Well I am 56 now and Menopause and all those wonderful, frightening changes have become somewhat commonplace nowadays. When I got hit with my first symptoms....anxiety and heart palpitations I was so thrown for a loop I just about jumped out of my skin. I would lay on the couch after work and my heart would race and it seemed every part of ME would feel it!
It was August, a really hot month here in SoCal and I wouldn't tell even my closest friends how scared I was when my palps would start. Having lost a brother to a heart attack when he turned 37+, you can imagine what I was thinking.....WTF is going on? Am I next?

So off to the internet I would go in desperation. Until a Dr put it to me that I was menopausal, I hadn't a clue what was going on....probably just like you now, huh?

So here we go, the dreaded 35 symptoms of Menopause. I am listing them for you so you can understand just how crummy you might feel. After this, my posts will be centered on what I learned and how I handled it...or didn't handle Menopause. Maybe it will help you, Maybe Not!

I copied this from the Project-aware.org site for your convenience: Go ahead pick your favs out...at least maybe then when your feeling like crap a bright light might go on in your head and you can tell yourself to settle down its just those damn hormones shaking things up!

The 35 Symptoms of Menopause

This list of common symptoms that occur during perimenopause and menopause was developed from the real-life experiences of hundreds of women. All symptoms were experienced by numerous women and were either cyclical in nature, or responded to treatments (both traditional and alternative) known to address hormonal imbalances.

Click HERE for the credits to the women who developed this list.

Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling Irregular heart beat Irritability Mood swings, sudden tears Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats) Irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; heavier periods, flooding; phantom periods, shorter cycles, longer cycles Loss of libido Dry vagina Crashing fatigue Anxiety, feeling ill at ease Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion Disturbing memory lapses Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing; urge incontinence Itchy, crawly skin Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons Increased tension in muscles Breast tenderness Headache change: increase or decrease Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea Sudden bouts of bloat Depression Exacerbation of existing conditions Increase in allergies Weight gain Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in facial hair Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance Changes in body odor Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head Tingling in the extremities Gum problems, increased bleeding Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor Osteoporosis (after several years) Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, 'whooshing,' buzzing etc.