Pre-Menopause

You might find the book Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause to be helpful. Menopause is a natural process that every woman who lives long enough goes through. While there are things your doctor can do if it is necessary to ease the transition, menopause should not be treated as an illness. Too many doctors do approach it that way, which can lead to unnecessary, expensive, even dangerous treatments.

I just want to give you a few things to think about because doctors always told me that I was beginning menopause at around 30. My friend suggested a special hormone doctor that she goes to. I went and he ran a blood test on each individual hormone and found out that all the time that I was low in progesterone. He specializes in bio-identical hormones and I have been taking a thyroid and progesterone now for about three years. I am almost 43 years old and I feel great. I have another friend who was on the normal HRT and when she switched over to bio-identical hormones she got to go off of her anti-depressants.

Pre-men. can go on a for long time, so it wouldn't be very surprising for you to be there! However, unless you're having something like thyroid issues, I don't thing hormone therapy is usually called for at this point. If I were in your position, that's what I would be asking about.

There has been so much research in this area. I personally will not ever take a man made hormone. Even if it is bio-identical. I am also in your shoes. I am 48. I got off every kind of estrogen possible. It is in your milk you drink, beef ( they get more money if their cows weigh more. Estrogen makes them gain weight)Also chiken and turkey are sometimes shot up. I am feeling on top of the world in that sense. I don't suffer from any symptoms at all any more. My labido is like it was as a 20 year old woman, which makes my husband happy. Maybe with a little more research you can possibly feel better without those hormones. Progesterine cream works well to stablize your hormones and give you a sense of peace. It is not a drug. Its natural. Good Luck anad I hope you feel better

There are some excellent books on menopause and they can help you to understand what is going on, I particularly liked The Pause, by Lonnie Barbach. Christine Northrop and Susan Weed also have some good books out. When I first read The Pause it was a relief to know that all I was going through was normal, and that there were a number of different things happening in my body that were related. I had thought I must be going crazy, there were so many small changes and it didn't make sense. Even the forgetfullness was just a symptom and nothing to panic over, once it was tied in to the whole picture.

Menopause is a good thing and being aware made it that much easier to deal with. Relax and know it will be over eventually and life will go on even better than before.

You've gotten some good advice already, and it would be good to read some books re: pre-menopause and menopause. I also like Christiane Northrup. I just wanted to add a bit of info. You mentioned that you still get your period every month, but because you are on birth control pills, you're not getting a real period every month, so that doesn't mean you're not premenopausal. The only reason you bleed every month is because that is how bc pills work. If an 80-year-old woman was put on the Pill, she would have a "period" every month, too. Sounds like your doc wants to put you other hormones either instead of or in addition to the bc. I would definitely read info from both sides of the hormone issue before doing anything.