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December 18, 2011

PMS - Menopause - It is Real!

Menopause - Is it real or a myth?

I can tell you from personal experience that menopause is real.

Everyone is different and experiences different symptoms. That's why one pill or cream doesn't work for everyone. After several years of suffering from several of the symptoms and not realizing what was happening I began to study the affects that can happen when women start going through the 'Change of Life' as my grandmother use to call it.

At what age does menopause symptoms start?

I started at age 40 and some don't start until they are in the late 60's or early70's. Some women breeze right through and some, like me, suffer a lot.

I was not prepared for this and had no idea what PMS was or that it could start so early.   I went through several years of  dealing with insomnia, unexplained weight gain, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, loss of memory, bladder problems, mood swings, breast tenderness, heavy bleeding, puffiness, bloating, abnormal pap tests and hot flashes and night sweats.  Some days I cried over everything, dropped everything I touched, had days when I was angry at the whole world, and yet would have good days here and there.  The story about the husband who comes home from work, throws his hat in the backdoor, and knows he shouldn’t enter when the hat comes flying back at him describes how our household was.  My patient husband would put his arms around me and ask, “Is this PMS or what?”  He asked the doctor about PMS when he went in for his CDL physical.  The doctor told him a story about a man who made an appointment with him to discuss his wife’s mood swings.  His story goes like this: my wife wanted a new brown leather couch.  I bought the couch.  The next day I came home from work and found she had taken a butcher knife to the couch and cut the leather into shreds with a stabbing motion and he didn’t know what to do.  Would the doctor please help him?

I began studying and researching about PMS and learning that these symptoms were real and were not caused by my normal personality and I didn’t have any control over how I felt.  I decided to take the estrogen prescription from the doctor after my sons wedding June of 1996.  I took the estrogen for 2 years and in reading about all the side effects this medicine could cause I began searching for a natural hormone and found DHEA which I decided to try.  Then I started researching DHEA and found this information on the Mayo Clinics Web site: 

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is an endogenous hormone (made in the human body), and secreted by the adrenal gland. DHEA serves as precursor to male and female sex hormones (androgens and estrogens). DHEA levels in the body begin to decrease after age 30, and are reported to be low in some people with anorexia, end-stage kidney disease, type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes), AIDS, adrenal insufficiency, and in the critically ill. DHEA levels may also be depleted by a number of drugs, including insulin, corticosteroids, opiates, and danazol.

There is sufficient evidence supporting the use of DHEA in the treatment of adrenal insufficiency, depression, induction of labor, and systemic lupus erythematosus.

No studies on the long-term effects of DHEA have been conducted. DHEA can cause higher than normal levels of androgens and estrogens in the body, and theoretically may increase the risk of prostate, breast, ovarian, and other hormone-sensitive cancers. Therefore, it is not recommended for regular use without supervision by a licensed health professional.

While using DHEA for about 2 years, my facial hairs increased, so now I have a mustache and a few whiskers that I have to pluck out or shave, but my mood swings did level out so I felt like this helped.  When I read the risk of taking DHEA I decided to do more research for another natural hormone that didn’t have side effects.  I went to our local health food store and read every label on every cream that was on their shelf at that time.  Every natural hormone product contained the ingredient ‘UREA’.  I didn’t know what this was, so with a little more research I discovered the following information from the free online medical dictionary:

urea (u-re´ah)

1. the chief nitrogenous end product of protein metabolism, formed in the liver from amino acids and from ammonia compounds; found in urine, blood, and lymph.

2. a pharmaceutical preparation of urea used to lower intracranial or intraocular pressure, to induce abortion, and as a topical skin moisturizer.ure´al

3. a by-product of protein metabolism that is formed in the liver. Because urea contains ammonia, which is toxic to the body, it must be quickly filtered from the blood by the kidneys and excreted in the urine.


Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.



urea (ūrē´),

n a water-soluble compound that is the primary constituent of urine.

Ureaplasma

n gram-negative eubacteria from the family Mycoplasmataceae that serve as a hydrolitic for urea. The bacteria do not have cell walls.

Mosby's Dental Dictionary, 2nd edition. © 2008 Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.


urea

1. the diamide of carbonic acid found in urine, blood and lymph, the chief nitrogenous constituent of urine, and the chief nitrogenous end product of protein metabolism; it is formed in the liver from amino acids and from ammonia compounds.

2. a pharmaceutical preparation of urea occasionally used to lower intracranial pressure.

