To those of you who are of the male persuasion, please don’t call this bulls/t. What I and many other women went through/go through is real.

I was never able to take any birth control (yes, I too am one of Rush’s sluts!) that contained estrogen. I could however use a progesterone only bill (more confirmation that I am a slut!). When I got pregnant, I puked 24 hours a day for the ENTIRE pregnancy. I did IV’s for 32 weeks. I had a healthy baby but he almost killed me!

After I had our son, the doctor warned me that another pregnancy might kill me, thus we never tried to have another child. the one we had is a gift, but another wasn’t worth my life – or theirs without their mother.

When our son was 3 years old, I got hit with PMS that was debilitating. As I look back now, I realize that even back in college, I was showing signs of PMS, although back then it didn’t exist officially. in 1999, I got so tired of fighting a monthly battle that started 5 days after my period ended (when I ovulated) and ended several days after I started my period again. I never thought about suicide – would never have put my son, husband and family through that – but there were times that I wished that I just wouldn’t wake up. I could not….did not….function.

I saw doctors and psychiatrists, and they all said it’s just PMS and put me on a variety of anti-depressants. It wasn’t until we moved back to our home state of Wisconsin that I found a great psychiatrist who looked at all of my records (I had kept detailed records and journals) and the first thing he said was that there was a pattern and it had to do with my monthly cycles. he referred me to a reproductive endocrinologist.

Within 5 days I had an appointment with a woman named Dr. Elizabeth Pritts (her husband is also a reproductive endocrinologist). although her specialty was infertility, she listened intently as I cried my way through my story, and then she looked at me and said, “We can fix this.” she explained about the procedure and together my husband and I decided that doing nothing was not an option.

What was the procedure? It was a shot every three months with a drug called Lupron Depot. It was originally a drug used in men with advanced prostate cancer, but they found uses for it in women who suffered from endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and many other female-related problems. she warned me that the first two weeks after the shot would be worse than anything that I’d been through so far, but that if I could hold out, I would get my life back.

The shot (in my butt) was mildly uncomfortable, and the next two weeks were exactly how she described they would be. my body was saying MAKE ESTROGEN….MAKE ESTROGEN, and the Lupron was saying STOP MAKING ESTROGEN, STOP MAKING ESTROGEN – MENOPAUSE IS WONDERFUL AND IT WILL END THE PMDD.

Dr. Pritts was right on! On day 14, I got out of bed, showered, and all was well. Yes, the shot put me into a drug-induced menopause, and I expected the hot flashes and night sweats, but never had any! for the next ten years, I got a Lupron shot every 3 months. A year ago, given my age, we decided to see if I was in menopause and it was basically a waiting game. Blood tests said I was in perimenopause, but to this day I have not had my period, and the PMDD is no longer a problem despite the fact that I am no longer on Lupron.

Just a warning….if you check out Lupron Depot online, you will find many who think it’s the worst drug on the market. I have to disagree because it gave me my life back. When I was offered the drug 10 years ago, there was no question that I would give it a try because life was no longer worth living. Dr. Pritts and Lupron gave me my life back. my son is now almost 16 years old, and consider myself a two-time survivor – first from the hell of PMDD and second from the sometimes hell of having a teenager!

I owe my life to Dr. Pritts. she is my savior and I will be forever grateful for what she did for me. No, mine was not a typical case of PMS or PMDD, and no, Lupron is not normally prescribed for conditions such as mine, but when you’re at the end of your rope, you’ll try just about anything.

I’m very lucky. I have a wonderful family, and my husband is a gem. Unlike some of you other guys who have responded to this article, he never once called me a bitch or questioned whether or not I was faking it. he loved me, he supported me, and he comforted me. to those men responding critically about this issue, I feel sorry for your wives because they’re married to real idiots and creeps!

So many things affect our sex lives, and getting older is definitely one of them.

As much as we might not want to talk about it, it’s true. Menopause, which the National Institute on Aging says generally comes on around age 51, gets a lot of bad press when it comes to causing problems with our sex lives as we age.

