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.

Gingercatmom bless you, its terrifying isn't it and I've not been as bad as you. To feel like you're lost and losing your mind, it's just awful. The brain is so so powerful and I just don't know how you fix it!

I've just phoned my gp for my blood results (hormone levels) and the receptionist said there was just a note on the system saying 'to be discussed at follow up appointment' which is booked for my anxiety in 2 weeks. Do you think that means it's picked something up or it could be just to say that the results were normal? Dying to know!

@pennee @MangoSeason
I know this is an old thread. But. It's the days 5-12 thing. I suffered for a loooong time with this. I did have iron deficiency anaemia and that has been resolved AND I'm now on HRT but I still sometimes get the 'grossies' during this part of my cycle and it can be debilitating. I don't sleep properly, my guts go crazy, headaches and bone crushing fatigue, brain fog, can't work properly. The first sign is always that my digestive system gets very noisy and I go downhill from there. Maybe I should start a Days 5-12 Club thread :) so we can share our findings and what works!

Hi @BatsInSpring im pleased to report no more day 5-12 issues! I started HRT in June and had some further changes to it two weeks ago and I feel absolutely great. I now take a Utrogestan daily, 2 x gel and ovestin cream twice weekly. I’m sleeping with the aid of magnesium spray to drop off, my mood is the best it’s been in years throughout the month and I’m actually enjoying my life again. Maybe revisit with your gp if the HRT doesage is right? They did say to me this could be a trial and error thing with it but for now I’ve found a happy balance with it. Fingers crossed you can get it sorted 🤞

Oh @pennee I'm so happy you have found relief! It's debilitating and hard to explain just how awful.
I have wondered if a continuous regime would make me feel better. I can't help but feel cyclical adds to the rollercoaster experience. I feel so much better when I take the progesterone. But I don't think I'm a candidate. I'm 45 and my periods were reasonably regular prior to HRT. I've read elsewhere (Balance) that continuous can be started 1 year after commencing cyclical but I can't see this on the NHS or NICE. Can I ask whether you were already post when you started HRT? So, so pleased you are feeling great now. Enjoy!

@BatsInSpring it was a bit of an unknown for me really as to what stage I’m at. I’m on the mini pill so had no period or spotting/symptoms since starting. I had a scan a couple of months ago on ovaries etc and they said the uterine lining was at 1mm and “normal” would be around 7mm unless you’ve had a period which of course I haven’t. The sonographer asked me three times am I sure I’m not having periods 😆
when I was taking the 14 day progesterone then I was able to sleep and feel better in just those 14 days and then it would change when I was on the break. I’ve also had what were mimicking frequent uti but when tested nothing was coming back. When I told the gp this she said it obviously needs tweaking because maybe i’m further along than you would presume given my age, but the extra eostrogen cream is topical and so far keeping the uti stuff at bay.
My gp said just keep coming back when it doesn’t work and we will carry on trialling new regimes. She didn’t seem worried about 1 year etc more so that it wasn’t working and something else was needed.
Do hope you can sort something because your right it is debilitating and the impact on daily life makes it a nightmare. Good luck!

@pennee I tried the mini pill but I bled for 14 days and my low ferritin levels can't take that kind of bleeding. I also had really sore breasts which I don't have much tolerance for. My GP said that I can use the mini pill for the progesterone aspect of my HRT regime, but after research I'm not sure that's right. I did question it but she checked and confirmed. I can't bear to say goodbye to Utrogestan so I gave up on the mini pill (desogestrel). It's all so complicated ;(

Fucking awful…..

My hormones have been a nightmare for most of my reproductive life and now, at almost 50 and approaching the age of menopause, I truly believe they have decided they are not going down without a fight.

For the last 5 years I have felt like shit.
Daily bad digestive issues, insomnia, no libido at all, truly excessive anxiety and depression which floors me, no drive to do anything at all, mood swings, crying all the time, tinnitus (which drives me insane), achy joints and such dry itchy skin.

I have had years of excessive heavy periods to the point that I needed iron infusions and I get recurring uterine polyps and ovarian cysts.
Last year, I had a uterine ablation to stop the heavy bleeding but now I get raging pain every month when I should have gotten my period, so knowing my luck the ablation has failed so that will be another battle to get something done about that.

There is literally no joy in my life right now.

No help from GP who insists it’s all down to anxiety and antidepressants are the panacea to all my health woes.

