Question for us 'mature' women

I'm wondering how many of us are women around menopausal age?  I am 53 and have been menopausal for 2+ years.  I've read that the incidence of GERD rises for women 'our' age.  And, of those who are menopausal, how many have been on HRT?

Tummytuck

I always get confused with the terms.  I was 'peri-menopausal' for about 6 years...

have been completely 'through' menopause for 4 years

No, did not take replacements

It seems to me that replacements seem to be causing all sorts of trouble per recent studies,  so maybe they do affect GERD, too.

I had horrible GERD during perimenopause, but really feel that it was caused by the HRT I was on. After 5-6 years on it, plus aciphex, I weaned myself off of it, and could then come off the aciphex, and have been doing a whole lot better. Are you on HRT?
And like Joan said............everything starts falling apart by this age.
I know this sounds awful, and lots of people might be offended by this statement, but I think our bodies were meant to last ONLY while we could procreate. Its sort of a built-in self-destruct/recycle mechanism. But now, we're living until our 70's and 80's. Things just can't last that long. But.....as we're doing here.........we're just trying to make those last 20-30 years more liveable.
After menopause, I started having trouble with dairy products too and some vegies, and carbs.......so I guess our GI tracts just aren't what they used to be. As for myself, I've learned some bad eating habits that I could get by with when my body was younger........but its not doing so well with them now. But emotionally........I still want to eat those things!

Tummytuck, make sure they test you for H. Pylorii.

CathyA,

I've been tested for hpylori and the test was negative. We'll see what the gastro says on Friday. I'm glad to finally be going to a gastro. I like my primary doc, but her depth of knowledge isn't great when it comes to certain things. For example, when I told her that the PPI's were helping only about 80%, she wanted to start doing all sorts of testing like CAT scans and ultrasounds saying that if it's GERD it should respond to the PPI's like GERD. Well, they ARE helping me but not completely. She said I should feel complete relief. I wanted to direct her to this board, saying that I know a whole bunch of people who don't get complete relief from PPI's. Heck, if you bother to read anything at all about PPI's you learn very quickly that they don't help everyone and sometimes can even cause one to become dependent on them regarding things like acid rebound. She didn't seem to have a clue beyond taking a pill and having it work. I trust the gastro doc will know more. He's been recommended by friends and has a good reputation so I'm hoping he will at least know where I am coming from with this.

Tummytuck

Hi Tummy Tuck, I am just 50 last month, and not on HRT.  I have had acid reflux for many years now.  I have been on prevacid. tried some others but felt sick on them for some reason.  My insides have been getting worse the last four years. I had my gallbladder out in 2003, but the pain and discomfort is not that.  I have pain around my liver area most all the time.  I have pain in my esophagus all the time and it's getting worse by the week. They spotted a tissue sac midway on my esophagus, but I had an endoscope and colon oscopy last week and nothing showed up.  I am in so much pain this week now, diarrea and can't eat without feeling so sick. wasn't like this before the scopes.  Called the gastro doc and told them.  I have burning in my stomach, which I don't have an ulcer. Can't eat without everything going through me. I may end up at the ER today.   But yes things seem to be gettin worse as time goes on with my intestinal tract.  I also have an enlarged thyroid on my right side and a cyst on that side also. which I feel each time I swollow and I have a neck ache and headache each morning, which I think it's affecting my breathing too. Sadly no one is taking me seriously with this.  I was told I have fibromyalgia and possibley an autoimmune disease, but they don't follow through with this.  This has been going on 3 years now. If you have a doctor who is caring and works with you, that means everything. Sadly I do not have that. My  husband watches me suffer, but won't speak up for me. He wishes he could take away all the pain and sickness, but all it would take is for him to go along to the doctor and say, enough is enough.

I hope you get some answers. 

Deb

Thank you Tummy Tuck.   I did talk to the GYN about doing something about calming down the hormones to see if this helps.  But she wasn't very interested in helping me this way.  Really don't know why.  There are people at some pharmacies who mix things for each persons particular problem.  I know there is one in my area who will do blood tests and then research for what would be best for me.  Creams pills etc.  You may want to inquire at a pharmacy that makes formulas for people.  Or check wtih your doctor or GYN.  I have heard of a few people who I spoke with that it helped.  This may be my route to go after seeing the endocrinologist if I don't get anywhere with her.  It's just a shame that there isn't more study for hormonal problems then there is.  they just slap HRT on women and put those chemicals into their bodies.  

    My sister in law was on them for many years, after a hysterectomy at age 28 after two children.  Then she found out she had three kinds of breast cancer about 7 years ago.  had to have a double mastectomy, then they didn't get it all and she had to have surgery and treatments again.  She has been free of that now for 5 years.  We are glad.  But she has talked to all the females in the family not to go on HRT because of what she went through and what she found out after the cancer.

I strongly believe medicines (along with all the chemicals in foods and in our farming area,) are causing a whirl wind of autoimmune diseases and now the medical field is scared because they dont' know what to do for us.  I also found out that a poultry place near us was burning plastics, we would get this smell sometimes, that my husband thought someone was burning something strange in their wood stoves.  Well I found out through some mennonite ladies who volunteer at my sewing room at a hospital, that three ladies in my area had been diagnosised with thyroid cancer.  They lived next to the poultry place. So I am careful to cook my own foods and not use pre-made stuff more then I have to.   We were given a deer to have butchered the last two years, that is the best meat for us.  No chemicals.  I also get my chicken from a place who does not give them chemicals.  My nephew also has hefers and doesn't give them any either.  And we have access to organic eggs.    Ya have to check into that though to make sure the animals don't get chemicals in their foods either. 

Deb