Author: Fern Goodman

Good new is, i dont have nightly hot flashes anymore. I still have a few during the day, depending on food and activity. Icy smoothies really help-yum.
The CBD oil seems to help with pain sensors, but since i dont have much pain, it makes me tired, so i stopped taking it. Just on the 5HTP at night, which is AMAZING for sleep. The brand matters Jarrow 100mg is strong for me. I say that because it makes me a tad nauseous as a side effect but I will get past that. 5HTP seems to help regulate my moods also. Stands to reason if you get sleep, youre not as cranky.
Energy level is what i have to work on now.

The night of the 9th i skipped the 5htp and the hot flashes multiplied, but my throat wasnt so dry. I did toss and turn a lot. I also skipped a dose of CBD. I have had a slight upset stomach, which is why i may be eating less. The Effexor made me really nauseous for a week. My commitment was to try everything new for 2 weeks so yesterday I took two doses of CBD with room to build up to three (one dropper per meal) and the 5HTP last night. I also made myself an icey in the blender of green iced tea and a little raw honey (for my allergies) made locally. A little restless last night, but slept more soundly. Definitely, less hot all night, so something is working. Not as sad in the afternoon. Had a homemade protein smoothie for lunch and feeling okay. whoohoo.

Last night i took the 100mg of 5htp again. When I woke up in the middle of the night, my throat was so dry, every intake of breath was minor torture, then had a square hot flash…I imagined being on fire in a rectangle pine box, no not a coffin, and not suffocating, just really hot. Eventually, i faded back to sleep. This morning nauseous after breakfast, a little coconut water and ginger cured that. So is it a good thing that my dry throat makes me drink more water? Oh and i have lost a few pounds already. yay!

Before I tell you what I’m trying now, I want to state that I’m not recommending anything, endorsing, or discounting anything for anyone who reads this. Just sayin.
I’m now trying this here CBD oil and 5HTP. CBD stands for cannabidiol, in plain terms, cannabis without the THC in the low doses. I have been told there is trace amounts of THC in the 3X strength. I’ve done a lot of research and learned two very important things:
1.Doctors don’t know your body and what’s going to work for you so you have to be your own advocate. They no longer have that G-O-D status where we do whatever they say and treat it as gospel.
2.Quality matters. If you take a less expensive or diluted product, it aint gonna do nuthin.
I’m going to track my progress so I know if it’s working.
last night I used the brand Jarrow of 5HTP 5-Hydroxytryptophan, also known as oxitriptan, it is a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin. I slept great. Woke up at 3AM to pee and was able to fall back asleep with no problem. Still had night sweats and hot flash.
This morning 6/8/18 I ingested approx 1/2 a dropper (7 drops maybe) of High quality CBD oil. Dosage is very individual, always start low. They say small portions throughout the day are better than one large dose. This oil builds up in your blood stream so it takes several days to have effect on symptoms just like anti-depressants do. DO not take this without checking with your doctor.
Initial impressions:i can feel it in my head, not really a headache, but a presence. I had more energy. I did forget to put on my daily sunscreen and forgot my water this morning. Not sure if that was a result of oil or because i was running late, i will have to keep track of that. My mouth did feel dryer all day. Emotionally sad today, and increased indigestion, things to monitor. -%

Back story:This is an expose, exposing my period of mismanaged menopause. I’m trying to push the pause button to fast-forward so i can be men-o-done with it.
I had a hysterectomy but retained my ovaries in my early forties so i never knew when i was done menstruating and in peri-menopause. I really didn’t give a crap what they called it, Peri-menopause, full-menopause or post menopause, they all had symptoms and hormone changes. I just wanted a fix to my mood swings, hot flashes, dryness, fatigue, low sex drive, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, joint pain, sinus allergies, weight gain; okay maybe all those weren’t from menopause but i still wanted them to be fixed.
I watched Oprah and she said to go on bio-identical hormones to solve all your problems and worries about breast cancer and heart disease. Sign me up. I found a wonderful Doctor in Dothan, Alabama who prescribed the lowest dose of estrogen in a pill. I was fixed for the time being.
Then we moved and the symptoms came back with a vengeance. I went from doctor to doctor and finally in 2014 i started taking a combination of Progesterone, Estradiol,Estriol, and Testosterone in bio-identical cream form. The directions read to apply two pumps, but being of low tolerance, and rebellious, i applied only one-ish. Three years and a few weeks later, just after my sixtieth birthday, my hormones left the building, otherwise know as my body.
In Jan of 2018, I went to a new ob/gyn where I explained to her that when I applied the cream it seemed to induce the hot flashes. I felt i needed an adjustment of sorts. She prescribed Relizen, an non-hormonal, herbal supplement. Before taking this, my research found that it is used for male prostate issues. Truthfully, I didn’t go to a doctor to obtain a non prescription, maybe, might work, solution that i could purchase myself on Amazon.
I went back to my general practitioner. She prescribed an anti-depressent (i wasn’t depressed, but getting there quickly). The plan was to go off the hormones completely, and take Effexor for my mood swings and hot flashes. This time my research found that this SNRI serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor has been known to relieve menopause symptoms. As much as i had an aversion to taking drugs, I tried it for two weeks. Again 1/2 the dose since I have a low tolerance to medication.
I cant imagine why any female would trade hot flashes and moodiness for NO BRAIN AND A NUMB CLITORIS….REALLY???? Give me my hot flashes back, and its my party, I’ll cry if i want to, dammit.
Back to my gyn i go…Stop everything and go on an Estradiol patch. OOOOOkay. Three weeks later, I have gained six pounds (a lot for my short frame), my boobs exploded into water balloons with nipples so sensitive, I couldn’t wear a bra. The hot flashes went away but now I had too much weight on my body that all my joints ached and i was depressed because none of my clothes fit anymore. Give me my hot flashes back.
All this time, i researched the web, read Dr. C Northrup’s book on the pleasures of menopause (my ass) and had interrogated my close female friends, locker room ladies, random cashiers and waitresses who look my age. That brings us to today. Read on to see what I am trying now….