Need more energy especially during periods

HI,

I posted this in Health Counselor Group but got no response so I'm hoping those of us that are struggling with this STAGE in our life might have some input.  PLEASE

I'm wondering if you have any advice to help me with the extreme fatigue I face EVERY MONTH.   I am taking sublingual b12 ( my holistic doctor reccomended it as I am slightly anemic) which has helped but I suffer so much during this time and am forced to sleep a lot which I hate.  My diet is very healthy (I think), majority vegetarian, I eat fish but hardly any meat.  My breakfast is yogurt, raisins, walnuts and wheat germ with coffee.  Lunch salad, vege burger, tofu, or salmon cake, bread and dinner is similiar.  I like fruits and I like red wine in the evening and some candy like the straight - to the point- sugar such as gobstopper or necco wafers, etc.  I also like those 100 calorie kettle corn popcorn from time to time.   I'm 45 so in that premenopausal range which I'm wondering if it is having more of a toll on me.  What do you think?

Thank you!

Hi I'm right there with you on the menopause part but am the opposite as far as sleep...can't seem to sleep for very long at a time. Energy wise i am kinda low on that as well but try and eat some type of protein (tuna alot) for at least 2 meals a day. I've found the special k protein bars give me a lift plus help the sweet tooth I get ALOT! The peanut butter chocolate is the best to me. Are you getting ENOUGH calories? You didn't mention how much you weigh what your goal weight is or how tall so it's kind of hard to say much. I have succeeded in losing 40 lbs since December and have been at goal weight of between 130-135 for about 4 months now. I'm not sure if I have helped much except maybe being supportive! LOL    Good luck to you. Hope to chat again soon. 

The only way I dealt with it was by taking lots of motrin.  I finally had to have a hysterectomy in 2003.  Natural progesterone was a great help after that and would probably help you now.  A few really good sites for info are

www.womantowoman.com

www.natureswoman.com

Original Post by lucyalus:

The only way I dealt with it was by taking lots of motrin.  I finally had to have a hysterectomy in 2003.  Natural progesterone was a great help after that and would probably help you now.  A few really good sites for info are

www.womantowoman.com

www.natureswoman.com

 Very cool.  Thanks for the info.  I went to the womantowoman.com but it sent me to a jewelry site?  The natureswoman I will look into more but it seems more inline with what I believe in going a natural way.  I have a holistic doctor and will ask her advice on the product too.  Messing with our hormones scares the **** out of me but I am so done with this extra weight and fatigue it really puts a damper on my life even though I am fighting it all the way.  I really appreciate the input, it really helps to hear from women going through the same issues.  THANK YOU!

Original Post by cantlose:

Hi I'm right there with you on the menopause part but am the opposite as far as sleep...can't seem to sleep for very long at a time. Energy wise i am kinda low on that as well but try and eat some type of protein (tuna alot) for at least 2 meals a day. I've found the special k protein bars give me a lift plus help the sweet tooth I get ALOT! The peanut butter chocolate is the best to me. Are you getting ENOUGH calories? You didn't mention how much you weigh what your goal weight is or how tall so it's kind of hard to say much. I have succeeded in losing 40 lbs since December and have been at goal weight of between 130-135 for about 4 months now. I'm not sure if I have helped much except maybe being supportive! LOL    Good luck to you. Hope to chat again soon. 

 You are a great help!  Just responding is so nice to hear from someone else that can relate!  Also, your success is very encouraging to me!  I have about 15lbs to lose.  I weighed 147 this morning and I"m 5"4' my age is 45 and I've been kind of trying to lose this weight for the last 5 years but it has finally hit me that the way I used to lose weight just by doing my exercises and eating half way decent doesn't cut it anymore!  DAMN! :)   I got up to 156 about 3 weeks ago and just was thouroghly disgusted and scared that this is just going to get worse if I don't get a grip on it now.  I was already feeling aches in my knees from the extra weight.  I'm fairly healthy and strong and I want to keep myself that way.  Plus the fear as you get older it just gets that much harder.  I'm a mom of a 17 year old and I don't want to be an embarrassment to her either nor do I want to be a bad role model.   So I went on the maple syrup/lemonade diet/cleanse and lost about 8 lbs on that in 10 days gained back 2 as expected because it is a lot of water weight you lose along with "other stuff" so here I am having to figure out how I'm going to lose the rest and I believe at "my age" I can't mess around with what I eat, I have to keep it at about 1500 calories and do some sort of exercise EVERY DAY!!  I'm going to try those protein bars as I do believe that is part of my problem since I eat a mostly vegetarian diet but do eat fish too.  I would like to know more about how you lost your weight and your struggles.  How are you able to maintain it, etc.  I think you could HELP ME!! :)  THANK YOU!!

