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Original poster

Is this normal in early 40s or not

8 replies

StillHereStillBreathing · 15/08/2023 13:40

This is long, sorry!

I'm 41, have a history of Complex PTS D, dissociation, and related diagnoses which am in treatment for, low vitamin D and b12 , PCOS, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, obesity (again treated). Lately this past year I have noticed an increase in brain fog but also I am forgetting things like names of people I know, other things I know or should know, (e.g. Forgetting the names or composers of well known pieces of music in the radio etc and difficulty retrieving the information in my brain when needed. I will forget words in a sentence, and it takes me 15 mins to find what I was trying to say etc

Haven't forgotten how to get to places I know. On bad days I do suddenly temporarily "forget" how to do a task, but I believe a lot of that can be overwhelm with mental health issues and it only takes a couple of minutes usually before I remember , ok, I was going to wash my clothes, this means I must switch the washing machine on and find the washing powder etc...

I haven't had a stroke but I am at high risk for one (on tablets for high blood pressure and 24 stone, I'm losing weight at moment which is good I was 27 stone in April)._I haven't banged my head. Lewey Body dementia doesn't fit my symptoms, not does Parkinson's . My behaviour and mental health have always been difficult (decades of OCD, BPD/EUPD, CPTSD, (autistic traits been suggested though not diagmosed)) so haven't had a sudden change of personality , overall my mental health has been improving albeit I have the odd blip here and there.

Last spring and summer (2022) I began to have hot flush symptoms, and my bones and joints have become stiff and sore. I was convinced I was going into Peri, because sometimes with severe P COS it can come early.apparently .I did discuss with my doctor then about how to see if I am Peri, she said I would have to come off all my PCOS meds for a few months just to see, but was reluctant to do that because without the contraceptive pill I get months of heavy painful bleeding and horrible migraines. I don't feel I can cope with this on top of other things. I do have also a Functional Movement Disorder linked to a bad reaction I had from antipsychotic meds years ago so life isn't easy.

Anyone else had experience of this kind of memory issue as young as early 40s? If so, what happened and were you able to treat it? I know I should probably be posting in General Health but, I thought more traffic here.

I know I can't seem a diagnosis here. I just want to know am I going crazy?

OP posts:
Goldenphoenix · 15/08/2023 14:42

I am a similar age and my similar brain fog issues have been much improved by HRT so I would say it does sound like a lot of your recent symptoms could be related to peri menopause

Original poster
StillHereStillBreathing · 15/08/2023 16:49

Goldenphoenix · 15/08/2023 14:42

I am a similar age and my similar brain fog issues have been much improved by HRT so I would say it does sound like a lot of your recent symptoms could be related to peri menopause

Thanks. I'm scared of weight gain if I start HRT.

OP posts:
DoesNotPlayWellWithIdiots · 15/08/2023 17:04

It certainly sounds as though it could be peri menopause and early 40s isn't unusual to start getting symptoms.

It's personal choice but HRT helped me enormously, brain fog was one of the first symptoms to go. There are still an awful lot of myths surrounding HRT (such as it causes weight gain) so you may find it helpful to do your own research so you can make an informed decision whether to try it.

Original poster
StillHereStillBreathing · 15/08/2023 17:06

DoesNotPlayWellWithIdiots · 15/08/2023 17:04

It certainly sounds as though it could be peri menopause and early 40s isn't unusual to start getting symptoms.

It's personal choice but HRT helped me enormously, brain fog was one of the first symptoms to go. There are still an awful lot of myths surrounding HRT (such as it causes weight gain) so you may find it helpful to do your own research so you can make an informed decision whether to try it.

Fair enough . My mum gained weight on it but everybody is different

OP posts:
DoesNotPlayWellWithIdiots · 15/08/2023 17:24

StillHereStillBreathing · 15/08/2023 17:06

Fair enough . My mum gained weight on it but everybody is different

Show quote history

Menopause itself, and simply getting older, can cause weight gain but there's actually very little evidence that it's caused by HRT.
HRT tends to get blamed because women usually start taking it around the time their metabolism naturally starts to slow and weight can increase - hence the term "middle aged spread".
Providing there's no medical reason not to take it I'd really recommend thinking about it, I'm never coming off it! 😄

Goldenphoenix · 15/08/2023 18:26

I haven't gained any weight since starting HRT if that helps. If anything my tummy has gone down a bit as lots less bloated! It's a bit suck it and see I think but no weight gain here yet.

Bubbles254 · 15/08/2023 18:38

I have lost 11kg including lots of tummy fat since starting hrt. It gave me the energy to implement a healthier diet and to exercise.

namechanged221 · 15/08/2023 18:41

The HRT your Mum tool will be vastly different to the newer generation of bio identical HRT.
I got my first symptoms at 41, 48 now and on Orstrogel and Utrogestan. Highly recommended
Good luck.

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