Menopause Common and Uncommon Symptoms

Thank you for this information. Guess what? I've been trying to explain to my doctor that new feelings of dread, anxiety and burning tongue are all new and not related to the generalized low level depression I've had for years. I'm 48. The doctor dismissed my burning tongue sensation as "oh that's from eating potato chips!" I'm not kidding. To find out that it might be one of many "symptoms" of perio-menopause is a relief. I know the difference between depression and all this other stuff and this helped.

OK, here's a strange one. I've suffered from panic attacks, which in turn became generalized anxiety, since I was in my early 20s. But for the past 5 years or so I've been experiencing what I thought were odd panic attacks but can't seem to find anyone else who has them. They come out of the blue like I'm being pushed backwards or sideways. This really throws me off and only lasts a few seconds. I'm not disoriented mentally, but spatially, I feel like I am. I related it to my anxiety and have now become agoraphobic over it but now wonder if it's menopausal. I'm 40, and have noticed that my periods have gone from a 4-5 day period to three. Last month I think it was only 2 days with the 3rd day being just spotting. Today, I'm 33 days in a 27 day cycle with no period. I'm crampy like I could start any moment, but it's not there at all. I would love to know if anyone has experienced these episodes I speak of. They are very hard to explain but if you've had them, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Thank you.

Dear Andrea, As you know everyone is an individual with many different experiences and symptoms. If you are concerned about whether you are going through early menopause, you should visit your doctor or health care practitioner and have him or her test you for a FSH or Follicle Stimulating Hormone test. If it is elevated, then you may be experiencing some sort of early menopause or hormone deficiency. It is not uncommon for women to have skipped menses or periods occasionally, but if this persists or causes you any concern or problematic symptoms, you should be checked out by your gynecologist who is a specialist in hormones and women's health. Also, if you are on any other medications for your anxiety or panic attacks, you should mention your concerns about abnormal menses and ask if the medications have any side effects in this regard. Good luck to you.

Is there any way to prevent the strange metallic or sour body odor that occurs during menopause? It's not typical body odor more a result of the hot flashes I think. What can I do?

I am 48 and know I am entering menopause. When I was 46 I had uterine ablation therapy so no longer have periods which was wonderful. I have these extended periods of extreme tiredness, apathy, aloofness, or extreme agitation. I sometimes suffer from night sweats but I am not usually bothered too bad with these. My main problem is the "emotional" roller coaster I seem to be on. I sometimes feel like I'm going out of my mind for no good reason at all, feelings that I never felt before which, if I had to try to explain them, would be maybe anxiety and depression at the same time? I was interested in the progesterone cream but kinda scared because, unfortunately, I am a smoker although I have cut back quite a bit. I hate feeling this way, sometimes I just feel so dis attached from the things I usually enjoy. Any information you can offer would be most appreciated.

I am 39 years old and I have had endometriosis that was removed when I was 25. Since that time my periods have become lesser and lesser and now I have not had one in 7 months. I do spot occasionally but also have put on 15 pounds all in my stomach area. I noticed lately my tongue has had a burning sensation which I have never had before. I am wondering what kind of test should the doctor be running to check if I am going through menopause?

Dear Theresa H, Every woman has different symptoms in regards to their hormonal changes. The first step you might want to take is to visit your local Naturopathic doctor who will evaluate your hormonal condition before self dosing with hormones. Usually, the doctor will order a salivary test and/or a blood test to check for your progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA levels. All of these hormones need to be in sync in order for your state of well-being to be balanced. Since you are at the age when the majority of women go through menopause and experience a wild fluctuation of various hormones, it is important to see what is happening with you. Emotional symptoms of hormonal imbalance are just as debilitating or more so than the physical symptoms. Smoking sometimes seems to make menopausal symptoms more severe and more difficult to treat because of estrogen replacement is not recommended in smokers. Also, smoking can deplete your vital minerals and vitamins which can also affect your moods and emotions. I am not a fan of progesterone cremes, so I do not recommend them to my patients. If you visit a local Naturopathic physician, she/he will also be able to test your levels of vital nutrients in your body and give suggestions for replenishing them. An acupuncturist will be able to help you with both your stop smoking and emotional ups and downs. Good luck in balancing your emotions.

