I wouldn’t mind chatting a bit about peri and symptoms. I seem to have bouts of random symptoms every few months it seems. Took some rhodiola yesterday and today and it seems to help. Also ordered a couple more adaptogens to try out.
Edited to add: major stress at work right now so definitely something that’s not making this easier. Ugh.
I am reading a bit on Reddit but left Reddit last summer for good and would love to have some people chat here. Compare notes so to speak.
I’d like that too. 2 years ago it’s like the wheels fell off. I’m in the peri age range but going circles with my doctor currently who seems to be in the “all women go thru it, it’s normal” camp. Which is frustrating. I’ve also been testing out alternative treatments and have found some that do seem to be making things better.
Interesting how “all man go through it” will lead to finding a relieve or treatment
So true. My doctor is a woman so I’d expect more understanding. I was talking with a friend about it though, and she felt female doctors can be less sympathetic if their own experience wasn’t bad.
Which makes sense to me, maybe she has minimal symptoms and that makes her think I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill. Although I’ve been her patient for 10+ years so she should know that’s not me.
Funny because I guarantee you that any man experiencing this would die instantly. “It’s normal” ha! Can you share some tools and tips that work for you?
The worst is I’ve been her patient for 10+ years so she should know I don’t come in unless it’s something I can’t manage on my own.
Sleep: I take 1000mg magnesium (the glycinate kind) in the evening. That plus sleep headphones - basically a headband with little speakers in it - help me fall asleep around 10 or 11 most nights. Before that I would be lucky if I could fall asleep before 2 am.
Hot flashes & night sweats: I take 4mg Siberian rhubarb root. It doesn’t make them go away completely but I do have them less often.
I’ve become very forgetful, so now I rely a ton on my phone and our smart home assistant. For example, I created a routine where, when I say “I started the laundry,” our home assistant creates a reminder for a hour later to tell me to put the wash into the dryer.
What have you found that helps?
Thanks for that. I take magnesium (same one) at night as well. I started to get light Charlie horse in my legs on and off … luckily not every night and if I just put my leg on the ground it’s over quickly but it wakes me up. Sleep is a top priority for me since last spring (since I read Matt Walker’s book - highly recommend that to everybody now). I got that dialed in as perfectly as I can. Still some nights are crap but I am a good napper and having consistent good nights sleep helps immensely.
I don’t think I am at hot flashes (yet?). I do get hot at night when my feet are covered but that’s something I deal with since I am a kid. I am almost leaning towards cold flashes (is that a thing?) sometimes I randomly get super cold and shivering. One thing I did is buy Linen bed sheets. Mostly because I am expecting hot flashes at some point but also because I love linen. Super amazing year round actually. Also stocking up on linen clothes, bathrobe, kaftans for summer at home, etc. Big fan and finally the last three years or so trendy again. Linen lasts forever if you treat it well and nothing better in summer - hot flashes or not!
I think I am getting more forgetful as well but I am stubbornly demanding of my brain. I will not bow down to this (yet?) as I think a lot of it is also overload at the moment. Pretty stressful at work with a project and I am convinced this plays into it. But yeah the reminder app on the iPhone is pure gold. So are timers!
I am playing around with rhodiola as a supplement right now. It seems to help with energy and especially more power or else fatigue during workouts. I also ordered Ashwagandha and Maca now.
Overall I try to eat lots of veg and fruit, a bunch more protein and as high of a variety of food as I can. Especially with veg and fruit. And move move move. At least 8k steps a day and when I am home (~3-4 days per week) at least 30 minutes workout. And again variety there. Strength, rowing, HIIT, yoga. I need to start pushing myself harder again. These peri episodes are really messing with my (fairly new) love of working out. And it pisses me off!!
And since this wasn’t long enough lol: I forgot to mention 5g creatine / day and vitamin C.
If you haven’t yet, have a read through our Menopause Wiki, it’s updated all the time…just yesterday in fact to add links to more recent studies and expand on the definition of perimenopause (early and late stage). There’s also things you can do to help mitigate symptoms, but it sounds like you’re already doing a pretty good job of that!
Oh I forgot about that! I’ll read through it for sure.