NON Typical Menopause Symptoms

Hello.  I am 50 years old and am certain that I am "in Menopause".  But prior to being sure of that, 6 months ago I experienced a near fainting spell.  Since that time, I have had equilibrium problems, some minor dizziness, mild nausea and some pressure in my head; these symptoms have finally subsided after 6 months although I now have brief periods of those symptoms and they are much less extreme.  I must add that I have investigated every doctor and test such as heart, cat scan, MRI, ear specialist, sinus specialist, chiropractor and bloodwork.  I went to the gynecologist last week to discuss this and she said this was extreme but not unheard of especially since I had been to alot of doctors and everything else was ruled out.  I was wondering if anyone else had experienced any extreme symptoms leading up to menopause.  I missed my period in January, got it twice in February and have not had it since.  I have very minor/brief hot flashes.  The gynocologist recommended Remifemin.  The only medicine I take is Minocycline twice a week for a skin reddening condition called Rosacea.  I take vitamins.  Thanks for any imput!

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

Ans:  Fainting can be a very scary problem and it should only be considered part of menopause if all other causes have been eliminated. Some people who faint have to wear a heart monitor called a halter monitor so the device can record the symptoms when they occur outside of the doctors office.  Some people need to have a glucose tolerance test where they have a fasting blood for sugar (glucose), then drink a large amount of liquid that has sugar in it, then have blood tests for glucose over the next three hours.  That tells if blood sugar drops suddenly and leaves a person faint. Another test done by ENT doctors is spinning around in a chair to see if it sets off the equilibrium. I would look into those things things before calling it menopause symptoms.  If they are OK, see how the Remifemin works or consider a short course of a low dose of estrogen if your gynecologist feels it is a reasonable choice for you.  Some menopausal women have very rapid heart rates like flutters and occasionally a person can feel faint when they happen..
Machelle M. Seibel, MD

[MarciB]

Thank you so much for your prompt reply.  I have had everything you mentioned done with the exception of the glucose test.  I will mention that to my doctor. The commonality as I look back over the past 7 months is the onset of menopause which is why i am exploring that option since everything so far has been negative.  Thanks again and happy holiday!

[cjh720]

Hi. I'm new to this board and saw your post and had to respond.  I have been having this very same thing happening to me on and off for over a year.  A sister of mine had it happen for two years.  I get vertigo (room spinning) so bad sometime I cannot move a muscle for hours, laying down makes it worse.  I have also woken up from a sound sleep with vertigo.  After lots of tests (same as yours), I went to my GYN who also said dizziness is a common side effect in peri-menopause/menopause.  She hadn't ever had a patient who described it as badly as I had it though.  When I get the dizzies, my head feels full and if I move it, it's like I feel like a weeble (if you remember those little people toys).  I have come to the conclusion after extensive research, that it is definitely menopausal related, having to do with hormonal changes, especially severe changes around the time of ovulation and/or menstruation.  Even when I don't get a period, right around the time it should happen I get the dizzy spells.  There is an entire website called the dizzy lounge devoted to dizzy spells and there is a section devoted to menopausal dizziness.  Check it out on the web.  Hang in there, we have no choice!  Carol

[MarciB]

Thanks Carol...its always good to know that other people are experiencing the same thing...someone else recommended

[heart2heart]

I would be hesitant to blame the vertigo on menopause. I've had a long history of vertigo, dizzyness and near fainting spells. This is what they found so far...I have BPPV (benign positional vertigo) and that was improved by special exercises. I also may have a basilar type migraine - with this migraine you don't necessary get a headache but you may have vertigo, tinnitus, confusion, etc. And also there is something wrong with my inner ear- there is some vestibular loss. The doctor to go to to check these things out is an oto-neurologist. They can run tests to rule out anything going on with the brain or inner ear. As far as a glucose test you can buy a diabetic testing monitor and test yourself if you think this is related to hypoglycemia. With a high glucose reading you would be thirsty, also be running to the bathroom to urinate often plus be getting drowsy,  which could lead to coma.

