I had my first and only child at the age of 39. After the birth of my son, my body went into a tailspin.  Everyone blamed how I was feeling on the symptoms of menopause.   Really? I was only 41!  I am now 49 and  have finally began  to feel more like the old me.  By that I mean my happy, hopeful, sexy and energetic self is emerging again. I thought I was gone forever.   I had no energy, I was irritable and short with people I loved, I gained 30 pounds!!!!  In short, I had lost my joy.  Yes, I loved my husband and son, yes we endured many stressful events like the loss of both  our fathers, a cross country move,  a flood that ruined our home and our income, and yes, I was at the age of perimenopause.  Everything I was feeling was “normal” for what I had gone through according to the doctors.  But deep inside I knew that something was wrong and I didn’t have to feel this way regardless of what life was throwing at me.   I could fix it.

In the beginning the doctors told me that everything I was feeling:  the depression, lack of energy, no sex drive, horrible moodiness  - these were symptoms of menopause onset and it was normal.  I didn’t believe that I had to feel this way even if I was approaching “that age”.  I felt my body was having these symptoms because of an imbalance in my system.  I just had to find out where the imbalance was.

After 3 years of feeling real bad, I was told I had Hashimoto’s disease.  This is when your antibodies attack your thyroid for no apparant reason until it is destroyed.   I was prescribed Synthroid and told there was not much else they could do but moniter the eventual destruction of my thyroid gland.

Natural Remedies for Menopause Symptoms

I began my search for natural remedies for menopause symptoms and the possible causes of Hashimoto disease.  Even though my lab numbers appeared normal,  I was still feeling bad – that is until I began to feel even worse.   I started to get real bad headaches, the tiniest sounds bothered me to the point that I had to constantly tell my young son to be quite – I would wear earplugs around the house!  I was quick to anger and extremely forgetful.  I had to write everything down.  I really thought I was going crazy!  I found a naturopath/MD who put me on NatureThyroid and  suggested I take a heavy metal challenge test.  The results astounded me.  I had seriously high levels of mercury and lead in my system!  I remembered back a few years to when I had a dentist change a filling.   Now I know he had not removed it properly.  Some of the mercury went into my body.  Looking back that is when all my symptoms of “peri menopause” started happening. I also had 3 fillings I had in my mouth that were about 30 years old.  I immediately made an appointment with a mercury-free dentist who specialized in removing mercury the correct way with dental dams and oxygen.  I replaced my remaining fillings with a non-toxic composite.  Within a week I started feeling alot better.

Then came the daunting chelation procedure that must be done slowly so not to over burden your body.  I have been taking dry heat saunas most days and am doing rounds of dmsa to remove the lead and mercury.  I am a work in progress – the heavy metals are not completely gone yet, but I am feeling sooo much better.  My pre menopause symptoms had improved immensely.

I am also finding research suggesting that mercury could be a possible cause of Hashimoto disease.  Mercury messes with your immune system.  Makes sense to me.  The thyroid gland is not far from your mouth.  Fillings that were disguised as “silver” were usually 50% mercury and the rest tin and a little wee bit of silver!  Everytime you chew and drink hot liquids the mercury in your teeth gases out.  Where else to go but your brain, throat and thyroid gland?

I know I can’t avoid menopause, nor do I really want to.  I believe from personal experience that if you dig deeper than what modern western medicine is usually willing to do, you may find the underlying cause of most of your symptoms.  Is it really peri menopause symptoms or maybe it could be something else?

Migraine headaches affect a lot of people around the world and especially women. The majority of migraine sufferers are women in a percentage of 70%. This is the reason that migraines are also known as the female headache. The main factor that makes women more vulnerable to migraine headaches is the changes in the hormone levels at every life stage women have to undergo. The most important stages being menstruation cycle, pregnancy and menopause. In this post we will concentrate on why women suffer from migraines during menopause.

Symptoms of Migraines During Menopause

Migraines can be very disturbing to women experiencing the changes of menopause. They may occur in various levels of intensity and duration and the pain may range from mild to very intense. Women who suffered from migraines before this period may experience more frequent crisis, while women who did not experience migraines before may start during the menopause period. The symptoms of the migraines during menopause are no different than ‘normal’ migraine headaches.  These may include:

• Throbbing pain in one part of the head

• The pain to become more intensive with movement of the body and head

• Feelings of tiredness and sudden weakness

• The duration of the pain may be a couple of hours or couple of days

• Sudden tendency for vomiting and feelings of nausea and dizziness

• Extra sensitivity to bright light, sound, and strong smells

• Sweating in the hands and feet

Relief From Migraine Headaches

What to do to get relief from the headaches?   Basically there are three ways to get relief from migraine headaches.  These are:

1. Lifestyle changes:   Changing your lifestyle to avoid or minimize triggers of migraines. This means that you should identify what are the major causes of migraines for your case and alter your lifestyle in order to prevent the emerge of a migraine crisis.