I looked on my jar and this is the site where I buy my procream.  It really helped me.

www.eternallyfit.com

Peri-menopause sucks!  I'm 45 and 5'4' too! My energy level goes way down at that time of the month. . I've been taking Estroven at night to help me sleep.  That's an over the counter, natural rememdy.   It's soy and black cohosh.  They've got an energy version too that has green tea extract...that helps. Your diet sounds fine to me, what kind of exercise do you do?  If I work out hard I can be incapacitated the next day so during my period I do differant, lighter workouts...

Hi elizabe,

I am 47 and the mother of 7 childen aged 28 all the way down to 9. I don't wish to be rude, but you speak of yourself as ancient. You are still a young woman with lots of great stuff ahead. I too get tired and low sometimes with all this menopause business and I have a couple of tips to offer. First, stay active. Every time you do a stretch, lift a weight, ride a bike or go for a walk, you are increasing your stamina and your mood. Also, try getting a great hobby. Mine is barbershop singing with about 35 other women. Singing keeps us young and happy! I too have some problems with anemia and get a B12 shot every month. It isn't supposed to be a hereditary thing, but oddly, two of my daughters are B12 deficient as well.

I agree with the post that said to get lots of protein, also calcium is important. And did you know that if your potassium is low you will get very fatigued as well. Bananas, celery, and black currants are excellent sources of potassium.

Good luck to you and I hope some of my experiences are of help to you.

Hi Lucyalus,

I checked out the stuff online.  Seems pricey?  Is it that good? :)   Not in my budget yet but good to know of alternatives.

Thank you, elizabe

Hi klbrown,

OMG 7 kids!!  I can't imagine!  I just don't get how you have anytime for yourself let alone energy!  I would definitely feel ANCIENT if I had that much going on.  You must be incredibly healthy and fit.  I'm not sure where you would get the idea from my post that I didn't feel I have a lot of great stuff ahead of me?  That is not the issue at all.  I just would like more energy and I guess everyone's perspective of what they can or should accomplish in a day is different.  Compared to many aged wise younger people than me I look and have a lot more going on but to me it is not enough and defintiely not as much as I used to have.  I'm just asking if other people are feeling the same thing or have felt the same way and what are they doing that seems to work.  From the responses I have recieved I don't feel alone in this.  Hobbies would not be a problem for me as I have a family,  a full time load at the college, along with work.working out daily and my pets.   I am hardly bored.  I wonder where you live that you are in a barbershop singing group with 35 women?  That is hysterical to me, I have never heard of such a thing it must be a riot.  I'm sure a lot of fun for you.  How has the b12 shots worked out?  I'm thinking I need to do that too.

HAPPY SINGING! :)  Thanks for the response, elizabe

Hi Elizabe! I agree with you I don't feel ancient and definitely not bored just tired all the time!!!! Yes I think there are alot of women that feel the same way. I also have to comment that I have 5 cats and cannot imagine 7 children! THAT B12 really must help! Gonna have to check into that!!I wonder how much it might help with other menopauseal symptoms? I only wish there were a food to stop the hot flashes and night sweats!!! I also am bad on my calcium intake I know because I'm not a big milk lover but do like alot of cheeses. The fat free ones are really not as yummy but I'm getting used to them! Anyone with any suggestions there? Have a great day!

I don't know about foods but here's a list of things that you could find at most health food or organic grocery stores.  As for calcium I've been taking 'women's bayer' with 300mg of calcium. It protects the heart and makes my period lighter.

Herbal Remedies For Menopause ~

ALOE GEL Is used for vaginal dryness.

BLACK COHOSH Tablet or tincture is used for muscle pain, irregular bleeding, & headache.

BLUE COHOSH Tablet or tincture is used for hot flashes.

CALENDULA Cream is used for vaginal itching.

DAMIANA Tincture increases sex drive and relieves hot flashes.

