Menopause Community

As a fit 59 yo woman, I took light dosage birth control in my 30's and 40's. In my mid 50's I stopped and began to experience menopausal symptoms. As a child of the 60's I had been preactising healthy natural healing, yoga for 35 years. I weigh 110 lbs, eat right, meditate ... no chronic ailments - ever. When I stopped the BC I also stopped having periods at abt 56. Being very self confident in my mental/physical well being, I pronounced that i was "symptom-free"! Boom. Then I noticed intercourse HURT. I mean tearing searing flesh ripping hurt. I stopped having intercourse altogether...I mean gee it was no fun. Then I stopped sleeping. I thought both symptoms were related to that lousy fella in my life so I got out of the relationship. Yet the anxiety and background uneasiness continued. I di not sleep more than 3-4 hrs of uneasy sleep for 3 years. I felt exhausted, overwhelmed, antsy-depressed, fatigued, and sad inside. While I kept my life together, my properties, appearance etc... life became "hard" and the joy was missing. I tried EVERY natural solution possible - cohash, valerian, St Johns Wort, head-tapping, vitamins, no food before bed, herbal teas, more meditation, therapy, more exercise, soy, magnesium, naturopath recommended substances like bio-identicals, acupuncture. Fresh air, reading, vegetarian-ism, aromaherapy, I treated my potential adrenaline imbalance (which actually made lots of sense as the source of the free floating anxiety. I did not let my symptoms affect my relationships... no one said I was crazy...I was just miserable. One physician wanted to put me on anti-depression medication after the prescribed herbal estrogen she placed me on did not work. I read EVERY site, every piece of advice. I became exhausted. Then I went to another regular family physician for a check up.. by then I had given up... but when he asked I mentioned that I was unable to have intercourse with my nice new kind boyfriend and that I just flat did not sleep. He said "HRT" and explained that the research which produced the scary results was really geared toward older women who would have a naturally higher incidence of those ailments... also since I didnt smoke, was in shape, low weight no history of heart disease etc that HRT was right for me. SO IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY WITH MY HARDSHIPS...are you dying to know what the results were? Get ready: FABULOUS! i have been on a mild dose of estrogen and progesterone and with in 3 weeks my vaginal tissue elasticity and fluids returned! My overall skin and face became plumper and I began to sleep through the night 5-6-7 hours!! I have been taking HRT for a year and NONE of the awful symptoms remain. I feel free floating joy...even in stressful situations. I sleep even when I have problems. I see the good in bad situations.. I can have sex again. HRT changed my frickin' life. It may not be for you... but talked to your Dr abt your indiv risks and I hope this might be helpful info to you. As a yoga instructor, writer, advertising exec, ex-hippie... I had every reason to use the treatment with the most "natural" approach... but life became not worth living the way I felt. I can think of nothing "natural" of that state I endured. Today I am back to my natural cheerful, energetic, optimistic, and sexual self. I have a boyfriend 16 years younger and he finds me to be the most beautiful and sexy woman.. He woo-ed me for a year as friends and despite my misgivings I finally agreed to date him. After 2 yrs together we have a great life , great careers, a great home -- and I am so grateful for HRT bringing me back into my own life. I hope you too find your answers if you suffer as I did.