"Do you think hormone therapy would bring back my interest in men?"

Possibly. I was on HRT when I went through menopause when I was 50 years old and my sex drive was my main concern...and was on hormones that included testosterone. However, I felt more like a teenage boy than I did like my old self. And, I had pimples for the first time in my life. It also made me angry very easily. Perhaps I should have talked to the doctor and had it adjusted down or something, but I didn't get on too well with the doctor either. I quit taking it. I have never cared for the idea of taking any kind of medicine unless you absolutely need it. Then a lot came out about increased cancer risks and HRT and I was glad I had quit.

I think my lack of interest in men may also be from past experiences. I've been in several relationships that were not "fun and easy" and I'm not willing to go down that path again. I always weigh the pros and cons of my choices. In the "man" department, the cons seem to outweigh the pros. I'm sure many of you have wonderful relationships that bring you joy. I'm just not so sure I want to go thru kissing so many frogs to find the prince anymore.
Donna

I'd feel the same way, if I were in your shoes, Donna. It makes staying home with a good book seem a whole lot more appealing.

Oh please do NOT go on hormones. I was on them for 14 years and they caused uterine cancer, which thankfully was contained and removed completely. There are hormone creams and pills available at Walmart. Yogurt also contains hormones. Please go the "natural" route, not the chemical route. Risking cancer is just not worth it. A blood test would show if you are low on iron which may be the cause of your tiredness. I hope you are taking a good multi-vitamin.

"Do you think hormone therapy would bring back my interest in men?"

Nope.
That comes from the brain.
I took hormone therapy for about a year, maybe 10 years ago...only because Dr said I should, just "because".
I dropped them because I was taking enough pills for real reasons.

Never lost my interest(mental or physical) in men...my DH or my SO whom I met 5 years ago.

Pills don't do it...your head does.

I had the blood test for anemia and it came out normal. I wasn't considering this route until I spoke to a coworker. She was asking me if I knew anything about Bio-identical hormones. She said that she had been on a low dose birth control pill and was taken off because she is 52. Since then, she said she is not "herself" and needs to be on hormones. She was telling me her symptoms and it got me thinking.
I did take Progesterone cream for a while. I am very into natural medicine. My primary doctor is Tradition Chinese Medicine. I was just wondering how HRT made some of you feel. It is only a consideration I'm toying with right now.
Donna

monica,
That's not totally acurate. Testosterone is what gives men their sex drive. Hormones play a large role in both our mental and physical well being.
Donna

I wouldn't do it. I was on hormone replacements for about eight years, mainly because my job was stressful and I had a lot of responsibility. I wanted to stay mentally sharp and accurate. I had breast cancer last summer and asked my doctor if the hormones had any thing to do with it and he said long term use probably does raise your chances to have cancer.

Judy

First, I'm still tired a lot. When I say tired, I really mean fatigued. I don't want to sleep, but at around 2:00 in the afternoon my day is over. The rest of the day I watch T.V. or read. Also, some mornings I get up around 6:30am and at 10:00am I want to lie down again. This sounds like you were overtreated and are now hypothyroid. Are you on thyroid meds? How is your tsh? I went to an endocrinologist too.. he didn't even discover my hypothyroidism even though I had a long list of hypo symptoms. You need to get your thyroid working right - it may very well be the cause of your other problem as well.

Post your blood tests and symptoms at the site below and someone there will help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Real Thyroid Help Forum

lydia,
I didn't go into all of the details. Yes, I went from hyper to hypo. I am on Synthroid. I have a blood test every 8 weeks. My doctor keeps on top of things.
It sounds like HRT is not my answer. I eat well and am practicing martial arts again. I just don't have the same energy levels I used to have.
Donna

When I went through menopause...I didn't feel like myself any more. I also couldn't remember anything and I had a super memory, prior to that. I hated feeling "flat". I liked the fact that I had felt a little different every day. However, I feel much better now. I can remember things again...maybe not as well as when I was young, but I don't need a pen to write down phone numbers any more. I am calmer, I guess. I have quite a bit of energy now, so considering my age (62) that's good.

I read a book about testosterone and sex drive in menopausal women and approached my doctor with that idea, and he was all for it, but not for what I wanted, and the dose he prescribed was much too high for me. Also, the progestrin made me want to kill people. I'm not kidding. I wanted to slap little old ladies in walmart. I still didn't feel like myself, so I quit taking them, and I am doing okay without them.

Sex drive is more than in your brain. Yes, attitude is important but everything in your body has a chemical/hormonal base.

