Speak to me of perimenopause

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

Yes, yes, I will be discussing this with my doctor as well. But I'm pretty sure It Has Begun. I'm 39, and I just found out my mom started having symptoms around this age. For her the process took over 15 years. Fabulous. I've gone from being a great sleeper to having broken, unrefreshing sleep quite often, sometimes because I wake up and I am so freaking hot, sometimes because of totally effed up dreams.

The real *ding ding ding* was that my last cycle was 3-4 days longer than normal, and this one was 12 days shorter. Since I started keeping track, I've had a very regular period, and now it's all wonky. I've also been extra crazy during PMS for the last 6 months or so (though I admit it may be hard for outside observers to tell the difference).

I feel flummoxed and resentful. I have a four year old and just stopped breastfeeding for Christ's sake! This is supposed to happen to old ladies! I also really don't relish being discombobulated for more than a decade.

Tell me your experiences and how you managed it. Especially if you spent a long time in the Twilight Zone between fertility and menopause or started relatively young!

[eclectic wench]

I have no clue about perimenopause, but if you just stopped breastfeeding, could it be your hormones readjusting after that?

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

That is an excellent idea. I don't think that's it, as my cycle has been a 35-day juggernaut from nulliparous, to post-miscarriage, to post-partum and through breastfeeding with both kids. I will keep it mind though. Maybe things will even out over the next few months - that's a nice thought!

[corkboard]

Originally Posted by Unauthorized Cinnamon

I've gone from being a great sleeper to having broken, unrefreshing sleep quite often, sometimes because I wake up and I am so freaking hot, sometimes because of totally effed up dreams.

This is my wife's experience as well. She's 45. Her periods aren't like yours, but they go from being really heavy to really light, which is unusual for her previous 30+ year history of them. We're assuming it's perimenopause as well, in her case.

[SnakesCatLady]

You described my situation very well, especially the sleep issues. I am now officially in menopause, since I've gone a year without a period. It took me about 10 years to get here; I'm 51.

[Cat Whisperer]

At 45 I'm having a lot of the same symptoms. The worst one for me was the PMDD (pre-menstrual dysmorphic disorder) - I'm on a small dose of an SSRI now so I don't kill someone some day. Apparently it is quite common for a woman's body to become resistant to serotonin just when she needs her feel-good neurotransmitters the most.

The sleep issues are nuts - I fall asleep easily, but I also wake easily, and don't fall back to sleep very easily, and I'm starting to have the night sweats now, too. The non-refreshing sleep is a bummer, too - what's the point of doing all that sleeping if you wake up as tired as you went to bed, man?

[Broomstick]

After 30+ years of being regular as a calendar my cycles are now becoming irregular in length. On the upside, they've gotten a LOT lighter in flow. Not one hot flash, but I am suffering the disrupted sleep.

I'll update the doc next time I visit. I'm told there are all sorts of tests to be more sure about the perimenopause thing, but since I'm not suffering anything debilitating or that would be considered abnormal in a woman my age I doubt my insurance will pay for it.

[Ellen Cherry]

Oh girls. I've been thinking about starting this thread for the past couple of months, and here it is. I'll be 49 in October, and I've skipped one period, had another that was like a homicide scene, and just this week, a night sweat. I feel ripped off too -- my mother PROMISED me I'd be 53 when all this started, since she was and my grandmother as well.

[Nava]

Originally Posted by Cat Whisperer

At 45 I'm having a lot of the same symptoms. The worst one for me was the PMDD (pre-menstrual dysmorphic disorder)

OK, that didn't seem right, I've had pre-menstrual dysmorphic disorder (defined as thinking "damn I'm horribly FAT" right before my period arrives - I retain a lot of liquid) since I was 12... I looked it up and think you mean dysphoric, and pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder appears to be doctorspeak for "the kind of PMS people use as an excuse for jokes", where the patient jumps from wanting to kill the world to wanting to kill herself to not killing anybody but only because she isn't sure who to begin with. Posted it to make it easier for others to look up.


My cycles were extremely regular between ages 12 and 36; then all over the place for 6 years; for the last year or so they've gone back to regular. No idea what caused either change.

I've learned one important thing from this thread: apparently hot flashes will be just like being in July in Barcelona, in a flat with no A/C. Damn.

[Miss Mapp]

Just my personal experience--it goes on for a long, long time. I've been having perimenopause symptoms for years, since my early 40s. No actual menopause yet, and I'm getting close to 50.