2. Alternative / Natural methods:   There are a lot of ways to get treatment from migraine headaches. These include the use of herbs and the adoption of natural ways for headache relief such as yoga, massage and relaxation exercises.

3.   Medication:   Up to now there is no medication for the complete cure from migraines. The drugs available are mainly used for prevention purposes and to minimize the effects of migraine pain. The most common group of medicines is triptans and is only available after a prescription from a certified doctor.

If you are among the women who suffer regularly from migraine headaches then the best approach to follow is to visit a doctor that specializes on headaches and discuss your case with him. There are such kinds of doctors in all countries and they can give  better advice than the ordinary practitioners. Make sure that you go to the doctor with as much information as possible about your migraines. This may include the duration and frequency of the pain,  how much sleep you had the day before, what you eat, what other activities you did and generally everything that may help the doctor understand your lifestyle better.

I had tried absolutely everything to take off the weight I had gained on Zoloft, coupled with a thyroid imbalance AND perimenopause symptoms!!!   Nothing worked.  Well, I’ve been taking Sam-e every morning on an empty stomach for about 3 months now and I’ve lost 12 lbs. without changing anything else! I do always try to eat right though, and stick to my low calorie foods list.   Although recently, I’ve allowed myself to live it up a little since it’s my birthday!  And I still lost weight.  This hasn’t happened since my twenties!

My theory is since Sam-e is so good for your liver, this is an indirect benefit of a better functioning liver!  My body is metabolizing more efficiently because my liver isn’t so congested.  I just feel so much better in every way.  My husband has been taking it too now, but for only a week and he said he’s noticed a great improvement in his well-being.

Sam-e is a naturally occurring substance found in our body and tends to decline as we get older.  It promotes the balance and availability of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which makes you feel happy.  It’s great for depression.  It’s also great for the liver because it normalizes liver enzymes. My girlfriend’s accupuncturist put her on Sam-e to bring her out of the woods from hepatitis -and it did!  She’s the same woman who told me to start taking it when I was detoxing from prescription antidepressants -and I felt better in 48 hours!  It’s worked for us and I encourage  anyone to try Sam-e first before going on anti-depressants.  It’s a great supplement for the symptoms of menopause or pre menopause symptoms.  I have read that a good liver contributes to virtually zero menopause symptoms!  Since using Sam-e I have alleviated my menopausal symptoms.  For me, that’s certainly worth it!

For many women during their pre menopause and menopause years, insomnia is very common.  From having trouble falling asleep to waking up throughout the night,  insomnia strikes many women leaving them tired and miserable the next day.  You may also be one of those women who wakes in a pool of sweat during the night.  Pre menopause symptoms of night sweats  is caused by the body’s hormonal fluctuations and inconsistent body temperature .  Instead of relying on sleeping pills, try some natural remedies first.  Many times that’s all you need.

Natural Remedies For Menopause Symptoms

Magnesium   works wonders for anyone having trouble falling asleep and is a great insomonia treatment.  It is great for menopausal symptoms  and perimenopause symptoms because it help balance hormones, calms nerves and promotes deep restful sleep.  Magnesium oil also relieves aches, spasms and pains, elevates mood and supports a healthy immune system.  Many people suffer menopause symptoms like  pms, fibromyalgia, cramps and migraines needlessly because they don’t have enough magnesium!

If you have magnesium deficiency you may experience fatigue, leg cramps, loss of appetite, depression, or high blood pressure.  The recommended RDA of magnesium is 320mg a day for women.  Up to 90% of Americans do not get enough!  It is often called the forgotten mineral.  If you overlook it your body will pay a price.   You can find magnesium in dark green leafy vegetables, nuts and whole grain foods. Pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds, avocados, bananas, potatoes, spinach and legumes are all great sources of magnesium.

You can also take a supplement if you feel you are lacking.  Many come with calcium and vitamin D in the mix.  That is because magnesium helps the body absorb calcium and potassium.  Calcium and magnesium work synergistically in hundreds of reactions in the body and must be taken in balance.  The contraction-relaxation phase of muscle function cannot operate without magnesium.  Bones also need a healthy balance of both.  Calcium is essential for healthy blood and regulates heartbeat, assists in blood clotting and iron absorption, eases insomnia and regulates the passage of nutrients in and out of our cells.

