Menopause or just losing my mind?

[EsterOdesavitch]

I really enjoy my job, I'm quite career oriented and ambitious and like to be the best I can be in my role - I like to be the go-to person for difficult stuff, the person who can be trusted to work out issues with clients etc. I'm also fairly academic and have a couple of professional qualifications. I've been in my profession for 20 years.

But I'm 48, became pre-menopausal last year and now on full HRT for the mood swings, leaky bladder, sweats and flushes - and now, I couldn't give much of a shit about anything.

In the mornings I can scarcely rouse myself to walk the dog, let alone get motivated to do a day's remote work. The thought of interacting with clients makes me feel physically sick, and the endless internal meetings and discussions about things make me want to cry with boredom.

I can't concentrate and can't keep my focus on the topic at hand. I'm reading technical papers but nothing is going in. I've got an exam coming up, I'm trying to revise but I'm not absorbing anything. I thought I just hated this job so I've been looking for another one, but during my last interview I was acutely aware that I was having to work really hard not to lose track of what he - or I - was saying. It's like I'm a totally different person, I used to be so...sharp.

I had another GP appt but she didn't have any suggestions other than a new coil (my mirena is 5 months overdue for changing).

Am I going mad, if it's hormones does it get better?

Sounds like me a year ago. Defo menopause. I got to the stage I worried I wasn’t going to be able to work full time ever again. Felt shit, brain fog, the lot. It did, and does, get better. I gave up alcohol (gp suggested it), ok maybe a bit drastic but it really helped. I also take supplements - menopace, and currently anti-pd meds as the anxiety I was experiencing was off the scale (not so bad now). I totally sympathise, sometimes being a woman is shit!

Thanks @Purplecatshopaholic, I actually just had a little cry because I hardly recognise myself - so many trivial work things seem to make me feel sick with anxiety, I'm supposed to be such a cool calm professional. I'm gutted.

I don't drink alcohol anyway, but my diet is really poor and I'm overweight so I don't suppose that will help. Sometimes eating a muffin feels like the only thing I have to look forward to.

Will have a look at some supplements, thank you.

Has you doctor done a full blood screen for you? It could be your thyroid? It could also be low iron. Do you use coil and HRT patches? Maybe swing by the menopause board as there are lots of very knowledgeable people on there.

Can't remember the last time I had a full screen, although I recently had some blood tests for severe abdominal pain which showed high CRP (51). Thyroid not looked at in a while. I'm going for my new coil on Thursday, maybe I'll bring it up with the GP.

I'm using mirena coil plus gel, the supply of patches is apparently hit and miss at the moment although I'd prefer them. I've just increased from 2 pumps to 4, but I just feel sick.

Maybe I'll re-post on the menopause board, thanks!

Bit confused
You say you love your job

But also say you hate your job?

I’m 51, still having periods 😞 but starting to feel like I’m getting my mind back after a few years of fogginess, poor concentration and lack of motivation. I’ve even finished a few books this year!

So yes, it could well be your peri hormones... ask about HRT, and start some vitamins/supplements

I would say dealing with your diet and weight would probably help no end.
What about Addressing that For a start? Would make you look better, feel better and all the enormous health benefits that come with not being overweight.

If you have high levels of inflammation then it’s not surprising you feel crap tbh. How are they treating that? Maybe it’s a food allergy?
I hated the mirena coil as it made me feel pre menstrual and cross all the time, so I know have 2 pumps of gel a day and Ultrogestan for two weeks. I feel so much better. I had had high anxiety which one doc gave be anti-ds for, but they made me feel worse. Getting HRT right has solved a lot of problems for me. Good luck.

Still waiting for a scan re the inflammation and abdominal pain, there was a 5 week backlog. Query bile duct or pancreas - I had my gallbladder out a few years ago, could be related, could be nothing. Pain has gone mostly now anyway, no one has suggested re-checking the CRP.

I've been taking Utrogestan all the time since April, as the progesterone in my coil has depleted. Will stop once I have the new coil in a couple of days. I've been on anti-anxiety pills for 20 years, but this is a new sensation!

I could have written this too - usually on top of things, sharp and motivated but felt like I was loosing my mind, literally couldn’t move myself to do anything.

I’d echo a good supplement - I’m taking iron and a decent multivitamin, it took a couple of weeks but I feel so much better, I still have times I’m struggling but I’m fine about 80% of the time, which is a massive improvement.

I think this is probably six of one and half a dozen of another. Unfortunately as we age our body just can’t cope as well with a our diet. Our metabolic health is not the same as it was in our twenties. In the same way that our body struggles to metabolise alcohol efficiently it’s also starts to struggle with excess sugar. I would expect you may be prediabetic so that would definitely be worth getting screened for.