My mother tells me she didn't go through final menopause until she was past 60. So that's something to look forward to!

[Ellen Cherry]

Based on the one (1) night sweat that I've had, it's nothing like being hot in the summertime. It's like your body does a full dump of fluids. My t-shirt was drenched, my hair was drenched. I got up, and when the air-conditioned air hit me, I shivered violently from my cold wet clothes. It's nothing like "regular sweat," it's Super Sweat™

Whine alert: because I had a baby so late in life, I thought I'd have more time! Cinnamon, I, too am like, "I was JUST lactating!" (Although, to be fair, it was a few years ago.)

[Cinnamon Imp]

Ah, thanks for starting this thread my fellow Cinnamon, I'm interested in the responses too. Ever since I came off the pill in 2007, I've had a 25 day cycle, regular as clockwork. Well, apart from during the whole pregnancy/breastfeeding thing

My last two periods were 21 days and 22 days. Googling it suggested either I'm hanging out with ladies who are influencing my cycle, or I'm getting old and heading towards perimenopausal.

Given I want more kids, I'm wondering how much time I have left - I'm 34 just now and in a *very* new relationship that isn't ready for babies!

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

Technically, I'm still lactating, even though I'm not nursing anymore! It appears I'm one of those women who will keep producing just from letting the shower spray hit your nipples and giving a little squeeze once in a while to check if there's still milk.

Thank Og I haven't had any proper night sweats - that sounds dreadful. I've just had a few nights where I kick off all the covers, still feel hot, check the thermostat and find it's 72 degrees, despite how I feel, and then just have to wait until it passes and I start feeling cold and have to pull up the covers again.

[kayaker]

I'm a guy. Last summer my gf was waking up drenched in sweat and couldn't fall back to sleep without showering. Although our house is comfortable without air-conditioning (other than a coupla nights a year) I bought a window unit for the bedroom.

Now I sleep under a pile of blankets, but she is sleeping fine.

[sahirrnee]

I'm 55 and been in perimenopause for 10 years.
Twice I've gone 11 months with no periods only to start up again.
I've never had a hot flash or night sweats.
The worst part for me is the heavy bleeding to the point where I don't want to leave the house. Then I can be regular and normal for months, then everything becomes irregular, PMS symptoms are out of whack, getting some before, some during, and some after. No rhyme or reason to any of them.

The worst part for everyone else is just my general all around bitchiness. It's like a pressure in my head that just makes me, well sometimes things just come out of my mouth and I'm standing there wondering who in the hell is saying that and then I see it's me.

Sometimes I feel sorry for the people around me, other times I say fuck 'em, if they are dumb enough to get in my way they should be glad I'm hurling words and not knives.
I used to be nice and laid back.

[Ellen Cherry]

Originally Posted by Unauthorized Cinnamon

Technically, I'm still lactating, even though I'm not nursing anymore! It appears I'm one of those women who will keep producing just from letting the shower spray hit your nipples and giving a little squeeze once in a while to check if there's still milk.

Do you remember the story several years ago of the young couple who got lost out west in a terrible snowstorm? They had a young baby, maybe five or six months old. They dug a tiny cave in the snow and tried to wait it out, but finally the guy had to go for help. They had nothing with them, and the baby survived because the woman was nursing. IIRC, both the parents lost part of their feet to frostbite.

Anyway, this all happened around the time I was finishing up nursing one of my children, and I got an only partially serious paranoia about needing to nurse a baby in an emergency situation. (This despite the fact that I at the time never went out into the country and in fact rarely strayed far from home at all.) I did just as you say: I squeezed out tiny drops of milk for up to a year afterward, "just to see" if I could, if I had to, keep my child alive in an ice cave while my husband went for help.

Hormones be a crazy thing.

[Miss Mapp]

Originally Posted by Ellen Cherry

Based on the one (1) night sweat that I've had, it's nothing like being hot in the summertime. It's like your body does a full dump of fluids. My t-shirt was drenched, my hair was drenched. I got up, and when the air-conditioned air hit me, I shivered violently from my cold wet clothes. It's nothing like "regular sweat," it's Super Sweat™

I sometimes wake up under the impression that I've tried to drink a full glass of water in my sleep, and missed--I'm drenched from beneath my jaw all down the front. I've never taken a shower in the middle of the night over it, but have to take off the soaked nightshirt, use the dry part to mop myself up, and put on a fresh nightshirt before I can go back to sleep.

