Missing period

[LBDD]

I'm mid forties and for the last 18 months or so my periods and pmt have been very changeable. I'm a low carber and noticed the first time I did bootcamp that my periods were arriving without any pmt or mood change which was great. As I've stayed low carb though things have reversed and these days for a good two weeks of the month I have constant cramps and discomfort, digestive issues, water retention and days where I'm so irritable and moody that no one can talk to me. My sleep is also affected at the moment and has gone from a good 7 hrs a night to 4 or 5 and waking really early. Normally within 24 hours of my period starting I'm back to normal and it's all ok again.
This month my period is a week late, the cramps are coming and going (worse in the evening) but I don't think I'm as crabby as I was a week ago though I have put on 4lbs this week for no reason at all.
Could this be my first proper missed period. I feel too young to be here already. Hrt isn't an option for me and don't know what supplements will help. GP has done blood test and I'm waiting for results but as she said, if I can't have Hrt I'll just have to get on with it.
Apologies if this post doesn't make sense, did I mention I'm a bit woolly headed too. Def not pregnant though.

That is a bummer. If you have to take this head on, it is probably worth reviewing your diet to make sure you have all the nutrients you need. It is something recommended in most menopause books etc, even if you take hrt. It is easy to miss out on some if you have changed your diet. Supplements are useful if you are short of something, but most vitamins work better if they are part of what you eat.

In particular you need to make sure you have enough calcium and vitD to give your bones the best chance. It is really difficult to get enough vit D in your diet and you will probably need to take supplements, especially over the winter, because there is not enough sun year round in the UK.

The same with heart health. You need a variety of fats, especially omega 3s

And then there is the exercise, which helps with both, and makes you feel good. I find three things each week make a real difference. That has gone completely out of the window for me lately - I will be taking my own advice tomorrow!

If you have any answers to the woolly head, let me know.

Thanks DayLillie I'm looking into supplements at the moment but there's so much stuff to wade through to find any real information. I think my diets pretty good, lots of green veg, dairy, eggs and meat but maybe I'm lacking some B vits, who knows.
Just feels like we should have a better grip on this by now and have advice centres that are easily accessed and specialised, I mean it happens to every single woman at some point.

There is certainly a lot of varied information of varied quality out there.

I like the Arthritis uk leaflet for basic diet info. www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/arthritis-and-daily-life/diet-and-arthritis.aspx
It suits me because it is just healthy eating but give extra info on types of fats etc, and I have joint aches. It is basic, though but is a start to finding out more.

I have also had kidney stones and high cholesterol in the past and trying to sort my diet out for these may have contributed to a low vit D blood test at the end of last summer - you just can't win!!

There are a load of books here: www.menopausematters.co.uk/books.php
The trouble is books are soon out of date these days! And a lot are someone peddling their pet theory, but hopefully these are pre-vetted to be useful.
www.menopausematters.co.uk/article-perils-of-the-perimenopause.php This is a useful article.