Could this be peri-menopause ?

[Gandonile]

I would really appreciate advice from any women who’ve gone through the menopause or are going through it now

42 years old. My whole life my periods have been 28 days on the dot, over the last 12 months they have decreased to 25-26 days a cycle. Around the same time I’ve noticed increased brain fog, at work in meetings I’m noticeably slower at recalling facts or figures, my crossword times are slower even things like recalling the names of an actor I’m struggling with.

Around a month ago I was suddenly hit with this incredible anxiety out of nowhere. Nothing had changed to make me more stressed but I am jittery, full of adrenaline, anxious and it’s making me depressed. My mind is racing a million miles a minute and I’m catastrophising minor issues.

I don’t have any physical symptoms like hot flashes or insomnia. My periods are normal except for the shortened cycle. My mum didn’t go through menopause until she was 50.

Ive had bloods and they were all normal. GP very young guy who said I’m too young for the menopause 🤦‍♀️

Does this sound like it could be peri? I’m happy to pay privately to see someone if anyone has any suggestions?

Oh I forgot one more thing. Painful ovulation which I’ve never experienced before. For the last three months or so

Your GP knows diddly squat. Did he come up with any other brilliant ideas about what is causing your symptoms if he's discounted a hormonal cause?

Although 42 is on the young side, early menopausal symptoms are not that uncommon, and your symptoms sound exactly like peri to me (having experienced premature ovarian failure myself).

Your mother may have told you that her menopause was at 50, but that could just be when her periods finally stopped. She could have had other symptoms for years prior to that, but didn't put 2 and 2 together. It is only relatively recently that such things have been out in the open. 'Women's problems' never used to be talked about or acknowledged at all.

Your doctor is completely wrong. Peri can last years before our final period. I noticed symptoms around age 40 and my periods stopped at 51.

He suggested anemia. Bloods all fine except very low folate which I’m on 5mg a day for now.

Loitering
i am 41, suddenly struggling with anxiety and insomnia
6 months post op in which my ovaries were likely damaged, and I’ve got a mirena in so no clue on my periods

Exact same symptoms I started having in early 40s. GP also told me I would be unusually young for peri, and I did not go on HRT (at 45, I'm now just about to start it).

Interestingly I also had sub-optimal folate. It was only borderline low and so the GP was also dismissive of that being a reason for my symptoms, but I self-treated with folic acid and it did improve things, including lengthening my cycle back to 28 days for a while. Perhaps a coincidence, who knows!

To add, I don't think taking folic acid improved my anxiety that had come from nowhere, but it helped the brain fog/fatigue and coincidentally perhaps cycles returned to 28 days.

I'm 39 and peri-menopausal, severe anxiety was first symptom for me also.

Like you my mum says she was 55, but looking back to my childhood she certainly was dealing with anxiety, rage, and brain fog for years before that- as a family though we just thought it was "mum being mum". I suspect she was peri for many years prior to actually having her periods stop.

Aarrgghh bloody GPs and male ones at that. My cycle has got shorter over the last couple of years and I also now get ovulation pain. Also accompanied by heavier bleeding, stronger cramps and really low mood just before I come on. I don't get hot flushes as such but I'm generally warmer, I always used to have a coat on. Sometimes I do get so hot I feel like I can't regulate my temperature and cool down. Last 6 months my cycle been all over the place. Missed, late and early periods, I bloody hate it and wish the menopause would hurry up and it be over and done with

Exactly the same symptoms plus increasingly bad vaginal dryness. I'm over 45 so supposed to be diagnosed on symptoms but GPs insist on blood tests and won't give me any form of HRT, even local, because apparently it's not peri menopause with my results. It has to be, it has all the hallmarks and I'm in my 40s. Yours could well be too and I hope you get someone to listen.

I run warm now too. I used to always be cold but now I'm sweating while everyone else is asking for the heating on. My parents have a very warm house due to age and health and I wear summer weight clothes to go there!

I could have written your post myself. I’m 44 and having the same symptoms, periods anywhere between 24-26 days and they were always around 28-30, also they are very light and only last 3-4 days instead of the usual 5.

My anxiety has also ramped up, I’ve always loved driving but now I feel anxious and this year I developed an irrational panic about house spiders 🙈

I have had bloods taken but my doctor said they are not reliable because hormones fluctuate so much during perimenopause. She agreed that it probably is perimenopause and discussed different options, I’m now waiting for the mirena coil and then going to have the gel. I opted for the coil because I didn’t tolerate the mini pill very well in the past so hopefully the lower dose in the coil agrees with me 🤞

Go back to your doctors and see a different one, I asked for one who specialised in the menopause.

Did GP checked your thyroid?
underactive thyroid or hashimoto's can mess-up periods,
can explain other symptoms too.

I don't know if it's perimenopause, OP, I'm 46 and (probably) going through it myself.
Apparently we pretty much inherit our mothers' situation.
I can relate to the anxiety, sometimes insomnia and definitely painful ovulation (and Mittelschmerz) symptoms!
Hormonal changes, but both peri- and menopause are so complex it's hard to tell! And it depends on our overall health, mental health, weight, whether we drink alcohol or not, whether we had kids etc. 🙄...

TSH was 0.81 - on the lower side of normal but still within range

Overall health very good

Im not overweight so he couldn’t go with that old classic of “have you thought about losing weight”

GPs are frequently bloody useless about anything menopause related. You are not too young.

I just saw you had slightly overactive thyroid.
Same here - many points.
Probably this, some people are sensitive to the thyroid stuff and a start of hormonal changes.

Is 0.81 slightly overactive? That’s interesting. GP wasn’t interested at all as it’s “normal”

I was 44 and have always had anxiety but I was under intense stress at work and at home and my anxiety got so so bad I went into full blown psychosis and nearly died. my GP said it had nothing to do with perimenopause but im not convinced. there were other stressful factors but this ramped up significantly. I didnt have any other symptoms