Jeanne, Withania (W. somnifera)is a herb specific for fatigue states due to bleeding...it is high in iron, and has a tonic effect generally. Try 3-6g of dried root divided into several daily teas. May be useful until you are feeling stronger. The fruit of the Chaste Tree (Vitex) is used. This is a very effective menopausal herb if taken for a prolonged (more than a month)_period. DO NOT take this herb with any HRT therapies your doctor may prescribe such as progestrin.Also DO NOT take Dong Quai if you are bleeding heavily, as this is sometimes found in health food store menopausal "blends", as is contraindicated for such. For hot flushes Sage is very good, especially if night sweats acompany them, if you are unable to attend an herbalist, just a handful of fresh leaves in a teacup, add hotwater and steep 10 mins, then drink as required. 3-4 cups/day should help. Depending on your case presentation, other herbs to be entertained may include; St John's Wort, Helonias Root, Wild yam, Black Cohosh, Ladies mantle, Shatavari, Oats, Motherwort, Licorice, Rehmannia. Of theses herbs, only 4-6 would be given at any one time depending on your case evaluation, history and hormone test results. John.

I do have some of those symptoms, but they are not in any way associated with post menopause. I think my dizzy spells were caused by stress of caring for my husband who had AZ. I had heart palpitations but it was just a fluke and before menopause. As for painful legs....do you take a lot of calcium? I hurt like ***l when I first get up, it's arthritis and it helps to walk more during the day. My husband had that problem following surgery and it was just sitting to much. My grandparents said, "I'm stove up this morning". LOL And, I feel it is just part of the aging problems, the people in the neighborhood that I talk to are going through the same thing. If you were 20 and having problems like this you wouldn't think anything of it.

Yes, I've had periods of very sensitive, swollen, uncomfortable breasts. When I had periods it would go away in a day or two, during perimenopause, lasted much longer and more severe. Got really bad when I was adjusting progesterone up and down. Now that I've gotten my progesterone dosage smoothed out, they are always a bit swollen but not terribly uncomfortable. It seems odd, I always thought that they would shrink to nothing when I went through menopause!

Yes! I've been on BCP forever because of PCOS. My doctor told me the same thing about getting off the pill to see if I'm in menopause or not. She said I had to be off it for 3 months before she could do an accurate blood test because my hormones would even out by then. About 3 months ago (while still on the pill) I started having the hot flashes and lots of headaches and aches and pains. I decided to go off the pill to see what would happen. I also went to a proper GYN and she said I only had to be off the BCP for 7 days before she could do the FSH test and determine whether or not I was menopausal. Result was a 32 she said was post menopausal. I haven't had a period for 2 months now off the pill, however these past few days I have had a lot of cramping, am very bloated and am having discharge that looks like ovulation. I don't know if that means I'll get a period or not. They say you are not officially in menopause until you have had no period for 12 months. So to answer your question: I felt that my menopause had started breaking through the BCP as well because I was experiencing those same symptoms...maybe the BCP just masked the menopause until it started coming on too strong to be masked??