3. industrial urea is used as a fertilizer and feed additive for ruminants. Overfeeding or accidental access to large amounts can cause fatal poisoning.




urea cycle

see urea cycle.

urea cycle enzyme deficiency


urea hydrogen peroxide

see carbamide peroxide.

urea nitrogen

the urea concentration of serum or plasma, conventionally specified in terms of nitrogen content and called blood urea nitrogen (BUN), an important indicator of renal function.

urea poisoning

causes tremor, dyspnea, abdominal pain, incoordination, bellowing, convulsions and death in 2 to 4 hours. Due to hyperammonemia.

Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary, 3 ed. © 2007 Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved




hyperosmotic agent

A drug that makes blood plasma hypertonic thus drawing fluid out of the eye and leading to a reduction in intraocular pressure. It is used in solution in the treatment of angle-closure glaucoma and sometimes before surgery to decrease the intraocular pressure. Common agents include glycerin (glycerol), isosorbide, mannitol and urea. See hypertonic solution.



Do we really want to take all these so called “natural hormone products”?  I didn’t know what to do.  The doctor had told me I was to young to go into menopause and I needed to start taking birth control pills or I could have osteoporosis, breast cancer, ovarian cancer etc. etc.   I asked him exactly what would happen if I started the birth control pills.  He said my uterus would enlarge and I would start having menstrual cycles again.   I looked at him and said, “Would you want to have cycles again after 3 years?”

The doctor did a bone scan and found my bones to by strong because I exercise and take 1500 mg of calcium daily along with a one-a day vitamin, have 2 to 3 servings of milk or yogurt, eat fruit, vegetables and meats. 

I was looking for a hormone supplement while going through the commercial building at the Minidoka Fair in August of 2001.  I saw the Pyhto Prolief on the display and noticed the words “Natural Balancing Cream”.  I did some research through the Arbonne Website, called the doctor on staff in their corporate office to make sure the ingredients were all natural and have no side effects.  I decided to try it.

I started with the PROLIEF (Blue Label) but didn’t see much improvement so I switched to the PHYTO PROLIEF (Green Label) and within the first week started feeling better.  I became more tolerant, not angry, no mood swings, could sleep better, didn’t make stupid purchases at the store, remembered better, was more organized and could function and most of all could handle the normal stresses of life better.  (My family was surprised to have me back to somewhat normal)

As the years have passed now I only take the cream once in the mornings instead of twice a day.  While I was having night sweats, I took the cream both morning and night. 

My daughter has epileptic seizures.  Two weeks out of the month the seizures were worse so we decided they were worse the two weeks after she ovulates.  (She had a hysterectomy several years before but they left her ovaries.)  I sent her both creams and she took them to her doctor.  He told her to take the PROLIEF for the first three weeks of the month and then take the PHYTO PROLIEF the fourth week of the month and to not take them together.  He increased her medication also and she is doing much better with just a little seizure activity, such as muscle twitching but she is able to continue her daily activities.  She has to be in bed at the same time every night, and take other precautions too, especially with herbs that people with epilepsy can’t have. (That is another topic)

My sister had endometriosis, cramping, bloating, heavy bleeding etc. for several years.  Two years ago she had cervical and colon cancer.  After recovering from surgery her doctor did blood work and found her hormone level to be normal with no sign of endometriosis.  The doctor told her to keep doing whatever she was doing because it was working.  She has used the PROLIEF for several years.  She also started her daughter on the cream as the doctor wanted to put her on birth control pills and she is only 12.  She seems to be handling life a lot better.

I would encourage anyone having similar problems to seek the advice of your doctor.  Research out the medicine and supplements before taking them and try different things until you find what works best for you.  We are all different and what works for me might not work for you.  I have used the Arbonne Natural Balancing Cream for 8 years and love it, but in 2010 they added wheat as an ingredient and since I have Celiac Sprue I had to go on another search for a different product.

I decided to investigate Topical Hormone Products with Young Living Essential Oils.  I looked at DoTera Oils but they didn’t have what I was looking for. 

Young Living Essential Oils have 10 different products so you can choose the one that best fits your symptoms.   The Progressence Oil is for women over 40; having hot flashes; are depressed, have bloating and weight gain; Excessive bone loss and Risk of cancer.  I ordered the oil and have been very pleased with the results.  My husband doesn’t every want me to run out of a hormone product and doesn’t care about the cost.  I am much easier to live with now and would recommend the oils for everyone.

It is very important to study out your symptoms and get an oil that works well for you. 

Sincerely,

Brenda Bailey
brenda.bailey.1@hotmail.com










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