[Emiliana]

Eh, don't be in a rush to get through perimenopause. Apart from the lack of periods, post-menopause isn't all that different.

I'm five or so years past menopause and I'm wondering just how many hot flashes I have left in me. The memory loss is the real pain, though, and I'm pretty sure that's not going anywhere.

[elbows]

Perimenopause is such a pain!

I think the very worst thing was that no matter the nature of symptom you manifest; unending periods, suddenly wildly irregular periods, suddenly, after a lifetime without - wicked cramps, rage, tears - it truly doesn't matter, the Dr will smile and say, 'Yeah, perimenopause is a bitch!' And it could last for years, change any minute, and manifest entirely differently tomorrow. Son of a Bitch!

Then every time you've almost gone a year without a period - surprise, just in under the wire! When you finally hit that bench mark, symptoms change again, get ready! Oh, and this stage will probably last 7yrs or so. Son of a Bitch!

Who designed this damn system? A freaking committee?

[Cat Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Nava

OK, that didn't seem right, I've had pre-menstrual dysmorphic disorder (defined as thinking "damn I'm horribly FAT" right before my period arrives - I retain a lot of liquid) since I was 12... I looked it up and think you mean dysphoric, and pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder appears to be doctorspeak for "the kind of PMS people use as an excuse for jokes", where the patient jumps from wanting to kill the world to wanting to kill herself to not killing anybody but only because she isn't sure who to begin with. Posted it to make it easier for others to look up.<snip>

Oh yeah, that's right - I got the label wrong. Maybe it's because of the hormone holes in my brain.

[Maastricht]

Night sweats can also be just a side effect from SSRIS. I had them a few times when I switched dosages for Citalopram. Thy've disappeared, though. You might want to adapt your bedding, too. A lighter duvet and an electric blanket with more then five settings allows you to sleep as warm or cool as you need.

[perfectparanoia]

I'm 34 and it's just starting now. So far, I am getting off pretty easy. Heavier periods but further and further apart. I am hoping it goes well.

The biggest problem is that, since I am 'only' 34, when my first couple of periods were late, I thought I was pregnant. That was NOT COOL!

I am hotter than usual but I only get a night sweat every week or so. Get up, dry myself off, put on a new pair of jammies. I really don't even wake up.

[Ellen Cherry]

34? Oh, honey.

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

You know what isn't awesome? Trying to supervise a massively impulsive 4yo at a rock climbing place, then coming home and running a birthday party for 10 9yo girls, all while bleeding so much that your tampons keep threatening to fall out.

Fuck, you mother nature.

[kiz]

My perimenopause was worse than my actual menopause. It started roughly in my late 30s and went all through my 40s, first with the skipped periods, then with the periods themselves going from 5 to 4 to 3 to 1-1/2 days. I used to be regular as clockwork with all the physical signs I'd be getting it -- the cramps, the bloating, the 1-2 days of bitchiness. I had to stash extra tampons in my car's glove box "just in case" because all those signs disappeared. It was like, "Surprise!"

I've only had one instance of hot flashes. I've never slept well to begin with. The memory fog? OMG, I wish there was something I could stick in my brain so I can sweep it away. I also hate my thinning hair. OTOH I almost never need to shave!

[InternetLegend]

This is all sounding terribly familiar. I first went to a doctor to ask what the hell was up with the sleeplessness and memory problems about 10 years ago. I'm 51 now, and I seem to be skipping my period for the first time this month, but perimenopause is nothing if not fond of surprises, so I'm sure that could change any minute (probably the worst possible minute)!

I'm not a big fan of regular drug use, but I must say that Ambien is my good, good friend. When I have a lot of trouble sleeping for several days in a row, I'll use it to knock myself out for three or four nights, and sometimes that breaks the cycle. Up until the latest family crisis began last weekend, I had actually started to sleep pretty well - I went two weeks without a sleeping pill!

And night sweats - I"ve only had them a few times, but there's just nothing fun about having to shower and change the sheets when you're half asleep at three in the morning.

[Unauthorized Cinnamon]

Just in case, I may be using a page from my baby/preschooler playbook and making my bed like this: waterproof quilted mattress cover, fitted sheet, another waterproof cover, and another fitted sheet. At least that way you can simply strip off the first two layers, on which the sweat has pooled, without having to entirely remake the bed.