[joeybubbles]

Hi
Dont know if you are still checking this posting.  I am 45 y/o and a year ago woke up with tinnitus which has never left.  I frequently get a motion sickness type feeling and had two episodes of vertigo-one lasted one hour and one lasted 12 hours.
I also frequently get a feeling like I have a bad sunburn on the skin of my arms and jaw.
I've been to two neurologists, ent, and internist.  Many tests done and back normal.  MY cholesterol is very low and b12 a little low.  I also have had much worse pms over the past year, pain with ovulation and my periods come every 21 days. (yuck)
I also had an ultrasound of the pelvis and they said my I may have pelvic congestion syndrome (kind of like varicose veins around the uterus)

Anyway, I asked my doctor if these could be perimenopausal symptoms and he didn't think so.  He started me on birth control
(nuvoring) and although that has helped the pelvic pain, it has made the burning feeling on my skin much worse.

Just wondered if anyone else has had these symptoms with hormone changes.  I'm very nervous about taking estrogen.

thanks for any input

[elise8]

Oh wow I could write a book on strange symptoms since going through menopause. I am now in my mid 50s but stopped periods at age 47. I had heavy bleeding for a few years leading up to age 47 and then finally the periods stopped. When the periods stopped, about 2 to 3 years later I started having equillibrium problems with my balance feeling off, like I was leaning to one side and sometimes like someone was pressing the top of my head. My eyes would also feel strange when I moved them, it would cause me to have some vertigo. Then one morning when I got up to work at my computer, I had a horrible vertigo episode, the computer just seemed to turn 180 degrees to the right, at least it looked like it was moving to me, but it was not. I felt faint, weak, and had to go to bed for most of the day. This was the beginning. For the next year I would get these episodes off and on. I also started having dry eyes and vision problems with floaters, red, irritated eyes. Then the dizziness got worse. I had a few really serious vertigo episodes with nausea and spinning. I started having fullness in my ears and tinnitis. Then the panic attacks and anxiety took over. I would wake in the middle of the night thinking I was dying. The vertigo would get worse. I then develped insomnia. Finally I went to the doctor. They thought it was my heart as I was having heart palpitations. I had a Holter monitor and it was negative. All blood tests were negative. But I became so fearful there was something seriously wrong with me. I started having numbness and tinling in my arms and legs. My cholesterol shot up and my circulation started becoming sluggish. It seemed as if I was falling apart. Did I mention hot flashes also? I would wake up wet and sweating.
I had always been healthy, actually kind of a health nut and always exercised. I was not overweight. I was under an extreme amount of stress during this time preceding and during the symptoms, with many financial and maritial problems.  The vertigo became so bad with ear pressure, tinnitis, noises like crazy in my ears, some sounded like gunshots,  vision flashes, numerous floaters. I thought I had MS but a neurologist ruled that out. I went to an ENT and he diagnosed me with Meniere's syndrome. I could not take any of the medications prescribed as I became sensitive to all medicines. Could not drink alcohol (I used to drink one glass about 3 to 4 times a week) at all any more and no more coffee. I used to have one cup in the a.m. Now the caffeine made me dizzier.
I finally had to take three months off work the symptoms were so bad. My adrenal glands started producing way too much cortisol and I could not sleep. I was a wreck... I felt like ants were crawling in my skin. After months of this, I then just collapsed in to a drepression like state. Did not care about anything any more. I could not cope with any kind of stress, positive or negtive. I could not even do the grocery shopping. I had horrible brain fog. I felt like I had a nervous breakdown... I could not eat and lost 25 pounds. I was skin and bones, constantly dizzy and weak.
I finally just quit going to doctors who prescribed me nothing but medicines, did MRIs, etc.
The improvement came when I went natural. Just started detoxing with vegetable juices, taking certain herbs and supplements. Staying away from stresss as best I could. I finally went back to work part time. Now I am back to regular hours.
I am much better now but it took time and patience. There were times I wanted to die. I now take natural progresterone cream and wild yam cream which helps the hormones. I also eat only natural whole foods. No meat. Sometimes an egg or two or some fish on occasion. Mostly raw fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds. Lots of vegetable juice, fresh sqeezed. Bioflavenoids supplements, evening Primrose oil, kelp, Co-Q10 and a green superfood are my only supplements.
I basically have been detoxifying my body for two years. I also sweated in an infra red sauna 3 x per week.
It is the third year now since changing and I finally feel whole again, almost like my old self. I do have to watch my stress level and I just get plenty of sleep. The vertigo sometimes bothers me still at night but not much. It also bothers me when I change elevations or to go the mountains. It takes me a day or two to acclamate.  They say this may be caused by the inner ear damage. I have been diagnosed with Meniere's but do not like to focus on the diagnosis. It is just a name for a collection of symptoms. I don't like labels. They become self fulfilling prophecies..

