Hi all..I was listening this morning to a radio show that had a guest doctor on. She was talking about hormones and progesterone. I gotta tell ya..the symptoms of not having enough progesterone were really hitting home with me. But I am soooo not wanting to use things..ya know? And the question that always comes to mind is...what did grandma and great grandma do? How did they get through menopause without supplementing with estrogen and/or progesterone..etc.? I am beginning to think that I am a great big ole baby and light weight or something. There is no gentle rolls with my hormones anymore..Ladies...I am on a ROLLERCOASTER with them now! I would very much like your thoughts on what those grand ladies did..that I apparently am not doing. Hope you all have had a marvelous day! Thanks for any info and/or input!

-- Sher (riverdobbers@webtv.net), April 04, 2002

Answers

They had hot flashes, mood swings and sleep deprivation! There were no cures for "those things" in those days! And, they weren't spoken about exept in whispers among the ladies. It was the same as pregnancy, conception and birth...they didn't discuss it much! I can't imagine how many women commited suicide, thinking that they were insane because of hormone swings. Gee, I'm a lot of fun! Seriously, I'm 59 and been there and done that. I can remember my mother and aunts speaking about some poor woman going off the deep end because of "woman problems".

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), April 04, 2002.

I think, for those who lived long enough, there was just an "acceptance" that they were getting older, that this is the way life is, so to speak. You don't see that kind of attitude anymore.

Now, every time you turn on the TV it is a commercial for adult diapers like underwear, this or that brand name drug that is supposed to cure everything (never mind that the possible side effects sound worse than the original condition), etc.

Mind you, I'm not saying that science isn't wonderful at times, but that people these days expect to feel at 60 the way they did at 20, and that is unrealistic.

I think probably the best treatment is plenty of sunshine and exercise.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 04, 2002.

Went completely nuts. Some of them did anyhow. Some women just have a harder time because their bodies shut down too quickly. Try a good herbal support. Lots of soy helps. I've heard that red clover and wild yam work well too but soy is cheaper. Get some beans and grind them in a grain mill to make a flour and use a little in anything you can stand it in. It also helps if you are not too thin since fat converts testosterone and progesterone into estrogene. Hope you get to feeling better.

-- kim in CO (kimk61252@hotmail.com), April 04, 2002.

A liver cleanse and colon cleanse will do wonders for menopause symptoms. Maybe your local health food store could advise you on how to do them. It works, I have done it and know many others who have too. Good Luck.

-- Marilyn in CO (www.tomeatbeef@aol.com), April 04, 2002.

My Grandmother & great Grandmother both died in child birth----as they both had tons of children & must have been pregant as often as was possible!!! They didn't live long enough to make it to "the change" many didn't live long enough to----

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), April 04, 2002.

I use a WONDERFUL herbal combination. Write to me personally if you are interested and want the name of it. I do not sell it or have any intrest in it other than using it. IT really works.

-- Lynelle SOwestVA (X2ldp@aol.com), April 04, 2002.

Okay Ladies, I will tell you how it is if you don"t use estrogen therapy. I thought I would be so smart, and not take estrogen after my period stopped. I went through the mood swings, and just about drove everyone around me crazy. I had night sweats so bad, and trust me I was a vitamin junky, and knew all about soy, etc. well My Doc's were telling me I should use estrogen but I just shook my head no. Now let me tell you what happens. I can"t really put this in any good way, so bare with me. My vagina is so thin, that when I wipe I bleed. I use the softess toilet paper, The inside walls of the vagina are so thin and dry, that they are afraid the bowel movement will break through. I am now on Estrogen. and after being off it for so many years it was (*deleted*) getting use to it at my age [72] You know all those people who say you can have (*marital relations*) right into old age, I can tell you with out keeping up with your hormones, you can just forget it.The pain would kill you. And then there is the bladder problem, How would you like to go to the bathroom every hour on the hour night and day. You see lack of estrogen effects your bladder too.Why do you think they have all those ads on t v, for panties that you can wear. and go out in the world and not worry. This is one time I would give some real thought to what you young ones who are just in early 50's are about to deal with. If I had it to do over, I would have been on estrogen replacement from the start. Well that is the way I feel, and I hope my problems will not be yours. God Bless

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), April 04, 2002.

