We've all had the experience at some point of reading a book or an article in a magazine that describes us so well we think the reporter must have been in our own living room! The feelings of identification and even relief that comes from that experience -- from realizing you are normal, and not at all alone -- can be huge.

I have been dealing with perimenopause and menopause for about 5 and 2 years, respectively. In that time I've experienced almost every symptom, some mildly and some not-so-mildly. I am a reader and an information nut, so it wasn't like I didn't know what was going on.

Postmenopausal
CA Orange County
Applies to: Experiencing Hot Flashes. 30-65 years of age
Patient Compensation: $400
Number of Visits: 5
Length of Study: 3 months

If you are postmenopausal and would like to participate in a paid research study, see below.

Female IBS
CA San Diego
Applies to: Female 18-65 years of age

There are two people close to me in my life who have suffered terribly with migraines during their perimenopausal years.

My sister has always had migraines, but since she has entered perimenopause, they seem hormonally linked to her (now irregular) periods. These are the kinds of headaches that sometimes respond to her medication and other times do not. They can last a day or two, and leave her feeling hungover when they're gone. She has three small children, so cocooning in a dark, quiet room isn't really an option for her.

Has anyone gone through menopause 5 years ago or longer and done it completely without any hormonal help at all?

I am in my second year of menopause after about five years of perimenopause. I have not used hormones of any kind and seem to have gotten through at least the physical effects (hot flashes, etc) without tearing my hair out.

this blah, blah mood i'm in, and my blasé attitude is just not me. i just turned 50 last month. its nice to see the surprise on people's faces when i tell them that. but i'm 50 just the same and have been experiencing periminopausal symptoms for 2 years now - although i didn't discover it until about a year ago!

HELP...Does anyone have a treatment they can recommend for Rosacea... that actually works? I'm having a horrible time trying to get my skin moist and get the redness to go away. I look flush all the time and I've noticed that I'm getting little broken capillaries on my cheeks, nose and chin.

I've had bouts of this over the years but it's gotten much worse. I've tried Noritate cream, washing with cold water and not scrubbing my face. I've gone and had photo facial treatments and nothing seems to be working.

I am open to any treatment. Alternative, RX, diet..whatever.

MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Women who take hormones to relieve symptoms of menopause have a higher risk of developing symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Also, women who use selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), used to treat breast cancer and osteoporosis, also have a higher risk of developing reflux, according to a study in the Sept. 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Cracking the problem of what holds the universe together seems relatively easy compared to the challenge of keeping sex good. Personally, I’ve had so many sex problems over the years that I thought that’s just the nature of sex. If only I’d had this book years ago: When Sex Isn’t Good, Stories and Solutions of Women with Sexual Dysfunction, by Lillian Arleque, Ed.D.; Sue W. Goldstein, A.B.; and Irwin Goldstein, M.D., Director of Sexual Medicine, Alvarado Hospital, San Diego, CA, Medical Consultant.

Tongues have been wagging a lot about soy isoflavones (plant-based compounds with estrogen-like properties) with the most disturbing reports linking high doses to genetic damage and stimulation of estrogen receptors to promote breast cancer.

So, do you need to be worried if your current menopause diet includes lots of soy? Evidently, the answer is NO!

According to a newly published study in the Menopause Journal, unconjugated forms of soy isoflavones are safe and well tolerated at daily doses as high as 900 mg/day. (Unconjugated forms are more readily absorbed into the bloodstream.)

Dr. Ramsey explains some common symptoms associated with menopause.