To ask for your experiences of perimenopause?

[Youknowitmakessense]

The penny has dropped..
For a few month now I've been experiencing :

• night sweats

• painful cystic acne on my chin ( usually just the odd PMT zit)
• brain "fog"
• teariness and worse than usual PMT
• a shortened cycle ( 24 days instead of my usual 28)

I've just realised it all adds up to the perimenopause. My mum started hers at 30.

I feel pretty low. I'm 39 with one DS (4). Stressy life ( full time job with commute, no family to help nearby, sole earner whilst DH retrains). I'm also awaiting the results of a recent BRCA1 genetic test ( NHS).

I take sertraline already for anxiety, normal BMI, good diet and general other health. But this is making me feel awful.

Anyone have any experience of this? Advice? Suggestions?

Thanks

I'm convinced I'm peri-menopausal, just trying to figure out what my plan of action is.

My symptoms are:

• anxiety, with it being very severe the week leading up to my period.
• sadness
• sore boobs
• started to gain weight without a change in diet or activity levels
• weirdly seen an increase in libido, but I wonder if it's my body trying to have a last hurrah.

I am mid-30s, and had these symptoms for a year or so. Not sure what to do. Do take vitamin d now which has helped a little bit. Bit reluctant to take HRT due to my aunt having breast cancer. Very reluctant to try anti-depressants. The anxiety had got intolerable though, so I will have to do something soon.

Oh yes, and want to add forgetfulness to the list - the crossword is getting harder to do!

OP, you are lucky you have worked out what's happening to you.

I spent my early 40s in a fog, with horrendous bloodbath periods, loss of libido, weight-gain and mood-swings. It only dawned on me what was going on when I went to the GP in desperation after enduring a 29 day bleed. My periods stopped completely a month later, when I was 46. It was like a veil of calm and peace came over me, as my hormones finally settled down. I didn't have time to consider HRT!

Luckily, I didn't have night sweats or hot flushes, but I no longer get so cold in the winter - every cloud.....!

Just to let people know, there is a whole board dedicated to menopause under the 'health' section.

My once regular every 28 days without fail cycle is now anytime between 23 and 29 days. November and December were horrible though. I was due on around mid Nov and I thought I was starting early, at 20 days, but it was just spotting and that carried on until Christmas Day. Sometimes it'd be slightly heavier and I'd expect my period to start properly but it never did. I had 3 days with no spotting at all and then had a proper period - incredibly heavy and painful for two days before slowing down. This one lasted longer than usual at 7 days. This month it's been back to normal - 26 days, very heavy for the first 2 days but not really too painful and it lasted 6 days.

I had terrible boob pain, one visibly bigger than the other swelling like something was trying to escape from inside! Lovely gp explained that there is a 'clear out' which happens in that department once a month too, all hormone related. I take three high dose evening promise oil capsules a day and have no problems with this now.

I too suspect I'm premenopausal.

Periods all over the place haven't had one now since November but constantly feel cramps and achey . More discharge that sometimes looks very lightly tinged pink.

Night sweats and hot flushes started at Christmas thanks santa

I'm taking evening primrose and glucosamine and I think things are settling down

I had a major operation in August 2014 and I think it started after that. Does anyone else think physical trauma can induce it?

TolpuddleFarter have you tried Agnus Castus, I've heard it regulates things. At 30 you may not be peri. Worth discussing with your doctor however.

I'm 49, had all the sweats, irregular heavy periods and memory loss. The best supplement I found was sage leaf extract. No more hot flushes although if I have too much tea or coffee it can happen. I decided against HRT and, other than a bit of weight gain, I'm hanging in there. B12 helps too. No period for five months so who knows where I am in this journey.

Reading with this interest

I'm 36 and my periods have gone bonkers. Cycle is all over the show, they're heavy, painful the works. I'm extremely tired, have anxiety and depression and generally feel like my world is woolly. I had bloods done a couple of months ago and they came back normal (they were checking for anaemia).

Is it worth mentioning perimenopause to the GP? I'm really fed up!

clippity I'm glad you mentioned the breast pain. Mine have been bursting out of my bra for a couple of months now and sometimes so painful i just take my bra off. I'm taking evening primrose but will try upping my dose.

I'm 45,been struggling with night and day sweats for a few months now, extreme PMT that seems to last for 3/4 of the month. I have always had very heavy and painful periods but that settled after a fibroid op 18 months ago. However the last 3 months have seen a return to the pain and discomfort, and am no longer regular at all. No sex drive whatsoever and I could spend all day sleeping, just this huge energy sapping feeling all day. My mom had no symptoms at all and went through the menopause aged about 51 and neither of my sisters seem to have had too many problems either. Weight is piling in for no reason but no energy to do more exercise and my b lood pressure, which was already high is now dangerously high and causing kidney failure despite taking medications. So so fed up

I think that whatever your age you should speak to your GP if you start getting the symptoms listed on here.

Place marking to come back to thread later

I've been premenopausal for 8 years now. It was confirmed by blood test when I was 31 and went to the GP as I bleeding during ovulation.

Symptoms have become much worse in the last couple of years. Cycle is now 21-23 days (previously bang on 28 days). Tearful, bit anxious/low mood. Annoying insomnia where I previously slept through everything and anything and night sweats.

