I'm 49, hope you don't mind me sneaking in here a little early. My Mom went into MP around 50, my grandmother 55, my sister 51. Anyway, I figure I'm probably well on the way.

Can you share with me some of the early warning signs you experienced before menopause? I'm just curious what to look out for. My male OB/Gyn doctor wasn't much help, he just wants to operate on my uterus for fibroid that don't really bother me.

Nancy, I started with heavy flows, hot flashes etc. One of the problems with Atkins and possibly all low carb programs is that as we lose fat, we also get estrogen that is stored in those same cells released and anything might happen. Folks who stopped having hot flashes, started, folks who had PCOS, become regular and some ladies get PMS, etc.
So if your experiencing any Menopause symptoms it might just be the diet.

This is an interesting point. I'm 51 and all my life periods have been regular (usually right on the full moon). I just officially missed my first period and over a month "late." But for the past three years I've had hot flashes and much heavier periods.

I'm going on my 7th month of low-carbing, staying at or near induction levels. The problem I've had recently is that for the past month since I missed my period I've had nearly constant and sometimes severe menstrual cramps -- but no period to relieve the cramps -- and other PMS symptoms, e.g. bloating and extreme irritability. I wish I could do something to alleviate this and maybe bring on the period, but I don't know what might help. If anyone has suggestions, I'd appreciate them.

An excellent book to have on hand is Susun Weed's book on menopause (her books listed on susunweed.com; they usually have her books in stock at Whole Foods). Many symptoms are discussed and a variety of homeopathic, herbal, and alternative remedies suggested. I've tried many things she's recommended that worked well.

Sylvie, I had that happen to me. Most miserable time it started while I was on vacation. The doctor finally prescribed medication to bring it on. Unfortunately I could not tell you what the medication was, it was over 10 years ago.
Steff

Not to put too fine a point on it, but is there any possibility you could be pregnant? It's happened to many a PCOSer, as they LC they are actually balancing their hormones (many for the first time) and often manage to get pregnant when fertility treatments have failed them!

True!

Oy vey, I was going to post my experience in here, but got distracted after reading the thread!

I got a somewhat unusual situation, me (I think, but maybe not).

I'm 52 now, btw. Five or six years ago, my GP doc asked me if I was very very sure I didn't want to have that child, as my innards were in excellent shape other than running on one fabulously functioning ovary, regular like clockwork (AFTER having an ovary removed - enveloped by benign but very large ovarian cyst that was also interfering with other internal organs due to size - some 20+ years previously), excellent muscle tone, etc., no signs of perimenopause. I was pretty fed with "preventive" techniques and/or prescriptions... Bottom line, she signed me up for a tubal ligation (which is a tying off, ICYDK).

By the time I was queued for this elective surgery (thank you Canada for long long wait lists), some 10 months had passed. However, nothing had changed for me. In I went. Signed off. Out I came. All's well except for the horrible inflation effect (sorry for any tender feelings out there ).

No more than 6 weeks later I got a full-fledged hot flash. Periods started wandering around the calendar. Getting farther apart (or not), changing duration, changing severity and showing up at unexpected times. Started having trouble sleeping, and some fab mood swings. Within 7 months the cycle gaps were getting bigger. Within a year, I had my last period, and the hot flashes started tapering off steeply, I started sleeping better (at last!), etc. I had some symptomatic relief, over that year, with various herbal preparations, especially with those containing Vitex, A. Angelica and Cohosh.

Bottom line, 2 things really stick with me.

• The ligation turned out to be a cauterization (ick! burned flesh, and NOT what I had signed for) and I now believe they just plain got too close to my functioning ovary and caused damage.
• I had read an article somewhere since that time five years ago (should have found a link to it!) that it turns out that the once a month hormone(s) spike re estrogen has been a SUPPOSITION all this time, and that someone(s) had finally actually tested and tracked the levels at least daily for a full cycle (~ a month) and it's more like waves of rises and falls. In short, the medical texts and training about ovarian estrogenic hormonal function are all based on, ahem, NOTHING factual. They just don't know what they are doing in there, much of the time!

Wild guess, the other hormones involved are probably not QUITE what we all read about, never mind their interactions with the other major endocrine hormones, such as Thyroid Hormones or Insulin/Glucagon.

