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So the most common symptoms that women come into my office for around peri-menopause and menopause is if there is still peri-menopause then it’s a lot of abnormal bleeding problems.  That could be light, that could be heavy, that could be long, that could be short.   Any way, shape, or form.  Once the periods have stopped, then peri-menopause or menopausal we are talking about hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, depression, anxiety, overreacting, overwhelmed.  You used to be able to handle twenty feet of stress before you got pissed off.  Read the rest of this entry »

Jan Menopause menopause signs, menopause symptoms, Tori Hudson

There is a condition called irritable bowel syndrome that is really kind of a basket term for a lot of irregular bowel habits and bloating that women experience during menopause. And again, hormonal influences seem to affect irritable bowel syndrome. In fact, women who are still menstruating, irritable bowel syndrome can flair up as a premenstrual symptom. Often we think this might be a little bit more related to progesterone, because progesterone is a sedative to smooth muscles. It helps the muscles relax. With irritable bowel the colon is hypertonic, spasmodic, irritated and not having its normal, rhythmic motions.
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Jan Menopause

And now, my husbands viewpoint on the mysteries of menopause…(brace yourself).

One beautiful Saturday morning about 10 years ago I am reading the paper and sipping on a Starbucks soaking in the stillness and solitude of our home, when I hear her footsteps descending the stairs. Jan rounds the corner and I notice that she looks like she just plowed 40 acres of land last night with a broken down mule. Being the observant male that I am with all the sensitivity that I could muster, I said, ” What’s wrong honey, you look horrible.” She looked at me with a hollowed out expression and said ” I don’t feel like me anymore. I don’t understand what is happening to my mind and body with this menopause stuff.” I woke up feeling depressed and dreading the day.”
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Jan Menopause

Memory loss and confusion can be very difficult to determine between the early phase of a progressive condition versus normal age related changes in our memory, in our focus, and in our concentration. There are also other health problems that affect memory and concentration other than menopause, like low thyroid function, depression, anxiety, medications, and chronic pain. But as it relates to menopause, again we have changes in our hormone levels in our brain affecting how things are firing, and blood flow to our brain. So brain chemistry and blood flow affects memory, concentration and focus. And this is an area, as time goes on, that can be more difficult to understand. Is this a more serious, progressive problem ultimately leading to dementia? Or, is it just a hormonal change that can be connected with something hormonal? Or, is it normal age? Or is it, as I said, one of the other treatable causes?
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Jan Menopause

…my knarly tango with menopause that is! Just when I have those menopausal symptoms licked and I’m feelin’ back to me again, I discover that I am aimlessly wandering the aisles of Safeway or some other potential place of public humiliation talking to myself and in addition, extremely irritated and angry with anyone that comes within 25 feet of me. Or pretty much anyone within my hormonally challenged eye line.

I think we need to learn to laugh when experiencing these uncomfortable menopause signs and symptoms and if you haven’t seen our music video  yet, get a giggle and watch the following video after the break:
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Jan Menopause, Mid Life Madness

Welcome to Part One of the Why’s and How’s of Menopause Symptoms by Dr. Tori Hudson. I think you will find it intriguing and interesting as well. I’ve also included a bit about Dr. Hudson as a FYI. And now Part One…

There’s kind of a short list of symptoms, and a long list.  And the short list, the most common thing really would be hot flashes.  That’s the thing that probably brings women most to the doctor’s. Whether they are day time or night time we call them hot flashes, although some people say night sweats.  If we are in the peri-menopause, of course there are changes in the menstrual cycle, but once one has stopped bleeding, then you don’t have a period anymore.

-Hot flashes

-Insomnia

-Mood swings, including: weepy, irritable, anxious, very snappy sometimes, not being able to tolerate the world so well
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Jan Menopause

I believed those words spoken to me by my high school guidance counselor were the truth. An older woman, squishy and donning hues of gray on her bean-head, she had just asked me which career field I had planned for myself.

I want to be a fashion designer. And with all my heart I did. I had for years been cutting patterns out of old drapes, designing interesting ensembles and sewing rather magnificently with my mothers old Singer knee press sewing machine. From bright paisley puff sleeved A-line dresses to herringbone jumpers and nothing blouses, I created and I sewed.

I also sketched and painted pictures of girls in a variety of stylish outfits and hairdo’s. This is how I passed much of my time as a young teen.
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Jan Menopause

It’s that ‘back to school’ time of year and for me, the smell of new Crayola crayons makes me giddy! Go ahead stick your head in a big box and take a whiff and tell me it does not take you right back to elementary school. For me, it’s first grade in Mrs. Howard’s class.

Donned in  my new saddle shoes and “first day of school outfit”, I vividly see myself opening my new tablet (you can’t find them anymore by the way, I tried) with my new freshly sharpened pencils nestled cozily in my new Barbie pencil pouch.

I passionately loved school until about 7th grade when my hairdo and nail polish became more important than knowing how many seats there are in Congress and the House.
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Jan Menopause

The levels indicated I was running low in ink on all four of the printers I own between my home and office, but I just kept on printing. I always figure I can squeeze those ink cartridges dry and might as well. Saves money.

I needed to print out a resume as I was hurrying out the door. Alas, I had not heeded the warning and I was out of ink…on all four printers.

Later that day my gas gauge indicated I was running low on gas. I play this game to see how many miles I can get on one tank.

As I sat stalled right in the middle of one of the busiest streets in Portland out of gas, I realized once again I had not taken serious the warning. This though, a far worse consequence…and embarrassing!
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Jan Menopause

Hysterectomy and hysterical. Any correlation between these words?  I dug in and found something that seems to explain the female condition, well, mine at least.

The word “hyster” originates from the greek and latin language and actually means, “of the womb“, which fully explains the root for the word,  hysterectomy. Why then would the same root word be attached to hysterical? Hmmmmm. Check this out from the Online Etymology Dictionary:

hysterical

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Jan Menopause