To ask how perimenopause makes you feel

[Letshaveablackcelebration]

I feel really flat with it. It’s worse some months but it makes me feel really not myself. Like empty and low - it’s really horrible. I have had one go at HRT but it made me feel rubbish in a different way - headachy and a bit drugged. I maybe need to try something else as that was the gel and my friend said she got on better with the patches.

But this weird sad empty flat feeling is just so horrible! I have other physical symptoms too but it’s the emotional stuff that makes me feel worse at the moment.

@Blossomtoes

A message of hope from the other side. After years of night sweats, brain fog and generally feeling shit, helped enormously by HRT, it’s bloody joyous when it’s over. All symptoms gone, energy levels back up and greatly improved mood. Hang on in there.

That's so nice to hear @blossomtoes . How long does it take?!

I'm 40 in a few months and believe I'm peri menopausal. Symptoms as follows :

Pain. God I'm in so much pain, joint and muscular. It's utterly miserable.

Anxiety

Rage

Weird periods. Incredibly heavy for 24-48 hours then nothing. Getting closer together too.

Headaches

Exhaustion

Just generally struggling with life. There doesn't seem to be much let up to it.

@Flockameanie

Rage. Followed by flatness. And repeat.

this!

It’s not been good for me.

My anxiety is through the roof, headaches are much more frequent, internal vibrating, mood swings, and fatigue are the worse symptoms for me.

Crap basically. Uncontrollable anxiety, digestive upsets, depression, rage, emotions up and down, aching muscles, no libido, awful heavy periods which have made me very anaemic (which makes many of the above worse), pms and aura migraines! But then again could just be me as my GP says I'm not in peri as I don't have hot sweats and still have periods. Even though I'm 49 and have all these shit symptoms 🤷

I started feeling better when my periods finished @Summerhillsquare.

@Blossomtoes

I started feeling better when my periods finished *@Summerhillsquare*.

That's so good to know as it just feels endless

I know. It’s awful. I was so relieved to start feeling like myself again. I’d begun to think it was never going to happen.

That's how I feel

I've also noticed quite a dramatic increase in air bubbles (fanny farts ) getting stuck which I've read is a sign of vaginal atrophy.....

Does anyone else have this?!

Yes I am having that issue too GrandRapids

Oh no hope not

I can’t seem to hold in my bum farts as well as I could I do don’t want the same issue with fanny farts

@Fairytoast I am 48 with the same symptoms and the same experience at the doctors! It’s crap!

Knitting helps! Makes me feel calm if I feel hormonal. Also i exercise loads now and eat really healthy and take vitamins and all that boring healthy stuff but it made a huge huge difference to how it was affecting me. I stopped drinking mostly as well.

If anyone thinks they may be seeing the beginning of vaginal atrophy, I have two tips - ask your GP for Vagifem immediately and use it regularly, it seems it might be available off prescription soon. And maintain your sex life. I didn’t and can no longer have penetrative sex.

I’m almost 49. So far: weight gain, anxiety and panic - I hate crowds, just want to get home and if I go out for the evening I’ll spend the next week going over how I made a twat of myself (in my mind anyway). Brain fog and forgetfulness where I forget what I’m saying mid- sentence. So embarrassing at work. Vaginal dryness and bladder problems - have recently gone from not holding it in to trickling out - the start of the UTIs I hear about in peri I think. I have endometriosis, adenomyosis and fibroids though so could be related to that; the endo nurse laughed at me when I suggested I was leading up to menopause. Ridiculous considering peri can last 10 years. I mentioned the brain fog to my male boss who told me men go through menopause too . So both men and some women clearly don’t take it seriously. Generally just feel like I can’t get enthused about anything really.

In men it's the andropause apparently, where all their testosterone goes down and they get middle age spread, lose their hair, have a mid life crisis and so on.

I was definitely in peri from 39 and now I'm 44 my GP has only just acknowledged that I'm correct after years of weird symptoms and miserable moods. Started with periods closer together, loss of confidence in appearance, increased pms, rages and frequent very low moods and hopelessness. Existential crises in the middle of the night. Paranoia thinking partner is going to run off with a younger woman every five minutes even though he hadn't done anything to warrant the accusations. Wanting to stab strangers in shops for being too loud.
At 43 periods would come every 2 weeks and be clumpy. Then this year 4 periods a month as well as whole months being missed altogether. I get hot flushes and sweats at night. Very high libido and then switching to I can't be bothered and wishing sex didn't have to exist. . Moods changing every few hours. Am getting my greasy mitts on hrt next week

Found this article explains the differe t stages of perimenopause and menopause perfectly.

blog.lisahealth.com/blog/2020/8/23/how-to-tell-what-stage-of-menopause-youre-in

@Knittingchamp

In men it's the andropause apparently, where all their testosterone goes down and they get middle age spread, lose their hair, have a mid life crisis and so on.