Dear Linda, FSH or Follicle Stimulating Hormone is the blood test which will help your doctor to determine if you are entering menopause or not. I am sure that your doctor will determine what tests are deemed important or necessary for your individual situation. Good luck.

I am glad to read about some of these unusual menopausal symptoms. I have a history of anemia and being a left-brain, creative with an analytical mind and sometimes melancholy temperament, person I can sometimes bring about my own stress. But I feared my mental capacity was being threatened in some way. Now I know it's menopause. I'm 51 this year. My fears arose when I had what I thought was a panic attack for the first time on a small plane. Now I realize each time it comes with same symptoms that equate to menopause: sweats, clammy skin, rushed overload of some sort, feeling of doom and danger, all is lost, ill will and that the whole body is overheated and about to crash. This comes on for no reason for out of nowhere. After so many of them you whole thought process seems compromise when you worry about how to live with it. I had an early hysterectomy at age 28 (fibroid/myomas). Now with one ovary, could my symptoms be more violent for that reason? I fear hormone replacement may cause cancer what can I do to restore my quality of life? I know now that the sky is not falling.

I have felt awful on and off for over two years now. Every symptom mentioned above is me, especially the burning tongue and achy back muscles, joints, and weight gain around middle. I had therapeutic injections almost two years ago that went into my blood system and that seemed to throw me into all these symptoms immediately. I have had a partial hysterectomy. Two days after the shots, I had a full blown period. I had had none for two years. I have had every test known to man and nothing. I am now on progesterone cream and working with an acupuncturist. Some days are better than others, but I can't wait for it to be over. Thanks, Lisa.

I have peri-menopause and have been taking progesterone cream for about 14 months now. It helps with moods and a few other symptoms but the latest is hot palms, and the soles of my feet, and it does not seem to go away. Is this part of menopause or something else?

I am going through menopause and find my joints are stiff, particularly my hands and fingers in the morning. I just started taking glucosamine sulfate. What else can I take of this nature to help with joints?

Dear Lana, about 20% of people that use bio-identical natural progesterone will have such a problem. You may need to get your hormone levels retested and may need to supplement other hormones in order to balance things out. I suggest looking into more on the subject. > Book Review on Hormones and Weight Gain.

I am speechless, finally an answer to my questions esp. with my lightheaded spell issue. Now how about loss of appetite? I haven't had a hunger pang for over a year. They have been running me through all kinds of tests, and they still haven't found anything yet? Does anyone else have this problem? I would love to be hungry again, believe it or not.

Hello, my Mom is experiencing vaginal spotting, but she has been in menopause for a year now. She is fifty-two years old and is taking glucosamine and calcium pills currently. Is there anything to worry about or is this spotting caused by these pills?

Dear Shalz, Menopause encompasses a time period when the body's supply of hormones begins to diminish, most of the time gradually, or sometimes all at once. Since each woman goes through menopause at her own rate and with different symptoms, it can be unnerving to experience irregular bleeding, spotting between periods, flooding, skipped periods, or even prolonged bleeding. Sometimes the body fluctuates between excessive bleeding or no bleeding at all, making life difficult. Your mom should be under the care of her gynecologist if she has concerns about her vaginal spotting. Her doctor can monitor her bleeding with simple laboratory testing to determine that she does not become anemic from excessive blood loss. And of course, she should have her annual PAP smear testing to make sure that all is well. Her doctor will determine the extent of concern about her symptoms when your mom gives a detailed account of the monthly or weekly bleeding and spotting. It is a great idea to document each day of the month when the bleeding occurs. Using a monthly calendar for this documentation and taking it to the visit will greatly assist her doctor in diagnosing the importance of this spotting. Usually, a woman is not considered to be postmenopausal until thirteen months have gone by without any bleeding. If bleeding begins again after this length of time or longer then a woman should seek the advice of her doctor.