I also lerve my Ambien and use it in the same way. If I'm having several days of insomnia in a row, I'll use it for one or two days to make sure I get a good night's sleep.

Luckily my brain has been in a fog for the last decade due to always having a child under 5, so I probably won't notice much difference.

[perfectparanoia]

Originally Posted by Ellen Cherry

34? Oh, honey.

Meh. Done with the kid thing and maybe this will be short and over soon?

My grandma was fully menopausal at 32. I figure it's hereditary. So, I married early and started to try having kids early.

[Taomist]

After having fairly regular periods for 30 years or so, mine finally started jumping all around the map last year, fairly short to, yeah, crime scene. I started taking women's daily vitamins with iron...took a while to find one that didn't make me throw it up right away, ugh...and it went back to normal. So far. Third month 'normal', anyway, so keeping my fingers crossed!

Haven't had the night sweats that I've noticed, though I do feel hot at night. But I have been using tylenol pm to sleep for 20 years now, so that may be helping, or I just may be climbing the hill still.

I am one of those folks who waits until I absolutely *must* see a doctor before I'll go in, but I swear to Ogg if having a hysterectomy would obliterate perimenopause I'd do it myself!

[Eleanor of Aquitaine]

Originally Posted by Unauthorized Cinnamon

Just in case, I may be using a page from my baby/preschooler playbook and making my bed like this: waterproof quilted mattress cover, fitted sheet, another waterproof cover, and another fitted sheet. At least that way you can simply strip off the first two layers, on which the sweat has pooled, without having to entirely remake the bed.

Years ago when I bought a waterproof mattress cover for my toddler's bed, I was amused at the photo on the packaging: it showed a mattress on which lounged an older lady, a little kid, and a puppy.

[Ellen Cherry]

Ha, that is funny. Three examples of wet, leaky things.

[all1966]

For what it's worth, a friend of mine turned me on to a very good read with lotso helpful intel about this topic, called The Menopause Book (fka "Is it hot in here, or is it just me?") by Pat Wingert and Barbara Kantrowitz. I found it to be helpful. I've started in with night sweats within the last couple months (age 46) and my cycles have been almost non-existent for the last year - and when they do pop up, it's barely a day. So, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop...I started a different pill, Nora-BE progestin, as apparently, if one has aural migraines, estrogen is very very bad...funny my OTHER dr didn't mention that when she put me ON estrogen pills. Hrmm. Anyway, the progestin seems to be helping with hot flashes, but the weird sleep and wonky dreams are killin' me.

[Misnomer]

This thread is pretty timely for me, too: I'll be 41 in a couple of months, and I'm pretty sure that perimenopause started this year. Every month I wonder if that's what's going on.

Like with most of you, the tip-off has been historically regular periods that are suddenly quite irregular -- but for me the flow/length hasn't changed (thank goodness), it's the timing: I used to get my period pretty much every 29 days, with the occasional "reset," but this year I've been all over the map: anything from 3 weeks to 6 weeks between periods. I'm also suddenly having/noticing cramps: I've always had relatively short, pain-free periods, but these days I find that I don't feel so hot for the first day or two. No night sweats or hot flashes yet, though, thank goodness (I did experience hot flashes for about a week in late May, but I think those were stress-induced [my mom had been hospitalized and nearly died]; I tend to run warm to begin with, and I did not like them).

It's maddening, because now my periods are impossible to plan for/around! Not to mention that the 6-week stretches sometimes come with pregnancy concerns (though I've learned to wait it out and not worry as soon as I used to). I've been considering permanent birth control as a way to get through the next ~10 years, and the idea is even more appealing now: if my periods are going to be so unpredictable, at least I can not have to worry about getting pregnant.

Unfortunately, I don't have any historical medical data: my mom had a hysterectomy when I was in high school, and no one has any idea when either of my (now-dead) grandmothers went through menopause. The next time I see my doctor I'll mention it, but I'm pretty sure he'll just say, "Yup, sounds like perimenopause. Good luck with that."

Originally Posted by Emiliana

Apart from the lack of periods, post-menopause isn't all that different.

That's a pretty big difference, IMO!


P.S. Nature can suck it.

[kittenblue]

Originally Posted by Ellen Cherry

34? Oh, honey.

