To be constantly fuming

[Cosmic123]

I honestly feel like I'm in a permanent state of raging PMS. Everything annoys the hell out of me. I hate my job and I feel like I just want to fly off the handle at the slightest little thing. By way of an example someone in a Chelsea tractor drove in front of me and took my parking space and I just stuck my middle finger up at her which I know is a terrible example to my daughter who was sat (mortified) in the car. I used to be quite a calm person. Everyone around me annoys the hell out of me from my family to work colleagues. The only people I don't feel like swearing at constantly are my partner and daughter. I don't think it's normal to feel like this. It used to be once a month but now it seems to last at least three weeks in every four and it's really affecting my life. I went to the gp who carried out a hormone test and said I don't have a hormone imbalance. I just don't know what to do with all this anger.

Did they do any other tests? I have had very low mood, and snap at pretty much anyone for any reason. Out of the last batch of test, iron store showed as very low, which can (hopefully / maybe) explain this a bit.

Being always angry is crap :(

When I was irrationally angry I found two things really helped:

upping exercise - just trying to walk a couple of miles a few days a week - and meditation using the Headspace app.

Both helped me feel much more normal, and get out of my head a bit. Good luck!

@Marasme they didn't and I got the impression that she just thought I was wasting her time and that I'm just exaggerating but I'm really not. . I do often feel quite drained. How do you correct the imbalance? Do you take a supplement? I'd honestly try anything to not feel like this every day

@lostincumbria I use the headspace app and I have felt a bit better after using that. I exercise twice a week normally. I'd really love to be able to do so daily but it's so hard to find the time. I feel like this cold weather has just sent me to another level of anger and then I feel angry with myself for feeling angry!

Get some B vits and liquid iron. That liquid iron is marvellous stuff when I'm feeling sluggish and irritable.

@gamerchick I'm definitely going to try liquid iron. Thank you. I've been taking b12

I would ask for ferritin to be tested, as well as B12, folate, and full blood count (including MCV, Hb, hematocrit etc) just in case it's anemia related (iron-deficiency, or B12/Fo macrocytic anemia).

I have ferrous fumarate to be taken 3x a day - which is crap, but better if it makes my mood a little better in time. For everyone's sake.

Are you taking any hormonal contraception OP?

@Marasme that's really interesting. I'm so weary of going to the gp. I suffer from health anxiety so I went through a phase a couple of years back of going all the time and I'm convinced there's a red alert on my name saying this person is a hypochondriac. There is one gp there who's quite nice but I feel really paranoid about going now. The last gp I saw about this was so horrible. She more or less rolled her eyes and implied I should get a grip.

Have you had your thyroid tested? Over or underactive thyroid messes with your energy levels and chronic exhaustion can lead to bad temper. Be sure to get your actual results and do your own research. I am cytrently within NHS normal range but feeling rubbish - my feeling good range is only half the nhs range. So I'm changing my meds. Don't get palmed off with 'normal' - some of the nhs normal range, is what other countries consider abnormal.

@BatteredBreadedOrSouthernFried I'm not taking any oral contraception. I often wonder if maybe I should be. I don't like to google these things because I inevitably end up thinking I'm seriously ill but I'm 42 and I'm guessing it could be something to do with the perimenopause. My nan (who I seem to take after physically) was very young when she had the menopause. I strongly suspect it's hormonal.

@johendy one of the things the gp did say was that my thyroid function was normal but I do remember someone I work with saying that her cousin tested normal here and was given treatment abroad

Are you on the pill? I had to switch pills years ago due to mood swings

@cosmic123 - I have a thread in mental health which is kind of related with your GP experience and anxieties. I sympathise

Definitely get your actual results. I was safely in the nhs normal range but got it treated because i was doing private ivf and it affects fertility. I have always been exhausted, since I was a teen, but I am now late 30s with 3 kids and have more energy (though its a bit out of whack at the moment readjusting after baby #3s arrival).

I agree with your suggestion about perimenopause. Mine started around your age and this was a major symptom. Xx

Google pmdd.

Also agree may be perimenopausal,any other symptoms?Theirritability and sudden rage was definitely one for me.

Yes, feeling like this is quite common as your fertility starts to fizzle out I’m afraid. Read up on the menopause and arm yourself with knowledge and information.

I was like this when my kids mum was being an absolute nutcase and my kids ended up on a child protection plan.

Eventually after going to some fairly drastic lengths to resolve the issue as much as possible I've returned some stability and the stress/rage has subsided.

But for the best part of a year I felt constantly angry and had very few fucks to give.

Other than PMS it literally sounds like my husband wrote this. No advice, sorry, he chooses to shout and swear at everyone when he feels like it. Thankfully me and DS are not in the firing line, but I am on edge when I can see strangers doing things I know are gonna piss him off.
He went off at a doctor last week because they were 45 minutes late for an appointment to see our 4 month old because they'd got stuck in traffic and didn't even apologise until my husband starting having a go. I am a bit of a spineless wallflower, I don't know why he's so angry either.

Ditto MadamPatti- also 42 and perimenopausal.

I have found the anger part of the PMT feeling has gone now though. You might find a mild AD helpful- I am on Sertraline for unrelated issues and an adjustment of the dose sorted me out.

Now just need to deal with the spots, random bleeds and hot flushes.

I feel constantly irritable/angry too lately. I was thinking to myself the other night that I really need to not be so short with people and relax. Then I was in work for half an hour the next morning and I thought to myself "Nope...this is exactly the reason why I am like this!"
It's a horrible feeling. I don't want people to think I do nothing but be moody and moan! Retail management - keep telling myself it'll get better once Christmas is out of the way. Not sure I'm convincing myself though!
If you are concerned about your stress levels or anything to do with mental health then I would that your GP was a little more sympathetic though.

I'm like this, I'm just so intolerant of everything and everyone around me. I'm ferritin deficient anaemic but can't take iron as I also have IBS and the iron supplements make that worse! So I'm constantly walking around in a state of anger and frustration. It's crap.

This is me! I am 43 so similar age. Possibly perimenopausal. Meditation helped hugely but have to keep it up, haven't been doing it do over the last few weeks and have noticed the difference.