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Am I near menopause?

Posted , 3 users are following.

Acejohnston
Acejohnston

Am so glad to have found this group! Have been a member of this site since my gallbladder was removed 18 months ago! I'm nearly 45 had my bowel removed at 22 due to ulcerative colitis and had a bag and had it reversed 2 years later. I had good health for 10 years until I got a mirena coil fitted for contraceptive purposes and it caused my hormones to go crazy and bleed for a year and had to have it removed. Unfortunately it triggered my bowel to act up and I was put on steroids for 3 years and ended up in hospital with severe adrenal issues from the steroids. My hormones have not been right since and attended an endocrinologist who put me on dhea as my levels were very low due to the steroids. I felt well for a while and became pregnant and had my son in 2010. Since then I've been having what I now know is perimenopause symptoms. Headaches, horrendous bone pain, night sweats, hot flushes,nausea, middle of night waking and my periods coming every 21-25 days. I developed gallstones and had my gallbladder removed only to get much worse and spent last year vomiting on and off with horrendous nausea and diarrhea. I then found out I had a 9cm cyst on my ovary that was there in 2014 when they found the gallstone but forgot to tell me. They said surgery was too risky due to my history so I went to an acupuncturist who for the first time explained to me what was happening to my body and how all these things were connected to a hormone imbalance. Like many here my gynaecologist, GP and surgeon fobbed me off and actually told me it was a rare side effect of having my gallbladder removed! I took some herbs and milk thistle as recommended by the acupuncturist and I started to feel better so much so that I stopped taking them 8 weeks later and within 6 weeks all my

Symptoms came back. I went to a second gynaecologist who told me the cyst was making me sick. I started researching it and asked my GP to check my progesterone and estrogen levels as well as other hormones. My progesterone was on the floor and my estrogen was low too but the gynaecologist wasn't concerned and I had the cyst aspired but still felt unwell and the acupuncturist put me on other herbs which helped somewhat. I decided then to go to a clinic specialising in hormone and fertility issues and they recommended b complex and a hormone saliva test over a full cycle. I stopped the herbs and supplements when doing the test and started feeling unwell again from mid cycle and my period didn't come until day 38! This has happened a few times in the last 9 months. I've also had brown spotting midcycle on a few occasions for a day. However on day 13 of this cycle the brown spotting started followed by bleeding a few days later. This is still happening 8 days later now and I have a horrendous headache and dizzyness and nausea. I got the results of my saliva tests the other day and my progesterone is very low as is my testosterone and my estrogen was erratic low and then on one or 2 days high. On the peak days both progesterone and estrogen were low. They said I didn't ovulate but am still producing estrogen but in spurts. They recommended I get my GP to test my fsh levels as they think I'm near menopause now. They recommended dietary changes a few months ago which have helped the night sweats and flushes and I'm back taking the b complex which helps with the insomnia. I also take tumeric, fish oil, vit d, magnesium oil, vit c, probiotics and Manuka honey. My diarrhea thankfully settled down and I now get constipated which is very unusual with only having the small bowel. The clinic said they will recommended either black cohosh or Agnus castus based on my blood results although my fsh levels were OK in January I'm not sure if it's a reliable test. I'm so annoyed at my endocrinologist in particular as it turns out he never checked my estrogen and progesterone levels in the 8 years I attended him. I'm just wondering about this bleeding I'm getting now and if anyone can shed any light and also is there a light at the end of the tunnel? The anxiety I experienced last year in Particular was frightening and I've never suffered from it in my life and of course my GP wanted me to take anti depressants! Can anyone recommend something natural that helped them? Maca gave me really high blood pressure and anything that's a stimulant doesn't agree with me. I am praying that this won't go on for much longer. Sorry for the very long post. Tia

2 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • monique_93857
    monique_93857 Acejohnston

    Posted

    Wow you have been through a lot but menopause I have your symptoms I just today went to the bathroom as I wipe I seen a very faint smear of blood after almost 3 yrs grrrrr not really worried at this point but I must say these past few days have been a bit off for me my body was acting up as if I was having one I truly had the symptoms the anxiety then aches body felt drained what your experiences are is truly menopause the ladies here are so kind and sharing their experience and are so helpful at easing your day we all have been through a lot with the anxiety heart palps body aches wrist pain elbow pain hips etc etc when I have a bad day everything just feels awful I feel off balance dizzy my vision. Crawling skin lower and upper back aches stomach flutters dry mouth dry eyes you name it we have experience so many symptoms we share in here so that others don't feel alone I hope some of this has helped you if you have experience any or all of my symptoms good luck and always praying for us all

