It's your brain hypothalamus thermoregulatory center freaking out over lack of estrogen, it's a useless symptom and it takes time for it to adjust

keep telling it to chill out and get used to things cuz this is how they're gonna be from now on!

At the other end of this, you'll be adjusted to estrone from your fat stores...It's another episode of life...Cry it out, it's ok, use whatever means to make yourself feel better, even very low dose hrt if you venture there, for the shortest time possible to minimize adverse effects

estrone alone for the crone!! (sorry that's crude but true!)

Effexor is the ssri most used for this

but soy isoflavones can help reduce hot flashes, don't use dong quai (carcinogenic) or black cohosh for more than 6 months (can raise risk of aggressive breast cancer), promensil has red clover and has some effectiveness, estroven has soy and other phytoestrogens, including black cohosh and kava...Kava can cause nausea and skin problems in some people it is sedating somewhat

I can relate to rainey. You're the first person that i've found with these symptoms. They are exactly what i've been going thru. I've been to various doctors, ie allergist, gynocologist & hormone specialist with no results. I've been told it's my nerves, that I have anxiety and have been prescribed anxiety medication. However, I don't feel I have anxiety and it's not in my head! It started around the time that I started getting menopausal symptoms. Its been a year that i've been going thru this !!! Please help!!!

This is a normal part of menopause for some women that is basically caused by our skin drying out from the decrease in hormones. It will ease up sooner or later. Try using gold bond cream and powders to help get through it. Good luck!

I'm glad to hear that others are having itchy skin problems,too. For the pase few days my arms and legs have been itiching like crazy. Since I haven't eaten anything new or used any new bath products or detergents etc, I knew it couldn't be an allergic reaction. I wondered if the itching could be related to menopause and I guess i'm right/

Menopause can be really bothersome for many women, but pretty easy for others. Just in case anyone needs to know, here are some other symptoms that go along with menopause. Insomnia, change in mood or personality, thinning hair, headaches, burning stomach, pimples, vaginal dryness, the list goes on and on. Some of these things can be signs of other illnesses, but if you are going through the change, and notice something that you never had before, then it's a good bet that's the reason for it! Good luck all!

I'm almost 52 and have been experiencing very itchy upper thighs for over a year, not all the time, but a lot of the time, especially if I wear pantyhose or any kind of stretchy material that doesn't breathe. I'm quite sure it's related to menopause, but it was very nice to find this site and hear from other women having similar itching issues. I'm just going to hang in there and hope it subsides soon. I'm now going on my 10th month without a period, hot flashes are less frequent, i'm sleeping through the night again and my energy level and mental clarity are a lot better than they were a year or two ago, so there is light at the end of the menopausal tunnel. Now I just have to deal with lower libido, osteopenia, thinning air, wrinkles and creaky joints! It's all good, i'm enjoying being a crone!

I have suffered from itchy, crawly skin on my arms and shoulders for 13 years now. It started when I was 40 and it has never been diagnosed by my gp as relating to the menopause, I have been prescribed various medications from cortisone creams, anti-histamines, eczema creams, sedatives etc., the list goes on and on, nothing actually stops the itching, it just has to run its course (usually about twice a year and lasts a couple of months each time). It is only the last year or so that I felt sure it was related to the menopause and mentioned this to my gp who dismissed the theory. I find the only thing that helps me get some sleep it a rich moisturiser and nytol tablets (i take just half a tablet when the itching is at its most intense).
I would love to hear if anyone has any other suggestions.

Finally, an answer! I have been suffering with this since july and only just had my gynocologist admit that it's 'probably due to hormone fluctuation.' complicating things, I have an underlying congental skin condition called iychtheosis. Not fun. Since I am unwilling to do hormone replacement, she just suggested I supplement my diet with omega three fish oil capsules and eat more fish. I don't know if that will help, but I pass it on to the rest of you in that hope. Can't hurt, right? In the meantime, I am just trying to 'hang loose' and cat nap during the day when the itch keeps me up at night. Thank god I have a schedule that allows me to do that. Even ten minutes here and there seems to help, though i'm feeling very disoriented living a 24 hour day. No family history of challenging menopause, so for a long time this was misdiagnosed as stress. Believe me, having someone suggest this was 'all in my head' was stressful! At least now I feel as if I can cope with this rather bumpy transition to crone-hood!

Crone-hood? Now ladies, please! We are not turning into crones! We are beginning what is supposed to be the best years of our lives! Once we make it through the battlescars of menopause, we can make it through anything! Crank up the aspirin, anti-itch lotions, valium, etc... And go for the rewards! If you made it through without killing anyone in your family, you aced it!

I have experienced itching for the last 6 years. Been to my family physician, allergist, dermotogist. The itching has controlled my life until recently. I have over the years been prescribed sleeping pills. Topicial creams ( which cost a fortune!) the list goes one. Recently I broke out it an severe rash and the itch was uncontrollable....Couldn't sleep all night long and the itch was uncontrollable throughout the day. I'm not retired I still work (fortuntate to be self employed and love my work) my gp suggested I do a de-tox.... I had been researching this. I knew that my body wasn't right. I commenced the univasive detox (you need to research this to make sure it's right for you) and after detoxing for approximately two weeks I immediately started having hot flashes (i call them moments) I feel fantastic! They only last a few minutes, but during the night can be more severe. But I do feel like a totally new person since the flashes began. The flashes don't last long and I don't care if I have to fan myself for 5 minutes or so as long as I feel great most of my 24 hour day. It's a normal progression in the life cycle. My skin is clear, i'm losing weight as my body readjusts, and I feel great and my husband has noticed the extreme change in me. Husbands/partners go through this with you and don't know what to do. I recommend if you're experiencing severe itiching...Try the detox route as your body is trying to break into menopause .....An it isn't all that bad once you actually know what you are dealing with.

