----- Original Message -----

From: April Cray Rhodes

To: menopausal@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Monday, March 06, 2006 8:03 AM

Subject: Re: [menopausal] Re: HELPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Terri:

 

Howdy from the South West. Remember me, the rawist that just takes the waves of hot flashes as they come and go?

 

The reason I chose this route, and again I say, we are all different.

 

I tried the yam cream, herbal teas and even went to the Dr and got antidepressents, actually I was on Effexxor for about a 1 year!!    I wasn't depressed because I felt as though it was just covering it, dulling it. But I needed it at the time. I gained weight, a lot of weight and just had no ambition to loose it. I just lived in the antidepressent world for a year until all the other madness was gone. I finally decided to rid myself of the effexxor and with a Drs guidence, I weaned myself off.

That is when I decided to take it all natural. I find that my clarity is much better, walking in the desert ( or where ever one lives ), the sound of my breathe, working on the bunkhouse, singing while I am working, being creative.   Do you listen to NPR radio?  There was a great show on there last night about Creativity. How folks are drifting away from their creatives selves because of media, TV, Magazines and so forth. As women we think we have to be something that we are not. Delve into a craft that you have been wanting to do, release your tension, thoughts and inward thinking into creativity. Who cares what it looks like, it is your piece of art.

Play!  go play! If you live in the city, find some green grass or trees, or escape for the day and make it a once a week event.....you will think about your adventure all week and be excited to plan your event.

Peace to you, blessings in your transformation,    April

Terri Elliott <terrielliott@...> wrote:

Hi,  How much does the Black Cohosh cost?  Where do you get it from?  I just started taking Lexapro a month ago.  I'm on 10 milligrams too.  So far, it hasn't helped with the hot flashes but the depression doesn't seem to be as bad as it was.  Thank goodness.

 

Terri

----- Original Message -----

From: qwotn

To: menopausal@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 1:22 AM

Subject: [menopausal] Re: HELPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Different things work for different women, swtharleygirl, so keep working with your doc to find what works for you.

I've been having hot flashes for six or seven years, I think.  For a while, I found that black cohosh seemed to help significantly.  Unfortunately, since I was feeling better, I became inconsistent about taking it, and finally just stopped.  It took a while, but the hot flashes returned.  This time, however, when I took the black cohosh, it didn't do anything for me.  I was working from home at the time, albeit not very successfully, but I didn't dare try to get a regular job -- not when every hour or so (sometimes less), I would turn into a bright red, sweaty, drippy, sodden mess.  I was so miserable. 

About that time, I was taking a course in technical writing that required that I  do a research project.  I chose menopause.  Interestingly enough,  through my research, I found that some menopausal women respond well to antidepressants.  I wasn't too keen on the idea, but when I talked it over with my doctor, we decided to give it a try with one that is supposed to have minimal side effects:  Lexapro.    It took a couple of weeks to take effect, but it finally began to do its  job.  I've been taking it for a couple of years, I guess, and I still get hot flashes, but the frequency, duration, and intensity are significantly less.   Also, they're dry flashes, not sweaty, which is much more tolerable.    The doc and I played around with adjusting the dosage to see if we could make them stop altogether, but that didn't work.  I take a fairly low dose (10 mg) and that seems to be the best for me, 20 mg didn't work any better, and 5 mg didn't quite get the job done.  I also stopped taking the meds for a while (slowly, of course, it's not a good idea to just stop this kind of medication) to see how I did, but the flashes returned fast and furious, so I'm back on the Lexapro.

Anyway, I sure hope the Zalestra does the trick for you, but if not, you might discuss antidepressants with your doc.  Good luck.



--- In menopausal@yahoogroups.com, "swtharleygirl" <harleygirl1@...> wrote:
>
> I just want to jump into ice cold water. I have day and night sweats
> that are just so bad, I just am at my wits end, they are just taking
> such a toll on me mentally and physically, I literally ache from head
> to toe, I sleep only 2 hours a night and that is even with taking
> something to sleep and I am up and down with crying. I am going to
> try one more thing a product called Zalestra and see if that helps. I
> have gained nearly 20 lbs, my doctor gave e an older medication to
> try, prem pro, but I have had a hysterectomy and my ovaries are left
> but they are not up to par any more and I just do not know what to do
> anymore. I can not take much more of this, it has been for 2 1/2
> years now, and this last 6 months have been the worse, I had my
> surgery in 1991, so I guess I am lucky that I have only been dealing > with this for 2 1/2 years. What can I do, most over the counter stuff
> just is not doing it, I have the combination of hot flashes with the
> sweats...........
>

---

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 268.1.2/274 - Release Date: 3/3/2006

April Cray Rhodes
Tierra de Suenos
PO Box 481
Tularosa, New Mexico
88352
505-585-3587