Meds Genrl Health risks caused by menopause

[xtreme_right]

I've found several threads about trying to cope with menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, irritability, disrupted sleep, etc. I'm more concerned with the health implications once we've gone through menopause.

I was always of the opinion that menopause is a natural part of the aging process so I wasn't going to take HRT when the time came. When I was younger, I hadn't read up on all the risks that come with menopause so now that I've been menopausal for 3 years, I've seen changes that I would like to prevent, or at least control better.

Cardiovascular disease, Osteoporosis, bladder control and joint pain are a few that come to mind. Since I'm not going to take prescription drugs, I wanted to find alternatives treatments and hopefully have a discussion with others going through the same.

Please chime in with your own issues and what treatments you've found.

 

[Pinecone]

Global warming is caused by the women of the baby boomer generation all going through menopause all at the same time. I am guilty of raising the earth's temperature by at least a 1/10 of a degree all by myself.



Sorry.

 

[Cardinal]

I've found several threads about trying to cope with menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, irritability, disrupted sleep, etc. I'm more concerned with the health implications once we've gone through menopause.

I was always of the opinion that menopause is a natural part of the aging process so I wasn't going to take HRT when the time came. When I was younger, I hadn't read up on all the risks that come with menopause so now that I've been menopausal for 3 years, I've seen changes that I would like to prevent, or at least control better.

Cardiovascular disease, Osteoporosis, bladder control and joint pain are a few that come to mind. Since I'm not going to take prescription drugs, I wanted to find alternatives treatments and hopefully have a discussion with others going through the same.

Please chime in with your own issues and what treatments you've found.

Don't rule out "all" prescription stuff. I take bio-identical hormones and I wouldn't do without them. They are not the same as the old HRT, this stuff works and has no side effects....unless you consider a renewed sex drive a side effect.
Do some research on it.
You would need to have a complete blood screening done and I would advise going to a Dr. who specializes in it. You can use a cream daily or get an injection (the size of a grain of rice, under the skin) every 6 months. Same cost either way. I consider it affordable and I do not currently have health insurance.
Also keep in mind that cardiovascular disease can be controlled with diet and osteoporosis with weight training. I follow a ketogenic diet and swing kettlebells.
I take bio identical hormones and am on thyroid pills.
But, I feel like I did when I was 30. Natural aging? You can have it. I want to feel good and be engaged in life as long as I can. Or, as Jimmy Buffett sings, I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead.

 

[summerthyme]

Sigh.,. Give me a couple of days... stuck on tablet, monitor died. Too hard to type,

Anyway, "Hot Flash ", by Source Naturals was great. More when I can type!

Summerthyme

 

[packyderms_wife]

I went through menopause w/o any medications. Docs said I was at too high of a risk for cancer to try any of the bio identicals, hrt, etc. I gained a lot of weight, a lot during the process. The night sweats are almost non existant now, as are the hot flashes, and some of my food sensitivities have gone the way of the dodo bird but I'm still allergic to potatoes which I wasn't before menopause.

 

[xtreme_right]

I wouldn't do the synthetic HRT but am interested in bioidentical. I need to find a doctor who will do the right kind of tests so I know what I need to use. For a short while I was using a cream I bought on Amazon but after reading more, realized it wasn't the best idea to blindly medicate myself not knowing what I needed and at what dose.

 

[packyderms_wife]

I wouldn't do the synthetic HRT but am interested in bioidentical. I need to find a doctor who will do the right kind of tests so I know what I need to use. For a short while I was using a cream I bought on Amazon but after reading more, realized it wasn't the best idea to blindly medicate myself not knowing what I needed and at what dose.

You may not need anything. If you're on Facebook there's a group there called Menopause Misery.

I also recommend this eBook which is free at the moment

https://www.amazon.com/MENOPAUSE-MO...29902&sr=8-1&keywords=monday's+with+menopause

 

[xtreme_right]

I'm very fortunate in that I didn't have horrific hot flashes, the ones I did get were within the first 18 months or so after my last period. I don't get them anymore. I'm sorry to hear of so many women that struggle with hot flashes for sometimes decades.

In reading about menopause, I understand there are risks that go up once our bodies aren't producing estrogen. That's what I'm concerned most with, trying to figure out what I need to do to help prevent those issues, i.e. hardening of the arteries, hypertension.

Edited to add: thank you for the links, I'll certainly go check them out.

 

[Siskiyoumom]

I used bioidentical treatment which resulted in severe complications and excessive post menopausal hemorrhaging. I ended up with a full hysterectomy and bladder repair. I started the BI treatment after three full years of menopause. Hester Sisters web site has a lot of great information.