To ask you to share your unexpected menopause symptoms

[GraceMarks]

I've been perimenopausal for about a year now, and I thought I was pretty well-read about what it would involve. But some of the things I've experienced have come as a particularly unpleasant surprise and I was wondering if others had found the same! Perhaps if we share some of the things we've been through it will help other women to be prepared when they reach that time in their lives too.

So, aside from the usual hot flushes and night sweats and irregular periods, I've had:

Ovulation flu! I don't have a better term for it really, but every time I ovulate now, I get weird flu-like symptoms such as aching muscles, swollen neck glands, and suddenly feeling cold and tired all the time. It took me a while to make the connection with the time of the month, and I thought I was just getting a bit of a cold, but it only ever lasts for a couple of days and then goes away completely.

The fatigue. Even after getting what seems to be enough sleep.

Weirdly, the lower back pain I've suffered with for more than a decade has more or less gone, but now I get joint pain in my knees and elbows instead. It's much worse a couple of days before a period.

Anyone else had any symptoms they didn't expect, and did they go away once you were completely through the menopause?

Secret witch yes I get that as well as an increased sex drive and very wet down there at certain times of the month

I haven’t read the full thread but am peri menopausal and I hadn’t realised vertigo was linked I keep getting it am currently off sick as dr said it was labyrinthitis but I keep getting it also giving me anxiety when driving as it makes me dizzy then I stress I am going to pass out

Also cold sweats wake up soaking wet but cold horrible bo even when I am cold

Tired all the time feeling like I am struggling to cope with everything but this might be as I increased my hours a year ago to full time I seem to be ill every few weeks be it vertigo The runs or a cold will keep a record of when it happens see if it’s hormones never heard of ovulation flu. I also get at certain times where I need to wee every 20 minutes feel like I constantly need to go but no burning and only lasts a day or 2 untreated

Any idea how to relieve these symptoms I believe peri stage can last 10 years before your period stops I don’t think I can cope that long

Vertigo isn’t a fear of heights agoraphobia is a fear of heights although both can make you feel dizzy and when I have vertigo I get dizzy when I look up or down or turn my head suddenly to the side

Sorry autocorrect acrophobia is a fear of heights

Forgot to add, the weapons grade BO. Before I could cooly drift through the hottest days with just a light spray of deodorant. But since menopause there are days when even the Mitchum 48hr clear gel, which was probably originally developed as a protective layer for astronauts exposed to pure gamma rays, simply cannot cope

That I wouldn't have any symptoms other than sporadic periods and then they just stopped. My mother had a terrible menopause I was expecting everything and particularly flooding but I've been very lucky.

@secretwitch yes!!! Fanny flutters....its the oddest feeling. I actually started a thread about this a while back but no one responded so thought it was only me!!

Smelliness a few hours after having a shower, although using bar soap has helped with this.
Heavy discharge and sweating, enough to leave a damp patch on a plastic chair and necessitating wearing a liner daily. When MN has threads about how ridiculous it is to wear a liner every day I want to scream ‘ you’re obviously not bloody menopausal are you??’
Itchiness around the anus, and no I haven’t got threadworms, it’s just to one side, thankfully I have discovered vagisil wash and powder which stops the itch.

Connected for me.
I have serious vertigo when I experience heights, which naturally led to a fear of heights
Must be hormone-related because it started so suddenly when I was 10, no problem before
and became severe about 60

@BigChocFrenzy I know from other threads you do a lot of spirt, do you think the fact you keep very fit helped you get through the menopause relatively unscathed?

I've been in menopause for just over a year now (I can be precise because it was medically-induced in an attempt to control my breast cancer).

At first I had the most dreadful hot flushes and night sweats, but they have been practically eliminated by taking the drug Oxybutynin twice a day.

It has only just occurred to me on noticing this thread that the other worst symptom, the brain fog, has greatly reduced too. At first, I was worried that I'd never regain my mental acuity, but it has hugely improved.

I hope that gives some of you hope. At one point I was asking for the keys to "the driving machine" , but I haven't forgotten the word for car in ages!

Does anyone else have days when you feel really out of sorts? Like you're coming down with something but feel really anxious at the same time? I feel a bit nauseous and achy. It'll come to nothing though, it always does. I just cant be bothered with anything. I still have periods reasonably regularly and it tends to be post ovulation. It may be just anxiety but I'm on treatment for that now and had been feeling better. I was fine yesterday and today...bang! Feel rubbish!

Hairydogmummy yes that's exactly how I felt pre-menstrually last month. Incredibly jumpy and anxious, head spinning, couldn't remember if I'd had a shower five minutes earlier, couldn't find anything that I needed, felt like I was under some sort of attack when my family were asking their usual 100 questions per hour ("where's my...").

I felt better as soon as my period started and a few days later feel find again. Definitely linked to post-ovulation.

I went into surgical menopause in my thirties so whilst I'm unlucky to go through it quite young, I think I'm lucky not to have to deal with peri menopause. I'm not allowed hrt because I'm a high cancer risk.

