Why only some of us???
Posted , 14 users are following.
When I feel particularly crummy, I tend to dwell on the question of "why". Why some of us have extreme, life altering symptoms and/or an early start of symptoms or symptoms for many years. And why we all know so many women that are completely fine and enjoying their lives.
What's the common denominator for those of us suffering?
Aside from hormones and chemicals used in modern food production, birth control pills are also relatively newer and used more frequently in the last 40 or so years.
Personally, I have used bcp on and off for about 20 years of my adult life and wonder what this does to the body longterm. It has always been sold as the easy solution to prevent pregnancy but I now question if the medical community really knows long term consequences.
I mean, if bcp stops you from releasing an egg, what happens down the road when the body is preparing for menopause? If we are born with a finite amount of eggs and we do not release them with ovulation for a number of years, could that send the body into chaos? Are those old eggs still in the body trying to get fertilized?
Anyone else with extreme symptoms have a history of bcp usage? My symptoms started in mid 30s with low libido, hair shedding, sensitivity to foods and some digestive issues . When I turned 40, it all ramped up with new symptoms that come and go along with shorter cycles. I went down a path of thinking it was Candida, intestinal parasites, EBV (I had bad mono in my teens) and eventually settled on perimenopause when I found the list of 66 symptoms. But I still question if there is a systemic problem causing me to be so sensitive to hormones now.
I will be 43 in December and hoping this will ease up at some point because this can't be my life forever. I only feel well a few days a month now. Sorry for the long rant, we have a 3 day holiday weekend in the US and I have zero energy to exercise, clean house, socialize, etc. like I planned to do. I hate being so disinterested in EVERYTHING.
4 likes, 27 replies
Lkl2019 Rainbow976
Posted
I wondered this as well. i was on bcp for about 15 years. my symptoms started in late 30s, now 41 and I.m in hell Every day. I.m with you, this can't be my life forever. I quit trying to figure out the why's tho. there were tons of women in bcps that never had any issues like i.m having, so who knows? some think viruses etc. it's a black whole of nothingness to jump into. i just spend my time on these boards so I don't feel so alone and praying for relief one day...soon. hugs
lisa95354 Rainbow976
Edited
I actually googled this, as your question in your post has me very interested. I don’t think they’ll allow me to attach the article, so I won’t bother, but I am pasting a paragraph of the reasons it gave... To be honest the article kind of terrified me, I didn’t read the whole thing. It also talked about The mortality rate increasing during this 'phase' of our lives. This is one of the reasons I have to stay off the Internet, not including this forum;) The other half of me didn’t want to read it because I have faith in God. I believe that God predestines when we die. I mean this has happened since the beginning of time, it’s not like the female race is wiped out during menopause. between the lack of knowledge with the doctors and articles that you don’t really know how much is true, it can really be very disheartening. i’m also in a negative headspace because even though I am three years postmenopause, I still get the low moods during this time, as this would be the time of my cycle. sometimes I wonder, will this ever end. Or because we have ovulated and had cycles almost our entire lives, does it ever stop, or will I feel this way at the end of every month, when my period used to be? sorry, I think I have just added more questions, to our questions 😉 that was not my intention, just feeling sad & frustrated ...thx xo
'There are many factors that influence menopausal age including[7] heredity (age of mothers menopause), smoking, parity, socioeconomic factors, exposure to various toxins, and nutrition.'
sakura26 lisa95354
Posted
Interesting. So early menopause means shorter life? My mother went through menopause late in her late 50s so I don't think heredity really matters. I think it may be more as others have mentioned, the hormones in our food that made us go through puberty earlier than my mother's generation.