But, contrary to popular belief, menopause is not the real culprit. It’s actually perimenopause, the two to 10 years prior to menopause that causes women the most trouble, explains Evelyn Resh, a certified, practicing nurse-midwife and author of the upcoming book, “Women, Sex, Power, and Pleasure: how Living a Pleasurable and Powerful Life Will give you more of the Sex you want.”

Medically, menopause is defined as when a woman goes 12 consecutive months without having her period.

But the time leading up to that often brings the most common sexual side effects, including hot flashes, worsening PMS or the onset of PMS, noticeably increased dryness, painful intercourse, sleep disturbances, night sweats, and more noticeable mid-section body fat. It’s easy to imagine that a woman wouldn’t feel very sexy when she’s exhausted, overheated, grumpy, unhappy with her body, depressed, physically uncomfortable, and so on.

“Not all women notice symptoms of forthcoming menopause,” Resh says. “Some women just wake up and realize they haven’t had a period in months and have never been bothered by anything. Other women are plagued with symptoms.”

When it comes to perimenopause and menopause, a woman will likely follow in her mother’s footsteps.So, how does menopause affect woman sexually?

“Tricky question,” Resh says. “Some women say that their sexual desire goes out the window. others tell me that they’ve never felt sexier, and are especially relieved that they don’t have to worry about pregnancy anymore. I think this has much to do with your overall feelings about getting older and what your relationship with your body is. if you’re in good health and have a good partnership(s), then there’s nothing about menopause, per se, that will alter your sexuality.”

Biologically, it’s decreased estrogen that is the primary cause of the physical changes women do experience.

“Estrogen is an escort for central nervous stimulation and often women experience decreased sensation and changes in orgasm,” Resh explains. “I always recommend that women use a vibrator (which helps) maintain their orgasmic function/sensation.”

Resh says to remember that this is in no way related to how one feels about one’s partner and, instead, is all about adapting to what she calls “new normals.”What Can HelpThe good news is that there are ways to combat the sexual side effects of menopause.

“Plenty of exercise, especially aerobic; eating well; paying attention to sleep habits and not falling too far behind in sleep; and using hormone therapy,” Resh adds. “If people aren’t sleeping, they get depressed and this starts a terrible cascade of problems that could otherwise be avoided. Hormones aren’t necessarily bad. they just need to be used wisely and aren’t for everyone.”

A water-soluble or silicone-based lubricant, as well as vaginal estrogen preparations can also be really helpful in terms of combating dryness and painful intercourse.

Naturally, when a woman is going through menopause, her sexual partner – be it male or female – will be affected as well.

But there are things they can do to ease the way. they “need to understand what is actually happening in perimenopause. The more informed they are, the better they can accommodate the new normals. Be patient, stay informed and remember that intercourse isn’t the only way to be sexually stimulated or satisfied,” Resh explains.

The key to not letting perimenopause or menopause put the kabash on one’s sex life is to realign our thinking in terms of what’s “normal.” We’re an ageist society and the “sexy senior” is simply not a part of our culture. 

And this, Resh says, is at the core of the problem.

“This sort of internalized hatred is terrible for women as they grow older. We also expect that we will be the same sexual person at 60 as we were at 35. this doesn’t make sense. We have to adapt to our aging bodies and understand that nothing – including our sexual desires and pleasures – stays the same.”

And, Resh says, the only thing wrong with that fact is ignoring it.

Jenny Block is a freelance writer based in Dallas, Texas. she is the author of “Open: Love, Sex, and Life in an Open Marriage.” Her work also appears in “One Big Happy Family” edited by Rebecca Walker and “It’s a Girl: Women Writers on Raising Daughters” edited by Andrea Buchanan. Visit her Web site at jennyonthepage.com.

Move over WebMD, Bioidentical Hormone Experts Blog becomes a National Web Resource

September 28, 2011 08:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time 

BOCA RATON, Fla.–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–Medical advice and information saturates the World Wide Web, but when it comes to medical accuracy, there is no source more reputable than that of a highly trained expert physician. BodyLogicMD, the largest network of highly trained physicians who specialize in preventive medicine that includes bioidentical hormone replacement, is excited to announce the launch of the nation’s first Bioidentical Hormones Experts Blog Network. This unprecedented national blog resource will offer access to a brain trust of doctors’ expertise, all from just one click on your keyboard.