The insomnia and night sweats (mainly because they woke me up) and the brain fog combined with the suddenly unpredictable (timing wise) flooding periods were the biggest problem for me. I was working rotating shifts (days and nights) in a job dealing with fairly powerful medication and sole charge overnight when I started experiencing peri and it certainly made this almost untenable.

HRT mostly sorted those four "worst" (for me) elements, or at least made them manageable. I take an oral (pill) form which I know has risks but suits me atm.

@Fairytoast I am so sorry to read what you have been going through. Bloody awful. You've had to have had to have iron infusions in the past, what do you take for iron now? I've been iron deficient anaemic in the past and I know now from experience that it's something I have to stay well and truly on top of, whether I'm officially deficient or not.
I feel angry on your behalf.
I had very dry itchy skin, eczema, pompholyx eczema, psoriasis... very much helped by a dedication to raising my ferritin levels but finally properly sorted by the HRT (I believe it's progesterone that I've been horribly deficient in).
I'm sure you've been through all this many times but if I can share anything that would help at all, I would want to.

Crap, really. I’m on HRT but the progesterone phase makes me feel really low. Like there’s no joy in anything.

It’s better than before - the physical symptoms are gone and I’m ok for half the month - but it’s still a struggle.

I got referred to a gynae for this, and she said that some of her patients just don’t take it (not advised), use the capsules internally instead (common but not been licensed for that) or get a Mirena so smaller amount more regularly. I went Mirena and generally my moods are better. Still get the odd very very dark time, but not every month or for as long.

I’ve taken them internally this month, and it hasn’t really helped. I think the next step is to take 100mg a day for the whole month, rather than 200mg a day for two weeks.

I think I’m really sensitive to progesterone though, so I don’t fancy taking it all month.

I’ll have to look into the coil idea if things don’t improve.

I wonder how much of all of the problems we would have, if we lived in a matriarcal world. I am pretty sure at least some of it would just not be here if we lived in a world where our needs were met rather than overlooked or shamed.

For me its anxiety, depression and fatigue. From around when I was 35. Not sure what is perimenopausal and what is unrelated.

Can I please ask why gel and cream @pennee ? I'm waiting for my phone consultation (2 weeks away still!) with a nurse after being fobbed off by the GP so I'm trying to educate myself as much as possible. They were only too happy to prescribe ADs yet at almost 48 I haven't been offered hrt. I asked twice but they just told me to 'see how you get on with the sertraline ' ugh...

Was the magnesium spray on prescription?

I don't know if you're familiar with Dr Newson? She suggested taking it vaginally.

I have had anxiety/depression for some time, have brain fog due to chronic illness, but I’m 46 so wondering if menopause is a factor. And then I’m too scared to go on HRT in case it doesn’t make a difference because it’s not menopause, it’s just me. Anyone else feel the same?

I have noticed a significant worsening in my fear of heights though, I can’t walk along a bridge that has sides I can see through, for example. Has anyone else had that weird symptom?

Yes, awful anxiety, panic attacks without any obvious triggers, palpitations, brain fog etc.

I will bet my life that you're peri and you need HRT. A 3 month trial of HRT won't harm you and it'll be very illuminating. If you think that the average age for menopause is 51, and peri is for 10 years before that, it's obvious.

I've always had a mild fear of heights so I can't say it's peri related or not.

I have a GP appointment next week after 2 years of worsening symptoms, I’m 48. The main issue is night sweats which wake me at 3am and then I am madly overthinking and anxious and can’t get back to sleep. I used to exercise several times a week but now if I do anything more strenuous than walking I am in pain with my joints and muscles for several days afterwards. I’ve put on a stone that I can’t shift. Inertia is a great way to describe it - no motivation, no enjoyment. Periods are closer together, heavier but often spotting for 4-5 days before coming on. Brain fog which makes life difficult esp at work. My mum has osteoporosis and had several fractures do another reason to want HRT.

I feel spaced out all the time. Like not with it at all. I can't focus and look through people when I'm being spoken to.
It's hard to explain, but feels like I'm not on this planet

The cream is when your showing symptoms of atrophy so could be dryness, frequent uti etc. a gynae consultation showed it didn’t look like I had atrophy but had the symptoms so it was prescribed as both.
from the first telephone call my gp was straight onto HRT and said they would explore AD’s later if HRT wasn’t making low mood better. I believe NICE guidelines are HRT first in peri aged women too. Perhaps you could double check this before the call?

I purchase magnesium from Amazon and a bottle lasts about three months. Good luck with your call.