My FSH is 189 and has climbed from 150 over the past three years. I am 47 and had early onset menopause at 41 after my mother killed herself. I stopped have period at 44. Undetectable estrogen and progesterone since 42. I went through some rough years but now feel great. Don't take any hormones but my gynecologist is worried about my brain and heart health. Cholesterol is a little high and pre diabetic. I am in the health and wellness industry and am an organic vegan and I take really good care of myself so all that concerns me greatly as there aren't any lifestyle changes I can make to improve the numbers. Doctor says the blood work is telling me it is due to low estrogen that glucose climbs and cholesterol too.

I DID have the same tightening pressure in the head when I wake up bit it went away after I cut out my overindulgence in tea and coffee. I still DO wake up around 3 am. sometimes, I am wide-awake, and I AM ON HRT! I have noticed if I keep up with a high level of calcium -- my GYN said 1500 mg of calcium AND 800 IU of Vitamin D is also necessary. Don't forget to get the type of calcium that has magnesium, else you are really not absorbing the calcium into your system! So everything working in concert correctly has helped me get a solid night's rest but if I forget my vitamins, then the HRT has no effect... The other thing I have noticed is if I wake up hungry at the magic hour of 3 a.m... I sometimes have not eaten enough for supper (ergo the cure of those who take tryptophan)... I often skip dinner and graze on smaller items... so had to cut that out... But I am going to try that natural progesterone cream... anyway, Doc says he will only keep me on HRT for a very short period of time, wants me only to take it every other day, but I need to work for a living and I need my sleep. But like I said, it is not working that great anyway... You can try the HRT for a short term just to see it's effect.. I remember taking two pills the first night and it knocked me out and proved that it was a key piece of the puzzle. I went to a sleep seminar not too long ago when it first started happening to me at age 53, and when the speaker asked for a raise of hands for a) who is under stress then b) who can't fall asleep and c) who is menopausal, man, the hands that went up was astounding.. I then realized this is biological and definitely related to the whole hormonal complex..... of course, it pays to stay as calm as possible as pointed out.. perhaps your headache is related to a bit of panic? At the very least if it continues, ask for a blood pressure check... be well

I suffered from hot flashes for nine years, until I started taking Zoloft. My hot flashes were every fifteen minutes all morning and evening, with a little relief during the day. For women who have severe symptoms of menopause, precription meds are sometimes needed. If you have no quality of life because of your symptoms and you are completely miserable, like I was, thoughts of suicide can enter your brain -- prescription meds are a much better option. I tried all forms of natural remedies and NOTHING helped.

Thanks, June I was on a low dose of HRT, taking FemHRT every other day but after being on HRT for 5 1/2 years my doctor and I decided that I should get off of it. I have been on Remefemin for about one week and so far so good, and except that at times I feel a little jittery, I am doing well. I do have to take something for my bones now because I have some bone loss and once you stop HRT; the loss of bone can escalate...so I am going to try Fosamax for a while. We both decided against Evista because of the risk of blood clots. There does not seem to be any natural form of HRT that is safe. Even if estrogen/progesterone are from natural sources they can still cause problems with your thyroid and can also create a risk for cancer. Maybe someday, they will find something that will be good for all of us. Take care. Lou