Question about the difference between perimenopause and menopause?

[SeeMyself]

Hi, I am 48 yrs old and have been reading through some of the menopause posts and I am wondering if maybe once in menopause it's possible that things get better, is that true?
I am beginning to think that peri-menopause might be the storm, or is this the easy part and it gets worse, please tell me no..., can I get some advise from you ladies?

About 10 years ago I noticed that I would have a few nights of night sweats just before my period would start, (in a way that was kind of good, it gave me the forewarning to go buy need supplies). Over the past few years the pms has turned almost month long.... I'll get night sweats then nothing, a week later, more night sweats, then again and finally my tom will start. I also get a lot of bloating, sore breasts, teary eyed and hot for no reason, I get alot of cravings too which hasn't helped with the weight loss tho I am trying to fight that the best I can. Again, I am running about 2 weeks late, but some months will be right on time.

My gyn is a woman but younger than me, really not much help, I was hoping that I could get "more" thoughts and experience here than from my dr.

Is this the worst time, will this stop or get worse in menopause, what kind of experiences did you all have?

[SeeMyself]

another question?

how about the wakening up every night about 1 or 2 am and can't fall back to sleep for and hour or so, I've read in some journals women doing that, sure makes it hard to get a good nights sleep! Does that go away or get worse?

Just a thought here..., when my mom was alive, it was a "no no" to talk about this kind of thing, so I got no help from her, doesn't anybody here want to talk? :D I know this is a ymmv kind of thing, but it's like the diets, it's interesting to get different views on the subject.

[RoseTattoo]

Oh gosh, where to start. I'm fully menopausal now--54 and haven't had a period in about 16 months--and I feel good, lol. Some hot flashes still, especially when the weather is very warm, and I do have trouble sleeping sometimes. BUT--compared to the perimenopausal years, of terribly irregular and long periods, lots of cramps, bloating, painful breasts--this is a picnic. :) On balance, I think it does get better once you're completely through the "change." (Not even to mention the luxury of not having periods anymore, lol). But I'd really recommend that you talk to your doctor and see if she can help with some of the symptoms you're having. If mood swings are bad, an antidepressant can help (I've found it actually has worked for the hot flashes, too). And try not to use too much caffeine, either, because that can trigger the flashes and even the mood swings (and of course cravings).

Also, I recently saw at Nordstrom a new type of nightgown that wicks moisture away from the body and was invented by a doctor for menopausal women suffering from hot flashes. :) So that might be helpful if they're severe.

Take heart, dear, it really--really--gets better. You didn't mention if you're exercising, but that has been a fantastic thing for me. All in all, I feel much better now than I did 10 years ago. Hope this helps. :)

[SeeMyself]

RoseTattoo, thank you for helpful response.

A few years back my dr put me on ld bcp's and I tried them for a few months, then I tried them again just last year and made it only through the first month, they seem to make me more teary eyed and the extra hormones just made my breasts more sore and more bloating, one good advantage to them was the regularity of my periods, I could time them and have my tom start on Tues and be done by Thurs evening, that was great cause now they just always seem to come at the wrong time :rolleyes:

I am interested in what you said about the antidepressants, did a certain one work for you better than another? My dh would probably like the "nicer" me :lol:

When I was much younger I feared going through the change, I thought it meant that I was getting older and life would be coming to an end, but now I see it so differently, my son's are grown and flying away, I have no need to have periods anymore, I actually see it as "freedom" and look forward to the end of all this pms hell. :eek:

[RoseTattoo]

Hi again, Seemyself! About antidepressants--I was on Paxil for awhile, and it helped some, but the doctor switched me over to Lexapro and that's what helped with the hot flashes--and the moods. I take 20 mg a day, which is a moderate dose. No weight gain or other side effects that I'm aware of.

I was worried about menopause, too, but now that it's come, I relish it. So far, at least, all of the lasting effects have been positive--this might sound like a funny thing to say, but it's as if finally--in my 50's--I know who I am. :) I feel terrific, which I'm sure is due to all the exercise I'm doing and the low carb WOE. And it's so overwhelmingly liberating to be through with those wretched TOM's, which I could never predict and which sometimes had me bleeding so heavily it was frightening. :eek: I feel more feminine that I did when I was younger, it's weird. So you have a lot to look forward to--this really, really is a great time of life. :)

Feel free to pm me if you want to talk more. :)