This sounds like possible menopause right?

[atticusclaw]

I'm 40

I have a full beard (literally) despite 8 sessions of very expensive laser treatment
I can't sleep at night
When I do sleep I wake constantly with mad overheating and sweats
I have frequent bouts of random dizziness
I have suddenly developed lots of joint aches
Having never been inclined to get headaches I suddenly get them all the Time.

Possible menopause do you think?

Oh dear, poor you.

I think you are a bit young for menopause. But it does sound like hormonal imbalance. How is your period/any PMS? Are you stressed/burdened?

Read Marilyn Glenvilles books, I got them from the library. Also Sarah Gottfried (she's on FB) is very good.

Possibly but as miss says you are on the young side.
All of these - apart from the beard - are things that I had when I was pg. ...any chance?

No chance of pregnancy since I have a mireva coil. So as a result no periods either which would have given me more of an indication.

The other symptom that I forgot to mention is that I keep suddenly crashing and needing to sleep. Literally one minute I'll be fine and the next I will have to stop and crash (fortunately I work for myself so this is not a major problem!). This has come on over the past few weeks.

I am stressed but have been since I started working as a lawyer 20 years ago so I'm not sure I can put it down to that!!

I will check out those books thank you.

"mirena"

It really sounds like hormonal imbalance caused by stress. We can handle the stress when we are young, but around 40 (I'm 41), it gets harder and you can get all kinds of symptoms, like yours. Mine are quite mild compared to you, I get bad PMS and generally angry.

Do you do any exercise? How is your diet? Both can affect your hormones positively/negatively. If you eat a lot of carbs/sugary foods, that could explain the crashing. Excercise can really balance you - I lift weights (not heavy!) and that so sorts me out. I think it's the testosterone production that happens when you build muscle.

You work for yourself, so do I (I'm a translator). Do you work evenings/weekends? I can't work every weekend/evening anymore, it's too much for me.

I work silly hours when I have a court case coming up so yes days, evenings and into the early hours quite frequently.

I don't currently do much exercise other than a walk in the woods every day for an hour. Nothing strenuous. I'll certainly look at that. My diet could definitely be improved as well.

I'd be off to the dr for tests on thyroid- most likely- and PCOS.

None of it sounds like menopause but if it is then it's premature and you need treatment- HRT.

Right, I'll make an appointment. Didn't want to waste the doctors' time but its sound like something is going on even if it isn't early menopause.

OP: I've been through the menopause and it doesn't sound like menopause to me. The only symptom I could relate to was night sweats/hot flushes.

Don't think you are wasting the GP's time at all.

I have an appointment for tomorrow and so will see what they say.

It might be the Mirena.

It inhibits ovulation, side effects similar to menopause.

Ive had the mirena for four years though so I don't think its that.

Mystery!

Could be PCOs which would explain hair and low blood sugar symptoms (dizziness and fatigue). It has a gradual onset and can be secondary to other hormone problems. I would request some blood tests that will look for menopausal changes and thyroid. The mirena coil contains a small amount of progesterone which works alongside the physical mechanism of the coil by suppressing the thickening of the womb lining to prevent implantation, I don't think it effects ovulation.

Sorry it MAY prevent ovulation but this is not the primary way it works.

No, but it does affect the ovaries and can cause some of the symptoms OP had.

That's excellent that you walk for an hour every day, that is probably one of the best things you can do!

How is your diet? You should focus on good fats like olive oil, fish, avocado, lots of leafy greens and go easy on sugar and carbs.

I hope you report back after seeing your GP. If you are offered hormone treatment, I urge you to really look into exactly what it is. I was personally quite shocked when I talked to the nurse at my surgery about bad PMS and she gave me a leaflet from a medical company about hormonel treatment. It had a tick off page, and whatever you ticked, you were advised to undergo hormonal treatment. I have since read up on hormonal changes after 40 and although it's not a miracle, I am doing much better and I have learned to recognise when there is to much stress - doesn't mean I do much about it, but just knowing that it's okay to feel overwhelmed helps a lot!

Just back from the GP and they're doing a full set of bloods tomorrow.

Checking for hormone balance and blood sugar levels. He mentioned possible early menopause or PCOS but said even if it's neither of those, something is certainly going on and needs checking out so I didn't feel like I was wasting his time.

Oh, great news, atticusclaw! Really pleased to hear that they are testing and not just relying on symptoms for diagnosis. Do you know when you will get the results?

Should only take a few days apparently. He said early menopause was less likely than PCOS since there's no family history of early menopause. The bearded lady look, crashing fatigue and dizziness sounded more like PCOS and insulin resistance but I'm skinny which isn't the usual body type. Guess I'll find out soon!

Are they testing your thyroid?