“there will be information in each blog entry that people will take away and use to help them in their daily lives.”

Each of the over 50 doctors in the BodyLogicMD network will be tending their individual professional blog, addressing a myriad of issues from medical conditions and symptoms, tips and tricks to optimize your health to their views and opinions on the hottest health topics in the modern science world.

“BodyLogicMD’s bioidentical hormone therapy blog networkwill act as one of today’s voices for preventive medicine. It gives physicians a channel to interact with patients and the public,” said BodyLogicMD Vice President of Marketing Jill Swartz. “Bioidentical hormone therapy is an innovative and effective way to treat women and men suffering from the signs and symptoms of aging, including hormonal imbalances such as perimenopause, menopause, adrenal fatigue and andropause.”

“Hopefully,” says Dr. Kenneth Varano, Medical Director of BodyLogicMD of Philadelphia, “there will be information in each blog entry that people will take away and use to help them in their daily lives.”

Users interested in following multiple doctors’ blogs can find them on BodyLogicMD’s centralized Bioidentical Hormones Experts blog (located on the web at bioidenticalhormoneexperts.com/). Each post on the individual doctors’ blogs will populate on this main Bioidentical Hormones Experts blog in real-time, providing a one-stop portal into the thoughts and opinions of the entire network.

for a list of each physician’s individual blog and to learn more about subscribing, visit

bodylogicmd.com/social-media

More about BodyLogicMD

Founded in 2003, BodyLogicMD physician-owned practices make up the nation’s largest and fastest growing network of the most highly trained physicians specializing in natural bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Integrated with fitness and nutrition programs, BodyLogicMD’s medically supervised programs are for men and women suffering from hormone imbalance associated with menopause and andropause. BodyLogicMD is currently featured as an expert resource on Oprah.com; Suzanne Somers’ latest bestselling books “Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who are Curing Cancer And How To Prevent Getting It in the first Place” and “Breakthrough: Eight Steps to Wellness” lists BodyLogicMD as an expert resource, and her book, “Ageless: the Naked Truth about Bioidentical Hormones” dedicates an entire chapter to BodyLogicMD. Florida Trend cover story December 2009, features BodyLogicMD as the national leaders in the growing anti-aging industry; BusinessWeek cover story March 2006, features the BodyLogicMD business start-up story.

find bioidentical hormone doctors in your area and get more information about BodyLogicMD bioidentical hormone therapy programs.

Meet Deepak Chopra

Acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest leaders in the field of… more »

Acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest leaders in the field of mind body medicine, Deepak Chopra, M.D. continues to transform our understanding of the meaning of health. Chopra is known as a prolific author of over 49 books with 12 best sellers on mind-body health, quantum mechanics, spirituality, and peace. A global force in the field of human empowerment, Dr. Chopra’s books have been published in more than 35 languages with more than 20 million copies in print. « less

Image credit: Ellen Weinstein

During menopause, a woman can feel like the only way she can continue to exist for 10 more seconds inside her crawling, burning skin is to walk screaming into the sea—grandly, epically, and terrifyingly, like a 15-foot-tall Greek tragic figure wearing a giant, pop-eyed wooden mask. or she may remain in the kitchen and begin hurling objects at her family: telephones, coffee cups, plates. or, as my mother did in the 1970s, she may just eerily disappear into her bedroom, like a tide washing out—curtains drawn, door locked, dead to the world, for days, weeks, months (some moms went silent for years). Oh, for a tribal cauldron to dive into, a harvest moon to howl at, or even an online service that provides—here’s an idea!—demon gypsy lovers.

