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

[Divinespark]

Just that really?

50… irregular periods -I’ll have 2or 3 monthly then a 6 month gap, occasional hot flushes, general cant-be-arsed-ness, low mood

42 - perimenopausal

Weight gain
Brain fog
Blind Rage
Severe Anxiety
Heavier periods
Irregular periods
Hot flushes
Low libdio

I've been on HRT for 3 months and it's significantly helped, but still have

Heavy periods
Hot flushes
Acne for the first time in my life 😔
A significantly increased libdio 😉

I can live with the above, I couldn't have coped much longer with the brain fog, anxiety and rage. That was the most debilitating time of my life

@Getmeoutofheere

Yes, not so much the wax build up though. Trust me to get a weird symptom!

Been having investigations the last few months for MS as I have some neurological symptoms (constant muscle twitching all over the body, pins and needles in my hands and arms, feeling like ants crawling over my skin, eyelid twitches, zinging electrical pain across my face and ear/throat, muscle cramps in my biceps and thighs/calves), tremor in right thumb.
Neurology gave me the all clear, not MS, and not Parkinson's which runs on both sides of my family. All they found was low Vitamin D which I am on a supplement for, so they suggested could be perimenopause symptoms.
Apparently hormone issues can cause neurological problems.

Aside from that;

• A patch of thinning hair right at the front of my hairline where I can see my scalp
• Weird weight gain just around my waist, like an extra "roll" that was never there before and which has literally happened withing 6 months
• More frequent headaches
• Needing the loo more often
• A bit weepy and easily sensitive about silly things
• Back/hip pain
• Forgetfulness of common things/words

Periods still regular (for me) about every 23 days and normal flow.
No hot flashes or night sweats at all.

49

irregular periods

occasional rage feelings just before period.

much more self confident and feeling relaxed generally

zero alcohol tolerance- drinking even a small amount makes me VERY sluggish for up to 4-5 days. Not worth it & have cut it out almost completely

When not drinking sleep is still fine

weight goes to belly rather than thighs

Need (& so far succeed) a lot of exercise and weight lifting to maintain weight.

Libido is still there but needs someone I fancy to come out.

46

Weight gain around my middle which is proving nigh on impossible to shift.

Periods are still regular, but now have definite pattern of light first day, incredibly heavy second day, then a light day.

I've never been one to suffer fools gladly, but my tolerance levels for people being idiots has dropped even further. I'm generally ok with people in person, but I'm finding social interaction via WhatsApp gives me the rage.

Night sweats if I have more than a couple of glasses of wine.

Migraines which I can link to fluctuating hormone levels (I get them around ovulation and sometimes just before my period).

I did have a few months of having hideously itchy nether regions, but that seems to have sorted itself out recently.

52 with last period in May.Hoping that's it.
Cant take the pill or HRT anyway but so far so good. Though two separate occasions which lasted a couple of weeks each time this year,where I had terrible back pain,I couldn't get out of the chair or bed but not sure if its linked.
Apart from a bit of memory loss and aging fast in the face,i feel good! No sweats, emotions feel the same and sleeping ok just like before.

@stayflufft thank you! I will try anything. 🥲

I'm 44, I have racing heart beat, then sweats, periods are heavy then go very light. period pain like I used to have as a teenager. Headaches/migraines, sore boobs, feeling angry and grumpy. Tired and just really fed up of stuff!

Thanks, I will look at it 😁

Am on HRT now so symptoms much better for time being.

In order of severity, symptoms were

1. Migraines. (Were every few days and would last 48 hours at a time. Not an exaggeration to say they were literally ruining my life.)
2. Insomnia. Could fall asleep but sleep was very shallow and couldn't stay asleep.
3. Brain fog. (HRT hasn't made much difference here unfortunately.)
4. Hideously painful periods. Taking metaphemic acid to help with these now.
5. Nightsweats
6. anxiety
7. Tiredness and muscle aches
8. IBS and diarrhoea on day 1 and 14 of cycle. You could set your watch by it.
9. Vertigo/ dizziness (made worse by Covid.)

10. Uncontrollable weight gain. After years and years of stable weight.

Symptoms 1-6 were bad enough to take me to crisis point. I couldn't function. Symptoms 7,8, 9 and 10 were draining but manageable.

