New menopause symptom

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My boobs hurt. They have been hurting for about the past four days. This is the kind of hurting that they can do the day before my period starts but the level of pain is much higher. It's about the same level that is was when I was nursing a baby and was engorged and away from my baby and forgot to bring a breast pump. The kind of soreness and pain that makes me want to holler if I accidentally touch them.

There isn't anything wrong with them at all. I've recently had a pap smear and a breast exam so nothing like that. Also, they aren't engorged and they aren't producing milk nor are they swollen. They just hurt all over. I'm in perimenopause and I'm very irregular right now. It's been about a month since my last period, which was very light spotting for a few days, and I have been feeling really crampy for the same amount of time that my boobs have been hurting. It feels like I'm about to start a horrible period any minute, but it's felt like that for days.

Grrrr, I know this is normal but I wish it was all over with. I'm also having lots of hot flashes and moodiness right now too, so I know it's all hormonal related. I haven't had the really sore boobs and crampiness this bad since high school.

Now you really have me nervous about when I hit the big M. I get the soreness and become easily irritated for as early as two weeks before my period, and I'm scared about menopause because I can't stand being too hot and with my luck it will probably start during a heat-wave in the summer. I'm worried I will turn into one of those monster menopausal women you read about, and my voice will turn deep and throaty like a man and hair will grow thickly all over my body and I will become violent and end up arrested or hospitalized. Worst of all I'm scared of taking any medication or hormones for it and that the side effects will be even worse or even kill me. This is all I have to look forward to when I get older, not things like grandchildren (no kids) or retirement (no job). Just my body and mind deteriorating.

My period has come to a point where I cannot schedule it. I recently started having night sweats and hot flashes too. One thing that is better is I have not had to take pain pills for my fibroids for two months. My older sister went through menopause mid 40's so I might be on my way too. I also don't want to get crazy like my mom did. We didn't know what was going on and my dad just said one morning, "Go to doctor and get some medication. I don't care what it costs!" After that things were more normal. But I would rather use nutritional methods instead of hormone therapy like my sister does.

My step mom told me that her menopause lasted about 3 days, and then it was over for ever. My older sister has had more problems. I don't have to worry, as I had a complete hysterectomy 6 years ago, due to cancer. I had 3 internal radiation treatments after I healed from the surgery, but no more was called for by the docs. I have had no problems with that issue since then. I found out in time, because of a gradually worsening bleeding problem. I have always had infrequent and irregular periods. A few years ago I started having them more often and gradually with more bleeding. I thought for a long time that I was just getting more regular and normal, but then it went way past normal. Once I finally had it checked out, the doc recommended a DNC procedure. It stopped the excessive bleeding, but the biopsy from the procedure showed I had cancer. After my cancer surgery the second biopsy showed that it was a very bad type of cancer, but that it had been caught very early. So that horrible bleeding problem turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Ask your doctor about natural supplements to treat menopause. There are a number of them on the market, and they are available without a prescription. Hope this phase passes soon.

Don't worry about it, it's really not that bad. It's all uncomfortable, but getting through it is doable. The mood swings do suck, and trust me, I'd be the first person to climb to the top of a water tower with a sniper rifle because of my hormonal mood swings, but it helps to know that's what they are. It doesn't help how you feel, but it helps you deal with them better. You know that it's hormonal and that it's not what you really feel deep down, but it's sure not fun while it's going on.

Some women have almost no symptoms and just stop their periods and go on with life. Others have some but not bad ones. Others have bad ones for a short time and then they stop. I have been unlucky enough to have bad ones for a long time. Also, when it starts, you sort of know thats what it is. At first you don't but when you start telling other women your age, or older than you (especially your mother) they will point out your age and that it's probably perimenopause and a little light bulb will go off over your head. Honestly I didn't feel old enough to go through the change when I started it. I didn't feel like I was even in my 40s. It would have never crossed my mind until my mother said "Well Frances, it's about time don't you think? How old are you? OK then, my mother had it early too. I would have too if I hadn't had the hysterectomy". Knowing what it is, and that it won't last, puts it in perspective.

My hot flashes last a few minutes and then they are gone. Of all the symptoms, I think the night sweats are the worst. You wake up soaked with sweat, like a fever broke. So wet that you have to change nightgowns and put a towel on the bed. I hate those worse than anything because I have to shower again in the mornings, and I feel icky all night.

I'm not menopausal yet, so this comes rom my Mum. She took soya isoflavones as a natural remedy for menopause symptoms and swears by them. I can confirm that her mood improved dramatically too.

BTW For anyone who thinks they are perimenopausal, because their periods have become very irregular and other signs, I wouldn't assume anything. This happened to me a few years ago and I could never tell when they were going to come (anything from 19 to 50 days apart) and I was also experincing hot flushes. I also had 3 shots at IVF, very few eggs were retrieved and no eggs at all at the last attempt. I thought it was inevitable that I was going to go through an early menopause. But, I read about the benefits of taking agnus castus to regulate periods. Within the first couple of months of taking it, I was regular (for the first time in my life). I haven't taken any for a year now and still have a normal regular cycle. 4 years after the unsuccessful IVFs, I'm still getting monthly periods and I'm definitely not perimenopausal (no pregnancy yet, however).