menopause and cfs

[purplelady]

Does anyone have any experience with menopause and cfs?

 

[Dechi]

Yes ! Not menopause yet, but perimenopause for many years. I think the constant temp fluctuations are the result of it. Hot flashes come and go for me. They last a few months, every day non stop, then disappear for many months and eventually come back.

It’s been like that for at least 3 years now.

 

[Moof]

Yep! Mine happened early (I'd just turned 45), which is apparently fairly common in ME. My hot flushes were extreme – drenching sweats every four or five minutes that left my hair looking permanently as if I'd just come out of the shower. I can't take hormone treatment, but low-dose gabapentin for the first four years or so really helped with this.

15 years on I still get several a day, but they're not as severe as they were.

 

[Hufsamor]

Yes, at least peri menopause for 4 years.
During those years my health declined from 60% work
to almost bed bound.

I begged my doctor to try hormones.
She said I could, but it would likely not help.
Because in peri period the hormones are not gone, they are roller coasting.
So to put hormones on top of that will not be helpful.
I was allowed to try, it do help some people.
But it turned out the way the doctor had foretold.

(A friend of mine finally dragged me to a clever acupuncturist ,
and during 3 months my health is liveable.
Less nauseous
Less cramps
Less anxiety
Gets out 2-3 days a week for a couple of hours)

Doctor said the first year of menopause was the worst,
the body trying to adapt,
and as times pass by you might still have all the symptoms, but less severe.

Feel free to ask more questions if you have

 

[Learner1]

It would be useful to have progesterone checked. Progesterone typically drops, causing symptoms. Taking Progesterone can improve sleep quality if you are low. And, if estrogen is too high and progesterone too low, it can promote uterine cancer as I found out the hard way.

 

[jesse's mom]

I now know that I had mild CFS for years. I got meningitis in 2011. Then because I was having horrible periods and polyps on what little bit of crevex I had left after cancer treatment; I had a hysterectomy.

I went from having mild CFS to moderate immediately, the sleepless nights, the hot flashes, the moodiness that I never had in my life!

Because I was a cancer survivor I did not get estrogen for the first 5 years.

Finally, in the fall of 2017, I got the flu and pneumonia, a long hospital stay, and then my CFS became SEVERE. I am still housebound and at times, bedridden. I do get changes of scenery due to a kind friend who brings me to the beach a few times a year. I switch beds and back doors, Wonderful!

I now am on an estrogen patch and progesterone and sleep much better and do not have hot flashes, or mood swings.

I am getting a little better with ME/CFS and have hope that I will not suffer for the rest of my life. My brain is working part time as well

Hope this helps you.

 

[Tammy]

My perimenopausal yrs were far worse than menopause.

 

[Hufsamor]

My perimenopausal yrs were far worse than menopause.

Really glad to hear that

 

[Xujie1991]

My perimenopausal yrs were far worse than menopause.

I am perimeno. So glad to hear that

 

[blueberry]

I'm late to the party but believe that menopause was a contributing factor in my relapse. Not the only one, but don't think it helped.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Perimenopause...was when my not Sleeping Worsened...and panic attacks about the not sleeping, happened.

Things worsened.

Then stabilized.

I used progesterone cream for about 15 years..to reduce hot flashes which I got but weren't severe or extreme.

Don't really notice much menopausal symptoms currently, at 66.

When I'm really extra run down, I might get a few more hot flashes or night sweats.

 

[Hufsamor]

My own update, 7 months after my last post here...

I've got stronger estrogen, as estrogen patches.
And finally it does something for me,
So I don't use the acupuncture anymore.
I'm in a much better place, but I hope to try even stronger patches to see if I can get some more energy as well.

 

[Learner1]

Estrogen dominance is not a good thing, it can lead to female cancers, like the stage 3 cancer I had. A DUTCH test can be tremendously helpful in finding a good balance between the various hormones.