DONG QUAI Tablets or tincture regulate reproductive system, help protect heart and boost effectiveness of other herbs.

GINSENG Tincture increases ovarian estrogen production, relieves hot flashes.

RED CLOVER Helps to relieve abdominal pain.

SARSAPARILLA Helps restore sex drive.

NETTLE Increases urination and alleviates blurred vision.

VALERIAN For relief from nervous tension & insomnia.

Thanks zxenn for the info. Have you tried any of these yourself? The only thing that I tried awhile back was BLACK kohosh and it wasn't too helpful. Had never heard of BLUE kohosh or some of the others....so Hopefully there will be some relief to come! 

Cantlose,  Big thank you for the response and amen sister, it has nothing to do with feeling ancient! :)  Forgot to tell you that I got the Special K protein bars and I really like them!  Finally a protein bar that is good for you and doesn't taste bad and helps with the sweet craving!  I also got their protein drink to mix in with your water and that is a nice break from just water all the time and gives you a little boost and fullness. 

Zxenn,  I never heard of the Bayer for women, that is cool.  I like the way you did the info on the herbs, I just clicked on the link and got right there!  How did you do that?? :)  I'm showing my computer illiteracy, I'm sure.  So I have a question with the herbs as I do try to go hollistic, organic, natural, etc as much as possible but I found when I've tried different herbs and after spending lots of money I don't feel like I'm getting any results.  I wonder if I'm doing something wrong.  Iknow it isn't immediate but how long till you know it is working?  I also know I am IMPATIENT!! :)

Thanks for the responses,  this is great it's a wealth of info and feedback from all of us.  I like it.  Elizabe

Cantlose: I take Estroven pm which has Black Cohosh and Valerian root and it does work for me.  Helps me fall asleep right away and no night sweats.  The box says that it works right away but that "most ongoing benefits are realized within 30-60 days".  I think we have to sort of experiement with herbals, which brands are more effective for which bodies

Elizabe: Yeah! the Bayer for women really helped me.  I started taking that at the same time as the estroven a couple of years ago.  I was having weird heart arrhythmia and it stopped happening immediatley.  I didn't do anything special to create those links.  I did a copy/paste from a website and the links were already imbedded.  It's cool that they still worked!  I'm curious about the sublingual b12...did you notice a difference in your energy level after taking it?

Hi elizabe,

Yes, 7 kids. All but 2 are grown now. The oldest is getting married in the spring. The youngest are nine and thirteen. I live in the smallest province in Canada but women's barbershop singing is international. We compete every year at the area level (Atlantic Canada) and sometimes also at the international level, next year it is in Rhode Island. Check out harmonyinc.org to see all about it. It is fun and takes a lot of time but my point about a hobby is not that you might be bored but that a great hobby can be a wonderful thing to do for yourself. After many years of babies (we also were foster parents for a number of years), doing something for me is awesome!!

As far as the B12 goes, you would need to have your levels checked. The "normal" range is quite broad but there is some thought that people who are low normal could benefit from the shots. It is a very important vitamin, if you research it you will find that it has some very serious effects if you have been deficient for some time. I would definitely advise checking it out. Also, there is a school of thought that a low thyroid (again, even low "normal") can cause fatigue problems.

Even though menopause can cause lots of issues, there are lots of other things, medically speaking, that can cause problems. Be careful not to attribute every symptom to menopause.

RE:  Natural progesterone cream.

Elizabe - It relieved my night sweats, dryness, and my brain fog and I only used about half the amount it says to use.  I've never had a hot flash.  A jar last a long time.  They sell other brands at the health food store that are probably cheaper and I've not tried any of those so I can't tell you which might work.  I stopped using it after my body leveled out and the symtoms went away. 

If anyone is Hypothyroid like I am one of the foods to avoid is Soy.  

I am finding out if I need the progesterone cream myself.  I have fatigue, headaches, joint pain, weight gain, depression, night sweats, hot flashes,....., my doctor thinks it's hormonal and I am getting ready to take the saliva test soon.  If it is, I too will use the natural hormone cream.  He is a big componate of that.  Which I am glad, because of the side effects of the synthetic pills.  I also read that it can help with bone density....which i would love.  My mother who is 67 has osteoperosis and has the bones of an 85 yr. old woman.  So I would really like to see how my bones are now and after using the cream for awhile.  I hope this helps tremendously!!!

Diana