My sentiment exactly! I'm 55 and it's just starting with irregular periods. I have a ways to go. Fortunately, both my mom and sister seem to have sailed through with very little in the way of symptoms, so I have fingers crossed....

[Broomstick]

Oh, hey, here's a question for you all about something that usually isn't mentioned as a symptom. And it's private and potentially embarrassing so what better place to ask about it than an internet message board visible to tens of thousands of total strangers?

Anyone else have thinning pubic hair?

It's not like it's all fallen out or anything, I still have it, it's just... thinning out. The hair on the rest of my body seems to be as lush as ever.

Oh, and I did do a google search, but most of what came up seemed to be promoting overpriced herbal supplements and/or vitamins so I didn't view that as particularly helpful.

[kob09]

I got thrown into menopause by uterus cancer.. after the surgery where they took out the ovaries as well I am now struggling with all the side effects. it's horrible and we can't find the right dosage to make the hot-flushes stop without making my boobs hurt not very funny

[teela brown]

55 here, and post-menopausal. I had a lot of trouble with heart palpitations during the peri-menopause years. My first gyno, who advertised himself as catering to menopausal women, poo-poohed the idea that the palps were related to menopause. I then started going to a different doctor, and in her exam room was one of those public-info medical posters and it listed common symptoms of approaching menopause. At the top of the list: heart palpitations. Thanks, first doctor!

Daily magnesium supplements worked wonders at making the palps go away, as did avoiding lots of carbs or sugary things or alcohol. I still clung to coffee as my final remaining vice, though.

[CanvasShoes]

I started with the first mild symptoms in my mid-30s, and I'm now 53 and still not quite post menopausal. (I'm hoping, but things still aren't quite settled as far as my cycle).

So far they haven't been too horrible, the fatigue is the worst of it. About the only good thing about being overweight is, (from what I've read), is that supposedly fat can tend to help hold estrogen and make the symptoms less intense. I was concerned about hormone treatments and the side effects, so I refused to take any. I tried to use black cohosh and such, but it didn't seem to help much.

The worst symptoms I noticed (and they seem to be dying out and only lasted for about the last 5-7 years), were the hot flashes. Up until about 2 years ago, they were only "warm flashes" then they got worse for about 2 years, and now they seem to be evening out and slowly getting less intense.

[SnakesCatLady]

At first my hot flashes were only at night; now they can strike at any time. My hockey friends refer to them as my "short private vacation in the tropics" because I'll go from normal to absolutely covered in sweat in minutes. Since my face perspires badly, it's noticeable.

Growing up in the South, I remember hearing the little saying "Horses sweat, gentlemen perspire, ladies glow".

I'm a freakin' horse.

[RKoss62]

Oh Lord! I've gone the gambit with the night sweats, day sweats, hot flashes, etc, You name it I've gone through it! Fortunately the night sweats, day sweats, and hot flashes are minimal now, but I've been dealing with all this perimenopausal stuff since I was around 41. I'm going to be 50 in a couple of months and I actually welcome it! I can't wait to get outta my 40's! They suck!

I had a hysterectomy when I was 37 y/o, but they left my ovaries because they were healthy. I really have no indication of when I hit menopause since I don't get periods. Lately I feel like I'm in a perpetual state of PMS/Ovulation, but I don't know that my ovaries are actually ovulating since I keep getting a pain and spasm-like feeling on one-side, and then it will move to the other side. I've been having acne breakouts again (I thought that all stopped when I became an adult!), my breasts are constantly sore, and I'm so bloated, and have back aches. I haven't felt like this since before my hysterectomy! What gives? Could this be a final push of hormone? I'm so ready to be done with this.

Any stories or thoughts are appreciated.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

I think perimenopause has begun for me, too. I'll be 42 in a week. I'm taking birth control pills and hoping they'll help a bit, though I'm just coincidentally still on them after many years. But my face has broken out in terrible acne that's not syncing with my cycles like usual, it's usually bad the week before my period and then improves until the next week before my period. Now it's been bad all the time for about three months. (had the damn acne since I was 12 - only thing that clears it up is oral antibiotics so I just live with it but this is worse and new) And just this month I've been on a crying jag that used to be just the day before my period started and has now been going on for 10 days. At first I thought it was a little seasonal affective disorder due to the heat (too much sun and heat make me stabby - overcast and cool make me happy), but now that I'm also missing periods about every other month despite the birth control (not normal for me), and now that I've read this thread, I think perimenopause is upon me.

