Dear Friend,

Most of us would agree that some of the most helpful advice and practical tips for dealing with life are often learned from a friend or acquaintance who has been through a similar experience. That's why we recently asked one of our perimenopause patients if she would share her story about managing her perimenopause symptoms with some simple self-care measures.

Meet Elizabeth

"Beth" is a 50-year old professional woman with no children who has been in a committed relationship for four years. She has always been athletic and is more physically active and fit than the average woman her age. She is still menstruating though her cycles have become irregular. About menopause, Beth says, "I always thought I was somehow above the laws of nature and pre menopause would be no big deal. Truth is, I'm in the same boat as all my friends dealing with hot flashes, insomnia, decreased libido, grumpiness, and getting thicker around the middle."

Night Sweats

"Night sweats started in my early 40s. At the time, I didn't know anything about pre menopause or perimenopause. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I found Women's Health America and started understanding hot flashes and night sweats are symptoms of the hormone imbalance that can start many years before menopause."

Insomnia

"Several times a week I was waking up between 2 and 4 a.m. and feeling so anxious and panicky that I couldn't get back to sleep. Lots of times I would just get up and work, then go through the day exhausted."

Depression

"I had always been ready for anything, but somewhere around 47 nothing seemed interesting or exciting anymore. I feel like I went from stereo to monotone. My sister suggested an antidepressant, but I was determined to find another way to start feeling like myself again."

Irritability

"I've never been the most patient person, but my fuse definitely got shorter in the last few years. More than irritated, what I would feel was more like anger. Later I would wonder why I reacted that way over such a little thing."

''Can you help me?''

"That was the first question I asked Women's Health America when I called. 'I don't know what is happening but I don't like it.' They told me the place to start was to learn more about perimenopause symptoms and understand that what I was feeling was 'normal' during this time of hormone imbalance. They suggested I make a few diet and exercise changes and try ProCycle^® Gold vitamins for six weeks. They also recommended a hormone test to establish a baseline reading for my hormone levels. I agreed to try everything except the testing. I just wasn't ready to take that step."

Self-Care

"I'm not usually one to rave about 'miracle cures' but I have to say that what they recommended worked."

ProCycle^® Gold

"ProCycle^® Gold is nothing more than vitamins and minerals, but four weeks after I started taking it, I was sleeping better. By six weeks, the night sweats were gone. Now, I recommend ProCycle to every woman I know. I've been telling my friends that for me, perimenopause is 'no sweat.'"

Diet

"I have always balanced carbohydrates, protein, and fat, so I wasn't as concerned with the food I was eating as I was with the extras. I didn't cut-out but did cut-back on coffee (caffeine), alcohol, and sugar. I'm sure this has helped my body better utilize the nutrients in ProCycle and has contributed to better sleep, mood, and energy levels."

Exercise

"Exercise has always been important for my mental and physical health. At 45 I had started to get lazy. Today I exercise more rigorously and am in better shape than ever. I'm sure the added endorphins have helped with depression and my last physical exam was nothing but positive, including heart and bones."

What's Next

"In the last few months, things have changed. My periods have become irregular and night sweats come back now and then. "When I called Women's Health, they again recommended I measure my hormone levels, so we could see what was going on. I'm ready now and wish I had done it a couple years ago, so I had a baseline measurement for comparison."

There's More Next Month

Join us next month as we see what Beth's test results say and what she decides to do next. If you have any questions about her story or your own PMS symptoms, perimenopause symptoms or menopause symptoms, call us at 800.558.7046. We can help!

In Good Health,