Thread: Couple of ?'s for those who have gone throught the change,

or are going through it now. About five years ago, I had a complete hysterectomy. I figure I am about through the worst of the change (hope so anyway!) but in the last month I have noticed some drastic changes in my body. I am no longer growing any hair in my armpits (weird, I know) and the hair on my legs has changed. Also, my skin on my face and hands is SO dry it literally hurts, no matter how much lotion I use or what kind. Anyone else have anything like this?

My skin is a little dryer and I do a whole lot less shaving But I'm 64 and went thru this about 20 years ago. The only part that bothered me was I could look at the sun, or a candy bar, or a piece of lint on the floor - odd stuff and just start crying. Sometimes it was embarrassing in the middle of grocery shopping or at Walmart.

OMG! I thought I was losing it - two weeks ago I started crying in Krogers because I couldn't find the crunchy peanut butter! Thanks for letting me know I'm not that only one.

It's crazy but my hair is falling out a little lower than arm pits lol. My hubby has been kidding me lately. I cry at the drop of a pin. We have been watching Little House on the Prarie and I cry everytime. Here comes the water works he says. The hot flashes are what drive me up the walls. I swear I could lay in the snow and melt it away I get so hot. Can hardly wait till this is over. I have started trying soy pills to see if they help. Black cohosh is good but now it makes me sick. I hope I can find something soon I can take.

Hi Everybody!

Turbob, you RAOK'd me not long ago w/cigarette coupons & I appreciated it! Don't know if I can help you much here though.


It sounds like hormones to me. One of my sisters & I went thru early menopause around 35. We are the only smokers in the family & they say smoking can bring it on earlier. But I do have close friends that had hystorectomies young & I distinctly remember 1 of them having more problems 5/6 yrs after than she did early on!

I was off & on hormones for a good 10yrs. Without them my face felt like it was in a microwave when the hot flashes hit! I have heard of women having hair loss (in different places)do to hormonal fluctuations;but that sure wasn't me! I wish my leg & underarm hair would stop growing!!! What do you need it for???!
They say once the hormones are completely out of your system, your skin can get bone dry, but that doesn't really make sense to me in your case. They took yours out all at once-seems like your body would have adjusted by now-but who knows?

Hope you feel balanced and better real soon!!!
Those mood swings are h___!!! I remember.....thought I was going nuts!

? for all those who replied......how old are you or were you when you started going thru the change?

I am post med. because of chemo. so I have no idea whether it is the normal way. I did the flax seed oil thing, started with the liquid then went to the pills for a while and hten stopped.

My sister uses the flaxseed but so does her hubby. They sprinkle it on cereal, on salads. Very good for the heart. And she drinks only soy milk, never from a cow They eat lots different than I do.

I started the change at 45 and by 46 I was done. Like bingo, snap your fingers and it was over. I missed one of those monthly things and never had another. Ya for me

Oh dear, this is not a favorite subject, I turned 40, and I use B/C but I got my time last week, and I swear it was really bad, I never get it, and I was crying and very UPSET, went to Ob/Gyn last week to discuss the why's and such and here was the answer, I am probably starting the PRE menonpause at this point, my sister did this but here is the thing, I realized a few things, I don't have kids, and I would start to be very HIGH risk..and I was just shattered, my whole, I haven't done what I wanted to do, have a family, I sure link to my sisters, and my hair is kinda thinning, a SURE sign, did a thyroid blood draw..haven't heard anything..WAHAA..however I think it is OK, I just feel, kinda..OLD..and frequent PMS symptoms lately I never had these before, have sorta started.. I get really HOT FLASHES, and if you have PANIC DISORDER, is more scary..I have always thought I would be a "great another kinda like me", but I fear..it isn't gonna happen and when I heard this information..I just cried, I have a kind Ob/Gyn, she was so nice and let have a cry..and I feel old now, and get carded and the like and don't even look 40..next up, a mammogram..jeez..

You guys have NO idea how comforting it is to know that I am not the only one with mood swings and hot flashes! The flashes are pretty much gone now - I was on a synthetic hormone for a while, but it made my legs hurt SO bad I stopped. I will try flaxseed, though - thanks all for advice and support!