Mental Symptoms



__ Thoughts of Apprehension, Dread and Doom

__ Inability to Cope With Stress

__ Headaches and/or Migraines

__ Anxiety and/or Panic Attacks

__ Difficulty Concentrating

__ Memory Lapses

__ Dizziness and Lightheadedness



Emotional Symptoms



__ Anger and/or Rage

__ Nostalgia and Melancholy

__ Mood Swings

__ Decreased Sexual Desire

__ Depression

__ Body Image Issues

__ Diminished Self-Esteem



Physical Symptoms



__ Hot flashes

__ Night Sweats

__ Irregular Periods

__ Heavy, Prolonged Vaginal Bleeding

__ Joint, Muscle and Tendon Pain

__ Drying Skin, Eyes and Mouth

__ Breast Tenderness and Swelling
__ Heart Palpitations

__ Increased Facial Hair
__ Hair Loss

__ Vaginal Dryness

__ Painful Intercourse

__ Weight Gain

__ Insomnia

__ Blood Sugar Imbalances

__ Incontinence

__ Vaginal Atrophy & Prolapse

__ Loss of Genital Sensation

__ Fatigue

__ Nausea

__ Exacerbation of Existing Conditions

__ Accelerated Aging



Spiritual Signs



__ Enhanced Self-Awareness

__ Desire for Positive Change

__ Reevaluation of Life and Priorities

__ Deepening Spiritual Connection

__ Increased Intuition and Inner Wisdom

__ Trusting the Cycles of Life

__ Healing Wounds From the Past

__ Forgiveness of Self and Others

__ Self-Acceptance ~ Enhanced Self-Esteem

__ Dedication to Authenticity

__ Finding Balance and Harmony

__ Self-Care and Nurturing – Creating Wellness

__ Desire for Self-Actualization

__ BE-ing in the Present Moment

__ Self-Confidence ~ Personal Power

__ Enhanced Relationships

__ Personal Fulfillment

__ Inner Peace



Common Hormone Related Health Conditions



__ Uterine Fibroids

__ Ovarian Cysts

__ Fibromyalgia

__ Hypothyroidism

__ Chronic Fatigue

__ Arthritis

__ Adrenal Exhaustion

__ Bone Loss & Osteoporosis

__ High Cholesterol

__ Heart Disease

__ Arthritis

__ Blood Sugar Disorders

__ Breast, Uterine and Ovarian Cancers

This is GREAT! Thank you! I just printed it off and checked my symptoms to take with me to the doctor today. I'm wondering when the "spiritual signs" start. ;)

The baby is beautiful and so are you! I haven't been to AW in awhile and didn't know she was here. Congratulations to the new family!!!

Thanks Kristerae! I'm in the peri stage, but thankfully with it only being peri, I'm just having the sleep issues and the period change.

I am drinking more RRL tea, partly because I wanted my teen and pre-teen daughters to drink it.

Is there any other tea that would be good for just this beginning time into the eventual change?

Michelle ;)

It may depend ont he symptoms you are having Michelle.

Oatstraw for sure woudl be good for building the bones you are no longer going to build (you may already be there Michelle) adn is good for stengthening the nervous system
Hops and nettles too (hops smells funny tho-drink a beer or non alcoholic beer on occassion maybe)
St Johns Wort and Lemon Balm are also good for menopausal sleep issues.

mineral salt baths (even epsom salts) supply magnesium and sometimes it can help you sleep.

Keep checking with this area tho Michelle. We all come up with new research or ideas to help each other:)

Kristerae,

All I'm having at this time is slight trouble sleeping. (well and my cycles are odd) Thanks for the suggestions.

If I'm weight training and get a good amount of calcium, do I need to take anything else? (I really hate taking supplements)

Will the red raspberry leaf still be beneficial?

You're the best for helping us all out like you do here, Kristerae. :heart:

Michelle

Some of the symptoms
hot flashes
digestion distress
insomnia

can be PMS related too (esp. if you notice a cycle of bad nights once a month for several months).

So far.......peri wise I notice only
memory lapses (people sometimes saying we discussed something and I dont recall it)
lighter periods (though still the same cycle as always)
skin differences (not as elastic as it was previously....lol)
stiffer knees (harder to do my yoga poses and to cut patterns from fabric from the floor!)

All the spiritual symptoms you mentioned are there and welcome. Very welcome!



looking forward to the journey!

I am truly still learning myself, so I am so happy we can dicuss here-lets face it mama's turn to crones! lol adn we all need to know how to handle it since our society does not embrace it.

RRL is fine anytime as far as the reading I have done. It is so nourishing and should pose no negative effects even on menopausal and post menopausal women.

I avoid supplements too so I drink a tonic daily of RRL, oatstraw, nettles, red clover and spearmint. I add rosehips on occassion (it makes the tea bitter tho) sometimes gotu kola if I am spacey and could use a bit of a pick up. Damiana to help the sex drive (radiation took away my ovarian hormone function even tho they are still there-I am trying to avoid ERT)
motherwort when I feel crazy (when I remember to take it that is) I often remember to take after having a meltdown sadly.
Kelp to help my thyroid. I have no signs of a problem except that some days I drag so it is just a maintanance thing.

so far that works for me Michelle. I occassionally take a b vitamin or a multi when I really dont feel my best, but that is rarely these days thank goodness.

I hope soem of these ideas may help.

And the spiritual side of the change is good I feel if we can get over the fact that we are entering the time of our life when we have to be on top of our health more than ever, and that we will get wrinkles and grey hair and a belly maybe...lol

Thanks Kristerae!

I asked on another thread that someone else started, but I thought I'd ask here too.

Do you know of any inexpensive mail order companies for organic RRL for me to make tea?

I've been buying it locally, but it only comes in the individual boxed/tea bags and it is $4 a box. Kind of expensive with three of us drinking it. (well my 17 yr old son loves it too....I hope that is OK for him to have it too! I did not tell him it is to support "female stuff".)

Michelle

Raspberry Leaf Herbal Tea for Pregnant Mothers: The Compleat Mother-Tea Company (http://www.compleatmother.com/tea_company.htm)

I've never had better tasting RRL Tea, than the tea sold through Compleat Mother. It says that it is good for teens, too!

You know me, I love mountain rose herbs...I buy bulks when I order from them.
Alot of herbalists love Frontier, but their herbs have not been as vibrant to me.

Also Virgin Coconut Oil | Wilderness Family Naturals Coconut Oil (http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com)

they have good things.

Thanks Sue for sharing the compleate mother link too:)

Thank you for the links. Sorry I did not respond, I've had a really difficult time health-wise the past month and have been literally bed-ridden for 2 weeks out of that time. Today I'm strong enough to get out of bed and sit and there is no better place to sit than right here, catching up!
:)

Michelle

Oh Michelle, I am sorry to hear that. I hope you are on the mend!