Is this peri menopause?

[Lottieismydog]

Hi all. I hope you can help, I have read a lot of the posts on here, and looked at the website many recommend. I am still not sure what to think.

Here goes.
I am 47, and for the past couple or three years I have been having headaches at the time of my period ( just before and first couple of days ) no pain killers will help, it's just pain/fuzziness and not severe, but every time, getting me down.
I went to my GP about 12 months ago, and she prescribed an anti depressant, although did not tell me what it was - told me it was for headaches, but when I got home and read the leaflet decided I would not take it.
Sorry if others think that is stupid, but I felt that the GP almost avoided telling what it was. It was Fluoxetine. I just took the decision that I didn't want to take anti depressants so put up with the headaches.

Now headaches have eased a lot, but over last 3 months my periods have come more often, every 25 or so days, and are very, very heavy, there seems to be more clotted blood in the tampon / loo and I have to use both tampon and pads to stop leaking for about 3 days, then it's over. Sorry too give sooooo much detail!

I am very irritable, mean, moody and thinking back I cannot remember when I wasn't really, my kids and other half bear the brunt of this. Sex life is basically gone too...my fault.

I have stressful times and work, which is what I put irritability down to , but thinking about it sometimes I am just horrible for no reason....

Is this the menopause? Perimenopause? Most people talk about periods becoming less not more....confused can anyone help?

Should I go back to the GP or is this just a normal part of the peri menopause process...
Thanks for reading this far, appreciate any help you can give.

Your Gp doesn't sound too helpful or clued up.

Most headaches like you describe are part of PMT and women suffer when their progesterone levels fall. Many women using HRT get this even when they are not having natural periods, but those induced by the HRT- exactly the same as many women find when they have a bleed when on the Pill.

In peri our progesterone levels often fall - due to us not ovulating, which is what triggers the production of progesterone.

You can still have periods without ovulation.

It's also VERY common to have shorter cycles- sometimes as short as 14 days apart.

Not everyone has longer gaps until much later on.

I wouldn't worry about the clots. They are probably not really clots- but the tissue from the lining and that is actually normal.

I'd not take ADs- you aren't depressed , you have PMT headaches!

There is quite a lot of research into how altering your diet can help PMT- especially reducing sugar, refined carbs and salt in the 10 days before a period.

Thanks pinkfrocks. It's put my mind at rest and tbh I think my GP just did not want to know. It's hard getting through the days with the debilitating headaches and I just needed the GP to try to explain things or discuss what might be happening, hey ho. I will definitely look into the diet thing, had a really bad day today - do need to take control. Thanks for replying. X

I went to my doctor with what I think is really bad PMT. Reading the above tho it sounds like perimenopause!!!

My doctor did exactly the same and gave me fluoxetine. I took it for a wee while but I think if anything it made me worse so I stopped taking it. I think a lot of doctors either don't really understand or are just not bothered. My doctor is a woman so I thot she would be more sympathetic!!

I've been reading posts on here and will try the suggestions before I go near my doctor again.

Hope you feel better soon. And as always sympathy to our other halves as they don't get it and think it's them!!!

Paris. Think you must have the same GP as me! Essentially that's what happened to me, I feel like theres no point in going back and should manage it myself too. Certainly looking at the diet / food tips that pink refers to above.