Donna,
If your tsh isn't between 0.3 to 3.0, it's too high. Most people feel better when their tsh is below 1.
Synthroid doesn't work for everyone. A lot of people feel much better on Armour thyroid (which is a natural thyroid) or Cytomel (which is T3 instead of T4 like Synthroid).
Have you had your Vitamin D levels and cortisol checked? Low levels of those affect your thyroid as well.
Lydia

You bet.
Had sub-total hysterectomy at 45 (cervix adhered to abdominal wall). Will most likely be with me for life!
Hot flashes started day after surgery.
I'm on Estro-gel. One pump of pre-measured gel to each upper arm daily. Love it!!
Obgyn says he will only keep me on it till I'm 52. He says this is the age most women start menopause. Please note I'm only quoting what Dr. said.

Interesting thread...I had no idea I was perimenopausal until this past spring/summer. I had issues with bleeding although I had had a hysterectomy 11 yrs ago. I also had other symptoms but never thought of menopause. Dr. ran some tests and sure enough I was perimenopausal. We tried the creams but they didn't work and so I did start on HRT. I have been on them under 6 months and then I will come off them to see if the symptoms remain gone or come back.
In regards to going natural I am all for that if you can. I eat a very healthy diet. I eat a litre of yogurt a day and soy milk etc. I also take multi vitamins. With my neuromuscular conditon I am very aware of eating and staying healthy but sometimes you just need to take medications. Be knowledgable, careful and watchful with them. Having a doctor that you can talk with is the first step

I've been going through perimenopause for over a year now. My gyn wanted to put me on hormone therapy but I told her no. She said I was too young to stop menstruating (I was 45 at that time) but I started at 11 and that worries me. After reading and talking to some other women, especially one who is a breast cancer survivor I decided not to take them. The hot flashes stopped months ago, which is a relief.

I think it's good that you are doing some type of exercise and think that will help with your energy level and possible the men problem. I know when I was walking regularly I felt so much better.

I was only 30 when I had a hysterectomy and immediately went on estrogen. I stayed on it for twenty years feeling great until not one but two of my sisters got estrogen positive breast cancer. I was advised to stop. I never got back the energy I had whilst on it but then I found out I had low thyroid. Started meds and felt better after a month on them. A year ago I felt like you do now and went to my dr. and told her. She ran some tests and called me to tell me my vitamin D was dangerously low (5) and started me on huge dosages of it. I feel good now. So listen to your body. Get the Vit. D levels checked.
It takes some time for the thyroid meds to bring you back to normal and in the meantime all your other hormonal levels are compromised. That could be the issue.

It's definitely not true that the sex drive is entirely brain-related. When I was pregnant with my first child my sex drive was through the roof. Everything I read said if that happens it's only because pregnant women feel freer to enjoy sex without the threat of pregnancy. That was a lot of BS, as far as I was concerned. I had a high-risk pregnancy, and wasn't encouraged to have much sexual activity.

I've known women my age who lost their sex drive after menopause. My question for you, Donna, which I don't expect you to answer in a public forum, is whether your lack of interest in men extends to a complete lack of interest in sex. It's one thing to get commitment-phobic, to value your independence, and to not want to complicate your life with a relationship. It's quite another thing to become non-orgasmic.

I echo those who caution against hormone therapy. I avoided it completely. I can't help thinking your lack of interest in men might well be related to your fatique. Relationships--even just meeting men--take energy, and if you're exhausted that would turn you off the whole idea, I would think.

Are you certain the fatigue isn't caused by a residual thyroid problem?

I had my hysterectomy in my late 30s and soon after started with the "drugs"....About 2 years ago, I decided to wean myself off, mainly because I didn't like paying the high price for the RX...Well, all the symptoms came back, hot flashes, itching, sleepless nights, you name it, I had it....
The main thing that surprised me, my heart doctor questioned why I thought I should stop taking the Premarin. He said instead of stopping, go to a lesser dose....Even my regular doctor said, it has been proven to be one of the best drugs for the bones....So, I'm on 1/2 a dose, all the symptoms are gone and I feel great....I'll be 72 this year and have never felt better.....

I think I need to go into a little more of my history. I live in a big city and go out everyday and make sure that I get natural sunshine. I read that 15 minutes of natural sunshine is supposed to give you your daily dose of vitamin D. I eat an all organic diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, yogurt, beans, fish and very little meat. I don't eat junk food. I rarely eat out and cook my own meals. I walk a lot and practice martial arts. I also volunteer at a animal shelter, which is my true calling.
My thyroid has been fully regulated. The levels are in the normal range. I was hypothyroid more than a year ago. I asked my doctor twice about Armour instead of Synthroid and he said "no". I don't remember his reason. He is a excellent doctor and I trust his opinion. He has run several blood tests for different conditions. He even checked for anemia. I also requested a C-Reative Protien test for inflamation. Everything came back normal.
My concern is not my sex drive. Before menopause I enjoyed dating. I felt attractive and liked the attention from men. Now when I see a good looking guy I don't really care if he notices me or not. I think alisande hit it on the head in her last paragraph. I'm a morning person and the thought of having to get dressed up at night, (in the dead of winter no less), and go out is not appealing to me. That makes me wonder what's going on with me. Shouldn't I be excited to go out with a good looking guy? This is not a sex drive issue. I just feel like it's too much effort to date again at this point in my life. That's what is bothering me. I don't want to give up on men just yet. I don't know if it's a lack of energy that's causing this or my hormones. Maybe I just don't have the emotional stamina for a relationship anymore. I think it's a combination of all of the above.
Donna

