Ageing fast

hey jo, please read my posts here! i'm sure you look wonderful but just feel terrible and because you're so tired, you feel awful and can't be motivated to do anything. It's a nasty vicious cycle. Please get your hormone levels tested and research normal levels and get into action! we are all here for you, going through the same stuff. as if turning 40 and invisible wasn't enough, then there's this to deal with for how many years? so get moving, get your hormones in check and get your life back! x

 

Hi Victoria, May I ask what doctor checked for your hormone levels? Obgyn or Endocrinologist? I've had everything done already but no answers!? I was on YouTube and was listening to this Dr Joe DeMattio talk about a list of pains you experience it's could be Estrogen Dominance and Progesterone Deficiency? I'm 43yo and have been dealing with peri for 3 crazy horrible years! I feel sick all the time and need to know who can help me. Because nobody seems to know. I try to do all natural! And he says to heal your body by eating natural, get the right supplements and good probiotics! Well I'm doing it all but still in pain. So over it!

Hi Victoria,

My progesterone was very low and estrogen dominant. I was prescribed a bio identical progesterone months ago, but just just started it 5 days ago. No side effects and I should be in a rage because im PMS now, but I'm not. How long before you felt normal again?

hi victoria, so glad you feel much better I really am. I had a blood test a couple months ago results were ' as expected ' no follow up or advice give , so what does that mean, my GP is horrible I can't stand him, lady doctor is never there and when she is you can never get to see her, sooooo tired could sleep forever x

There is a menopause clinic in Australia (I can't mention the name because it will trigger a modification on this post) who did a full hormonal blood test. They just emailed me the path form and I took it to my local GP and the blood girl did it - free of charge (we have medicare in Australia). I assume that any GP doctor can order these tests too as it's just a regular pathology form. You just need to make sure they order the full tests. It's very easy for a doctor to test the levels and say/do nothing. I took the bull by the horns because the hot flushes were making me sick, like dizzy at work and I upped my does of SSRI Lexapro but didn't feel comfortable because I'm only on 5mg every other day and it wasn't helping with the muscle and joint pain so hence the bio id*entical hormones. It was very expensive like $150 per month. Now I've run out I'm going to get a scrip from a GP and take it to a compounding pharmacists and just get my hormone levels tested every 6 months if I don't feel great. It's actually a really simple thing once you get started.

Hi Colleen, nice to hear from you! The pain was gone overnight. It was crazy. I thought it was the placebo effect but no. The instructions are to stop for 5 days when period arrives. I know in that 5 days the pain comes back. I don't know if it's cause I'm on a low dose and I run out straight away of my bodily supplies. But as soon as I build up with the progesterone the pain is gone again. Even my left thumb felt like it had arthritis and that pain was gone. No body tells us enough about the perfect balance so it's up to us ladies! I am so much calmer now and my sleep is great, good dreams so I know I'm getting REM sleep. x

 

Hi Lou, I too have found that over the years when I've asked for a test for hormones I get the standard response "Oh that's normal for a woman your age" which is also slightly insulting but we won't go there ... Be a dog with a bone. Demand a full battery of hormone tests. If need be say you feel suicidal or that you are unable to function at work. That should get their attention. It's horrible but if you are limited with your choice of GP make a stand. I highly recommend you get your hands on some progesterone. I found that it helped me sleep immediately, that night. It had a build up effect where I slept well every night and the calmness during the day was amazing. I was on this happy high and I was a little concerned that I was getting manic because I hadn't felt this good in 6 months! Easy fix just lowered my dose slightly. Advocate for your health Lous because no one else will. I'm a nurse and the irony is we advocate for others all the time and put ourselves last. Please let me know how you go because that "sleep forever" is sign that your really need to balance out your hormones. Go girl! x

ps. I too was angry because after GP said "that's normal for a woman your age" no action was recommended. So then what? Nothing? Not good enough. I know that coffee, more than one espresso with milk daily, can make my estrogen levels soar, so I am super careful with coffee (it used to make me bleed like a horse too so I gave it up altogether years ago) and exercise, just brisk walking, is good for the mind and to balance everything inside (get ths bowels moving etc). Forget the gym if it's too hard, just walk girl. Good luck x