rachel54558 sakura26
Edited
when they say early menopause then normally mean before your 40's . i am going through early menopause at 28. The increased risk of early death is only if untreated by HRT. this because of the early menopause i have a higher risk of heart disease and osteoporosis if its untreated. hope this helps
lisa95354 sakura26
Posted
afternoon Sakura ... no, the article I read wasn’t referring to early menopause, it was referring to, the way I read it, women in their 40s and 50s going through menopause and the mortality rate. it didn’t mention early menopause. I think it’s frightening because postmenopausal, your estrogen has a lot to do with cholesterol health. I just find it concerning that our hormones protect us, but yet they’re depleted during Peri and post?? and it’s impossible to get a straight answer from doctors, or to really find any doctor that agrees with another doctor regarding this crucial subject in our lives. There is a woman that I went to school with and worked with and she passed away a couple years ago at 50. I don’t know her husband well enough to ask him this, but it was a heart attack and I can’t help but wonder... if it was due to menopause/hormones. I go for a check up tomorrow because I need to get a script to have my pharmacist compound HRT cream and I am prepping myself mentally for anything negative ... judge mental ...the doctor might say to me. Regarding my weight gain, because I’m three years post and I’ve noticed the good old muffin top ...which has quickly turned into a cake top;) And then they expect us to be Jane Fonda and exercise and eat right, when our own bodies are working against us ...literally ...making us crave sweets and unhealthy foods.. to make up for the good feeling hormones that are all jacked up. I have put frowns on my calendar at the time I have difficult days or a difficult week, every single month it has turned out to be... when I would have had my cycle. So sorry for the rant, it’s another one of those days where I’m looking out the window feeling sad, watching the leaves wave at me;) Thinking ....how much longer, what next, is this feeling in my chest a heart attack, am I gonna drop dead & my husband’s gonna come home and find me, my poor dog, she’s already been through enough, we got her from a shelter.... sorry, my thoughts are kind of like a pinball machine right now. I know I’ll be OK again in a few days. I think I really digressed here… Sorry ! xo
sakura26 lisa95354
Posted
Hi I know what you mean, we need hormones for health but then no doctors can figure out how to give them to us safely or stimulate our own hormones to return to healthy levels. I'm fine with running of out eggs for babies but do our hormones need to deplete and make us fall apart?
lisa95354 sakura26
Posted
yes, I understand. I’m finding that my pharmacist knows much more than my doctor. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow and I’m gonna get on this HRT cream that my pharmacist compounds. I am feeling hopeful that this will change things for the better. XO
susan39015 sakura26
Posted
Its amazing, they can clone a frigin sheep and do a face transplant but drs cant figure this s**t out. Sorry just venting haha
rachel54558 lisa95354
Posted
women have longer life expectancy than men . so we can't all be dying early from menopause. yes hormones do protect but increased risk is relatively , i far as i understand it increases are risk to same as men with the exception of osteoporosis womens risk after menopause is higher than mens for that. women heart attacks have different symptoms to men meaning when happen they harder to recognise. i am sure older men find it just as difficult to lose weight. I agree that menopause is horrible at times . i fully agree that more scientific research needs to done on menopause and the long term effects of HRT . i had horrible doctors appointment too and doctors who don't understand women problem . thats a different issue from research issue that them not knowing how bad it can be sometimes and not be empathetic. this is also at least in uk them not having a enough time with patients. i hope you can see where i am coming from . i don't mean to upset or annoy you.
bev27429 susan39015
Posted
I have to say, Susan, that I love your sense of humor! It is good for me to have a smile and a chuckle in the midst of all of this suffering:)
sakura26 susan39015
Posted
SO TRUE!!! And yes we might live longer but what's the quality of life if we are all (or some of us) falling apart like this and feel like crud in our own bodies and look like crud. I know some women have no issues but ... And we lose the option to have children while men can have kids until their 70s with a younger woman, because old men are "ruggedly handsome" and old women are just "wrinkly crones". Women are still mainly valued by men based on their youth or youthful looks. Where men can look however they want as long as they have money or power or prestige etc.
susan39015 bev27429
Posted
I'm glad i made you smile! ❤ xo