I believe the body and God can heal if we give ourselves the right natural tools. Healthy clean food, sunshine, rest, prayer, good mental health. It does not have to be complicated, even in such a stressful complicated world. I did have to make changes, major ones. I do not over stress myself with commitments to people or work.  I live a very quiet life now.
My husband and I are much closer. My illness was hard on him.. Hard on my kids too but they are now older..thank goodness.
It has been a journey but I have learned a lot and I really do appreciate life and health now....
Blessings to all,
Elise.

[Justplainfrustrated]

I searched the internet for something about ringing in ears associated with menopause.  I am desperate for some direction on how make my ears stop ringing.  I am into natural remedies.  

I am 55 years old.  I have been perimenopausal for years.  I am one of them that get alot of symptoms.  I occaisionally feel that lightheadness...if I eat right and don't drink caffine it seems to not happen. Anyway, my problem is my ears used to once in a while start ringing for 5 minutes then STOP.  It wouldn't happen again for months and months.  All of the sudden in the last year they started in more.  Now they ring constantly!  Never stops.  Depending on what I eat or drink (Wine or alcohl makes them louder!) it goes from mild to strong.  I have gone to doctor and mentioned they ring. He said he saw little fluid in there and gave me steriods and said If they keep ringing let him know!  I had just told him they ring alot!  Needles to say I went back to my natural ways!  I keep thinking its menopausal related.   Always felt great whole life till perimenopause.

Anyone out there found anything natural that works!  Any advice!
I sometimes get slight headaches too.  Been having hot flashes real bad now... drenched sometimes.  Been 8 months since last period.  Feel its just about ended!  Gyno thinks  it is.

I have tried Ginko, Colodial Silver. I also feel fullnes in ears and sometimes they have pressure or hurt a bit.  

I use progresterone cream 2% also for years.  

This is the first site I have seen that even connects woman's menopause symptoms to ringing in ears. By the way I have looked on Internet and found explanation for tinnitus and it says doctors just give you meds to make you forget ringing.....THERE IS NO CURE ACCORDING TO THEM....

NATURAL CURES??????

[tiacat]

I am 49 years old.  My ears had started to ring for a few days every month or so for about a year.  I woke up one morning 2 months ago to extreme dizziness - couldn't even get out of bed and a constant buzzing in my ears & it just won't go away.  The dizziness comes and goes but hasn't been as bad as that one day.  Went to the DR. & he said likely a middle ear infection, & should go away.  So now I am going to see a ENT Dr.
I do believe that this is part of menopause.  Any suggestions out there to stop that constant buzzing in my ears?  It is hard to concentrate on anyting for a long time, can't watch tv, read a book or be on the computer for too long either.

[truliejulie1014]

Hi & thanks. I'm a healthy 48 yr.old who has just begun missing periods. Last month I went through a horrible time and I'm wondering if this is menopause related.  I had missed several periods and one day I started feeling like I was anemic(I'm not)and felt fainty. Shortly after that mild panic and anxiety seemed to be going on until about 4 days before my period I just became out and out debilitated over the next 2 wks. I had a period of 1 1/2 days. I wound up in bed most of the time, too weak to hardly walk, dizzy, vertigo and the worst part was that all my senses, especially hearing and sight and smell where way way over the top. I could smell the slightest things and most things smelled repulsive, I was overwhelmed with anxiety and was having bizarre food cravings. (Like what I've heard pregnant women have, BTW I've never been pregnant) I might add that I am not under any extra stress than the same day in day out stuff.  About 3 days after the period, each day had gotten a little better and poof it was just gone. ALL gone and I'm just back to my same ole self. What the heck just happened to me??  I have always had horrible PMS and over the years became very adept at just relaxing and accepting it but this flattened me out to the bed.  Anybody have any insight or advice? I'm not sure estrogen is the answer. In the morning I'm calling the OB GYN but not that long ago I got my yearly ck. up and am fine. ???? Help!