To ask how old you are and what your perimenopausal symptoms?

[Divinespark]

Just that really?

Yes, exactly this.

I’m 59, periods stopped about 18 months ago. My worst symptom peri was anxiety and that affected me for about 2 years. Didn’t take HRT.

49

have had symptoms for the past 3 or 4 years. I’m on HRT and progesterone only pill so no periods. Symptoms I’ve had

joint pain (this has improved with HRT and regular exercise)
severe anxiety
brain fog
low mood
mood swings - usually rage
loss of self confidence
itchy skin
poor sleep
hot flashes and night sweats
loss of libido

i also had a bit of a mental health crisis about 3 years ago which resulted in me needing counselling

HRT has helped with some of her physical symptoms such as the joint pain but I feel my mental health has got worse

Joint pain everywhere.

No periods for two years.

I don’t think I ever had symptoms. I had a full hysterectomy at fifty followed by three years of HRT. No mood swings or sweaty nights or anything. My sleep is more fractured nowadays so that might be an age thing. (62).

Try taking Collagen. It can make a difference with joint pain.

38- (POCS)
-achy joints
-crazy irregular sleep/insomnia
-mental moods
-hot flushes particularly at night
-weight gain
-heavy periods (after years of irregular light)
-need to pee immediately, no warning
-lack of bladder control when exercising

So annoying when people tell me I am too young to be perimenopausal. I am.

@Chickoletta re the pooing issue… try drinking some kefir each day. It’s basically fermented milk with probiotics… takes some getting used to (you can get flavoured ones) but let’s just say it breaks things up a bit! 😁

41

Night sweats
All over the place periods
Unable to shed weight
Insomnia
Exhaustion
random bruising
UTI's
Hormonal - raging one min, crying the next.
Daily headaches
Hot flushes

I hate every minute of it.

I have had the mirena coil put in, it's helped somewhat

43, periods have been irregular for coming up on two years and this one has yet to appear. I used to have a short cycle of 23 days, over the last two years it’s been all over the place 22-47 days, current cycle has been 81 days. I’ve had hormone levels checked and within normal range but at the low end which I reason could be very low for me. Symptoms include weight gain, hot flushes, insomnia (both of those seem to be fading), rage, loss of libido, muscle aches etc although hard to know whats a result of weight gain.

44. My periods have gone a bit berserk (heavier and more often) and I get up at 4 am now.

I'm struggling to maintain muscle strength, my running PB and my waist but I don't know how much of that is peri and how much is covid.

I also have a carb addiction and a sweet tooth suddenly. It seems like my body wants easily available carbs these days.

And when I'm tired I am soooo flipping tired.

reread thread. I forgot: palpitations, headaches. Plus my IBS has gone a bit haywire which it always does when hormones are involved

Oooh, that’s interesting. I’m a runner (45) and am noticeably slower although my run distance and numbers of runs a week haven’t changed. I’ve actually been considering jacking in running (after 20 years!) and just walking as I ache all the time.

Can’t comment on periods as I have the coil but I also suffer with insomnia and not sleep with a fan.

It's really trial and error!

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia before I started hrt. I also have rheumatoid arthritis. I definitely have RA (my poor old twisty fingers!) but the fibromyalgia diagnosis doesn't seem so relevant as I can now actually function with HRT whereas without it I was mostly immobile. My RA is also improved with the HRT but obviously not reversed.

Often other issues are exacerbated by peri menopause. Hormones are funny things, they basically can affect wide areas of your body and mind. (Sorry for my most unscientific information there). There is a severe lack of information about menopause other than basic symptoms lists, women are literally relying on each other's experiences to make the decision about HRT.

My point being that even if you do have another diagnosis, HRT can still benefit those symptoms, therefore you can attribute the worsening of other issues to peri menopause

That's the worst " oh you're too young!" I was still being told this at 45!!

It's drives me mad as it's mostly older women. I also get a lot of "oh it didn't affect me" well good for you!!