My grandmother swore by almonds. She ate them everyday, ahandful.

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), April 04, 2002.

Too many women mistake hot flashes as negatives, they are really "power surges".

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 04, 2002.

Hey Mitch, if that is a power surge, I have blown my breakers too many times!! LOL, Sissy

-- Sissy (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), April 04, 2002.

Black Cohosh and Kava. One capsule of each, twice a day has helped me a lot. You can buy them both in any major grocery store or cohosh can be grown. Not sure about growing Kava. Jill

-- Jill (lance1_86404@yahoo.com), April 05, 2002.

Hello Sher If you're showing symptoms of low progesterone, you may want to try using progesterone cream. It's made a tremendous change in my life. If you'd care to email me, I'll be happy to share the information with you. Take care. Paula

-- Paula/TX (pcffour@hotmail.com), April 05, 2002.

Sonda took my answer. Not too many women used to live long enough to find out. In addition to some of the other problems listed with not taking estrogen I'd like to mention the 2 biggest problems.....heart disease and osteoporosis(boy I hope I spelled that right). You put yourself at a significantly higher risk of loosing bone mass or having heart problems if you don't take estrogen replacement. I know lots of folks on here like to try and do things the natural way but with this it just won't work. I've been in menopause since I was 21. Had what the doctors call a radical hysterectomy(they took all the female parts including ovaries and doc said he saw something else that he didn't think I needed while he was in there....fishing for spare parts I guess!). Running the risk of falling and breaking a hip here in a few years just isn't worth it. If premarin doesn't work well for you then try estradiol. I switched a couple of years ago and it works much better for me. Oh and another reason to go on hormone replacement therapy.....if the hot flash gets bad enough YOU WILL shed every stitch of your clothes and try to find some ice to cuddle up to(just glad it was dark when I was driving home that evening :o).

-- Amanda (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), April 05, 2002.

Once again I'd like to recommend the book, "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause", by Dr. John H. Lee.

In it, he explains that mostly in the US and other INDUSTRIALIZED countries do women have this problem BECAUSE OF PETRO-CHEMICALS, i.e. PLASTICS!!! Women in China/Japan/Africa, etc. don't seem to have the problem.

If I understand it correctly, petro-chemicals have a similar "key" that fits into the "locks" in our cells, and causes a hormonal imbalance because it takes the place of our normal hormones.

I don't believe most of our mothers and grandmothers were subjected to the bombardment of plastics that we and our children are, nowadays.

-- Bonnie (51940@aeroinc.net), April 05, 2002.

Black Cohosh works wonders

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), April 06, 2002.

great grandma had it made in the shade..they were able to take tons of opium over the counter, as well as laudenum...kept them from being screaming meammies...Lydia Pinkhams was specificaly for "women's complaints"..prior to 1910 it was loaded with opium..no wonder women taking it had no complaints LOL....In the 1800s, not much was expected of you if you were over 55..you had no teeth,were dried up and pretty old...just drank your tonic and smiled alot....In the early 1900s when the FDA came along and took those things off the market, a great deal of women turned to alcohol-laced herbal medicines for relief..the age of being "dried up and toothless" advanced to 60. I have a collection of medical books which date from 1830 to 1960 and they often mention "womens' complaints"...it seems the best treatment was, indeed opium and laudenum....ah, those good old days LOL

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), April 06, 2002.

Thank you for posting this question I've been battling for along time with this bery thing and after reading I've decided to finally go back on estrogen. THANK YOU IRENE I'm so sorry about your promblems but I don't want to be in your shoes your the one that convenced (msp) me to go back. I've read all sorts of things including that the dr. get a kickback from the drug companies and about premerian (msp) being bad since at one time they got it from pregnant horses and how terrrible that is. My husband has been hounding me to go to the dr. but I've been stubborn about it. Again thank you Irene. Have a good day and please tell other women about this ok. Jacque

-- Jacque (bojaq@alltel.net), April 07, 2002.