I have recently started to experience the sore, stiff fingers in the morning too. Earlier this year I was having a lot of trouble with sore, aching hips and legs to the point that I had x-rays done to rule out arthritis. I noticed the condition to be aggravated in the cold weather. Could the hip and leg aching also be related to the stiff, sore fingers and be symptoms of peri-menopause which I'm currently experiencing?

I am 47 years old and have been experiencing a kind of "pressure" in my head and sometimes my ears, which varies in intensity and makes me feel really tired. This sensation is typically on the sides under my temples, on top of the brain and also, sometimes, in front between and behind the eyes. It started about 3 years ago and then intensified gradually. My doctor prescribed Flonase to try for a month with no relief. I finally went to an allergist who did an allergy test on my back and upper arms, but found nothing. I had also even tried the 24-hr Zyrtec for a few months hoping that it would "dry out" whatever is causing the pressure in my head. I am considering going back to a different allergist, but thought maybe this was an unusual symptom of peri-menopause because my mother had experienced "stuffy-head" symptoms when she was around 40 and was given some kind of hormone shot which cleared her head for about 3 months at at time. I did try going on a birth-control pill for about 9 months last year to see if it would help, but no luck there either. If there is a chance that this could be related to peri-menopause, is there a specific type of specialist in the medical world that could help me?

Dear Donna, as you know, it is impossible to diagnose individual problems over the internet and to tell if your joint pain is related. It is great that you are working with a doctor to determine the cause of your joint pain. Pain and stiffness in the joints can be directly or indirectly related to the process of menopause or a myriad of other health or nutritional problems or issues. You might want to try visiting an Acupuncturist to see if your joint pain can be alleviated naturally with Acupuncture or Chinese herbal formulas. Acupuncture has a good track record assisting with pain in all parts of the body. Please let us know of your experiences after you have tried Acupuncture. Best wishes.

Dear Delrae, thank you for sharing your unusual symptoms with us. Pressure in the head and temples and behind the eyes can be due to many different problems. The doctors you visited were attempting to dry out your sinuses if indeed there was an infection or an allergic inflammatory reaction. Since this type of medicine did not work on your head pressure, then it may be time to visit another type of doctor instead of another allergy specialist. Maybe an internal medicine specialist or endocrinologist would be better. You might also want to try visiting an alternative doctor such as a Naturopathic doctor or an Acupuncturist, after more intensive testing has been done to rule out any brain lesions or abnormalities. Both of these alternative specialists could offer you a more holistic approach to your problem and assist in finding out the cause. If you think you are going through menopause, there is a simple blood test called the FSH or Follicle Stimulating Hormone test which can determine if you are in menopause. You can also have your hormones tested via blood or saliva to determine if you have adequate levels of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA, before getting any hormone shots. I do not recommend birth control pills to women over 40 or 45 who are going through menopause and also because they contain synthetic, not natural or bio-identical hormones. Good luck in your search for the cause of your problem.

I'm so glad to know that I'm not alone with some of these odd symptoms. I've been having this really odd sensation in my feet. I'll just be standing and all of a sudden I feel as though the floor is shaking, like an earthquake. Sometimes it feels like I'm over a train track, and I feel the rumble of the train. Has anyone else felt this? It's like a pulsating sensation, at the bottom of the feet.

I have a partner who has gone to the doctor had blood test hasn't had regular periods for over a year but the doctor said everything looked fine she gets hot flushes, sore joints, bloated stomach tiredness, mood swings, constant feelings of doubt in the relationship, but she there is nothing wrong with me its her. She cannot make up her mind why its happening then she will be OK for a while?