In terms of hormones I wonder if you’d consider HRT or bioidenticsl hormones privately?

*poor diet

It’s so tough getting this kind of spread of issues treated. If you wanted a quick fix could you get a reflexology treatment or similar? It always perks me up, and this and and some good multivits might really help in the short term

Just on the brainfog element (and I recognise exactly in myself what you’re describing) I think hrt improved it slightly but I was disappointed by how slight the improvement was

I am on same hrt as you. I am keeping on with it for the other benefits mainly I have much more energy

There was a thread a while ago asking to hear from women who had sailed through the menopause easily.
They all had in common clean diets, little to no booze... and yoga.
I was a bit annoyed by this too but I really think a large part of the answer for us all is moving away from the muffins. Easier said than done I know

Yes, I don't doubt that diet plays a big part - I've yo-yo'd all my life! Had my health screening 3 years ago and wasn't pre-diabetic then, blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol all low. Don't smoke, don't drink, very little caffeine, walk daily, but I don't exercise hard and I don't eat well.

I'll work on improving the diet and try some supplements to see if that improves the brain fog a bit.

Thanks all.

Would be interested to hear how you get on

Meh, my weight, diet, fitness etc are all good but menapause and Perimenapause has thrown me for six. The insomnia is a bugger. I’ve always be very calm and laid back but I find myself worrying and fussing now. I know COVID19 hasn’t helped but I’m putting most of it down to menopause.

Some of it might be just getting a bit bored with the same-old same-old of work though.

I can't take HRT. I've found the following help:

• vitamin B

-iron

• upping my exercise
• improving my diet

Nothing stops the buggering insomnia though.

I'm sure there are plenty of slim and lightweight, healthy people that suffer with the effects of hormone fluctuations in menopause - it can be frustrating when every health issue is put down to weight if you happen to carry a bit.

Surprisingly, in NONE of my conversations with medical professionals has my weight ever cropped up as an issue to be tackled, although there is no doubt I am too heavy and need to improve my nutrition (in case anyone thinks I'm in denial). It's me that usually raises it, very apologetically saying "my weight won't help" whilst having the grace to look embarrassed and shamefaced as I should for being a bit fat.

With my gallbladder, the GP shrugged and said plenty of slim people get gallstones, and the surgeon said it made little difference how fat you were, it's how many times you've lost and gained weight that affects it, and even then you could have been slim all your life and just been unlucky.

With a calf op the surgeon said my chronic foot condition is common in all kinds of people, including super fit athletes, so weight had little to do with it apart from maybe how quickly it healed.

With my recent liver/pancreas episodes the GP nodded sagely and said fat or thin, all kinds of people get similar symptoms and not everything is wholly attributable to excess weight. I guess the USS will be the judge of that.

The usual medical markers of a fat person are absent in my medical notes, so they never seem to be as hard on fatness as MN is, or as I am on myself.

All that said, I will still work on my diet and add some vitamin B to see if I can't improve my symptoms!

And yes, I am bored with my work - I love my "job", as in my career, but the incarnation of it at this specific company is no longer what I want. I need something new and exciting - I hope my foggy brain is up to the challenge.

I read quite a lot about the gut biome when it was all the rage a while ago, and it seemed to make perfect sense. Our food preferences are dictated by the bacteria in our gut. If you have a bit of a sugar craving it would be down an overgrowth of a certain kind of bacteria. If I were you, I would try a bit of a detox for a couple of weeks and see if that perks you up? Veg, whole grains no refined food. Might be a cheerless experience, but might make you feel better - unless of course it would upset your existing stomach condition of course.
I think if you improve your diet you’ll really give yourself a fighting chance.

Being slim makes no difference to my fluctuating hormones OP. It didn't stop me getting breast cancer either.

I've found reducing my sugar and alcohol intake have helped. I haven't got the self-control to cut them out entirely.

You can be slim and still be metabolically unhealthy, it’s just more common to be overweight.

I know they all say weight doesn't matter, but taking up running saved my sanity during menopause. I'm 59, and am probably well on through the whole meno saga, but I have literally no other symptoms other than brain fog. I've literally lost half my vocabulary (I'm an author, so this is not good) and my ability to reason; my spatial awareness is also a bit shit now.

I took up running. Slowly and pretty horribly, but I have to say that the increase in exercise has helped my brain. I ran my first ever half marathon during lockdown. so I'm now pretty fit. Also gave up drinking because of the migraines.

Maybe I've just been really lucky. But I can't wait to fully regain my faculties!