I was on HRT for more then 10 years and recently, about 6 months ago, went off it. I went on it for menopause symptoms and because I started menopause rather young in my early 40's. It felt like I was permanately mood-wise on my period all the time. I was easily upset, ticked off, annoyed and irritated all the time. I was Super B!tch! (Poor DH & DS. They deserve medals.) The pills helped to get me on a more even keel and my moodiness disappeared. I was my old self when I was on it. My DR also put me on it because I had the same tired symptoms you did, falling asleep in the afternoon and no energy.

I had already been going through menopause for almost 2 years before I went on HRT. I also lost most of my interest in sex. I don't know if it was a coincidence that it happened the same time I went on the pills or the menopause itself. I got off of it because both my DR and I felt it was time. It wasn't really helping so no reason to keep taking it. When I did, my interest in sex returned back to normal and more. So I am thinking it was the pills. BTW it didn't help with the tiredness or give me any more energy. It did make me hungry all the time so I ate more and put on a ton of weight. I have noticed since I stopped taking them, I don't crave certain food, especially sweets like chocolate, like I did when I was on them. I am finding it easier to stick to a diet and not eat as much.

So I guess everyone's experience is different.
Clare

Donna, I know you say that your thyroid levels are in range.. but your description of the fatigue you have been having is exactly what I experienced while on Synthroid. My thyroid levels were normal from the beginning - only my antibody levels were off. Although Armour works for many people, it did not work for me... but T3 (Cytomel) has given me back most of my lost energy. It took me years and many many doctors to finally find a doctor that would do the right testing and allow me to try different medications so that I could find something that would work.

I hope you find your solution soon.

I went through menopause fine without any negatives, then the medical world decided that HRT was good for your heart. Sooo...I was put on HRT for two years until I developed vaginal bleeding. OB-Gyn took me off HRT and *then* I had the hot flashes and insomnia. A year later came the announcement that HRT does zip for your heart and may increase your odds for breast and ovarian cancers.

In my early 20's an OB-Gyn operated on me for what turned out to be a chocolate cyst -- removed it and my left ovary. Nobody would do that today. Same guy couldn't understand why I didn't get pregnant. Then I found someone else who did a salpingiogram that revealed that only my left tube was open. Likelihood of an egg from remaining right ovary somehow reaching health left tube? Nil.

Even before that, when I was trying to conceive, an endocrinologist gave me a drug to encourage ovulation. At a routine physical my internist found 'a lump' in one breast; immediately sent me for a breast biopsy -- back when you signed a consent before surgery so they could remove the breast if cancer was found! Biopsy was benign. When the endocrinologist saw me next and spied the breast scar he had a fit. The 'lump' was from the drug he was giving me.

Last year I had a mamogram that showed some abnormal calcium deposits; had a biopsy; just abnormal cells -- a zero on the cancer grading charts. Who knows, I may have come with this stuff! I'm taking nothing. You can probably see why.

Wow,
All of your stories are so helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to share them with me.
It sounds like HRT is probably not my answer. I'm going to ask my doctor about the Cytomel instead of the Synthroid. I would truly love to have some "get up and go".
Donna

lydia,
I think you are right on target again about the thyroid. Check out this woman's website.
Donna

Here is a link that might be useful: hypothyroidism

Yes, Mary Shomon is full of useful info!

I have to warn you though that a doctor that won't prescribe Armour probably won't prescribe large doses of Cytomel either. He may let you add a bit of Cytomel to the Synthroid which is worth a try. The Cytomel is 4 times stronger than the Synthroid.. so take it slow. Good luck!

My Dr. had put me on HR and I was on it for about 3 years. I started reading about side effects. I hated taking it anyway because of weight gain. I decided to tell him I didn't want to take it anymore. Within days I felt so much better and had more energy and gradually the weight came off. Don't do it.

lydia,
Mary Shomon has a book about hypothyroidism. I'm really confused. Should I buy this book? Is what she writes about the same information as what you are describing? Where should I go to get more facts about my condition?
Donna

I don't have Mary's book, but she writes a lot on thyroid.about.com.. you can read there.

