I'm so glad to be joined by so many!!
Buddy, you have my sympathy (said because I know there have been some days that I've made my partner's life hell). I'm glad your wife was able to find something that worked for her!
Ree, one of my best friends is in your same boat, and it certainly puts what I'm going through in perspective. I hear you about being active - if anything else, the bitchy tension and the insomnia both practically demand it! I've recently ramped up myphysical activity and I can see it make a difference, though not enough as I'd like (though I'm probably not as active as I should/could be). I'd love to take a Yoga class, but the closest one is more than a half-hour drive from me, and that commute would pretty much negate whatever stress reduction I'd get, but I'm learning to do other calming self-nuturing things, such as reading, stretching, dancing, and good old fashioned deep breathing. I too had to give up pretty much all alcohol - it's just not pretty to be sipping a drink and suddenly turn beet red and start sweat profusely!
Maclinda, I tried the bio-identical progesterone for over 6 months, tracking my symptoms (actually I've been tracking my symptoms for years) but it just didn't hardly make a dent for me. I'd LOVE to try accupressure or acupuncture, but as far as I know there's no one anywhere near the area where I live who does that.
Artic123, I also tried anti-depressants though with some previous negative side effects from prozac I tried two others; didn't touch the mood swings.
All who's mentioned it - I'm still so very torn about the birth control pills/hormones, but I've been on them for about a year, and twice I've given my self a "holiday" (once intentionally, once by forgetting my pills on a trip) and it's just made my life practically unbearable. I have decided to give myself two years total, then stop. I'm not happy with the potential side effects or even the concept of counteracting my body's natural slide into being a full-fledged crone, and yet I have to be realistic about the quality of my life right now, and without the bcp (the irony of which cracks me up every time I take one) I'm just an awful miserable person.
Soooooooooo... what's the best chocolate cake recipe in the whole world for one menopausal woman to make for another one's upcoming birthday?
