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08-04-2011, 03:43 PM

Menopausal and mad as hell here!

I soddin' hate it.

I started with major symptoms last year after having a couple of years of menstrual changes.

Unfortunately said symptoms also coincided with giving up smoking so I was twice as loopy for a while there.

I started having quite serious night sweats which necessitated me having to sleep on towels for a few months. Then the night sweats stopped and the hot flashes started and they came every 10-15mins throughout the day and night. At first I thought the sweats and flashes could be as a result of my body being unaccustomed to all the oxygen it was now getting after quitting smoking. However the flashes didn't stop and I hadn't bled for months so I went to see my doctor who confirmed that yes I was having menopausal symptoms and could only suggest hormone replacement. I had to explain that my Ma died of breast cancer as a direct result of taking HRT (many moons ago now) so I am reluctant to take the risk myself.

I did my research and and started taking soy isoflavones (plant estrogens) along with high strength fish oils 3 times a day. After a few days they started to work and the hot flashes started to decrease in frequency. As they're really quite expensive I tried decreasing the number of isoflavone pills but the hot flashes increased again. So, I've been taking these pills for a year now and they work ....on the whole.

Recently I went to see the practice gynae nurse who suggested taking a low dose of Clonidine (Dixarit). I've been taking these for a month now and they have really helped. I have barely had a hot flash for a month!! We've just increased the dose a little bit and I'm 'cooler' than I've been in a whole year.

What is really hard to cope with is I feel so much like a 'girl'. I've always been a more male identified genderqueer being so am finding it really rather alien to feel female and I hate it. Really, really hate it. Having months on end where I don't bleed is the only 'good' aspect.

Ok I'll stop whinging on....for now

08-04-2011, 03:43 PM	#4
Daktari Guest Tournaments Won: 1 Posts: n/a My Photo Gallery	Menopausal and mad as hell here! I soddin' hate it. I started with major symptoms last year after having a couple of years of menstrual changes. Unfortunately said symptoms also coincided with giving up smoking so I was twice as loopy for a while there. I started having quite serious night sweats which necessitated me having to sleep on towels for a few months. Then the night sweats stopped and the hot flashes started and they came every 10-15mins throughout the day and night. At first I thought the sweats and flashes could be as a result of my body being unaccustomed to all the oxygen it was now getting after quitting smoking. However the flashes didn't stop and I hadn't bled for months so I went to see my doctor who confirmed that yes I was having menopausal symptoms and could only suggest hormone replacement. I had to explain that my Ma died of breast cancer as a direct result of taking HRT (many moons ago now) so I am reluctant to take the risk myself. I did my research and and started taking soy isoflavones (plant estrogens) along with high strength fish oils 3 times a day. After a few days they started to work and the hot flashes started to decrease in frequency. As they're really quite expensive I tried decreasing the number of isoflavone pills but the hot flashes increased again. So, I've been taking these pills for a year now and they work ....on the whole. Recently I went to see the practice gynae nurse who suggested taking a low dose of Clonidine (Dixarit). I've been taking these for a month now and they have really helped. I have barely had a hot flash for a month!! We've just increased the dose a little bit and I'm 'cooler' than I've been in a whole year. What is really hard to cope with is I feel so much like a 'girl'. I've always been a more male identified genderqueer being so am finding it really rather alien to feel female and I hate it. Really, really hate it. Having months on end where I don't bleed is the only 'good' aspect. Ok I'll stop whinging on....for now