Magnesium helps keep your heart and bones strong and healthy.  It helps regulate body temperature and activates the enzymes necessary for metabolism.

Soaking in magnesium is great too!  Taking a bath with magnesium oil flakes or Espom salts is very relaxing and promotes sound sleep.  Don’t take my work for it. Build up your magnesium reserves and see if you don’t get a better night’s sleep and relief from your symptoms of menopause.

Black Cohosh is an alternative therapy for pre menopause symptoms and menopausal symptoms.  But just what is it and is it safe to take?  Black Cohosh, also known as squaw root, rattleweed or black snake root, is an herb in the buttercup family. It is a shrub that grows 5-7 feet tall and produces little white flowers.  The root has been used by Native American for over 200 years in relieving symptoms of menstrual cramps and for the  symptoms of menopause.   The early American settlers used it to for malaria, kidney aliments, arthritis, rattle snake bites and also for perimenopause symptoms.  Early physicians also used black cohosh for serious infectious diseases, including scarlet fever, smallpox  and whooping cough. Today it is used for night sweats and hot flashes, irritability, sleep disturbances, mood swings, pms, uterine spasms and in reducing inflammation associated with arthritis. Today, herbalists use it as an emmenagogue; an agent that relaxes the uterus and  promotes uterine bleeding when your flow is hindered by stress and anxiety  It is also used in small doses in women with difficult labors in their last trimester.  It reduces labor pain and promotes more efficient contractions in order to prepare the uterus for full term delivery.

Exactly why it helps menopause symptoms is unknown exactly, but some think it’s because it mimics the effects of estrogen.  In fact many believe it is as effective as an estrogen supplement in relieving the menopause symptoms of night sweats, insomnia and moodiness among others.  In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists support the use of black cohosh for a limited amount of time to relieve symptoms.  There have been no studies past the use of 6 months in regards to this form of treatment, so that is why only 6 months is recommended.  There are no known side effects or contraindications at all.  Black cohosh is considered to be a safe and effective supplement.

Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, has come under scrutiny because it has been linked to causing certain cancer.  Because Black Cohosh has an estrogen like effect it is not to be used by pregnant or lactating women.  It can cause miscarriages, abdominal pain, nausea and dizziness if taken incorrectly.

Other supplements beneficial in reducing menopause symptoms include:  Evening Primrose oil, Vitamin E, Dong Quai, and Wild Yam.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.

I read an interesting testimony today about inversion tables virtually eliminating perimenopause symptoms!  I don’t know if it really works, but it seems worth a try.  Imagine no hot flashes, moodiness, night sweats or any other pre menopause symptoms at all! Without having to take hormones!   I’m game.  Here’s how it works:

Inversion therapy is laying upside down or at various angles for a period of time. This shift in gravity brings oxygen rich blood to your brain, lymphatic and endocrine system.  It also reduces the pressure off your spine and spinal discs.

Benefits of Inversion Therapy

Many people report an improved sense of well being, increased energy levels and a greater sense of relaxation from practicing inversion therapy.  This could be because feeding your brain this oxygen rich blood produces endorphins similar to when you exercise.  Endorphins make you feel really, really good!  Sharper focus and improved memory are also reported among users.  That’s great because I  walk into a room and forget why I came way too often!

Hanging upside down stretches your whole body stimulating the circulatory and lymphatic systems, stretching all of the muscles, tendons and ligaments, and oxygenating the brain.

How does this help menopausal symptoms?  Well, when you think about it, by giving your brain, endocrine system and lymphatic systems what they need, they don’t have to take it from other places.  Therefore, every system runs efficiently.  Inversion therapy also needs be accompanied by quality nutrition and daily movement for optimum results.  Many women enter into perimenopause all stressed out at the bottom of their game.  They haven’t been taking great care of themselves so as a result they have menopausal symptoms.  Believe it or not, there are women who feel great all through the big “change of life”.  I want to be one of them!

Yoga recommends head and shoulder stands to reduce the  symptoms of menopause.  The yoga positions work, but it can be difficult to remain in one for 15 to 30 minutes at a stretch.  An inversion table makes it much more comfortable.  You can even watch tv or talk on the phone while you doing it.  But try to make it a time to “recharge”.  when you return from work.   It’s a great time to relax on the table, meditate and create some quality energy for the rest of the evening.  Like anything else, you need to commit to this routine to see optimum results for your symptoms.

Start out slow and be progressive with the angles and time.  Inversion tables can be purchased at stores like Relax the Back.    You could also order one from the internet at various sites.