me
Good luck love...
Tams
debra64760 jayneejay
Edited
ameroon8
Please dont forget to mention with the urinary frequency can come with burning after you urinate and not have a uti or and infection . Pressure that you got to go and pains in hips back ovaries stomach and bladder spasms. the only thing that works for me is water a little bit of a bc powder or an antihistamine (claritin 10 mg). it stops the burning and last almost 24 hrs. but anything to stop the burning ugh. Also as you said included is sweats aches headaches ringing in ears and etc got it all. Ty very much.
melanie63591 debra64760
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ugh! The frequent peeing! And yes! That burning. Water does seem to help but then I just have to go more! I almost give up going anywhere at all because what if there isn't a bathroom handy? It's now becoming just a nuisance to go to the bathroom.
debra64760 melanie63591
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melanie63
yes mane I know what
you are saying everytime I go anywhere I mean anywhere the first thing I do is look for a bathroom or make sure there is one nearby. I also yell my husband if I'm not on the couch or cleaning I'm in the bathroom that's where I spend most of my days at anyways. melanie for real if the burning gets so bad they the claritin 10mg antihistamine if you can take it . it works for me but the burning goes away but you can steel feel the aggravation down there but it does help also I take a piece of a bc powder too. if you can take asprin. the pains in ovaries and abdomen and bladder spasms have got better but rarely it comes back. hang in there. I'm just glad I can stop the crying because I can get some relief. I have not had to take an antihistamine in 2 days thankyou jesus. just been drinking water. but was using bathroom si much last night every hour now I'm tired. ugh
again hang in there and ty
melanie63591 debra64760
Posted
thank you debra! I try to drink as much water as I can. I can sure try the antihistamine! And I'm not sure what a bc powder is? So glad to talk to you about this! Hang in there!!