I am 57yrs. old, post menopausal for three yrs. Back in the mid 90's is when I believe perimenopause started. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia in 1998 ( due to bouts of lightheadedness). I have since,been told my blood sugar tests say I'm normal . I now believe that maybe that was actually hormonal in nature. Now I fast forward to 2007; I experience my first full blown panic attack , which sent me to the emergency room , thinking I was having a heart attack only to be told it was due to panic. I had other attacks over the next few months and ended up seeking help from acupuncture, a real blessing. I still go for sessions when I can, ( and no, it does not hurt at all !). Since 2007 I haven't had any more full blown attacks. I have although been suffering with terrible "waves" of lightheadedness,( internal jitters/shaky feelings), some days it's almost 24/7.I also have developed sinus issues (pressure/headaches, tired eyes,eye twitches, blurred vision, body chills, low body temp., neck stiffness and pain, achy/sore joints, dry skin, blotting, gas, and just totally tired, run down ). I can go a week or so at times and feel rather good ! I can tell you that I have had a lot of life-stressors over the last six years. I have seen numerous medical doctors, all of them were years behind in the treatment of women and hormones ! I have since found an excellent naturopathic doctor near my town who did ALL the needed tests to get a true picture of what is going on inside my body. My hormones , thyroid and adrenal/cortisol levels are all over the place ! I am only into my first month of treatment so she is taking it slow as to the use of herbal supplements and natural progesterone supplements as well. When I go next week for my second appointment, she will tweak the treatment as needed ( depending on the symptoms I am still experiencing). I can tell you that menopause is a natural part of the female body. We are no different than a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly.....our bodies are changing ! If we get ourselves to the right , smart, educated doctors( who listen to us and don't just prescribe depression drugs to patients they don't know how to cure...please don't get me started !!), we can go through this "change" so much easier. I have been so exhausted at times that I could not do anything! I am an artist who works from home and I don't , most days, have the energy to get out of my pajamas ! I do believe in natural medications and steer clear from any synthetic drugs ( since they are stressful on the cells of our bodies ) and the ones some med. doctors put me on all made me feel worse ! You must stay clear of gluten, soy and all processed foods. No junk food...period ! Also, get to bed by 10p.m. Studies show that the body is designed to get optimal rest between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am. I have spent the last six yrs. educating myself on the subject of menopause, hormones, adrenal health and thyroid issues. It can be all totally interrelated .

Doctors, whether promoting alternative treatments or prescribed medications, are subject to propaganda and are well paid by the corporate companies. I would guess less so by the alternative manufacturers since they don't have the millions of dollars to spend. But as the consumer we have to go with our educated guesses. I have resisted hrt after a hysterectomy (uterus, ovaries, cervix) although my oncologist offers it every time I see him. Even though my cancer was estrogen receptive and my mother had breast cancer. And my symptoms are very mild infrequent hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. Since he is one of the best gyn oncologists in NYC I trust him for the oncology side but use my endocrinologist for hrt consultations - tomorrow we review a recent bone scan. And by the way - Replens seems to work well for the vaginal dryness and is cheapest at Walmart.

My gosh. I thought I was the only one in the world, and here you all are! I'm 55. I had an hysterectomy when I was 41 and my ovaries removed at 43. I have been on estrogen only HRT since I was 44 with no issues. I had a normal mammogram six months ago. I started taking methotrexate for arthritis six months ago and my extremely sore and swollen breasts seemed to start when I moved to the higher doses of that drug. I even had some evidence of lactation from my right breast. My GP ordered hormone tests and they all came back in the normal range except SHBG which is a protein that binds to sex hormones to carry them around in the blood stream. I also had a mammogram which showed enlarged ducts with some debris. (My boobs are trashed after breast-feeding five kids but nothing they did is anything on this pain and tenderness.) I missed a couple of doses of methotrexate (taken weekly) and my breast pain seemed to start to diminish. I also stopped my HRT because I was so desperate for some relief. After a month, the pain has substantially subsided but I still have a residual tingly burn and they haven decreased much in size. I am yet to have repeat hormone tests or a repeat mammogram. I will try the flaxseed recommended above and post anything else that changes.

Boy, can I relate to this post. I could of wrote this myself. I had an FSH of 29 two years ago, along with horrible symptoms of irregular heartbeats , extreme anxiety, Insomnia...on and on. The Doc said early Menopause, I had it retested last month, it was 4 !!!!! I had the same reaction as you... I am expecting the worst, as some of my symptoms have lessened , now I am thinking it will all start over full force. I had waited to re-test the FSH , and thought that maybe I was Post , as I have felt somewhat better with some of the symptoms... I had my Uterus removed 15 years ago, so no periods to help establish where I am in all this. I am confused as to what this all means just like you, You are the first one I have found to have the same issue, sorry for you, but a relief for me to have someone to talk to !! I am wondering if it has something to do with he Thyroid.. as I am Hypothyroid, with Hashimotos Disease. I was curious before, but now I see you have Thyroid issues also, wondering if there is a connection... the Thyroid is part of the Endocrine system like the Ovaries ... Anyways, I feel like I am rambling.. just know that you are not alone, and I hope you fee better knowing that someone else is dealing with the same craziness, I know I sure do. Peace, Rebecca