Interesting thread. I have read alot and some of the points I wanted to offer my 2 cents on have been answered.. but.. here goes.
Hot flashes happen for women. Sometimes they are so small we dont even notice them. They get progressively stronger as we age and our hormones are not as ' in balance' as they used to be. In this respect, with the strength you have been experiencing in such a short time (( less then a month it seems? )) Call a gyno, get a PAP smear.. I know you have no family history, or trace amounts of family history of cancers and such, but you are a woman and cancer is a big thing. You have also spent time smoking. Cigarette smoke contains hundreds of chemicals that remain in the body for YEARS after your first cigarette. These chemicals have been found to speed up certain types of cancer growth, depleat certian brain chemicals ..etc...etc..etc... for long periods of time after you stop smoking.
36 is a bit young for showing signs of menopause. But , in my experience, not uncommon. When I first started working in a GP office when I was 24, I saw a woman who was 31 be diagnosed with menopause. Of course, at the time, there was a big fuss about it and she actually tried to sue the doc for misdiagnosis.. until 2 years later, she stopped having her period. 3 doctors and many tests later, it was confirmed, she was going through menopause. Granted.. that is sort of an extreme situation given her age, but like I said, not completely uncommon.
I saw some referrance to soy intake in the thread too. And yes, you need to be very careful with the amounts of soy you consume. Soy has estrogen, and just like a prescription estrogen replacement, it sets your body's natural balance completely off. I too many times see women say "" Its natural, there is no harm"" I dont think you are one of these women, BUT, my opinion on this recient soy craze is this:
Our bodies ( womens) create estrogen naturally. It knows when to up the production, and when to slow it down. Estrogen effects everything from fat cells to seratonin in our brains. When we add more, our bodies dont register it because it wasnt produced BY our bodies. There for, you are compounding what is there already. In doing that , women fuel certain cancers with out even knowing it. Endometreosis ( spelling?) is fueled by estrogen and progesterone. 2 naturally occuring hormones in womens bodies. In adding soy and other estrogens to your body you can advertantly be feeding a cancer you are not aware of. Estrogen supplements are given to women who are post menopausal for a reason. Thier bodies no longer produce enough to sustain brain health, female health etc.. Not necessary for those of us who are not going through menopause. Until you are diagnosed with menopause, watch your intake of estrogen compounds.
Not saying that you should completely AVOID all soy, just dont rely on it for a source of protien, or make it a staple in your diet.
Dry skin, dry hair, could also be a sign of low B-12 amounts, and other protien related fats. Someone said Omega 3's. Great suggestion. As we age, our bodies loose the ability to process and digest certain vitamins and minerals. That lack of ability shows up first in our skin and hair. Some of the side effects that have nothing to do with female hormones are - Grey skin tint, thinning hair, flakey nails, odd smelling bowel movements, strange colored urine, acne, yellow or slightly red tinted eyes, redness in the tips of our noses, loss of taste, very dry feet or wierd smelling sweat from our feet. ( geeze.. being a woman is complicated huh!
)
For a good balance in a womans body , the basic essentials are b-12, omega 3's , calcium, and a few others I can not recall before morning coffee.. but I will look them up for you.
I still recommend you signing up for a pap. Ewww.. I hate getting those, and I try to avoid them at all costs, but they are important and can help a doc in finding out if your hormones are lower then they should be.
Any-who. I will read through my books about this subject and post anything else i see that may help ya.
> whispering< did i mention a pap smear? ;-)
