Menopause flu - anyone here have experience?

[MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel]

I've been feeling under the weather for a while now, I even recently made a post about it but got no replies.

I had been talking to my boss recently and she said my age was when perimenopause was at its worse (I'm almost 44) so I googled my symptoms and menopause and came back as menopause flu.

Oh my gosh........this is me!!

The term “menopause flu” is colloquially used to describe a cluster of symptoms that mimic those of the flu but are actually related to hormonal changes during menopause. These symptoms can vary from person to person but commonly include:

Fatigue: Feeling unusually tired or exhausted despite getting enough sleep.
Muscle and Joint Pain: Experience stiffness, achiness, or soreness in muscles and joints.
Headaches: Frequently experiencing headaches or migraines.
Nausea: Feeling queasy or experiencing an upset stomach.
Chills and Night Sweats: Experiencing sudden bouts of feeling cold or experiencing night sweats similar to those during a fever.
General Malaise: Feeling generally unwell without a clear cause.

So, I wondered if anyone had experience of it and found a way to overcome it? I have no energy for anything. I finish work and then it's just a battle to stay awake until I go to bed (early). My hobbies and social life have taken a hit because I feel rough and tired all the time.

I take high strength vitamin C and echinacea at the moment.

HRT. See your GP. I still get symptoms but it’s much better and I can actually work and have a life.

HRT. I started at 44, should have started at 42 and it would have saved me a lot of trouble!

I can't recommend it highly enough. I have Mirena coil for progesterone and Oestrogen patches plus testosterone.

It could be menopause flu, it could be something else - either way, you need to see your GP.

Could be iron or vit D deficiency too, or diabetes, or a million other things.

I am vocal here and IRL about how little attention is paid to women's specific healthcare issues, but you have to at least start with the GP if you're feeling like that!

You're right, I really should see my GP. But I've lost faith in doctors so much after being dismissed for years for another health issue (the last GP shrugged his shoulders and suggested the pain was in my head......nope its in my stomach that's why I'm here!) So I haven't visited a GP in years.

I presume there is a blood test that can be done to see if I'm beginning menopause?

Nope, no blood test for peri, the point is your hormones are all over the place so a snap shot is useless.

You try hrt and if it makes you feel better then it was peri.

They really are supposed to give you hrt as the first intervention at your age with your symptoms. Ask if they have a specific go for menopausal concerns.

Blood tests will rule out other things and if there's no other obvious cause then it's probably perimenopause.

There's no point doing a test 'for' perimenopause as pp says, because your hormones are all over the place and you're only able to get a snapshot of that day.

There's a book called The Hormone Repair manual which I really do recommend, it helps you with supplements but also has wording to take to the GP.

I had all the symptoms, handled like it was hormonal. Turned out it was IBD. Not everything attributed to menopause is menopause.

I've never heard of if this but having read your post I strongly think I have it and have had it for months! I haven't been well, with all those symptoms, since January! I assumed it was long Covid! Thankyou op. I'm going back to the Dr! I just want to feel well again!

I think you need to see the GP (a different one if necessary). I felt very much like that and it was vitamin D deficiency. This was in my late 30s.

More recently, I’m 44 now, I’ve had similar symptoms. Had significant time off this past year and a half. Was also told it was ‘nothing’ by the GP. Turns out I have stage 3 cancer. If it had been caught a year ago, I’d be in a very different place right now.

I don’t like that every symptom women have in their 40s and 50s is now apparently (peri)menopause. I think it’s minimising a lot of health issues as ‘woman problems’ when they aren’t.

I would start taking an A-Z vitamin tablet that has iron and also an omega 3 one. I find those help hugely, I'm 49 and in peri. Also eating well, exercising and getting good sleep become even more important.

Def go to your GP. Peri is probably the most likely but you also need to rule out other things like vitamin deficiency, diabetes, thyroid issues,etc.

I had similar symptoms a few years ago. It was actually a combination of perimenopause and a bad vitamin d deficiency.

A good GP will look at all causes. So could be many things - vitamin D deficiency, low iron, thyroid issues. So a full blood panel is advisable. If everything else looks good then it’s likely to be hormonal/peri yes and HRT can help level those hormones.

I will contact my GP and get an appt with them, see if they will do a set of blood tests.

Initially I did think covid, but as it never developed into what my previous covid experiences were like I dismissed that.

It really does just feel like the beginnings of a cold, that never comes to pass. So no temp, or cough or anything like that.

But I've just done a day at work, and am now sat on the sofa with a scratchy throat, shivery, extremely tired, and just feeling "off". I can "mind over matter" it to get through my days at work, but then the weekend roles around and I will go to bed Friday night and literally sleep for 13 hours and still need an early night Saturday 😆

My older sister had Graves disease, which I did wonder about as well and thats linked to thyroid issues. She never made it to my age though, as she passed away in 2022 so I don't know if she experienced similar to me or not.

Oh I’m sorry to hear that. Definitely get the GP to check your thyroid it can cause fatigue and energy issues.

Could also be a combination of things. So some peri menopause symptoms and maybe some deficiencies. Hopefully the bloods will give you an idea/starting point.