@Pat25 yes your symptoms sound very different to mine - mine just feel tender, and that often happens when I’m taking too much estrogen so I have to dial it back a bit.
Anyway, I’m glad you found an explanation:)
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Slightly related. What is a good age to get a baseline in case you ever want to have post-menopause hormone replacement therapy?
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age 20 
Progesterone and T both start dropping around 1%/year then and estradiol goes on a roller coast ride mid/late 40’s and then plummets. Every cell in the body has receptors for each. Rap really suppresses steroidal hormones so test/support accordingly. Her sleep has come back after 2 weeks of no rap. It’s a hammer on steroids. Makes sense…don’t make babies during a famine! Problem is that steroid drive the repair/replenish pathways across the body/brain and P calms excessive immune response. We’re going to do 1 week on/1 week off at a lower dose…prob 2/mg. Don’t want to lose steriod pathway. Too important to brain/heart function.
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@zazim that’s a good question.
I’d say soon as you can - check a few times a month during various phases of your cycle.
I wish I’d done it instead of stumbling into menopause blindly. Luckily I had the help of some lovely ladies in a menopause forum to guide me through my choices.
I think I’m going to suggest doing this to my daughter. I saw this suggestion on a taped seminar but now I can’t find it. All I can remember is that she teaches at Harvard.
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I am a big fan of kefier also and home make both water and milk kefier.
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I also make kefir and farmer’s cheese from it. Also use Whey protein (by product of cheese making) in soups, smoothies, etc.
What kind of starters culture do you all use for making kefir?
I buy it on Amazon. Tried several brands. All of them work just fine. I use only 1% organic milk base.
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Had new labs done. My main concern was insulin because it has never been measured before.
Insulin Level 2.5 mcU/mL
Glucose: 92
A1C: 5.9 (which is a little high). Should I worry about A1C while having normal Fasting Insuline and Glucose? (not on Metformin or Acarbose).
Some other labs (all within normal range):
Albumin: 4
Alkaline Phosphatase: 58 iu/l
ALT w/p5p: 14 iu/l
AST w/p5p: 31 iu/l
Bilirubin: 0.3
Potassium: 4.1
Did not have lipid panel yet.
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Overall labs look good. A1C can take 3-4 months to reflect more recent diet changes and fasting insulin and glucose can correct sooner. Your trends will be better help, but good job on your first set!
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estradiol and progesterone? They’re monster players in every pathway of the body
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My diet (mostly plant based, no meat, fish once/week, 2 eggs per week, and kefir every day) has been the same for years. Medications (rapamune, labetalol 100 mg/day, amlodipine 2.5 mg/day) as well. Nothing changed. I assume that if I see any changes in my labs, especially in glucose/insuline, then it would be rapamune to blame. Is it reasonable to assume?
I take neither estardiol nor progesterone. I don’t seem to have any post-menoposal symptoms that would bother me or I would even notice. Does it still mean that it may be beneficial to add both because of age? Or is it different for everybody?
You’re HOMA-IR is .6 which is excellent. Doesn’t seem like you are insulin resistant. But your glucose levels are high even though your last fasting glucose test was great. I don’t think you’ve been on rapamycin long enough to make a difference in A1c.
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I’ve been on rapamycin for 12 years, it’s long enough for A1C. My previous glucose reading 99 was after a cup of coffee which affects the reading. This one, 92, is after 14 h fast and no coffee.
Have your A1c scores always been this high? I would be on Metformin immediately. It doesn’t look like you eat enough carbs for Acarbose, but both are question for a physician.
The Ageless RX physicians will probably be much more accommodating than your primary doc. I have a couple of friends who were interested in copying me. Their doctors said absolutely not on Metformin. I am not scheduled to see my regular doctor until next year so I haven’t discussed any of these new medicines with him.
A1C was measured only 2 times for me. The previous one was in March and it was the same, 5.9. Insulin was measured for the first time. I measure glucose once a month. Usually it’s within range but on a higher end. I will start a low dose of Metformin and will see if the numbers improve.
Another concern re Metformin is that it lowers weight. Mine is already low, 110lb, heihgt 5’4. I have been trying to gain weight for some time. Nothing works. Metformin will make it even lower.
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Your FBS and insulin are very much in normal ranges and your HOMA is excellent.
Maybe consult with an endocrinologist before jumping to another medication that you may well not need.
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