Blood sugar..etc.

I will try to drink more water, and keepbmy mind busier with other things than food. I lost all this weight back in the Spring of last year, but definitely am putting it back on now. Mostly in my stomach and behind. Just where I don't want it. Uggghhh...

Hi Beverly, sorry I don't mean to interrupt, I have type 2 diabetes and I was wondering if you have had a fasting glucose to check your diabetic status? Honestly, and this is not to minimize diabetes with eating a basically healthy diet and exercising its very manageable. Just my two cents/.

Thanks for your reply Elaine. I have never had a a caffienated drink problem or alcohol though sugers are a problem especially dark chocolate. Yes ,I do need to clean up my diet. At this point I am having hot flashes about every hour. It is a career for me so that should be plenty incentive to clean up my act. I am considering taking antidepresents to reduce my hot flashes. I just can't help but think that his whole hrt thing is a BIG MISTAKE! 

A lot of people on the forum have had some good results with hrt, you have to weigh it up for yourself, if you feel you can do it naturally then go for that, there are many things to consider  before you try the HRT, just dont suffer if things get too bad, and you feel its becoming out of control, it gets to a point where you peak, and your symptoms really reach a height then, when you get to this point  then, your pretty close to the end, it does get better.   Dark chocolate is  a fave of mine, love it, and it is better for us than milk chocolate, as its a more natural sugar, that doesnt mean though you can eat a bucket load of it.............ha,

Hi Elaine! I'm interested in the 'peak'

you referenced. Can I ask how many years you went thru these symptoms and did you peak?

I'm going on 8 years where sometimes the symptoms are bearable and others, it's hard to function. I had a pretty good year last year/2015, then the last few months I'm in hell again. Thx!!

Hi Jamie

I became premenopausal or, peri aged 35, then aged 46/47 started with actual period changes,  worsening symptoms noticed at this age were, severe anxiety, could cope with that,  but really bad depression couldnt cope with that, perhaps my worst symptom of all, so, had to get something for that, I noticed a massive upsurge in my symptoms to the point where i honestly thought i was either going to die because of how ill i had started to feel, just didnt think the menopause could make someone feel that ill, or, seriously go mad, and im a strong person, i was aged 54 at this point, so, 8 years i would say for me, my gp said that is how you know you have peaked, and you should now start to notice a decline, but its taken its time, a further 2 years down the line, and my symptoms have settled back making 10 years in total 57 this year,  no period for a full year, but ive recently been told by a different specialists, that you have to go 2 years before you can consider yourself post, and he told me this only a week ago, and flushes can last for a further 5 years after this, but for some,all the other symptoms can also carry on which, iwas aware of, so get HRT if this is you, so, whilst my symptoms still happen around period time, they start off mild and then decline with each day, and then i get this balanced feeling inside and i know its gone, i feel good when this happens, not said that in a long, long time, until the next time that is jamie, but its a lot better now, cant take HRT but, in the early days, without a doubt if i could have, i would have taken it, dr wouldnt give it to me, and then my sister developed breast cancer, so wasnt allowed it then, drs and specialists just confuse it all in my opinion.

Thx Elaine! Your chronology helps a lot. Are you done? Back to normal ( if that's such a thing )? I'm hoping this severe depression and anxiety that came flying back after a year and going on 7 months is a peak. Today I wanted to lay flat in bed all day and rain makes me feel worse. Felt like an embryo in a womb. If that makes sense.

I, two, cannot take hrt due to breast cancer in my immediate family, wish I could!!!

I would say, i am almost there, but not quite, no severe symptoms whatsoever for the past two years, also been able to stop the anti depressants,  my depression was also very black, and you cant cope with all this going on with black depression, so, definately got something for that, and yes rain does make you worse, in England at the moment, whilst very cold, its showing signs of early spring, and its sunny skies, which helps lift your moods, but i also use to find going for a long walk helped lift my mood as well, which i knew suggested part of my depression was fatigue and lethargy, which was menopause.

My friend called today, she has no symptoms from her menopause at all since shes been post, which is a massive 4 years ago, so well done Jenny, took no HRT, and was on her menopause  for 10 years like me, both sisters finished well before me, and both have very mild symptoms now like me, so, i hope this is you soon, and this gives you hope!!  But if your depression is that bad, go and get some meds dont suffer.

Yes that is how i felt over the HRT, someone has told me on this forum there is a natural hormone you can take, i will look through my mails see if i can find what it was called, it was mentioned by Zingange, i took lots of natural remedies in the begining, progesterone creams, horrible potions that mimic hormones, but first we need to know what hormones were down on, or, up on, otherwise how we going to know what to take?? so i thought best not then, so stopped it all, and just did lifestyle changes, but the anti depressants, have to say helped me cope with it all better, so maybe you should consider this jamie for a break, until your post and feel confident to stop them, thats what i did, no more black depression.   Best wishes Jamie, speak again.  

Elaine, this is very informative, thank you for detailing everything. My GYN did prescribe anti-depressants and they actually made the depression worse. I needed to switch and try another kind, but I was too freaked to go again. The last 2 years were tolerable, and then WHAM, this August felt like a severe peak. Mood swings, dizzy, off-balance, sickly feeling all the time. It bummed me out because I didn't expect it. I know menopause is a fickle bit*h, but give a girl a break!!!! I'm searching for women celebrating its over!!! I'm happy for you and your help. Jamie