Need Relief for Overwhelming Stress Aggravated by Early Menopause

I went to a functional medicine practitioner and had my hormones tested. They were way off. She had me take 3 different herbal supplements for the last 5 months and then retested...my hormones are back to normal and I'm feeling and sleeping great now.

fear-based decisions rarely work out well.

i didn't take hormones to get through menopause, but it was because Premarin is made in horrifically unethical circumstances and that's what everyone was getting then. things may have changed since then.

have you talked through the hormone option thoroughly with your doctor? done some research using actual research papers (not just dr. google)?

there are herbal remedies that work well for some, like black cohosh and raspberry leaf. i found they didn't do much for me.

have you taken all the sensible steps? good sleep hygiene, clean diet, exercise, quiet time meditating or sitting under a tree or a pre-bedtime bubble bath? what are you doing to cope with the stress?

it may be that an anti-anxiety med will help more than a menopause one.

good luck to you. being exhausted, anxious and irritable is miserable cycle and hard to break.
khairete
S.

There were problems years ago with certain hormonal drugs, but there have been many advances and adjustments since then.

There are also fantastic results with a number of food-based supplements and I work with a large number of women who have done great with patented products (which guarantees the ingredients on the label are inside the product). A lot of them are breezing through menopause now, and seeing dramatic changes. There are also healthy, safe products for stress reduction and increased blood flow to the brain, helping with focus.

There are also things like stress reduction, therapy, yoga, relaxation techniques and more. Have you looked into any of those? You should start with a professional, not just sit and home and try to guide yourself into deep breathing - that doesn't work when someone is already compromised or in crisis.

Making a decision out of fear now leaves you with far worse health risks - stress, anxiety and lack of sleep. Too many women in your situation are letting not-so-rational fears put them into a situation where they have increased strain on the heart, the risk of driving while sleep-deprived, and unable to repair their bodies during deep, restorative sleep. How does that make sense?

Sometimes we get ourselves into such a state of anxiousness and exhaustion that we no longer have good decision-making abilities.

There is a lot of support out there, and a number of routes you can choose. Please start with the person you trust the most - doctor, counselor, best friend who will go with you and help you sort out options or combinations of methods.

I suggest you talk with your doctor about your fear of hormones. I remember several years ago that there was a suggestion that taking hormones could result in negative outcomes. I was taking estrogen. My OB/Gyn suggested that when menopause was disrupting life with the conditions you mentioned, taking the estrogen was worth the low risk involved. Talk with your doctor about your fears. Medicine has made great advancements since I took estrogen. There may be other ways to manage symptoms. Also advances in drug therapies may have improved the medication.

There are other non-hormonal medications to treat those symptoms. I'm years past menopause. I take a medication for anxiety and one to help me sleep that is not addictive. I have night sweats. My doctor said I could take medication to reduce them.

I am not quite at the menopause stage yet, but I know I am getting close, and I have felt some symptoms. I am currently on the pill and that seems to really help. I take a low dose birth control pill, and I do not have symptoms. I sleep well most of the time, I maaaaybe get a semi hot flash where my face gets hot, and only if something upsets me. I attempted to go off the pill, and when I did, I had incredible anxiety and trouble sleeping, so I started taking it again. I am also a little worried about hormone replacement therapy, and if my OB suggests it I will have to research it to see what they say about it currently.
Have you tried acupuncture? I find that also gets rid of anxiety. Some others had good suggestions like trying yoga or natural remedies. I go to an acupuncturist who also knows how to do herbs for different issues, maybe you could find an acupuncturist who does herbs as well. Just take a deep breath and know that we all have to go through it, and it helps to talk about your fears like you have done. You are not alone.

Have you discussed hormones and fear of hormones you have with your Dr? I certainly hope you are NOT relying on what you read online and Dr. Google.

You need a professional opinion. I also believe you do not need to be scared into taking something you are uncomfortable with. Educate yourself on the issues so you can make an informed choice.

There is no reason to allow yourself to be miserable due to a fear.

Hormones are not what they used to be.

I had a complete hysterectomy at 40 (ovaries and all) and was in immediate menopause.. I wore a patch for a couple of years but I kept forgetting to replace it at the exact right time so the Dr. said just do without it and see what happens. Nothing happened! I've been hormone free for years and no hot flashes or other side effects of menopause. Everyone is affected differently.

Granted, I feel lucky about that but I also believe in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and my love of lemon water contributes to those issues.

You can also take a pill for anxiety and sleeping but if you are not comfortable with that, there are also options to explore.... yoga, meditating, exercise etc.

Talk to your Dr. Best wishes

I sympathize, I also had a terrible time with menopause. I found that a combination of four things really worked for me. The first was black cohosh (an herbal supplement you can get at the drug store or health-food store) for the hot flashes. I had about twenty hot flashes during the day and another 8 or 10 during the night. I would wake up every 45 minutes all night long and was exhausted and irritable. Within three days of taking black cohosh I was hot flash free and and my quality of life was much better. I still had bad brain-fog that affected my work. I felt distracted and out of it all the time. I found that another supplement, coenzyme Q10 (or CoQ10) a naturally occurring enzyme that decreases as we age, helped dramatically with this. The third thing is exercise. I love yoga and found a video tutorial that took just 15 min every morning and another 15 in the evening. It really reduced my anxiety (and made me stronger and more limber as well!). The last thing is adjusting your diet. Menopause slows metabolism and leads to weight gain and that is the last thing you need. Reduce portions, avoid sweets and just try to eat a healthy low calorie diet. This worked very well for me, and produced a healthy lifestyle change that is still working for me. However, if all else fails, the risk of hormone therapy is actually very low. Talk to your doctor. You might only need this for a year or two, and then be able to use the more natural approach. Good luck to you and remember that it is just a matter of getting through it for a few years. Once you are through it, life is grand. No periods, and I am calmer and more thoughtful and confident than ever before. Aging can be challenging, but it also brings many gifts.

don't be scared..and don't be scared into taking anything you aren't comfortable with. doctors make a lot of money scaring women into believing all sorts old wives tales about menopause...menopause is great, the night sweats are gone, you don't have to pack tampons around with you all the time....you can finally wear white pants and not be terrified..your skin does dry out a bit, but that's easily handled...post menopause sex comes without worrying about getting pregnant..again.peppermint tea with help you sleep.

I have blood clotting issues and am unable to take hormones. My sister found a doctor that did bioidentical work and that helped her.

I am suffering with sleep deprivation, hot flashes, and anxiety. I also deal with vertigo. If I had the opportunity to take a low dose birth control pill, I’d consider it.

Sorry you’re in this boat too. I hope yours gets better soon.

Estroven worked well for me.

Im in early menopause. I am very thankful that I have a vegetarian diet ( it reduces hot flashes and other symptoms), exercise regularly (it too reduces hot flashes), and mediate. Without the mediation I think the anxiety would be driving me nuts. Instead, I've learned how to relax into it.

a good vitamin might be all you need.