If you have two or more of the following symptoms, it COULD be the onset of peri-menopause. Many of the symptoms could indicate other problems too (such as thyroid), so it would be a good idea to make note of what you are experiencing and see your healthcare professional, who can then help you determine if you are starting menopause and the best course of action for you personally. And remember, some of these are normal effects of the aging process where the only treatment is acceptance and taking good care of yourself! (this is where the laughter comes in handy!) Menopause does not cause everything.
Just to calm your fears..... Peri-menopause (before menopause) is when you start noticing something is a little "off", (usually with your periods) or maybe it seems like you're more irritable than usual. Everyone has different symptoms at different times (and at different ages) so it's really hard to determine exactly when you started into the peri-menopause phase, but when you can start putting 2 or 3 or more of these symptoms together and they're hanging around for more than a month, it's pretty safe to assume that you are starting the process of change that every woman will go through in her lifetime. This is why it's a great idea to make notes on a calendar of anything that seems out of the norm for you.
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Hot Flashes Dong Quai, Black Cohosh, Evening of Primrose, Bioflavonoids, Wild Mexican Yam, Soy Products, Sarsaparilla, Fennel, Chaste Tree, Hawthorne
Insomnia Valerian
Vaginal Dryness Vitamin E, Flax Seed Oil, Evening of Primrose Oil
Fatigue Ginger, Ginseng, Blessed Thistle, Cayenne Pepper
Anxiety Chamomile Tea, Passion Flower, Valerian
Skin Changes Flax Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil
Aches and Pains Dong Quai, Flax Seed, Kava-Kava
Memory Loss Ginko Biloba
Here is a great downloadable symptom chart from www.menopausehealthmatters.com http://www.menopausehealthmatters.com/support-files/menopause-chart.pdf
1. Hot Flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling
2. Bouts of Rapid Heart Beat
4. Sudden Tears
5. Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)
6. Irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; heavier periods, flooding; phantom periods, shorter cycles, longer cycles
7. Loss of libido
8. Dry vagina
10. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease
11. Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom
12.Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion
13. Disturbing memory lapses
14. Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing; urge incontinence
15. Itchy, crawly skin
16. Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons
17. Increased tension in muscles
19. Headache change: increase or decrease
20. Gastrointestinal distress, belching, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea
21. Sudden bouts of bloat
22. Depression
23. Exacerbation of existing conditions
24. Increase in allergies
25. Weight gain
26.Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in facial hair
27. Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance
28. Changes in body odor
29. Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head
30. Tingling in the extremities
31. Gum problems, increased bleeding
32. Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor
33. Osteoporosis
34. Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, 'whooshing' buzzing etc.
NOTE FROM DEE: Don't be surprised if what works perfectly for awhile seems to not be as effective down the road. The entire journey is one of ups and downs and curves......the best thing you can do is become educated about what is going on with your body and then be prepared to make adjustments when you realize that your hormonal make-up is shifting once again. It sounds like a pain in the butt, but the tradeoff is that you become more in control of what your body requires and more confident because you're not fearful.