• The Wisdom of Menopause, Revised Edition by Christiane Northrup, M.D. Bantam

But no, this is 21st-century America, so there is no ancient womyn’s magic for us but rather, as usual for female passages, a stack of medically themed self-help books. (I ask you: where are the vampire novels for perimenopausal women? Werewolf tales? Pirate movies?) That’s right—to fully get our crone on, we’re supposed to read, even though it may feel, what with the giant Greek chthonic headpiece, that one can barely see out the eyeholes. (Who can focus on words on a page? Who can even remember where she left her giant octagonal Medea-size reading glasses?) Rest assured, though: I’m here to help. Gentle reader, if you are a female of transitional age, which can apparently be anywhere from 35 to 65 these days, let me be your Virgil to the literature of menopause. Long have I wandered through the dry riverbeds, long have I suffered; now I’ve come back to share my wisdom.

To set the stage, here is a selection of titles from my local bookstore’s women’s section: Could it be … Perimenopause?; Before your Time: The Early Menopause Survival Guide;The Natural Menopause Plan; second Spring; Menopause Reset!: Reverse Weight Gain, Speed Fat Loss, and Get your Body back in 3 Simple Steps; and the slightly ominously titled What Nurses know … Menopause (two words: atrophic vaginitis). On the cover of a typical menopause book, instead of the perhaps more to-the-point fanged woman with the Medusa do, one is far more likely to see a lone flower—a poppy, perhaps a daisy. Curious choice? well, no, because as one begins to read the war stories of the M.D., Ph.D., and R.N. (atrophic vaginitis!) authors who dominate this genre, one sees narratives that are indeed Stuart Smalley–esque. Here’s a pastiche:

Mary Anne, age 48, came into my office feeling overweight and bloated. She hadn’t been sleeping, work was stressful, her husband had just gone on disability, and he required daily care. Mary Anne complained to me of lower-back problems and gastritis, and also cramping during sex, which had become more and more infrequent. She was extremely depressed about moving her 84-year-old mother to a nursing home, and upon examination I noticed vaginal inflammation.

As unappetizing as that just was to read, be glad you saw only one such passage—I must have read a hundred. because clearly, from the medical-professional point of view, menopause, or really the run-up to it called perimenopause, is a parade of baleful, bloated middle-aged women (“Lisa, 52,” “Carolyn, 47,” “Suzanne, 61”) trudging into their doctors’ offices complaining of lower-back pain and family care-giving issues and diminished libidos and personal dryness and corns. As they sit wanly on the tables in their paper gowns, they arduously count out their irregular periods—from 35 days to 44 days to 57, going heavy to light, light to heavy, sometimes with spotting, sometimes with flooding, sometimes flood-spotting, sometimes spot-flooding. Why this variation? So easy to understand, really. The simple science: ovarian production of the estrogens and progesterone becomes erratic during perimenopause, with unpredictable fluctuations in levels, which in turn can result in many different symptoms, including major mood swings. But sometimes not. you may never feel any of this! because here’s the key: All women are different.

And yet, even though we all are different, the list of prescriptions for us seems to be very much the same, and none of it’s fun. if one must tinker with hormone-replacement therapy, one may—briefly, in moderation. But from this point on, The Change is about healthy lifestyle. We’re all to get more exercise, drink more water, do yoga stretches before bed, cut out alcohol and caffeine, and yet (and how does this follow?) reduce stress. Even the flirty exhortations to have more sex feel like yet another job on life’s chore wheel (given that it’s supposed to be with your mate of 20 years rather than with Johnny Depp). And don’t forget all the deep sensory pleasures of a reduced-calorie diet. Menopause Reset! at least initially seemed to promise a nutritional miracle cure for that mysterious spare beach floaty that arrives after 40. I for one was excited to see that, instead of Black Swan–ing it until dinner, as apparently so many of us women do (in order to heap our measly 1,500 calories together into one meal a person might actually want to eat), you’re supposed to eat many tiny meals constantly. Hurray! But alas, after reading much dietary advice for menopausal women, I concluded that, in the horrible new metrics of midlife, each of the following constitutes a meal:

Meal No. 1 (8 a.m.): 2 tsp. nonfat yogurt Meal No. 2 (10 a.m.): 3 almonds (unsalted) Meal No. 3 (12 p.m.) 2 oz. low-fat barley soufflé (see Appendix D) Meal No. 4 (2 p.m.) small Bell pepper 1 tsp. flaxseed

Just staying awake all day to eat the food—while of course getting in those 15 reps an hour of sex with your 50-something husband—seems a challenge. No wine, though: best to pair vaginal dryness with buckwheat tempeh. Oh! Oh! Oh! where is the plate-glass window to hurl phone through? Why is life worth living? Ouch, my corns!