I've got hot flushes which make me feel panicky (even tho I know rationally there's no need), total loss of sex drive, every now and then my lips burn like I've just eaten a chilli (nurse says that's a menopause thing), I don't sleep for more than 2-3 hours a night (tried everything so rapidly getting a little habit for nightol) always feel tired, sometimes emotional (cried At eastenders) the weight gain has been ridiculous (2 stone last year despite going to gym and running 5x a week) and extreme brain fog. I can forget what I'm doing or saying within seconds.

I read somewhere that if you're in menopause you need approx 300 calories less a day. I've been really careful and restrictive about what I eat and lost half a stone this month but quite frankly what a shit way to live.

For the brain fog I've tried vitamin b12 spray that was recommended. That didn't do much but I've changed now to a high strength b vitamin tablet (b6, b12 etc) that I get from boots and I can honestly say it's noticeably improved my brain fog. I'm as good as normal when I take it!!

This is really familiar reading so many replies on here. I have had a lot of unusual symptoms for a while now but because I have PCOS my periods are very irregular and often flood (sorry TMI) and have clots the size of golf balls. They can last for a couple of weeks to even 72 days (of flooding). Now I have had light to moderate bleeding for the past 3 weeks.
I have also had the hot flushes, itching all over my body and changes in migraines.

Early menopause here. Up peeing lot night, aching joints, became very tearful. Wasn't sleeping...I would be wide awake. G.P was being awkward about prescribing HRT, so I went to see consultant who specialises in menopause and due to my age and family history with osteoporosis, she prescribed HRT gel and progesterone. Im starting to feel better after month. I think I will see the full effect in three months time.

So glad to find this thread! My periods have been getting less predictable for a while now, but the weird symptoms that I am so relieved to see mentioned here (so at least it's not just me!) are:

• really itchy vulva
• achey feet first thing in the morning- so it's painful to walk downstairs, but then fine for the rest of the day
• general feeling of being a bit unsettled (which is unlike me)

Anxiety. brain fog, forgetting words. Hot flushes..they physically make me feel ill...so hot then I'm so cold. Extreme sadness and tearfulness And migraines...omg they are horrid, at certain times of the month. And here's me years ago thinking it was just the odd hot flush and stopping periods!

@Scratchyback

Ok, the bad stuff first. Apart from all the normal stuff, awful period paid, sore breast etc etc etc - the weird stuff was... vertigo, a sore tongue, a weird feeling of doom and (before I have a hot flush) tingling hands and fingers (like I'm about to fall from a height). Now i'm through the worst of it (I think!) I have such a feeling of clarity and can see everything without my estrogen goggles on. Its great, its like enlightenment! I can see situations for what they are and understand the motives people have without getting in the least bit upset about it. Its strange but really liberating.

I had pretty much every symptom that has been described on this thread plus blood shot eye (one at a time) and acid reflux. My peri began in my early 40's and menopause came at 51. I had the most horrendous time in perimenopause, but menoopause has been much easier, still have hot flushes and night sweats (these only during summer, and mind you, I live in tropical Brazil, but winters are dry) and bouts of rage, irritability, low libido, and crushing fatigue. The worst symptoms were acid reflux (couldn't bear wearing a bra), belly fat (still here), anxiety at 4 am every f*cking day, extreme tearfulness. The positives: no more periods (had 8 days of flooding every month for 40 years), migraines have morphed into much more bearable headaches, no more freezing hands and feet (now they burn, but hey ho), but the best is this feeling of clarity that had been blurred by oestrogen goggles (love the metaphor). I had the brain fog, but now I feel I can see things more clearly than ever. Imho, hormonal fluctuations are the worst time. Once hormones calm down things get much easier, even if absolute hormone levels are low. I'm not on HRT and I hope I will never need it. I have annual scans to monitor my bone density and I don't have vaginal atrophy (fingers crossed). I'm veggie and drink loads of water (which I have found is extremely important). Still need to get more physical activity though. Getting there!

Itching. Mainly at night. Drives me nuts

Yes to ovulation acne, my Flow all tracker thingy helpfully listed some of the causes, congested liver & lack of sex among them. Got me there :)

Also, toothache (always fairly mild before start of period) now raging complete with abscesses, definitely a hormonal ‘thing’ according to Dr Google but absolutely out of the question according to Mr Dentist.

Inability to get drunk for two weeks of every month no matter how much booze of any strength goes in, annoying AND expensive if you’re stubborn like yours truly :)

Chronic PMT feelings, only I don't know when to expect a period 😂 I was due a week ago and in the past few days I've been experiencing absolutely foul moods and feeling full on rages in shops when I have to deal with the hordes of ignorant tourists who flock to our normally quiet little town (disclaimer: I understand it's good for the economy etc and I'd be fine with them if only they weren't so rude!!)

I've also experienced HORRENDOUS fatigue and PMT symptoms at ovulation time. It's like I'm in a huge brain fog and can get nothing done for about a week.