Perimenopause or depression?

[Gladys123]

I'm 43 and feeling at the end of my tether. Still have periods but in the last year I have gone down hill mentally, especially in the last 2 months. I wake up feeling lime I could burst into tears or with such rage. I'm never happy. I can't stand my husband at the.moment and he's done nothing wrong.

Basically I feel like I've got permanent pmt and i can't deal with it. In the past year I've started having dizzy spells and has headaches around ovulation and my knee joints ache. And I'm so tired.

I came off the pill when I was 37 because of migraines. The Dr then put me on antidepressants to deal with my pmt which has worked fine up until this year.

I have a drs appointment next week. If i tell her all of this do you think she'll offer hrt? Or does this sound lime depression?

Sorry for the essay.

[Gladys123]

Or is this a midlife crisis!?? I feel like running away in all honesty.

[Emerald13]

It sounds like peri to me! I was feeling that way when I diagnosed with early menopause a year ago with almost regular periods ! I am 43 now. Antidepressants are not the proper treatment for peri, maybe you need hrt. Check your FSH and ask for hrt.

[Gladys123]

Thanks. Will they check fsh with a blood test?

[Gladys123]

And does hrt help with the rage and feeling low?

[moggles1234]

I could have written this myself. Woke up today aching all over. Feel sluggish and permanently on the edge and angry and tearful at the same time. I am 44. Have been wondering whether it’s depression or hormone related. Hair like straw and slight weight gain as well when ‘being good’. Just feel like I can’t be bothered with anything. This has been going on for a few months now. I’m wondering if it’s worth going to the doctor. It’s all a bit rubbish isn’t it.

[Branleuse]

peri menopause is hell. Im 42. My periods are coming sometimes after 17 days and sometimes after 23 days, but can be up to 45 days. All over the shop, but usually theyre really frequent, with a weeks worth of PMT beforehand with depression, anxiety, insomnia, mood swings.
Apparently my hormones are in the range of normal still, but I know theyre not. It makes it so hard to plan anything because so much of the time I just feel awful

[Gladys123]

Oh yes the insomnia. It's horrendous. I'm interested to hear what the gp has to say. I just hope she's not going to tell me to eat better or something. I need more than that!

[Gladys123]

My sister told me to try taking agnus castus and b12. Hasn't helped.

[CrabappleBiscuit]

Hrt helped me with all the symptoms you describe. I thought I was going mad and my marriage was really affected. It took a couple of tries to get the right one but I had a supportive gp (eventually) . Blood tests don't necessarily show anything so they should prescribe on symptoms alone.

Took a couple of weeks to kick in but much more stable now.

[Branleuse]

agnus castus helped for about a year with PMT symptoms, but it didnt help with my cycle. It then seemed to stop working

[MrsPMT]

Sounds like peri to me too. I've been going through very similar, have past depression and was very concerned that I was heading that way again.

GP put me on mini-pill to help regulate my hormones and after about 6-7 weeks its settling (stressful 6-7 weeks though waiting for any changes!) and I feel back to normal.

[Gladys123]

Is cerrezette the mini pill? I was put in that ages ago when breastfeeding but just bled for weeks with it so don't really want to go there again.

[MrsPMT]

Also blood test didn't show anything, GP said that hormones could show up as fine one day (eg on day of blood test) but be haywire the next day.

With all my symptoms (similar to yours) she said we can pretty much conclude it hormonal and due to perimenopause.

[MrsPMT]

Yes thats it, seems to agree with me, but aware that it doesn't suit everybody. Hopefully they can get something that suits you.

[Gladys123]

I just feel that the physical symptoms have been happening for about a year but mentally I've just suddenly gone downhill. Which is quite scary. Thanks for the replies. I'm glad I'm not the only one (not glad that you're all going through it as well though!)

[MrsPMT]

My periods started being weird about a year ago, occasionally skipping one then getting 2 very close together. Then a few months ago I started feeling like I had PMT all the time, total rage! Poor DP & DS! Then changed to depressed on verge of tears all the time. Thats when I went to GP and thankfully a lot better now. Good luck!

[Emerald13]

Yeah, you can check your FSH with a blood test. Estrogen loss affects badly our brain, our psychology and makes us feel anxious and depressed. You are too young to leave your body without estrogen. I was 1-3 months in a hell before I diagnosed with early menopause. My first gyn was arrogant and left me without any help.

[Gladys123]

So I've been to the Dr and she agreed that it's perimenopause and put me on cerelle. I can't go on the combined pill because I used to get migraines with that.

Thing Is, I've just searched in the Mum snet archives for cerelle and apparently it turns most people into a depressed monster! Why on earth would the Dr put me on this when I said my main symptom was depression and rage?! Anyone got any good experience with this pill?

[thefirstmrsdewinter]

I feel like every time I post here I suggest that everyone should have their thyroid tested so apologies for being such a one-trick pony but if you're having symptoms like fatigue, heavy periods, depression, rage, sleep issues, dizziness, tearfulness, hair loss, fluid retention, constipation, dry skin/hair, aches/pains etc, do have a tft and get your actual results, even if you're told everything is ok. There's a lot of crossover between peri/meno and thyroid symptoms, and they can both strike at the same age.

I was a mess when I was diagnosed and the test was not offered to me, I had to ask for it.

[MrsPMT]

Cerelle is what I've been put on, it took about 6-8 weeks for me to feel any different but now totally back to normal, has really helped.

[NotAgainYoda]

Yep. op That is exactly how I started to feel about 3 years ago (at 45).I could have written your post and moggles and Crapapple.

The crying and the feelings of rage were the worst. And the lack of motication. It could easily have been depression but I knew it wasn't

HRT has helped but am finessing which one to help libido

[TransplantsArePlants]

motivation

[Gladys123]

That's reassuring to hear MrsPMT All I could find we're bad reviews!