HRT has been a game-changer, especially for sleep and migraines. As has doing resistance training at the gym. Working on balance and building muscle tone is much more important than lots of cardio at this point in life. Protects bone density and helps prevent falls etc.

My cycles are anywhere between 21 - 38 days and last between 3-8 days.

Chin hair growth is insane (tested negative for PCOS).

Insomnia, occasional night sweats soak the sheets / hot flushes.

Dry except for 1-2 days a month.

Loss of libido.

Breasts often get very heavy and sore as if full of milk.

Mood swings / teary, but it’s hard to know what is hormones and what is life.

Carpal tunnel in wrists at night: wake up with numb hands.

Need loo at least once in night.

Achy bones.

😃

Oh yes and a migraine for exactly 24 hrs at some point during my period, usually day 1. Never had that before age 38.

It’s alarming how bad some people’s symptoms are. I knew that I’ve had an easy time so far (49), but I didn’t realize quite how awful it can be. How did women manage before HRT. ☹️

Early 40s - not sure if all are hormonal changes or just age.

Receding hairline but more hair on face.

Leg hair has become thicker and darker and more prone to ingrown hairs.

Fatigue.

Sweet tooth.

Caring less about what people think of me.

Have also noticed waxier, itchy ears.

weaker bladder.

Running speeds are now slower.

No that is total bollocks. Some of those things can help but still there is a huge element of luck.
My sister and I are both vegetarian & lactose free.
Both fit, both eat very healthily (few UPFs etc). Neither of us have ever been on the pill or coil. (She is a Lesbian, DH had the snip and condoms before that). She has had no symptoms at 53 and now menopausal, I have had been plagued by severe symptoms since I was 43. Joint pain, severe periods, flooding, mood swings from hell, no libido, insomnia, anxiety.
Lifestyle can definitely help but it isn't the only reason!

42

Haven’t given much thought to being peri-menopausal, but my periods - for the first day or 2 I get horrendous cramps, nausea and ridiculously heavy bleeding 😭

46
Emotions all over the place. One day I am a sobbing mess the next full of rage.
On meds now for anxiety, on the mini pill so no idea about periods. Night sweats and sleep pattern is dreadful too which is why I am awake at this hour having woken up with a feeling like my body is covered in salt or sand or something just that awful sweaty feeling but then get out of bed, strip and then freezing but cannot go back to sleep. Not sure if I am peri or just a lunatic at times.

I also seem to have the frequent peeing thing in recent weeks. I thought possible uti bit tests show nothing and a google tells me it is another menopause sign. Where do it end.

47

Brain fog
Anxiety
Insomnia - made worse by anxiety
Horrendous periods and flooding
Spotting
Itching
Lack of libido

Tried HRT but it made me feel suicidal! Want to try another but every time I go to GP I get anxious and BP monitor goes up and down and stresses me out!

42
dry hair and dry ridged nails
dry, itchy skin
anxiety
digestive issues
painful periods
shorter cycles (used to be 32 days now every 26 days)
vaginal atrophy - itching, utis, frequency and urgency, weak bladder
weight gain
General meh feeling . No spark

48

Periods every couple of months. Hot allll the time. Over everyone’s bullshit and fantasise about running away to a desert island with the dog.

Those of you with vaginal dryness, vaginal itchiness or urinary symptoms, this is vaginal atrophy and if it's not treated properly it can lead to horrific symptoms.

I recommend the book 'Me and My Menopausal Vagina' because a lot of women just don't know how horrifying it is what vaginal atrophy can lead to. The poor woman who wrote this book left it too late to treat her vaginal atrophy, and she can't even stand knickers touching her vulva, and sometimes can't even sit down, it's that bad.

The supplements being recommended from Holland and Barrett etc will only mask the vaginal dryness and give a surface "wetness". These supplements will not deal with replacing lost oestrogen in the vaginal and urinary-system tissues - the loss of which is what causes the awful symptoms of vaginal atrophy. You need localised oestrogen for this, which is a very low-dose oestrogen you insert into your vagina.

I'm 44. Had some irregular periods last year so doctor said peri but periods have settled back down since. I'm full of rage though!!

Age 51. Been on HRT for 3 years and it's resolved all my symptoms.

I use oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and vaginal oestrogen.

I had many of the symptoms listed on this thread. HRT has given me back "me" again, plus a revived sex life, which I'm rather thrilled about.