Sigh. Long story. There it is. Sometimes there are no warning signs. And the medical system needs a few good kicks in several departments.

I have never had any problems with mine except some night sweats every once in awhile. I think I cam through mine really easy compared to alot of others I knew who had alot of problems.
I took my hormones daily and I guess they were what helped me.
During my menopause time I did gain some weight, in fact alot of it, but I have since now lost most of it after I went on a Low carb diet.

On my homepage I have put a brief summary of what Dr McCleary has to say about Hot Flashes in his book The Brain Trust Program. together with his Anti excitatory cocktail and his ketogenic mix.

Maybe worth investing in some MCT oil.

ohh, I arrived from totally different perspective to MCT oil. I was looking for a fat that gives you instant energy and has no effect on blood glucose. MCT in coconut oil fit the bill perfectly.

If it works or not is a different story . I am going to document personal experience and also ketostix reading to determine if it does increase ketones in the body.

Just a little clarification from my p.o.v. of 10 years of LC, reading and researching health and surviving a sudden and rapid menopausal onset:
the most common heads-up for non-menopausal, non-PCOS, non-serious PMS, regular menses (for lack of a better term?) ladies is breakthrough or irregular bleeding/cycle - even if on BCPs - while going into ketosis, pretty much. It tends to stabilize along with a regular LC lifestyle, i.e., returns to regularly scheduled cycles, after a couple of months or so. Of course, if you become a yoyo LCer, it'll probably be back, every time you yoyo...

Severe ongoing PMS is NOT a result of LC or ketosis, but a symptom that should be looked at for itself, as pointed out by Nancy. Ketosis is a natural condition all humans (LC or not) are going in and out of all day, if the liver is functioning normally and LC is a trigger for better overall health, not worse...generally speaking!

Hi, Nancy. I started with irregular periods ... was regular as clockwork for 25 years, whether I was low-carbing or not. I had irregular periods for a couple of years, with no other physical "symptoms" in particular. In the past year I've had only one period. Since then I've started with the night sweats and sleep problems.

Missed periods were my first clue. I must have been about 48.

Rachel

Nancy--may I chime in eventhough I am not yet 50 (47).

Menopause is defined as no menses for 1 year--that means no bleeding or spotting of ANY kind.

With that said, the first signs of PERI-menopause the time before menopause is usually an irregularity in your period. It comes to soon or too late. You begin to bleed to little or too much. You may begin to get the occasional hot flash or night sweat. No one can say how your body will behave until it starts to happen. I find also the way you react/perceive perimenopause/menopause can also impact how one reacts to the symptoms, i.e., if you don't think menopause and getting older is a big deal you may find that your symptoms are not a big deal. If you find the the thought of menopause makes you want to hide and die, you may react to the symptoms more severely. In many cultures where getting older becomes an elevation in status, the signs and symptoms of menopause are perceived as minimal and no big deal and vice versa.

As for the fibroids--In most practices if fibroids are NOT giving you any grief--pain, excessive bleeding, so big they are impinging on other organs...usually they are left alone. I'd be questioning your doc all 9 ways to Sunday why he feels like they need to come out if they are not bothering you. I've seen fibroids that have been big as your head (OK, not that big, but you get the idea) and we've just let them alone because they were not causing any problem.

HTH a bit,

Lisa

I've been having night sweats since I was in my mid 30's. In my 40's I started having irregular periods (previously every 28 days like clockwork!). I take black cohosh now so don't have any hot flashes or night sweats as long as I take it regularly.

I know I'm perimenopaual, but hoping I don't go into menopause as late as my mother (in her 60s). Because that means I could have another 14 years of this crap!!

I recall having irregular periods at around age 50....had my last period the year I started doing SB, 2004.....and it was a doozy as I had just started doing this...seems all my fats cells released all of their estrogen at the same time.

Had lots of hot flashes before I started controlling my carbs...been taking Estroven for the last 3 years and I do believe that it helps.

I also take HTP-5 as that is helping my moods.

Have you read The Wisdom of Menopause by Dr Christiane Northrup MD ?(ObGyn) Its very insightful and being written by a woman makes a difference.

Night sweats were the first sign I had of impending menopause. Then I just stopped having periods. Haven't had one since. No spotting, or irregularity, or anything like that.