Here are 3 helpful sites:
www.realthyroidhelp.com - a forum
www.http://thyroidhost.proboards30.com/index.cgi -another forum
See the link below for a third forum which is closed, this one strongly supports Armour thyroid, but has a lot of good info. The person that started this has also just had a book published.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stop the Thyroid Madness

lydia,
Wow, these web sites have so much information. I found a doctor on the Armour website that is close to where I live. I'm thinking of making an appointment to see him. My endo is so nice, I don't know what to tell him if I switch doctors.
Why didn't the Armour work for you? Is tha Armour safe to take long term?
Donna

I can tell you that my DH took Armour thyroid for fifty years. He had most of his thyroid removed when he was young. Over the years doctors tried to switch him to Synthroid (they love to prescribe it - I don't know why), but Joe said Armour was the only thing that gave him satisfactory results. It's a completely different product, and it works differently.

Late in his life, the nursing home gave him Synthroid despite my insistance that they administer the Armour. The Synthroid gave Joe a rash over his entire body--so bad that he had to be taken to the ER.

Thank you so much for opening my eyes. A couple years ago I came to the KT complaining of fatigue. Because of all of you, I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism. Lydia, I believe you were the one that pushed me to get tested. Again I come to you for help with my ongoing symptoms. My doctor keeps telling me that my thyroid function is in the normal range. I keep telling him I have severe fatigue, weight gain, exercise intolerance, etc. and he says nothing is off. I'm a hard nut to crack but lydia you pushed me again and I am going to take your advice. I'm going to call the new doctor and try out the Armour.
alisande,
Your testament from your DH is the final push I needed.
Thank you so much, I'll keep you posted.
Donna

Donna, the Armour was all that was available many years ago. Like Alisande said it is safe long term. Give it a try, it certainly won't hurt.

I think the Armour didn't work for me because I have a reverse T3 problem (not something most people need to worry about) and need just straight T3. Armour is a mix of natural T3 and T4.

I'm glad I have been able to help. Let us know how things go!

He said that there are many causes for fatigue and he would have to do a complete evaluation.

He's right, and WHY hasn't he done such an evaluation?

I don't think he believes me when I say that I'm fatigued. He's looking at my test results and feels that the levels are normal. I told him I gained 15lbs and he said to eat less. He's about 70 years old and has been around for a long time. He is very precise. I do feel that he knows what he is talking about. He is very set in his ways though and does not like the Armour treatments. I wish I knew what to do. I probably will try and find a doctor who prescribes Armour.

Donna

It can be so tough to question a doctor, especially if you like his/her bedside manner. I'm really glad you are going to look into seeing someone else, as it looks from this side as if he has not figured out your problem. Telling a patient who eats as well as you to simply eat less after mysteriously gaining weight is not a good sign, imo.

Organic donna - I am absolutely 100% in the same place you are with respect to a relationship. In fact, I turn 53 next week, look and act pretty darned Ok compared to some my age (and not as good as others, of course!), and although I'd love companionship, just don't have it in me to start up another relationship nor any real interest in sex. I am recently through menopause, and I don't know if that has made it worse or not. It certainly is a quandry, because it would be great to have someone in my life that I loved and who loves me. But I don't really have the push to get out there and find it.

Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone on that front!

Suzieque

Donna, you said this at 10:28 this morning, and I'm gonna hold you to it:

I'm going to call the new doctor and try out the Armour.

As Lydia said, it's certainly worth a try. Having confidence in one doctor doesn't mean you should stay away from others. No one person knows everything, and no one physician knows everything about health.

I really hope you'll call the new doctor. I have the feeling you'll learn a lot and won't regret it. As my DH often asked me when I had trouble making a decision, what's the worst that can happen?

suzieque,
Thanks for the honesty. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. The guy who asked me out called me again today. I would guess he's about 35! That's WAY too young for me. He also told me he is moving out of town in a few months. I may go out once just for fun.
alisande,
I'm out of town Monday and Tuesday but I'm calling the doctor that was on the Armour website as soon as I return. I'm definately going to try the Armour. The only thing that bothers me is that it comes from a pig, I'm mostly a vegetarian.
Donna

Hi everyone,
This is so weird. I was working a flight to London yesterday. I get on the plane and one of my coworkers asks me about my thyroid. I'm telling her about trying the Armour and another coworker is listening to our conversation. She shouts out, "I'm taking Armour". She proceeds to tell me all about Armour and how unaffective the Synthroid is for many people. I just thought that was so weird. I took it as a sign that the Armour is meant to be.
Donna

I made the doctor's appointment for February 9th!
THANK YOU!
Donna

Good going, Donna--keep us posted!