Hi Victoria, thank you for lovely reply - I just feel intimidated and stupid at my doctors, he just raises his eyebrows at me as if to say ' get lost Youre so over the hill ' - I know what he's thinking. Also ive had a total hysterectomy so I don't think progesterone is the answer for me, I would like a natural remedy but have no idea who to turn too x

Hi Pam, yes im sad too !! thanks for your sweetness...... Im 54 and had an oophorectomy 3 years ago and hysterectomy 20 years ago. Doctor said ' what do you expect you'd be going through this anyway' ..... No HRT , three years ago people used to say I looked young for my age and now they say ' God you look tired ' ........pretty depressing x

I am 44. And I look tired all the time. I hope my 50s are better. This stinks

Im sure you look lovely anyway - but I know what you mean x

That's awful lou ... I can't believe things people say ... so unkind and unhelpful.  Get some hormones into you and get that good REM sleep and you will feel wonderful again, I promise you! I went and had dermal fillers under my eyes because I felt I looked so tired, didn't really help until I invested in the progesterone. Now when I wake up I have that red face flushed with a good sleep and I know that the blood flow has been to every cell in my face. Please let me know what you do!

I look old too. I've never been so down on myself

Victoria, has the progesterone increased your motivation? Ive just started the progesterone and a lack of motivation is my biggest concern right now. I should be in a rage because I'm PMS, and the progesterone has already helped with that?but I really feel a huge lack of motivation and my home is not organized like I want it to be😢

Lou, I definitely have more energy to do things I want to do but I don't know if it's my age 48 and the knowledge that comes with age where I think (sometimes overthink!) why do I bother to keep my house spotless? why do I need to put up with X or Y? I find that I generally care less about things. I don't know if it's because of my busy job (nurse) or that I just realise how little I can change or need to change in this world or day to day life. Wow, getting philosophical now ... Is that a meno thing? I don't know. But what I have found is that if I stick to walking every morning, it builds a good base for the rest of the day and I feel like I can take on anything and my checklist has at least 2 things crossed off: work and exercise. I was never a big socialiser as I was a beach goer and early to rise and early to bed thing, no big drink nights or anything like that and that is my inner peace thing. Simple life. I also know that from good deep REM sleep I can think better and clearer and my cognition is better again and I can study and retain new information, the fog is gone. I really don't know if I'm supposed to be able to run marathons or what at this age. I am going on 2 overseas trips this year by myself (sans husband because of our pets) so I like to think yes, I am motivated to do things that matter to me. What else should I be doing? I'm not sure!

Sorry I meant "Colleen" not Lou

I basically don't care about much of anything. I do the are minimum. My husband gets frustrated bc I don't cook like I used too. Sigh

That should say bare minimum

Same. I hate cooking now too. I love eating out though! I can understand why so many couples get divorced at this time and women think they don't need a husband ...

I still laugh about the time your hubby asked what you did the one day and you said "you washed your hair" 😁

Victoria, I know the house can wait, but there are things to do that can't be ignored. How long have you been taking HRT now? Today is day 7 for me and no side effects, but I got my period a little early and its normally on time. How long would you say it took before you've felt close to normal? I have to take it 12 days a month.

Im divorced and a man is the last thing on my mind. However, I have to work a lot to maintain my house and pay the mortgage

Lol. That poor man. He is so good and never says anything. Washing my hair is on the to do list for tomorrow.🚿😬

Be careful, that's exactly what I said when my friend set me up on a blind date with my now husband. Lol. I was divorced with a newborn and 2 other boys. It happens when you least expect it sometimes!

What kind of work do you do?