Hi Andrew, this is a pretty common problem. She may want to see a naturopathic doctor or someone who is a naturopath that also works at a women's clinic where they specialize in this kind of thing. It is good to have her levels checked and keep a journal of what is going on and when it is happening so that a doctor has a better idea of what is going on than just a one time visit would provide. There are many different things out there to try that could help with the problem.

Hi my girlfriend has been having some doubts and is confused and has thought a break would be a help. I tend to agree but at the same time she isn't seeing a counselor or some sort of professional on how to cope with it she thinks seeing other people would maybe help. I think that using your own solution can be a bit detrimental and guidance from someone that knows what they are on about would be much better?

I am 51. Have had slightly irregular periods for about a year. My doctor is surprised I am still getting them. I have skipped the last couple and have had burning in my feet and palms for the past couple of months. My regular doctor said that he thinks that I have Reynauds. I had something similar about 18 years ago. I think it was about the time I was going off of birth control pills. They did every test on me for the burning symptoms, checking for vitamin b-12 deficiency, lupus, ms, thyroid, etc. Everything came back negative. This time, the doctor checked again and nothing. My feet and hands have always been cold. I sort of feel like my symptoms may be more severe because of menopause. Some days my feet feel pretty good, then the next day they burn and sometimes itch like crazy. My hands do a little, but not as bad. It seems like the inside of my nose even burns a little. I live in the Midwest, so it is cold, but I can be indoors all day and still have the burning. It really puts me in a bad mood and is very stressful. I know stress probably makes it worse, so it just snowballs. If this is menopause related, I could probably relax a little in hopes it will get better. Has anyone else had this?

Has anyone had another sensation along with the night sweats? I wake and an uncomfortable feeling spreads outwards from my abdomen for several seconds, my doctor hadn't heard of it but I know it's related to the menopause, because it stopped when the night sweats did. But now they're back and so is the sensation.

I will be so glad when this menopause business has ceased. I have stiffness, achy joints, tinnitus, hot flashes, mini panic attacks, feelings of being off balance, lightheaded, forgetful, crashing fatigue, apathy, irritability, sweet or salt cravings, tender gums, and it also takes forever to get going in the morning. I have bouts of constipation or bloating, my inner body thermostat is all messed up, I can go from being cold to the bone or feeling hot and stuffy in a matter of minutes. I'm so cautious about taking anything, even the natural supplements seem questionable. Medical doctors shoo shoo all the natural supplements but don't really offer any real support saying "it'll run it's course". Yes, in "how long," I asked urgently, to which I get a smile and a shrug and a simple "depends, every woman is different, could be months, could be years, could come and go for twenty years or more." Gee that really makes me feel better, not!

Hi Tk H, I hear you. I went through the same garbage only to find out all my problems could be solved with some natural progesterone, a bit of calms magnesium powder and some simple vitamin supplements and a few diet changes. The difference was like night and day. It has only been a month and I feel like a new person. You may want to find a naturopathic doctor and a nutritionist and work with them. It also cost me less, and I don't have any side effects at all. The drugs the MD gave me were synthetic garbage and they made me sicker than when I came in. Good luck to you. It is worth shopping around for a doctor that is right for you. Mine talked to me and asked questions the others never asked!

This has been so fascinating to read. I am forty-one and have been having a lot of digestion and anxiety related symptoms. I have found that my anxiety is much better since I started working with a naturopath. My digestion issues are on and off, acid reflux, gastritis, a bumping sensation behind my lower sternum which apparently isn't heart related. However, the most debilitating symptom I have had consistently since April is excruciating pain in my right ovary. I had a small operation to remove a "mass" but once the doctor got in there he only found a small corpus luteum which he left alone. However, it has done nothing to relieve my pain which is worst around day eight to ten near ovulation and then around day twenty-one to twenty-three. The latter is the most painful and in fact I have had many times that I have wondered if I'm going to have to go to to the emergency room as pain medications don't seem to help. I am back to work in a week and not sure how I will be able to teach my kids with this kind of pain twice each month. Does anyone have any idea what this is and how I can help it? Thanks for your help.