So, thanks ladies! I guess...

As long as those hot flashes don't come on so strong for me - I'm not sure I'll be able to handle that. I can't stand being hot and sweaty under normal circumstances, I can't imagine what I'll do if it happens just sitting there or while sleeping! I feel confident I can handle the rest of the crying or angry emotional stuff enough to not get fired or something, but the hot flashes - I'm a little scared of what I might do.

[Lsura]

It wouldn't surprise me if I'm there too. I'll be 39 in right at a month, and have seen some changes over the last year or so. New PMS symptoms are the big thing (all have been discussed with my doctor):

Boob pain. I've never had boob pain like this before, but there it is.

More bloating - like the kind I can see in my face. I swear I gain 10 lbs every month, then lose it as soon as my period starts.

The one that scared me most were heart flutters - I forget what my doctor called them specifically - but these were what sent me to the doctor, since the other stuff was just slightly bothersome. During the week or so before my period, my heart will briefly race (like a beat or two), then it's fine again. Doc wasn't overly concerned, but if starts happening more or longer, I'm supposed to call right off for more tests.

Oddly enough, these changes mean that I'm more able to predict when my period is coming. Watching diet does help with all of them.

The periods themselves are usually heavier. But not always. Yeah.

[fessie]

I'm finding that my daily green salad w/lots of sunflower seeds helps a lot, physically and emotionally. And I avoid soda and simple carbs - those wreak havoc with my mood.

My symptoms started when I was 37, then I got pregnant with my twins, and now (I'm 47) during the past two years my periods are all wonky. No night sweats yet.

[Hedda Rosa]

I'm 39 and my cycles are swinging back and forth from 27ish to 31ish days. And getting much shorter.

Does anyone else have just one ovary? I had an ectopic about 5 years ago and lost both tube and ovary....I'm wondering (hoping?) that will make my peri menopause easier...

Also as someone who wasn't able to carry a very much wanted 3rd kid, the months where my period is later make me crazy hoping - my one ovary and my husbands vasectomy notwithstanding - maybe I'm knocked up again. Yeah...I'm fucked in the head. :-(

[RKoss62]

Well, it is a few months since I posted here. I've hit the big 50 and let me tell you...things have not gotten any better! I'm so tired of dealing with this anxiety and anxious feeling inside my body! I have been on a SSRI for the past 8 years now and I recently tried to switch to a different one due to cost of the one I as on. Boy was that a big mistake! I'm starting back on the one I was on (that btw was working just fine thank you), but I have to start at a lower dose because I have to let it build back up again. Ugh. Why or why do I do this to myself?

I just don't understand why our bodies have to feel so anxious during this time in a woman's life. It really isn't fair. We have so much to deal with anyway, and then add the hormonal stuff and the effects on your wellbeing, well it just isn't fair.

I am really hoping that this anxiety calms down to a low roar soon. My head just cannot take all the stuff that is going through it right now. I just want to squeeze my head because it makes me feel better. Stupid right?

I am hoping that I hit that magical time when menopause actually occurs. I've corresponded with many women who have said things get much calmer once you hit menopause. I welcome that in my life!

How has every one else been doing? I hope all is well with each and every one of you.

[CrazyCatLady]

Originally Posted by perfectparanoia

I'm 34 and it's just starting now. So far, I am getting off pretty easy. Heavier periods but further and further apart. I am hoping it goes well.

I'm 36 and I've been having occasional hot flashes for 12 or 13 years. The horrific "Put me on some meds, take this shit out, or put me in a rubber room" PMDD hit 10 years ago, but the Mirena has pretty much fixed that so far. The hot flashes have been getting more common in the past six months or so. No true night sweats so far, just a few hot flashes that hit while I'm in bed.

My mom and grandma both had hysterectomies before hitting menopause, so I have no earthly idea how long this shit will drag out.

[boozilu]

46 here. I have the night sweats (wake up soaked and freezing) and restless sleep. I am currently only working a few hours a week so often wake up early and can't get to sleep, have breakfast and get the kids to school, and lie down for a nap at 9:30. My husband thinks I'm nuts.

I'm on a low-dose SSRI and seasonale birth control to try to manage the symptoms. It's better, but not great by any means.

I asked my mother when she went through the change and she has no idea. Either it is much worse for me or she is losing her mind -- no way will I forget this