briarrose Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 I don?t know what has changed, but every month when I?m premenstrual, I truly feel like I?m pregnant. I have all the same symptoms that I had when I was pregnant. I wake up in the middle of the night starving (even if I eat a big dinner), I?m nauseated constantly, I get cramps daily for a week before menstruation, I have increased acne, urination, I?m tired/fatigued, irritable and right before my period starts I?m extremely lethargic. Why has this become worse and exacerbated all of my POTS symptoms? I don?t want to feel like I?m pregnant every month Steph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tearose Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Hey Steph, are you by any chance getting older? I absolutely had more problems with my pots around my period and as I grew older it got horribly worse. Horribly worse frankly is understating it. I had nausea, hunger and I never had acne until then! I was a witch and grumpy and tired....I remember saying to my husband that "I wasn't myself". He said "well who are you and what did you do with my wife!" I needed to laugh. I don't recall if you are planning to get pregnant but try to speak with your doctor about checking your hormone levels. (I think I had too much estrogen.)A good endocrinologist will be able to help if your regular doctor can't. Hang in there, tearose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briarrose Posted March 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Thank you for your reply, any thought of why this is happening helps. Hadn't thought of the estrogen thing and I do have an endocrinologist. I am getting older, pushing 40. I asked my OB/GYN this week about it and she said that menopause is 50 not 40. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tearose Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Hi again! Do you have a long history with this ob/gyn? Your ob/gyn is giving you the "cookie cutter" answer, unless she is the doc you want to grow old with...fire her! I started having hormone level swings at 38!!! Ask for the lab work. Do run it pass the endo person anyway, what do you have to loose. And meanwhile, try to find something to indulge in like chocolate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMouse Posted March 5, 2004 Report Share Posted March 5, 2004 Exactly! I'm likely to have menopause early, and any newer doc to me wouldn't know that...BTW, I'm 39 and already starting to have some perimenopause issues...my hair started thinning last year, my cycles aren't as predictable, I'm crampier and moodier, and whatever little libido I had left just disappeared, etc.Have your estrogen levels checked--it's just a simple blood test and it's important to know b/c if you ARE starting to have changes in your levels, you may need to supplement other things than just estrogen, like calcium to protect your bones.Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Ditto here. My periods are horrible. I am starting today (I know too much information!) but I'm achy all over...every muscle in my body hurts...I've had a headache...horrible cramps, acne, sometimes nausea, sometimes horrible heartburn which I've never had in my life, backache, neck and shoulder pain, sometimes this hand rash thing I've talked on the board about, breast tenderness, bloating, and oh yes the mood swings...the whole 9 yards. I'm 37. It seems I also sleep less, have more vivid dreams, get worked into overdrive frenzy cleaning and stuff like the nesting thing before labor when you're pregnant...I get obsessive about things a little more too. From all I've read, premenopausal symptoms start as early as the early 30s and on so so much for the menopause at 50 thing...are bodies are still down-regulating as much as 10 years beforehand. I agree to get your hormones checked...for me though, when they were checked they seem to only want to check estrogen...I myself would like a full profile of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, etc. Estrogen isn't always the problem I guess is what I mean but is often the first and mostly only thing they look at. Hang in there girl...if you're lucky you'll get the bounce back after you start...I used too but now I barely bounce back...it just lessens a little until the 2 weeks before and then it starts all over again. Sometimes it seems to last all month. I know my hormones are a problem...just don't know which ones and how to fix them. I tried the pill by the way for 3 months and this month off them I actually feel better so maybe it helped regulate me a little...we will see next month. I know about that lethargy thing too (it happened even more on a high dose progresterone pill...ughhh horrible). This month though witthout the pill I'm actually tired but going non-stop...no wonder I hurt all over! It's like tired but wired or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briarrose Posted March 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Thank you for all of your responses, I was beginning to feel alone out there with this problem. I truly never thought maybe it was estrogen or hormones but plan on pushing to have that checked with my labs next week. Jackie ? yeah I didn?t list some of those other things, but I suffer from those too. I have to wear a size larger pants when I?m premenstrual because of the bloating. I have experienced an increase in heartburn but thought it was more from stress. I always have the breast tenderness, my gyn just tells me to lay off the caffeine, because that makes it worse (?) Not sure, that?s what she says.For the record I?ll be 39 later this month. I can?t take the pill because our family has a blood-clotting component, which I haven?t been able to get doctors to test me for, it?s expensive and they have to send the tests across country (hey I?m insured for a reason.) Over a half dozen members of my moms family have died of pulmonary embolism/blood clots. I appreciate everyone?s comments. Nice to know that your out there. Steph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geneva Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 Steph, I became ill with POTS during perimenopause. Back then I had been on a very low dose of HRT for years which did wonders. When POTS symptoms started I got severe migraines with the HRT and they had me stop cold turkey. OH MY. No one knew what I had at the time (4 months later dx with POTS) and I don't think we could have done anything worse than cold turkey. I did not have periods for over a year and my hormone levels when tested would show me menopausal one time and then perfectly normal (Non perimenopausal) the next. WHen I was in the hospital the endo came in everyday with my Normal estrogen labwork and said are you SURE you are not pregnant (LOL)Sorry for rambling, but my point is that from my experience, you may want to have you levels checked 2 or 3 times a year. I believe POTS does a number on the hormones. And I found that most doctors want to treat based on 1 result. Can't tell you how many times I have been declared passed menopause with great CERTAINTY only to have another period. I think this is another of those uncharted areas for treating dysautonomia effectively.Take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarthMother Posted March 6, 2004 Report Share Posted March 6, 2004 41 here and my OB didn't blink an eye when I said I felt I was perimenapausal. We didn't bother with any blood tests since I wasn't going to do any hormones (at least not yet) so I began treating it symptomatically. I use an over-the-counter progesterone cream for the two weeks prior to my period and it helps a great deal. I also have a diet high in soy products which seems to help with the hotflahses. My HMO doc suggested I try Black Cohash, which I also liked. There are other people who swear by evening primrose oil and/or flax seed oil. As you can see you are not alone. Trust your body's wisdom and find a doctor who trusts you.Good thoughts,EM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilfgirl33 Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 EM, what type of progesterone cream do you use and how much? I have been toying with this as I have all of the above symptoms (37) and more I think. My PMS is severe and debilitating at times. But I am scared to death to try anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarthMother Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 I read some book called "What your doctor may NOT tell you about Menopause" by John R. Lee M.D. They list several brands in the book like ProGest, Natural Woman, Happy PMS and Serenity Cream. I use the last one, picked it up from my health food store.EM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briarrose Posted March 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Ok ? I admit that I had no idea about this whole subject, kind of thought I was alone here with this problem. I certainly didn?t have a clue that they actually make a cream for these problems. Who would have thought. I doubt that I can take such a thing until they figure out which blood-clotting factor I have in my family. I?m sorry that there are so many other people that suffer from these symptoms, but I?m also relieved that I?m not alone, sorry. Thanks for everyone?s comments and suggestions. I think I?m going to go get that first book that EM recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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