It’s time for an HRT alternative
I opened one of the freezers last night and realized I needed to start using some of the strawberries I'd frozen this year. We had such a bumper crop! I could make jam and can it, but I think I'm going to enjoy some smoothies, I have strawberries, blueberries and peaches in the freezer that need to be eaten before next year's harvest.
This spring, I decided to stop take my HRT pills for awhile. I've been on them for three years and it really worries me. I started dropping weight, twenty five pounds in total, but then joined Jim in the RV and it started creeping back on, regardless of the fact that I was walking or biking several miles a day.
I just assumed it was due to my more sedentary lifestyle. Other than my morning walks/runs/bike ride, I sat in the recliner most of the day.
Now I've been home for a bit over a month, and the weight is still creeping up, I've gained back everything I lost. Then it finally dawned on me, right after joining Jim in the RV, I was having killer hot flashes again so started taking my HRT pills again.
Bingo! Yes, it could be pure coincidence, but I don't think it is. I'm going back off the HRT pills and see if the weight starts dropping off again. I've been thin my entire life until menopause, and nothing I do helps.
I want to let the HRT drugs get completely out of my system before I try anything new. Black cohosh does nothing for me, but I'm going to do some research and see what other natural remedy I can find.
Spinach is great. I decided not to jump on the HRT band waggon and tried food alternatives. No caffeine, no alcohol and lots of spinach, broccoli and kale if you can get it. It helped me that during the worst time DH was working far away from home for 17 months so it was only the dog that suffered my moroseness, tears and bad moods. Not much point in slamming doors when you are on your own
The dog was actual very helpful – all that unconditional love goes down well. I also got back into sewing at that stage. BTW do get your thyroid checked. Mine got unbalanced during menopause and I got nodules (apparently very common during that time of life) which are a bit of a nuisance and continues to be so now several years later for me.
Good luck!
Marianne, I don’t do caffeine (decaf coffee only) but give up wine? !!!!! LOL I had my thyroid checked 3 years ago, but I was thinking it was time to have it checked again, good idea. I love all those greens, and hope to have some rain this year so we can grow our own! I really had to chuckle over your door slamming comment! SO true, temper tantrums are not much fun when there’s no one to watch. LOL
good luck – HRT used to be pushed for so many of us, now it isn’t one always wonders what will help.
I had/have extreme symptoms, probably because I went was into full blown menopause at such a young age. I don’t know if I can handle the side effects again without HRT, but I’m going to try. Before HRT, I had killer hot flashes (but I still get them even on HRT), nausea, chest pain, blacking out, dizziness, shortness of breath… it was truly awful. We thought (and so did the doctor) that I had a heart condition.
See a good doctor for women and a nutritionist!
I’d consider that if I could find one Sandy. I’ve been on the waiting list for 3 years to see the only female GYN doctor here. I think I have just under a year before my first appointment with her. As for the nutritionist, I have no doubt at all that I know how to feed myself far healthier than they do. Of course sticking with that knowledge is another story!
Like you I started my menopause very early – 38. Just recently I had a doctor suggest I take a hormone test. Found out I was estrogen dominant. He referred me to the following web page – http://www.progesterall.com/more_progesterall.html . This was the type of cream I used when I first started dealing with my hot flashes many years ago. Problem was no one ever told me to continue using the cream to help keep my hormones in balance. Good luck with your search and hope that this might help you.
Have a “Merry Christmas”.
http://www.johnleemd.com/index.html – Here is the link to his web site also.
Thank you Kathy, I will check in to that. I also plan to have a hormone test run at my next annual visit.
I’ve taken the drug free route myself. I think different things work for different people. Chocolate and wine had to go for me, but caffine keeps my symptoms to a minimum. I eat a very well balanced diet with lotza of greens. And of course its fudge season, so we know I’ll be flashing a bit for a few days. Good luck!!
Wine would be the hardest thing in the world for me to give up, I adore the stuff, but I will if it would make a difference. I switched to decaf coffee 4 or 5 years ago. I won’t really be able to tell anything until I get the HRT stuff out of my system, 3 or so months?
Do some research on soy. I used soy capsules, I had to take them for a full month before I had results, but every time I went off of them the hot flashes came back.
Denise, I’m trying a grain and legume free diet for a little while to see if it helps. Soy is on my current hit list… and I’m thinking wine (/cry!) may be too. I am going to keep my sourdough culture alive… just in case!
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