    • Acejohnston
      Acejohnston monique_93857

      Posted

      Thank you Monique. I've had the crawling itchy skin on my legs for a number of years and put it down to low iron levels! I also have osteoporosis in my hips spine and lower back from the steroids and was prescribed meds when I was diagnosed with it 10 years ago but then my endocrinologist took me off it and said it was only for post menopausal women! He prescribed dhea which I took on and off for a number of years only to get worse and have since found out it actually converts to estrogen making my symptoms even worse! I don't have any faith in the doctors at all to be honest. It's just great to find that I'm not alone as I cried all of last year I was so sick with the vomiting and diarrhea and thought I would never feel better. I couldn't go back to work as I've been so unwell and to realise it's my hormones all along is scary! I just can't understand why the doctors don't know about this as so many women suffer! Although I did go to my GP many years ago with the symptoms and she did say it could be the start of it and recommended a multivitamin! She never did any tests! I'm just afraid that this won't end! I'm a very outgoing person but now I shy away from people. I feel like a different person. I have a good friend whose in her 50's now and she went through it at my age and had a bad time but she said once her periods stopped she felt much better. It's the not knowing how long this will go on for that's the scary part although I'm lucky in one way as my periods have actually been really light but coming more frequently the last few years and only had 2 heavy ones. Thank again x

  • debbie75601
    debbie75601 Acejohnston

    Posted

    Wow, you've been through it! I have many of your same symptoms, and am getting no answers either. I have a fluid filled sac or deposit in my uterus, which when the gyno went to biopsy, she couldn't get in, because my cervix is sealed shut. Now awaiting surgery date for a D&C to do it. I also had gallbladder removed in March, which didn't help any of my pain issues or nausea. I have been sick since January, pretty much been on my couch the whole time. I also have digestive issues and have no appetite and weight loss. Nothing natural I have taken has helped any of my issues. I am on HRT, but feel it hasn't helped much, if at all. I'm still taking vitamin d(I tested very low), and magnesium daily, occasional bp med, and I take a half of an anti anxiety pill as needed. All of this seemed to come on at one time! It can leave now??  Hope someone can help you with a natural approach. Keep us posted. 

    • Acejohnston
      Acejohnston debbie75601

      Posted

      Hi Debbie thank you so much for your reply. I'm sorry your suffering too and sorry to hear you had your gallbladder removed too. For me it made things worse. My surgeon told me on the operating table that excess estrogen caused gallbladder problems and that's why it was common in women. It was only through my acupuncturist and clinic and from researching it myself did I find out the liver is the main root of the problem. When our progesterone levels are low the ratio of estrogen to progesterone becomes imbalanced causing estrogen dominance. The liver which is our main filtering system can't handle the excess estrogen and we get all these horrible symptoms and unfortunately in some of us gallstones form due to thickening of bile caused by the hormone imbalance. So keeping the liver clean can help and unfortunately in some of us removing the gallbladder actually can make things worse as the liver now gets more stressed as its now taken on the function of the gallbladder as well as doing everything else it has to do! If I could turn the clock back I would not have had it removed. Sadly my gallbladder was perfect. I had 1 large stone and had pain from that as well as digestive issues and was recommended to have it removed as I was told it would get worse in the long run. But it got worse by removing it in my case. The 2 things that I feel have helped me the most are milk thistle and b complex. Both help the liver deal with clearing excess hormones. I had my cyst aspired last December but it refilled and I took the milk thistle and dang gui and it definitely helped somewhat. I was taking a multivitamin with all the b vitamins in it but when I went to the clinic they said it wasn't strong enough and recommend minimum 50mg b complex. When I added this in my cyst went within one cycle and my sleep improved and energy too and also the irritability and crying spells stopped. I had to stop everything in May as I was doing the saliva test but ended up in hospital with vomiting and a partial blockage so couldn't finish the test so I had to redo the test in my last cycle. I felt so sick off the supplements but am back on the b complex now and am starting to feel a bit better. I haven't taken the milk thistle or herbs again as I want get my fsh levels checked to see what's going on but will try what the clinic recommends when I get the results. Unfortunately I can't get the blood tests done until day 3 of my next period and don't know when this bleeding will stop and I get my next period. I feel if the bleeding stops I'll feel a lot better as I think that's making me feel sick as its not a period. The clinic told me when you don't ovulate the estrogen builds up and can cause this irregular bleeding near menopause. I hope the hrt works for you and you feel better soon. I'll keep you posted. Big hugs xx

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