I am sooo glad to read many others have this problem. I'm 52 too and in the midst of the pause. I have been itchy on my upper arms, especially inside my elbows and behind my knees. I've never had eczema or psoriasis, and don't think that's the problem. I've developed these conditions only very recently. My upper inside thighs also get itchy, but it goes away. There is no lasting rash or bumps. I put it all up to menopause. I've had other weird skin rashes in the past couple years too. I am trying to boost the good oils in my diet and keep my skin moisturized. Hot flashes and sweating skin probably don't help either!

I am sooooo glad that my co-worker told me to search the internet regarding this. I told her that the itching seems to go hand-and-hand with hot flashes.

I have also been to the dermatologist, used creams, put on allegra and been told it is probably nerves. I am so glad that other people are having this. I have also tried some rx sleep medications and thought this was a side-effect. Now maybe I can try them again. This has been going on since december and sometimes worse than other days.

Yes, it does effect you spouse. My husband asked me the other night if I could sit still. I said that I am not sure; I itch all over. I wrote down some of the suggestions and I am going to see what may work.

Thanks everyone!!! You made my day.

Kenda

I am a 55-year old woman who started with menopausal symptoms about 3 years ago. In addition to sleep disturbances, nausea and hot flashes, menopause brought with it a horrible side effect: creepy crawly skin and the eruption of itchy welts I first thought were mosquito bites, but which turned out to be a symptom that has plagued me off and on for three years. When my hot flashes flare up, I get these intensely itchy welts all over my body, most often on my abdomen, buttocks and arms.

My newest symptom are dry, intensely itchy eyelids. I can't tell you what pain this has cost me for the past 6 months. After visiting several dermatoligists who can't tell me its cause, I have begun a self medication using extra pure olive oil (my daughter's recommendation, a homeopathic subscriber) and it has worked. But the problem is, I have to smear my eyelids with olive oil every few hours, day or night, to get relief. I really don't know how my eyelids can absorb this much olive oil, frankly, but they do. When they are "dry" they are like leather. This is so hard to accept. My eyes were always my best feature, so you can image what this is doing to my self esteem. I haven't been able to wear eye make=up for 6 months.

As you can imagine, having to smear my eyes 10 times a night with oil causes a sleep distrurbance that impacts my life. If I didn't have a job working out of my home, I would have to go on disability. As it is, it is so difficult to face people or even have a normal life with all this itching and pain.

I'm going for another round of tests next week (for lupus, etc.) but the doctors have not been able to find anything conclusive up to now.

In addition to all the above, I also have such intense muscle pain each morning, I can hardly walk when I get out of bed. I was a dancer all my life, so this symptom is also hard to chew, but nothing beats the itchy, dry, leatherly eyelid problem.

Sorry that this missive is so long, but if I can get some feedback from others who have similar symptoms and perhaps have found a cure, I would be immensely grateful. Thank you, karinat

Hi, i've posted in another thread on itching, too. I've had some problems like this, but it's turned out to be food intolerences. I'm not sure yet why these have suddenly come up, but maybe it's thinning of the gut tissue or something.

Anyhow, the welts sound like hives and i've had the itching eyes and pain, too, which all turned out related to the food problems. I've identified several foods that i'm suddenly sensitive to (grains, milk, eggs, coffee), and if I avoid those, then I feel much better. It's worth a try, anyhow.

Btw, try plain tea for the itching eyes. It works for me.

Oh? So it's not just me!!! I started with the itching a year ago at the same time I quit smoking. I put it down to withdrawal symptoms but as it's been over a year now, I figured it can't still be nicotine withdrawal. Sometimes it does feel as if bugs were crawling on my skin (which can be a drug withdrawal symptom).

I have zero symptoms of menopause otherwise but maybe this is the first one??? Like the other women mentioned, the itching comes and goes and is worse in the extremities especially the inner arms. I have tried oatmeal baths, all kinds of mositurizers, lotions, etc. To no avail. When it gets really bad and interferes with sleep I take an anti-anixety pill. I know that is not the solution but sometimes I just can't take it anymore! Then again I can go for days and sometimes even weeks without it happening.

I shuddered when I read about one woman dealing with it for 13 years!!! Oh my! I feel for ya and can only hope that it finally stops one day. I can't see dealing with this for that long.

thanks for the suggestion, but it is definitely not food intolerance. It always is at its worst when my hot flashes are their worse, so I know there is a correlation with hormones. Thanks anyway for your response.

Hi,

i have never posted here. I never knew this site existed.

I was wondering if anyone knows if I could actually start with menopausal symptoms 7 years after my last period. I have the extreme ichiness and hot flashes but did not think they were related.

I thought that I had some skin disease, but aside from the extreme itching and some swelling where I scratch there is no sign of skin disease.

When I realized that the hot flashes and the the itchiness started about the same time I thought it might be related to hormones.

Besides that I think I see more rapid signs of aging omg.

Does anyone have any idea?

Terrics

I was searching the net for a strange, itchy, burning sensation all over the body, that drives me insane for an hour or two every other day. This is the first site where I see similar symptoms by other people.... And they're all menopausal. I'm 20! And I still have my period and every other womanly thing... Could this be some sign of a hormonal imbalance? I'm begining to think so.