Posted on 02/14/2009 12:58:53 AM PST by neverdem
Also, when I was in my 30’s I started having symptoms of menopause so I went to my doctor. They ran blood tests and found that my thyroid had more or less quit working and it had tumors in it. They started me on a synthroid and the symptoms and tumors went away. The symptoms of low thyroid and menopause were the same.
If you know something is wrong and your doctor blows you off, find another doctor, preferably a female one.
Wow, you’ve had quite a time Sally. Hormones will, in most cases, cause you to gain weight. I gained 20lbs after starting hormone therapy. I’m not considered overweight but I’m getting close to my limit. I’m 5’6” and 143lbs. I still need to lose 20lbs.
One thing that helped me when I quit the hormones was getting plenty of exercise. Also, alcoholic beverages like wine, beer, etc. can cause night sweats. If I have a real stressful day I notice the night sweats are worse too. I have a mountain bike that I like to ride and it eliminates a lot of the stress. In your case you don’t want to lose weight but stress busting exercise like easy bike riding or walking might help too.
You are right about weighing the risks to make the decision to take them or not. Hopefully you will be able to stay off the hormones the next time you quit. The hormones aren’t life threatening at a low dosage for a short period of time unless you have history of blood clots or other risk factors like smoking.
BTDT. About 6 years ago, I was having a horrible time with mood swings and was irrationally impatient. I had some blood tests done. One hormone (which I can't remember) has a normal range of say, 3-65 because at some part of your cycle it is high and at one part it is low. Two weeks apart, my results were 3 and 6. I was 33 YO.
My doctor said, "You're in the normal range. No problem." I've seen my family doctor, a female ob-gyn, a male ob-gyn and an endocrinologist.
My mother was through menopause by 41. I don't think I'm near that close.
Heck, I'd guzzle arsenic if it were keeping me healthy! It sounds to me like you have very little choice but to continue with the premarin, at least for now. I'm glad you found something that works.
Buried in working on my family tree!
Great that your doctor has you on Vitamin D! Thought I knew a lot about nutrition but altho I took calcium tabs and a lot of dairy calcium, I was stunned when my first dexa-scan (?) showed I have osteoporosis! I didn’t know about the vitamin D connection and have always shunned the sun! Strangely, when my sons were toddlers and young children—they always played in the shade—didn’t like the sun. So I have few wrinkles and good skin but weak bones! :)
Well, not terribly weak—just a lateral view and the density has been increasing each year (I’m on Fosamax)Also I’m pretty active—up and down stairs about 20 times a day and exercise class 3 days a week. Plus calcium and D every day!
In all that time my female gyn never mentioned Vitamin D.
You might want to ask her about the prescription strength Vitamin D gelcaps. They are cheap too. At first I took one a week for six weeks. She checked my blood and my D count was up to normal. Now I take one gelcap a month. It doesn’t get easier than that. I take a D when my dogs get their heartworm prevention. LOL I remember it better that way. I was also in the beginning stages of osteoporosis.
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