Sex drive is fine though and I've had four pregnancies in that time. One DS, 2mc and currently pregnant with DC2.

I urge anyone with symptoms to go to the GP and actually directly ask about perimenopause.
I get the strong impression that it's only really recently being recognised as something warranting help, and that for many people it's been a case of put up and shut up, needlessly when I think there is stuff that can help.

I'm going to ask to try the combined contraceptive pill ( Yasmin is supposed to be good) to help manage my symptoms. I will ask even if I do carry the BRCA1 mutation ( I'll find out later this month) because in all honesty if I do carry the mutation my intention is to have a double mastectomy ( and reconstruction) and my ovaries removed. If between diagnosis and operations that will education my cancer risk to nearly 0% I manage to alleviate some symptoms to make life bearable whilst raising my already high risk for a short amount of time, then so be it.

If I do have my ovaries removed I'll be in early medical menopause anyway and on some sort of high- oestrogen HRT anyway.

Reduce not education...

Stoopid autocorrect

I started getting menopause symptoms in mid 40s, especially mood swings, hot flushes and aching joints. Went on HRT for a few months and symptoms improved, however the HRT caused other problems, including horrendous weight gain and I had to stop taking it. What I have found helps a lot is St Johns Wort, 1 High dose tablet per day, which helps mood swings. I also take a cod liver oil and a glucosamine tablet once a day and my aching joints are a thing of the past, hot flushes also seem much improved with this combination.

Periods suddenly got very light and scanty and went from a 28 day cycle to 24-25 days. Had always suffered with PMS but now it became like a weaponised version, and lasting 2 weeks each month.

Then the random insomnia arrived which I'd never experienced before. Some nights I lay awake feeling like my eyes had been dipped in bleach, but simply could not sleep.

And the mood swings...my God the mood swings. Bubbly and giggling at breakfast...really fed up and lethargic by lunch, then bubbly again by tea time. Just exhausting.

I tried all the fancy supplements and even saw an expensive private Naturopath, but nothing worked. Then I stumbled across Prof. Studd's website and recognised myself and my symptoms in his many case studies.

I see a private specialist and have been experimenting with various HRT these last 6 months with mixed results. It seems to have totally sorted the insomnia, which is great. But I have put a bit of weight on (about 7lbs) and feel bloated, with tender boobs much of the time. But skin is great, very smooth and fresh looking. Hair feels glossier too. No problems with dryness or atrophy or bladder issues either. Phew. Libido either rampant, so much so that I make DH nervous, or non existent and I want to stab DH if he so much as looks in my direction. Nothing in between.

Still getting mood swings but they seem to have calmed down these last few weeks. Not sure if it's the HRT or just that I'm further into the menopause so my own hormones are giving up the fight at last.

But I had no idea it would be so grim or draining. I thought I'd turn 50, have a few hot flushes and start shopping in the Classics section at M & S.

Which HRT are you on? At GP today for a long chat as the sleep deprivation from hot/cold flushes in the night and the mood swings are really getting me down. He said he's a great believer in HRT and has prescribed me 1mg Elleste Duet. I hadn't tried any thing herbal after my friend's experience which he said was no bad thing as it's a minefield trying to get combinations right as the symptoms shift. Idea is that I'll give it a go for three months.

I'm 43
Since I was 40 I've been having heart rhythm issues (AF 2.5 years ago blue lights the a and e the works!)
Night sweats. Awful.
Urinary urgency.
Breast tenderness. So sore!
Brain fog.
Terrible mood swings.
Heavy periods but only for 3 days
Have had one episode of flooding (on holiday....lovely)
Been to gynae....had a scan...all normal. No fibroids, no cysts. Kidneys fine.
I've tried the mirena coil...stuck it for 6 months then begged them to take it out.
Tried the depo, tried hrt....nothing helps. In fact the hrt caused the flooding I think.
One thing that did show up in my bloods was low vit d so now I take:
Vit d
Menopace plus (2 tabs once a day)
Fish oil
It's really helped with the breast pain and night sweats.

44 yrs old
PMT seems to be all month long.
Insomnia for roughly 10 days before start of period.
Cycle is a few days shorter but period a few days longer.
First couple of days of period I get through a night towel in a couple of hours. Difficult to go out and a complete bedding wash needed in the morning.
Feel discontented. Anxious. Sad.
Ive been 20 years married, very happily. We've been through serious illness together and thought we were made of strong stuff but this is battering us.

I found the menopace tablets seemed to help with the flashes of heat at night. other than that I think I got off lightly, had a few horrendous periods with increasingly long gaps between, flooded a few times then they stopped. I read if you don't have one for a year then you can count it all over.... then after 14 months of nothing I went on holiday and started a long drawn out lightish period with two days of proper bleeding but lasted for days off and on, buggered up my hol plans that was last feb and no sign since.

I'm 56 and through it all now. Memory improving.
Things that helped for hot flushes were long freezing cold showers morning and night. Kept body temperature down and really worked. No coffee. No alcohol. Didn't take HRT as GP doesn't recommend it. No supplement. Knowing what's happening is a big thing as it can all creep up on you gradually.
Also very dry eyes that took me ages to realise were related. Drops solved that.
Now it's great to have no periods. Have to watch weight as fat tummy just pops up if not diligent. So there is an end in sight and it's not bad.