Menopausal Women only please!!!?

I am in the midst of menopause--age 50--and riding a rollercoaster of hormonal surges, mood swings, insomina and various other symptoms. I can't take hormones of any type because apparently they trigger cancers in me. I have had breast cancer six years ago due to hormone treatments so they are a big no-no. The doctor's only offering of help is some high powered antidepressants that I will not take as they are habit forming and one of the side effects is suicide! I am not depressed... I am slowly going insane....at least that is what it feels like....I feel like I want to kill something just to sit and watch it die....Anyone have any helpful hints out there who have experienced this??? If you are male, young or haven't experienced this please don't answer this question---that way no one gets hurt!!!

try Black Cohosh extract. It comes in teas and you can get it over the counter in a pill called Estrotone which, despite the name, is hormone free. Estrotone also contains Evening Primrose oil, Schizandra, ginger, chaste tree extract, and rosemary extract.

Maybe a lower dose of antidepressant? I take 20 mg of Prozac every other day and it helps me. I am afraid of HRT. I went into it at 42 and I have been going through hell for years now. I can certainly sympathize with you - I am hot or cold all the time, constantly adjusting the thermostat, I feel irritable, can't sleep well, just don't feel like ME. But the Prozac does help me some. I live alone but I'm sure if I lived with others I'd be a raging at them all the time. Exercise helps, I ride a bike 4-5 times a week, avoiding spicy foods helps control the sweats. I have heard that Black Cohash (sp) helps some women but it didn't do anything for me. I guess we just have to suffer through it for 10 years or so. For women, it's always something it seems. I would almost rather have my periods back and feel normal again, as messy and inconvenient as that was. What really gets me are women who say they sailed through it with no problems at all, like my boyfriend's mother. She thinks it is all in my head. It's good to know there are women with the same type of problems as me.

At least you have managed to keep your sense of humor!!

I'm afraid my menopause was one of hot flashes and not much else, but your moods are so similar to my PMS that I can at least tell you you are not alone.

You know, you are about halfway there with your realization that your moods are due to a chemical inbalance--and not that those you wish to murder really deserve it. That's admirable.

Why don't to try a psychiatrist? Not a psychologist, a psychiatrist. And not on a weekly basis, just a few visits. They seem to have a pretty good understanding of all the body chemistry behind your moods, and they may have an acceptable drug or just plain advice.

Any doctor that recommends antidepressants should take them himself! Quack!

Check out natural remedies, there are several you can try to help with your symptoms. Check out Dr. C. Northrups books on women's bodies, she offers suggestions. Read what you can about natural teas and suppliments that have been useful too.

Personally, I found stress reduction, exercise, good diet and some natural hormonal remedies helped me. Being kind to yourself helps a great deal too, just understand you are ok and it will pass eventually.

What helps me with the wanting to murder something.. watch a good gory flick and get the images in your head.. reel them about every so often when you feel like you need to murder something and watch it suffer... as for all the other symptoms.. you are not alone!

Yoga and breathing exercises in yoga

Hormones are a tricky thing to bring into balance; their complex interactions make treating hormonal imbalance allopathically difficult, if not impossible, and is often a matter of much trial and error. Yes, the literature points to the use of antidepressants for the symptoms you describe, and may help in symptom control, but doesn't necessarily help bring the body back into balance. I'm assuming that your physician has ruled out other causes such as thyroid dysfunction - a common cause of hormonal imbalance.

As crazy as it sounds, I agree wholeheartedly with the respondent who recommended yoga and breathing. Yoga postures (asana), breathing (pranayama), meditation, and deep relaxation (yoga nidra) are powerful tools that help the body find balance on many levels - physically, emotionally,mentally, and spiritually. Patricia Walden, a yoga master who studied with B.K.S. Iyengar, has done much work on yoga for women. If you don't have a regular yoga practive, I'd recommend also finding a class or private instructor at least to introduce you to the basics.

In addition, delving into the spiritual and philosophical teachings of yoga can enhance any spiritual practice, and can be applied to life and our interactions with others.