And buy a convertible. .

I’m 45 and in peri, I had gained weight over the last 2 years, I’m now 5 pounds away from the weight I’ve been all my adult life, after hearing horror stories about not being able to lose weight in peri I was worried I wouldn’t be able to shift it but it’s nearly gone without too much of a struggle.
Haywire periods, my last period was 11 days early, this one looks as if it might be late.
Irritability
Less patience
No sex drive
Men repulse me, the thought of giving oral to a man turns my stomach and I used to enjoy it
Hot flushes
Insomnia, I’m wide awake at 4am every morning!
On the plus side peri has turned me into the woman I’ve always wanted to be, I’m no longer a doormat and I no longer give a fuck about what other people, especially men think of me. Despite all the crappy symptoms I’m happier than I was 10 years ago. I feel liberated.
No HRT yet, if I can escape it I will.

I often feel flat, lethargic, tired, lacking in enthusiasm. I feel less sociable like I just can't be bothered to see people (whereas before I'd have social plans several nights a week). I get a lot more headaches and migraines. I've always been anxious but even more anxious now. My periods are slightly unpredictable. I often have a bit of spotting for a couple of days then my period arrives several days later. I have a longer period of premenstrual tension. I have reduced libido sometimes (not always). Despite all this misery I often do feel completely normal too. I have days when I'm bursting with energy and get loads done. I have days and moments where I feel extremely happy and content. Although I do feel run down a lot of the time it's certainly not all doom and gloom.

@Fairytoast @Letshaveablackcelebration and anyone else whose GP is unhelpful, PLEASE don’t take no for an answer!

I’m 47, my periods are still regular and I have never had a hot flush. What I have had, for over two years:

Anxiety
Insomnia
Awful mood swings
Joint pain
Itchy skin
And most of all that flatness OP describes. I felt like a balloon with a tiny hole in it and all the joy in my life slowly draining away

Fortunately my (young, male) GP didn’t dismiss me, he did some blood tests and was then happy to prescribe HRT. I started at the end of December last year and can honestly say I feel like myself again. The symptoms have all but disappeared, I’m so much more relaxed and happier, sleeping well, it’s amazing.

HRT is bloody brilliant.

[quote JuneFromBethesda]**@Fairytoast* @Letshaveablackcelebration* and anyone else whose GP is unhelpful, PLEASE don’t take no for an answer!

I’m 47, my periods are still regular and I have never had a hot flush. What I have had, for over two years:

Anxiety
Insomnia
Awful mood swings
Joint pain
Itchy skin
And most of all that flatness OP describes. I felt like a balloon with a tiny hole in it and all the joy in my life slowly draining away

Fortunately my (young, male) GP didn’t dismiss me, he did some blood tests and was then happy to prescribe HRT. I started at the end of December last year and can honestly say I feel like myself again. The symptoms have all but disappeared, I’m so much more relaxed and happier, sleeping well, it’s amazing.

HRT is bloody brilliant.[/quote]
Can I ask what you are taking?

Sure - it’s Elleste Duet 1mg tablets. It amazes me that this one tiny tablet once a day can have made such a difference, but it has.

I'm 48, last year was the worst of my life. Suddenly developed panic disorder, major depression and painful anxiety. Ended up having a breakdown and referred to mental health team. On sertraline now which has helped with the depression but now started getting palpitations, nausea like morning sickness and headaches. Periods still regular. Just want to get through all this and be myself again

I had aches and pains. My feet hurt when I got up and other aches and pains. I also had hot flushes which were horrible and made me feel unwell. I then had a 3 week period and the GP gave me something to stop the period, which gave me meno symptoms. However after this the meno symptoms disappeared, so I've not gone on HRT yet despite having no periods for months. However I'm on anti ds which help with sleep following dh dying, so they could masking some meno mood and sleep symptoms.