I am a 38 year old woman and have noticed the following differences in my body of late:

*Breasts have been extremely swollen for over a month now
*Menstrual cycle changed: period was 4 days late month before last… 4 days early last cycle and very light.
*I do not have vaginal dryness, in fact quite the opposite lately.

Do these sound like perimenopause symptoms?

“You’ve haven’t lived until you’ve broken a sweat in 10-degree weather,” says Bruns, laughing.

Her psychological discomfort was almost as unsettling as the physical symptoms of perimenopause, the period preceding the onset of menopause.

“I was caught up short. I was so young and now I was grappling with that ‘old lady’ thing,” says Bruns, now 52, a Ridgefield resident.

Each day, 6,000 women enter menopause, defined as a woman’s final period. but unlike their mothers or even older sisters, they are less likely to be prescribed hormone replacement therapy. in the 1990s, hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, was the standard treatment to relieve hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.

Between 1999 and 2002, about a quarter of all women older than 40 were taking hormones, according to the National Women’s Health Network. but a 2002 study, since challenged, linked HRT to higher rates of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke, changed the dynamic.

Today, most menopausal women don’t undergo hormone replacement therapy, says Dr. Amy Johnson, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Hartford Hospital.

Despite the hot flashes, night sweats and just plain sleepless nights, like many women Bruns decided to go it alone, endure perimenopause and menopause without hormones.

“I never thought about hormone replacement therapy because information about HRT was all over map,” Bruns says.

Although Bruns’ symptoms were annoying, they weren’t debilitating. they never got to the point where they prevented her from raising her family or re-entering the workforce.

“My symptoms weren’t keeping me from anything,” she says. “I had a lot of distractions. Raising three teenagers and going back to work.”

Alternative Therapies

While Bruns eschewed hormone replacement therapy, she tried everything else.

“I was a complete consumer,” says Bruns. “I took black cohosh. I tried mega-doses of vitamins. I rubbed wild yam cream into my thighs. I purchased every book on menopause. if nothing else it kind of helps you know you’re not alone.”

There are myriad over-the-counter remedies, but results vary. Some women swear that black cohosh or other herbs have helped ease symptoms. in many cases, studies have proved inconclusive or researchers suspect the placebo effect. whether you’re considering adding phytoestrogens, herbal supplements or vitamins to your diet, the bottom line is first check with your health care provider.

Here’s what’s available, according to the North American Menopause Society.

Black Cohosh: This over-the-counter herb has shown some ability to ease hot flashes, but the jury is still out. a couple of small trials show some benefit. Larger trials show no benefit, Hartford Hospital’s Johnson says.

Women bond over menopause with jokes and some laughs, but the truth is that it is often a challenging time. while menopause itself is not a disease, but a natural stage of aging, the effects of hormonal changes that accompany it are incredibly complex, affecting everything from your neurological system to your bones.

The shift in hormonal levels can affect the body so profoundly that it may change the way you look and feel. For example, weight gain becomes increasingly difficult to control, and diets and exercise routines lose their effectiveness.

Some women are surprised to know that perimenopause – the transitional period leading to menopause and during which symptoms start to appear – can begin early – even in their 30s.

But whether the onset of perimenopausal symptoms comes earlier than you expected or not, it’s important to remember: menopause means you need to balance your hormones.

Until very recently, women endured through menopause with limited relief available to them. However, as medical technology and knowledge continues to evolve and create new solutions, more ways to manage menopause are emerging.

For women who want to deal with menopause with a minimum of side effects, keep these ideas in mind.

