To ask how tired are you on your period?

[ButterflyTable]

I’m early 40s now, it’s the first full day of my period today, I started in the night so got woken up about 4am, although I’d put a normal sized pad on it had leaked, usually the very first couple of hours is light for me.

I have about a 4 or 5 day period and my cycle varies from 23-27 days.

On the run up to my period I’m generally ok, the day before I have a headache and feel dizzy. Today though I’m exhausted. Like I could genuinely fall asleep. I take an iron supplement every day.

Does your period surprise you? Do you carry on as usual or does it exhaust you?

Absolutely exhausted. But have just been diagnosed with anaemia and hoping the iron tablets will help.

I feel as tired as if I have flu for the two days before and the first two days. Just bone tired and I look white as a sheet. After that I perk up a bit but I don't have energy to do anything more than get myself to work and back really until it's over. It's rubbish.

Yesterday I did a pilates class and nearly fell, I was just grey, so wobbly and disorientated. I was asked to send an email three times today, each time forgot, just getting round to it now.

A friend saw me this morning and said you sound so chilled, I was just dazed and didn’t have a clue what to say. It was like my head didn’t want to work.

So many of the symptoms run true for me, I’ve had porridge and fruit this morning, scrambled egg pita and a banana. I then want for a walk. I’m so tired though so it’s fish fingers and chips now I’m just craving it!

The insomnia is a bit better since starting sertraline, I can get very angry a couple
of days before too and quite down, like the world is against me.

Definitely sounds like you are perimenopausal. I had the same - migraines the day before, utterly exhausted and really heavy flow. I’m currently trying the “natural” approach balancing hormones and I do feel better but my friend went on coil and feels like a different woman, another friend is on HRT. They both went private to a doctor specialising in women’s health and in particular hormones / menopause x

I will see a special menopause doctor I think. Can't carry on like this