Peri-Menopausal at 37?

[tidyjane]

Hi I will be 37 in 2 months time, but for about 2/3 months I have been getting weird hormonal symptoms like

• feeling emotional and teary
• mood swings (sometimes overly happy and sometimes down and anxious)
• HORRIBLE pmt where I feel agressive, cross, impatient, pissed off, anxious, you name it!
• Shooting pain in one breast (usually the right) on day of ovulation and before period.
• Hair loss on scalp (noticeable to me)
• Body hairs are finer and fewer BUT...
• Developed a hairy chin (only very blond hairs but they are kind of long)
• Greasy skin and hair.
• Lack of libido.
• Fat seems to gather in specific places like tummy, tops/back of arms just under shoulder by armpit.
• Period cycle is like this: 30 days, 25 days, 31 days, 29 days, 32 days, 33 days, 26 days, 28 days, 25 days, 30 days, 32 days.

Doctors have done hormone blood tests amongst other things and found nothing abnormal, apart from slightly low on ferritin levels and vit D levels.
Maybe they missed something but I definately feel like I am going through some sort of change.
Any views or experiences from anyone?

Oh and I forgot to say, I have never sweated in my life let alone have BO, but all of a sudden I have to put more deo on and it doesn't take much for me to sweat under my arms.

Just in case someone knows anything about blood tests (compared to their own experience) my FSH level was 6.8 at day 3 of my menstrual cycle.
Whatever that means.

I've wasted hours of my life wondering whether I'm peri-m, but then I realised that it wouldn't help me to know either way so now I just treat the symptoms.

Sorry you feel grotty.

Thanks Fredworms how do you treat them? Have you had blood tests at all? I wouldn't worry too much if it wasn't for the hair loss and lack of libido which is kind of getting me down.

Go to your GP and explain- and ask for thyroid test- all your symptoms could be that or even something else that is not remotely period/meno related.

Thanks they have done a Tyroid test everything is normal. I have explained to the doctor but she kept me 5 minutes in her surgery and dismissed what I was saying totally.

Hi Tidy

I had all those symptoms starting at age 29 and had the FSH test age 32 with a similar result to you (about 8 I think). I then had another test at age 36 which came back at FSH of 32, which suggests it was peri. Your result is low, meaning it doesn't show you're in peri, but that doesn't mean you're not, it just means it didn't show up that day.

However, as MissBoPeep says, there are other reasons you might be feeling like that - eg thyroid, PCOS (I think has some similar symptoms - someone else might correct me on this)

I also had a dismissive reaction from my first doctor. She quite brilliantly told me I was "too young for early menopause"!! this is despite a history of chemo as a teenager and a warning that it could result in early meno. This was on my notes and I pointed it out to her, but she wasn't interested. It was a big deal to me at the time because i was TTC.

I went back to see another doc, who was much more supportive. I then took the decision to go on the pill, because my symptoms were becoming a real problem - particularly night sweats meaning I wasn't sleeping. It really sorted me out, redistributed the fat in the right places! and got my libido back.

Unfortunately last year I had to come off the pill due to high blood pressure, but symptoms now (I'm 38) have really calmed down. I have a period approx every 3 months but it only lasts a day or two with no cramps or anything.

My suggestion is to go back to the doctor, or a different one if necessary, and make sure they test you on the right day (day 3 of your cycle). You'll find loads more info on earlymenopause.com or the daisy network. If you still don't get anywhere and you can't handle the symptoms it's worth considering going on the pill. It acts as a form of HRT and replaces the missing hormones, and overrides your body's cycle so it really does help with symptoms.

If you want to handle it naturally, there are options such as evening primrose oil and other supplements. Loads of info about those on the websites above.

Sorry this has turned into an essay. Didn't know I was such an expert!!

Good luck. xx