* Symptom treatment – Many women experience symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, frequent headaches and yes, decreased libido. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has been shown to alleviate these symptoms, but because some studies link it to cancer, many women are hesitant to use it. However there’s now at least one safe alternative that provides comparable results. A clinical study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine finds that a natural compound called Amberen relieves most menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms without any side effects. Many women find that Amberen, which has an astounding 92.6 percent satisfaction rate, is an especially attractive option, because it offers hormone rejuvenation instead of hormone replacement. The makers of Amberen, California-based Lunada Biomedical, also provides a service called NurseAid, which gives women free access to licensed nurses with expertise in menopause health issues.

* Foods – The changes your body goes through at menopause mean that you should make an extra effort to ensure that you’re getting the nutrition your body needs. The Mayo Clinic advises that women should aim to include 1200 to 1500 milligrams of calcium in their daily diet, and other important nutrients to keep an eye on include iron, fiber and vitamin D. Keeping your diet high in plant-based foods is also a good idea – eat your vegetables and fruits and look for ways to incorporate soy products (soy milk, tofu). some foods and beverages – like spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol – are thought to trigger hot flashes, and are best avoided.

* Exercise -Studies show that regular exercise can be part of the solution to decrease symptoms of menopause. Weight loss can be harder to achieve during menopause because the body reprograms itself to store more fat, from which it can produce estrogen, to compensate for hormonal imbalance. Consulting with your doctor to optimize your exercise program and using products like Amberen to balance hormones can help you stay slim and active through your menopause.

* Your emotional health – Because of hormonal fluctuations, menopause can be a highly stressful time. It’s important that your mental wellbeing is a part of a complete plan for managing menopause. Whether it’s seeing a counselor or finding ways to relax through yoga and meditation, taking care of your emotions and managing stress can make menopause easier to deal with.

Menopause is something that all women will experience, so knowing how to deal with it is important. and since negative side effects are common among some care options, using smarter solutions, like diet, exercise and an all-natural menopause treatment like Amberen, can make the process much more comfortable.

What do I do? She asked me for a divorce. She seems angry or at least indifferent to me most of the time. She acts like she hates me in the morning and loves me at nite- sometimes this is reversed. She came off her anti depressants this past summer because she said she felt weak for needing them- she thought she should tough it out. She is miserable and so am I since this has been going on and she has moved out. see my related questions if you have experiences like this. HELP please.

A friend of mine just went through the same experience about a year ago..
He told me everything is fine now I guess she just had to go through her thing.

I have all the classical symptoms. My pms is horrible and I am very irritable, stressed, and depressed most of the time. I lost interest in sex. Some days I am so fatigued I can hardly stand it and the terrible insomnia I have makes it even worse. I have night sweats too. but what really tops it off is the anxiety and panic attacks, which I already have but it was under control. now I have anxiety and panic attacks all the time and when I get my period it is even worse. Natural supplements did not work for me. I just do not know how much longer this is going to last. I can not take it any more. I have had perimenopause symptoms for many years, but now over the last 6 months things have really raged out of control. does this possibly mean I could be reaching the end? I hope so. please, let me know what you think and share your perimenopause experiences with me. thank you.

You don't mention your age, but all my "perimenopause" symptoms turned out to be chronic Lyme and babesia, along with severe electrosensitivities, so I would research both.

Lymenet:

flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.…

Microwave Sickness – Electrical Sensitivity & Hypersensitivity:

ei-resource.org/illness-infor…

Since technically I was "menopausal" and doctors were not concerned, even though I was too young – and since I was able to reverse it with Lyme/babs treatment and avoidance of EMF/RF exposure, ask me if I'll ever believe menopause is ever normal – not a chance.

Women continue to produce eggs until death, just like guys produce sperm…

boston.com/news/nation/articl…

…but when you have a bunch of male researchers determining what is and is not normal for a woman, of course it would stand to reason to guys, as virile as they are, that it would be 'normal' to a male researcher for a woman to run out of eggs right around the time she's no longer a sex goddess to him.

mood lability is normal.

This is a common complaint of women going through menopause, especially the anxiety/panic attacks returning. you probably need to get some meds for those. Taking some meds will helps ease your other symptoms also. see your doc, they might want to try some hormones like birth control pills to ease symptoms.