I am always much warmer than other people. Used to be I was as cold as everyone else. This is a plus in the Fall and Winter. One way to look at it! I wear short sleeves all winter and have my hair up. I also have a cute little pink fan with a smiley face on it on my desk that I call my "hot flash fan." I turn it on and off all day at work as needed. I look around and see everyone else in sweaters, meanwhile mine sit in the closet not getting used. Summertime clearance racks in the Fall are my best friend! Mer

Mer, I can just picture you there with your little pink fan. Whatever works!

Mer, I'm Flushing, Fanning, Freezing, all in a 30 second span. My little chinese paper fan is my saviour.
My sleeping habits changed drastically last week. I normally would go to bed around 10ish and out like a light.( all my life! )
Now it's 10's in the morning...and that's for a nap. I can't sleep. I am beginning to wear down from the upheaval. My seratonin is royally screwed up.
chick

"I'm somewhere between estrogen and DEATH!" --Erma Bombeck

Some days it feels so true!

I have started taking Evening of Primrose Oil for hot flashes and seems to be helping. I take 1 pill with each meal.

I'm so glad I read this topic tonight - it is 12:17 a.m. and I cannot sleep. I've been getting 3-4 hours of sleep each night for about 3 years. Once in a while I sleep longer, but not often. I get up and read or get on the computer - then go back to bed and sleep for an hour - then another hot flash and I'm wide awake! The worst ones are when other people are around - my face literally drips and I'm constantly trying to discreetly mop it with a kleenex - men are so lucky! I do notice it much more in the summer - thanks for the tip, Chatty Lady - I'm going to find some of that spray!

Does anyone else have trouble with the majority of the heat in your face?

Ah, yes. It is 2:45 and I have been awakened by yet another hot flash. Thank God I have this place to come to and kill some time. At least It's not lonely sitting up in the night. I'm not a TV person.

Heat in the face for me too Dreamer but not dripping or red looking. My fan helps. I just want to sleeeep.
Evening of primrose? In pill form? Tell me more wtcoach. And Welcome by the way.
I am having a "woe is me" feeling...that's not usually me. Or is it? Can't decide, ha ha.
I think there is a fine line between being menopausal and being half nuts. (In my case anyway)
Hang in menopausalers. There's better days, er nights ahead!
I have a question. Do any of you think your PMS symptoms are any indication of how bad your menopause will be(is)?

chick

[ October 30, 2005, 06:04 AM: Message edited by: chickadee ]

Chick, I was awakened three times last night by hot flashes. If I had known, I would have called you!

Crazy thing is, I never get them except near the end of the week that I am taking the Pill blanks. I can't imagine what my symptoms would be like if I wasn't on the pill.

PMS and menopause? I don't know about that. Good question.

Oh Dreamer I can't even imagine 3-4 hours sleep for the last three 3 years. My lack of sleep has been for the last 8 months or so.
Fast walk, every night about 7p.m. for 30 minutes, take a hot bath, read until 11 and lights out. Normally I'm back up at 2, for the bathroom walk.

Back to bed..if I'm lucky I will fall asleep for another 3 hours if not...thats it. Toss and turn, too many people in the house to move about. If, I leave the bedroom, the girls start barking...then everybody in the house is up.

Here lately if I haven't had sleep in a couple of days, I will take the OTC sleep pill with out the tylenol 25 mg. dose.
Not sure if the glow in the dark feeling wakes me up (hot flash), or if it's just the routine of hitting the bathroom at the same hour every night.

Chick, my eratic PMS symptoms were just awful.. I went no where without a bag of pads. Flooding was unbelivable, not 30 minutes went by without a change. Frantic feelings came over me, hence your feeling of fine line. At the time I had no clue as to what was happening to me. Cramps over the top feelings, crying...

My mom and I never got around to this talk, always heard about menopause but, never in my wildest dreams would have thought this!
Menopause talk seems to be a taboo to alot of women. Not sure why.
It does help to know we are not the only ones. It's soothing to know others are feeling and going thru the exact same symptoms.

Read, where some ladies state the meno thing only lasting a couple of years, or sometimes ten years, then some with no symptoms at all. Most days it feels like my body has been wrung of every hormone it has ever held, and then squeezed again just to make sure none are left.
No symptoms at all...does not apply to me.

One day at a time...