Am I supposed to be menopausal? How will I know?

[AprilColdShower]

I’m turning 46 soon and the only difference is that I feel a lot more tired while doing a lot less - but it could be lazyness, I’m usually low in motivation in the colder / grey months.

Other than that I had a mysterious eczema flare up, now under control. Blood and everything else fine a part from Vit D which I’m taking now.

Ah and I put some weight on but I was actually too skiny before so I’m not that bothered and don’t think I’m losing control.

How would I know if I need treatment?

I'm interested in this. I'm 46 but on the Pill and I wonder if that masks anything??

I asked a similar question and was told basically if you need oestrogen your body will be telling you. I'm same age and have had mirena for 3 years which has totally changed my period and anaemia. Other than that I'm more tired and cranky less tolerant sometimes ragey! I don't quite think I'm there yet but I have put weight in round the middle

Hi. I started symptoms at 43, brittle nails and frizzy hair the tiredness was also unbelievable.

How does the body tell if it needs oestrogen?

I knew things were happening when periods got closer together and more painful then flooding, then tiredness, aching and stiff joints then hot flushes.

im 56 now and am pretty much on the other side. No periods, rarely have hot flushes, lots of energy from conscious better eating, looser joints due to more exercise but still have stiff fingers.

started with the flooding about 48/9.

I have no idea, but I'm 45 and all my friends are obsessed with whether they are in peri-menopause and symptom spotting like crazy.

You will know if/when you start to have symptoms like:

insomnia, dizziness, sore breasts, violent mood swings, crying over nothing, hair loss, hot sweats, irregular and/or heavy periods

in any combination

Oh and itchy skin like you wouldn’t believe

I had a lot of subtle symptoms in my late 40s - feeling dog tired at the end of week, achey fingers every so often, much lighter periods with no pain but nasty headaches - I’m 52 now and had a period of hot flushes that has now stopped, some months with no bleed, then a six week flood, cellulite and more tummy fat - I have gone from a size 8 to 10 and cannot eat a shitload of chocolate & sweets anymore - I eat well, exercise but am a single mum with a 50hr per week stressy job - on the plus side, I have clear skin - suffered with acne in my teens, twenties & thirties - skin is best it’s ever been - also, fluctuating libido and bigger boobs (from AA to C)

I'm 48 in a couple of weeks. I've always had insomnia but the falling asleep easily but not being able to stay asleep variety.

Now, I'm frequently awake at 5am not having been to sleep. I'm exhausted. My vision is blurred and my eyes sting with tiredness but I still can't sleep.

Dizziness and nausea around/during my period when I've never had any symptoms at all.

Very heavy periods that are painful like labour, make me actually ill and occasionally necessitate a day off work.

Overwhelming sadness. I can't say I'm depressed because it doesn't feel like depression but the sadness is overwhelming.

My periods are still regular and as predictable as they ever were.

Most of my friends are older and post menopausal now but a couple have suggested I see a doctor. If I can ever get an appointment, I will.

I'm 48 and feel the same as you OP, as in not sure i am perimenopausal.

Have the occasional night sweat.

I do have itchy skin flare ups but I've had them on and off for years.

A bit more anxious than I used to be but never without very good reason? ie. Is my 18 year old son going to be home from the party he has gone to in time to leave for the airport with us at 3.30am...??

Who knows. Certainly don't want to be taking neducation if I don't need to.

Well what alerted me was waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat with literally soaking wet pyjamas and sheets, for two years, roughly 14 nights a month leaving me utterly sleep deprived and exhausted. Then there's been the sore dry itchy skin, the anxiety, the aching legs and the extreme feeling of apathy.

Google the symptoms and see how many you have

I'm peri-menoupause and boy do i Know it:

Irregular periods.
Hot flushes followed by nausea.
Anxiety over simple stuff.
Forgetting stuff and then getting anxiety.
Inability to put up with shit, my tolerance for shit people play has gone out the window.
Uncontrolled farting.
Ithcy skin.
I'd drink more wine but have awful hangovers on 1 -2 glasses.
Have about 4-5 hours alseep at night due insomia.
Thankfully I work with team of women going through the same.

I've yet to seek treatment as due to work unable to make appt.
Good luck.

Is bad spelling a sign of perimenopause?

*medication

@VanCleefArpels Im 50 this year and i have no way of telling whether the mini pill has stopped my periods or im perimenopausal Im child free by choice and if i had been taken seriously about that then i wouldnt have this problem now

Well no. I didn't start getting irregular periods til I was about 52-53, and no other symptoms. Last period when I was 56.
I think you'll know.

The perimenopause is the stage when the 3 hormones start to deplete (oestrogen, progesterone & testosterone). Symptoms vary in women but as the hormones have an influence on many systems in the body, the symptoms are wide & varied:
insomnia, itchy skin, crawling skin, muscle aches (eg, fingers & wrists), joint pains, hot flushes, dry eyes, frizzy thinning hair, brain fog, anxiety, loss of libido, becoming less tolerant of people & things (the rage), night sweats, gastric acid, altered bowels, vaginal dryness, burning mouth & tongue, palpitations, irregular periods and heavy, flood like periods.

I had Mirena coil so no periods for over 20 years! So doctor went off other symptoms and prescribed HRT. Life changing .

I’m 42 and I’ve noticed minor symptoms; brain fog, frizzy hair, needing lube sometimes for sex, rare sweaty nights. My periods are still like clockwork

Can i ask life changing how?

I'm going to discuss hrt withy GP when I can but I was talking to a friend this week and his wife experienced worse symptoms on hrt than she had without.

He said he'd never seen rage like it and she came off it. I didn't ask if she'd been prescribed a different dosage or whatever but I have read of other women who haven't gone down the hrt route because it affected them so negatively.

I feel sad like this I think. I feel like I'm suffering grief for something but I've temporarily forgotten the bad thing that has happened. Like I've been crying all day over something.

@GreyCarpet life changing in that it turned me from a variously raging, crying, itchy hot mess to feeling “me” again. I thought I was going mad, I was Googling early onset dementia, I was horrible to live with. I’ve been lucky as my only negative side effect of being on HRT is the occasional horrible headache. But I’m prepared to put up with that because going back to what I was like is not an option.

VanCleefArpels

Thank you. I'm not experiencing rages but the sadness I mentioned is more like absolute despair. I had a panic attack out of nowhere in bed the otherr night. I dont know if it's related but it's been a very long time since I had one of those. If it can work to reverse symptoms then I'm going to have to speak to my gp.

I am 52 and don't have any symptoms but I am still on the mini pill.
I really don't want to stop with the mini pill as it has helped a bit with my skin but I guess there will be a time when the dr days no more.