Perimenopause symptoms.What are/were yours?

[PrincessHoneysuckle]

I'm 44 and not in the full throes yet but I want to be prepared.
So far I've been feeling a bit less settled and sometimes in fight or flight mode for no reason at all.I also feel more hungry and am struggling to keep to small portions.My hair feels slightly thinner too.

I do drive, HRT has sorted out most of the things on the list, other than the flipping itchy years, which I'm currently experimenting things to make it better because it's got silly. Dizziness for me is mostly on standing if I've been crouching down, ie to get something out of a low cupboard, I stand up and feel like I'm going to pass out. Lovely.

@CurlyhairedAssassin your symptoms and the impact sound almost exactly the same as mine. Particularly the lack of wanting to “nurture”. It’s almost like my nurturing gene has ebbed away. Honestly just want my teenagers and husband to fuck off and leave me alone.

I guess in the past most women hitting the menopause wouldn’t have had 13 year olds running about - they would have been grandmothers - or more likely dead/burned at the stake 🫠

Ooh what supplements please - irregular sleep for a long time, redistribution of weight around the middle - worst of all is the absolute total brain fog and mood swings though - nearly 46.

That sounds like me. I need to try HRT but I have a couple of things that stop me at the moment.

Is not feeling “present” part of it too - I really struggle to feel connected in day to day activities. I’ve got a nearly 2 year old (I’m 46 - had a few miscarriages) and feel as tho it’s not even really happened - I look back at photos because I can’t seem to remember any of it and I can’t connect to the feelings if you know what I mean - it’s actually really awful 😐 Ive really been wondering if I’m peri- meno or actually autistic I’m so confused 😐

Anxiety, depression, weight gain like I'm pregnant was 8stone 3 years ago now 11.5 can not shift any and eat the same as 3 years ago
Sweats at night, insomnia

Extreme rage, generally more emotional than usual, hair loss, not feeling like myself, loss of joy in hobbies and personal interests, started to smell. I was having up to 3 showers a day, my usually nice skin started to look lack lustre and break out sporadically, zero libido, suddenly feeling hot during the day, bloods showed my cholesterol was at the upper end of normal ranges, cycle became slightly shorter. I'm 42 and had these symptoms for a year. On HRT for a month and most of the above symptoms have either gone or are a lot more manageable.

From 40 my PMDD got progressively worse to the point where I was only getting 10 normal days a month. Then when I was 43 things took a turn for the worse. It was October half term and the PMDD arrived and never really went away.

It was unspeakably bad, beyond anything I had ever experienced before. At my very worst I was under the Crisis Team for several weeks. No one knew what was wrong with me. I knew it was hormonal but no one believed me because my periods were still regular. Nothing worked. Every day I was sinking deeper into a pit.

Somehow I found my way to the legendary Prof John Studd, and he saved me. He immediately diagnosed me with 'reproductive' depression/anxiety and started me on HRT. Within 6 weeks I was well on the road to recovery.

The HRT didn't help the dizziness sadly. I've started using electrolyte tabs one a day when I get to work. I already drink tons of water.

I do seem to have developed low blood pressure.

Not sure if this is peri, but ...

50
loss of interest in most things
zero energy
tired
zero motivation
a hell of a lot harder to lose weight
self-hate
cry at most things
my joints ache, really ache

45

Period 12 th May, and 7th Oct.

Hair and skin as dry as the Sahara.
Hair has thinned.

Nurture abilities are not on my radar, thank goodness my sons are almost reared and my ex H is quite nurturing towards them. They are more like house mates now! I was quite resentful of my own mother treating me like a grown up at 14 and piling responsibility on me. I m guessing now, she just gave less fucks about mothering by that stage (she would have been 47).

I cannot give a fu7k about cliquey groups or old "friends", sounds awful, but I m caring a lot less about other people's drama, and fixing things. I care less about pleasing men, I understand many of them just want a drama free, party life. Leave them to it.

My joints ached a lot more 6 months ago. Last April my coordination was off, hip joints felt weird. I seem to be more co ordinated again.

I was getting PMS migraines (quite bad) before my period, these are gone now that my periods are stopping.

Pms cold sores, I get them when I get a period.

I think my looks have changed, the dry hair and skin and thinner face are aging. Oh well, not to worry, no need to impress anyone, other than myself.

Itchy ears..... I have that too.

I was having a conversation with a colleage about this the other day, she said she can't remember much about her life, she feels like she's lost her memories and it must be what dementia feels like, she feels on the same level as her mother who is suffering with dementia some days. I've also lost memories, my family will say do you remember when.... and I just draw a total blank. There's just nothing in there any more!

Yes I just totally can’t connect to the past and memories but I’m not sure what the cause is 😐

I thought it was just me, good to find out this week that it's not!

I thought it was post-natal brain fog (it started after I had my baby 2 years ago) but it hasn’t got any better so I think it’s peri menopausal brain fog (I’m 46 in 2 months). Does HRT help this and will I be given it for this reason does anyone know. Periods starting to vary in length, aggressive rage at times which switches on and off, insomnia and aching joints?

In mid 40's think I'm peri for sure my symptoms

poor sleep
tired
unmotivated
flat
easily overwhelmed

not on HRT

I don't think I can credit myself as having any peri symptoms: there is nothing I can specify.

In menop, I have small hot flashes. They may get me down if they go on for decades, though probably not. I had so much worse health problems to manage when I was in my 20s. I can roll with this so far pretty well.

Tired, depressed, hair started thinning, facial hair started appearing and I had really horrific mood swings! I think I'd rather go back to my heavy periods! No, I wouldn't really! But some ladies have it worse than others to be fair. Depends on your genetics.

It does. After a month on hrt I found my brain cleared all of a sudden along side feeling like I'd slept. Can think again.

Plus I don't feel aggravated when someone's doing 25 mph in a 40 zone now either. I'll take that.

Itchy skin. Hair has changed to much more frizzy than normal and I'm losing a fair bit too. Chin hairs. I can't tell you about periods because of the medication I take (long boring story). I'm not suffering as such, but adapting. I already take a fair amount of drugs so I'm a HRT refusers at the moment, & considering my family history, would probably be not a good thing to pursue.

I was fine until my periods stopped. I started to feel very down but not depressed, exhausted and I had brain fog. I started a low dose of HRT and in two weeks I felt back to myself.

Then after 6 months I started having really bad night sweats. I was up changing me and the bed three times a night and I was absolutely miserable. I went on the gel and capsules and it all went away.

I love HRT. It saved me.

Weight gain
tiredness
brain fog
indecisiveness
thinning hair
lack of motivation
less patience
cravings for sugar and sweet carbs

+/- 5 days on my normal cycle which was set in stone at 27 days, but I’ve just gone three months without a period so who knows what my next cycle will be like!

Yes I’m easily overwhelmed too nowadays that must be all part of it too 😐

That’s good to know thanks it would be amazing to just be able to think clearly again it’s really stressful and I muddle words up and alsorts and it makes you feel so inadequate in comparison to your normal self. I’m going to try be brave and book an appointment with my GP I think 🤔