health anxiety / perimenopause ?

[kellie39]

hi
i had never thought that i could be perimenopause as i still have regular periods but after reading different post on here im beginning to wonder.
my periods are heavier and have more clots than they used to be, i have more pmt and mood swings than i used too. i often feel hot at night but not night sweats or hot flushes. im a bit forgetful and the kids often tell me that they told me something and i will argue that they didnt but now im beginning to wonder if they did and i forgot.
i had a horrible anxiety attack last Sept and but i managed to get thru it. i now find when my period is due i feel anxious.
im due my smear test now and have an app for tomorrow but im also due on my period any time now, but my anxiety has gone thru the roof and im so scared about the smear and scared there is something wrong. up until 10 days ago i wasnt worried but now im a wreck.

im 45 nearly 46
does this sound like perimenopause?
do others get anxiety / health anxiety with it?
is this normal?
im finding it hard to think straight at the min so looking for any advice or reassurance that this is normal?
thanks
kellie
xx

[0pheliaBalls]

I'm 43 and pretty sure I'm peri menopausal but the symptoms are terrifying me. I haven't had periods for years because I have a Morena coil, but I've been having night sweats, daytime overheating, fatigue, dizzy spells, brain fog and headaches. The last three in particular have had me convinced I have a brain tumour or something, even though I've been to the doctor and as I have no other pertinent symptoms she reassured me nothing sinister is going on.

It's a disconcerting and upsetting time, especially if you suffer from HA - our bodies (and minds) are all over the place. Bloody hormones

[JapanNextYear]

Google peri menopause, anxiety and forgetfulness etc all part of it. HRT worked for me really quickly.

[Loveleopardprint]

Found my people! I feel like I am going mad. Bleeding every twenty days. Feeling so, so anxious it is making life unbearable. I have a doctors appointment on Thursday. Just need some help. Can't take this anxiety anymore. I was doing my weekly shop today and feeling panicky in the supermarket for no reason at all.

[Loveleopardprint]

I'm anxious I've killed the thread now!

[JapanNextYear]

I'd never had anxiety attacks till peri menopause. I couldn't understand why I was finding stuff at work that wouldn't have bothered me at all before so hard.

It's a side effect of lower/fluctuating oestrogen levels. I improved greatly with HRT, and then, as it didn't quite agree with me, went back on the pill. I'm more me again.

[Loveleopardprint]

Am I right in thinking that you can't have hrt until your periods actually stop? I just hope they don't offer me the mirena coil. I was sterilised years ago and don't want to go back to a coil now!!

[kellie39]

i dont know anything about hrt so i cant help with that one im afraid.
how are you feeling today? the anxiety is really horrible isnt it, i had never had it before and omg it shocked me how terrible it is.
do you find you have the anxiety all the time or just at certain times of the month?

[JapanNextYear]

Nope, HRT is fine while you are still having periods. Your GP should check your history to make sure there's no reason why you shouldn't have it NICE guidelines menopause.

You'll also maybe have to try a couple of ways of taking it/formulations till you find one that's right for you.

[Loveleopardprint]

Thanks for that info. I am worried about going to the doctors tomorrow. I have told a couple of friends so I have some more support in real life. Rationally I know I have nothing to be anxious about but that does not seem to compute with my panicky feelings.

[kellie39]

i know this anxiety is so horrible, i was shocked by how it takes over your mind and body.

[Loveleopardprint]

Was your appointment ok?

[kellie39]

I had my smear this morning, i still anxious and crying. Now i have the wait for results which will send me crazy !! Just hope and pray they come back normal.
Im hoping my anxiety will calm down a bit when i come on my period.
How are u feeling now? Any calmer ?

[kellie39]

I have a headache tonight and i ache, my back and bum cheeks ache - not sure if its because im so stressed and hormonal or if its something to worry about? Im finding im worrying over everything at the min aswell i just cant seem to get a grip on reality xx

[Loveleopardprint]

I'm sorry you are feeling crap. At least the smear is done. Well done for going. So many put it off. I know what you mean about anxiety. I am just watching crap tv but then I get these waves of panic. Really weird and annoying. Going to try and get an early night. Hope I don't cry at the doctors tomorrow. It is so embarrassing. I get so het up it turns into tears.

[kellie39]

Dont be embarrassed if u get upset it's totally normal, my doc would worry if i didnt cry when i go to see her lol
Just tell your doc everything and get it all off your chest. I hope u get some good advice.
Let me know how you get on xx

[LordTrash]

Yep, this is sounding familiar to me - the minute (it seemed) I hit 45, I started getting horrendous anxiety, and all kinds of other weird, apparently unrelated, symptoms. Periods much heavier, headaches (which I'd never been prone to), dizzy spells etc.

When I suggested to GP it might be perimenopause she seemed to think I was too young though.

In the meantime, I've found taking vit D has really helped this winter - not sure why, but my anxiety nothing like as bad as was last (nightmare) winter. Hope you can get some help for you.

[Loveleopardprint]

Thanks. Will report back tomorrow.

[Hodgesd]

Hi kellie it sounds like it, I have been peri for nearly 3 years and never had anxiety up until then, I struggle with it real bad but refuse to use medication, I know I can get through this with out pumping all sorts of drugs into me. I went 5 months with no period and then bam . I know I am getting towards the end now as I had ultra sound scans on my ovaries. But the night sweats have stopped since wearing a ladycare, it is fantastic. For the last year. I have had probably every sympton there is but have got through without nothing. Be strong lovie.

[Mandp76]

Joining this thread as I've joined the PM gang and fear if something doesn't change I'm gonna lose all my family through being a psychotic bitch for 2 weeks out of 3! I've noticed it more and more in the last 6 months. Night sweats, clots, evil mood swings and the fatigue is just horrendous. I want to try and tackle it naturally as I'm not good with chemical induced hormones. I.e. pill and other contraceptive devices.

[PollyPerky]

It's best to keep an open mind on HRT. The hormones in the Pill are much higher and also synthetic- HRT uses completely different hormones, identical to your own. There is no scientific research that shows anything except oestrogen helps symptoms . Try other stuff if you want to, but it may be a long and bumpy road when in the end you decide to try HRT!

[Tragicomical]

Hi guys, I'm 44 and periods went haywire from age 40 - from 28 days on the dot to anything 20-35 days.


But now I haven't had a period since April 9th. Which is fine by me! No other symptoms.

Did a PG test, negative but also wondering if my PCOS could be back too as I had this in my. 20s, got about 6 stone overweight with it. Lost it eating low carb and all was fine from then on.

I've currently restarted low carb as I have gained 3 stone recently by eating crap.

Anyway, have booked a doctors appointment now. Can't get in til June 9th though. I'm assuming a simple blood test can show what's going on?

[PollyPerky]

I think it depends on what you want the outcome of a drs appt to be.
Irregular periods in your mid-late 40s are normal and don't need medical tests or treatment unless your symptoms are really bad and you want HRT.
44 is on the 'young' side for peri but only just! NICE has just told GPs not to do blood tests on women with peri symptoms if they are over 45. This is because tests are a) unreliable and b) pointless- treat the symptoms as peri meno and if they go, then it was the right treatment.

Soooo....all depends on why you want to see the dr.

[Tragicomical]

Thanks Polly, I guess I'm more worried that PCOS has returned. Thanks for the advice.

[Tragicomical]

I have regular blood tests every month as I had a form of chemo some time ago.
It's done at a hospital not the doctor and my lastest results showed low vit b12 which happened before - will also ask re jabs for that (the letter arrived after I posted )