menapause question

[Barb]

Hi there! I am new to your forum but would love it if someone can give me some helpful info. I am 39 years old and I completed menapause one year ago. Diabetes and high blood pressure run rampant in my family, as well as heart disease. As a result, I am determined to do all I can to be healthy and not follow the path of my ancestors. As of July of last year, I became a vegetarian and almost live as a vegan except that I have honey and an occasional egg from time to time. I am not completely familiar with macrobiotics but am open to whatever will help my health. I can sometimes have borderline blood pressure readings (140/70) and I need to lose about 15 pounds. Someone today told me that I should stay away from nightshade vegetables and sugar to keep the hot flashes away. I know this is a lot of info but any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

[mike chen]

barb, did you start menopause a year ago or complete it then? are you having hot flashes presently?

[Barb]

I began menapausal symptoms about 5 years ago. Then I officially completed menapause in October of 2002 because it had been a year since receiving my cycle. At that time I saw an internist who confirmed it with my FSH levels being off the chart in a blood sample. So this coming October it will be two years. I went to a dtr of integrative medicine in 2001 but I found that I was giving him more answers just by reading and doing research on the internet than he could provide for me with a large bill; so I stopped going. Yes, I still have hot flashes. Sometimes it will be 3 or 4 within only one hour. At other times, I can seem to go an entire afternoon and not feel anything. I have begun to notice one pattern though. When I fast for a few days, I don't seem to have them. Other than that, I've not been able to figure out what triggers them.
thanks so much for your reply!-b