One women I know in her 60s told me it didn't affect her. She went through a very angry stage in her 40s, fell out with all her friends and lost a lot of mobility. But it didn't affect her.

I know it genuinely doesn't affect some people but some older women I know sort of accepted their sympathy as part of ageing in their 40s!!!

@Jigglypufff Have you tried a sea buckthorn supplement? It might help with dryness - has great reviews on the Holland & Barrett website. I’m on it for dry eye but it basically increases lubrication everywhere.

I’m 43 and massively struggling with chronic migraine the last few years. I keep telling the doctors I think it’s linked to hormones (my migraines completely stopped in the 2nd/3rd trimester of pregnancy both times) but they’re not interested. I don’t know if it’s the migraines or the medication or perimenopause but I’m constantly exhausted, ache all over and feel permanently close to tears.

I think my symptoms started around 40 with excruciatingly painful periods and weirdly my hormonal acne disappeared (result!)

then by 43 it was
weight gain
brain fog
aches
rage
anxiety
low mood
night sweats
exhaustion despite sleeping well
itchy skin - and can’t wear wool anything esp near my neck

HRT helped the physical symptoms but the anxiety and low mood only improved by adding anxiety meds
Mini pill has resolved the painful periods

Oh yes I forgot about this one. I also read this. I have awful ASD and ADHD style issues. I think this is why so many adult women are getting diagnosed! I just put it all down to menopause tbh but 2 if my daughters are in the assessment process and one of then us a carbon copy of me at her age tbh. Never considered it before although I always knew I was odd or different. I probably won't pursue diagnosis though.

In reply to the other runners, I was also a runner, running 3-4 times a week including over 10 miles at the weekend. I ran my first marathon at 40 and then it all fell apart due to many many random pains. I had treatment for bursitis and then never really ran again. I miss it so much but every time I try I end up floored for 2 days afterwards with pain and fatigue. Now I'm just so unfit it's even worse. I'm a bit lost without it and don't really know how to exercise tbh. It was an obsession and i can't get my head round doing anything else (see paragraph above about ASD type symptoms!) Any suggestions about getting back into regular exercise gratefully received!

Ooh I was just going to write not swimming and I remembered another issue other women have talked to me about which is increased sensory issues. I hate having wet hair. It makes me really stressed and sweaty. I also have an issue brushing my teeth, it just feels wrong.

@Loubelle70 oh, that's why that was? Thanks for that, I never asked the doc at the time because it never occurred to me that this symptom was anything to do with it, and I have to admit I haven't had it for a few years and assumed it was because I eat fewer carbs, but that makes so much more SENSE.

I asked for HRT eventually after a few years of joint pain and terrible brain fog, interrupted sleep.

I lost my job because of a mistake I made, I’d be working and often just end up staring at my screen trying desperately to concentrate like my mind was wading through concrete.

Ive now found the right HRT and know that the mistake would not have happened if I’d sought help earlier.

Menopause amplifies Autism and / or ADHD traits massively. Also, when you're suffering with (often) debilitating physical symptoms, it's harder to mask (even though some women don't even realise they have been masking their whole lives). I started doing some research into it a couple of years ago - peri started age 47, diagnosed ASD / ADHD at 51. I had a long running thread about it on the Neurodiverse Mumsnetters board. It's awful how so many women 'fall off a cliff' in this way once menopause or other health conditions hit us.

I'm 52 and been on HRT for 2.5 years. It stopped my hot flushes. Everything else has just been something I've had to adjust to.

50

Started at 45 with painful sex and terrible memory loss

Now
Shit sleep - wake up all through night and up for the day between 4-5am

Three day headaches
Joint pain everywhere

Become intolerant to a wide range of food (including fish & meat) that started off with lactose intolerance. This is probably the worst symptom for me currently as I can eat hardly anything with my partner especially at dinner as then I'll be up all night

Horrible flooding periods closer together
Hot flushes if I eat hot food or drink hot drinks
Rage
Zero libido as pessaries don't really help with the VA

Itchy ears comes up a lot in accounts of peri/menopause.