Perimenopause and awful PMS

[IfYouGoDownToTheWoodsToday]

I'm 51, have had erratic periods for 3 years. I don't seem to have many awful symptoms which I hear about- no sweats, aches and pains, etc. Just feel a bit more forgetful.

However my PMT is off the scale and getting worse. This month I had 3 weeks of the sorest boobs- they felt like they did when your milk comes in. I am short tempered and really off with my DH who is a saint. I then had the most horrendous 3 days where I felt I was going mad- severe anxiety and at the same time, felt utterly and totally exhausted. I had to stop work and go to bed, on two of the days, where I slept and cried a lot. The day I started my period, I am back to feeling totally normal and thinking "what the heck just happened?"

This has happened for my last 3 periods, I have made an appt to see my Dr on Thursday. Does anyone know if there will be anything the Dr can do?

By the way, I don't drink and do exercise 3 times a week, though I couldn't do any the week before my period as I felt so tired. I have always had PMS but nowhere near as bad as this.

A friend of mine same age had similar issues to you doctor eventually suggested she have a coil fitted, it really worked for her, her periods are now very light and no more PMS. Hope you get it sorted.

This happens to me too but I'm only 43.
I feel desperate for some relief from it but don't want to start taking medication, which is what I assume gp would suggest.
It's just awful isn't it? The strange thing I find is while I'm in the depths of it I seem unabe to recognise what's actually happening, usually the day after my period starts it feels like the sun just came out and I can look back with clarity.
Is this a common experience? I have honestly worried at times that I'm going mad.

Thank you for your replies.

Moon you have described wonderfully how I feel, unaware what's happening to me other than I feel I must be mad. Then it all lifts.

The Dr wouldn't prescribe the minera coil, when I went with heavy periods around 5 years ago, as I never got on with the pill hormones.

I'll report back and let you know what the Dr suggests anything.

Every sympathy, you sound just like me at the moment! However, I don't have periods due to Mirena coil. As I was having dreadfully heavy periods. But my moods have been off the scale. Even I am starting to feel sorry for DH, I don't think I would like to live with me! One of my dearest friends said to me last week after a very tearful morning, I think you are going through the change, I have to say I agree, there is a pattern to my moods! Good luck OP.

Just to update, I went to the Drs today and she gave me Prozac to try, just on the days I feel awful. I will give it a go and see what happens. She also suggested a magnesium supplement for low mood, so I have bought some of that too.

Your GP gave you prozac for PMS? Jeez.

This is really not on!

NICE guidelines say categorically that ADs etc are not to be used for meno / peri meno stuff- which is what you have got.

If this is the same Dr as the one who wouldn't allow you to have the Mirena, I'd change GPs. For a start the whole idea of the Mirena is that the hormones are contained in the uterus, unlike pills.

I can't believe you are being given something as powerful and potentially addictive as Prozac for PMS.

You really ought to think about this and see someone else- maybe an NHS menopause clinic if you have one in your area?

There has been a lot in the media about middle aged menopausal women being palmed off with mind-altering drugs when what they ought to have is hormones.

This is from NICE

Psychological symptoms

1.4.5 Consider HRT to alleviate low mood that arises as a result of the menopause.

1.4.6 Consider CBT to alleviate low mood or anxiety that arise as a result of the menopause.

1.4.7 Ensure that menopausal women and healthcare professionals involved in their care understand that there is no clear evidence for SSRIs or SNRIs to ease low mood in menopausal women who have not been diagnosed with depression (see the NICE guideline on depression in adults).

High dose evening primrose oil is the treatment for sore boobs.

I have heard good things about magnesium, I might give that a try myself, I am seeing my Neurologist mid Aug, so I will check with him before hand. I hope you feel better soon OP. It is really miserable, like a dark cloud and nothing is right, usually lasts for around 5 days with me and everyone feels my pain! Good luck.

Polly But I don't think my symptoms are linked to the menopause. For most of the time I am actually have no symptoms at all. No hot flushes, insomnia, aches pains etc. What I have is worsening PMT for several days before my period.

I have googled and there are quite a few reports that Prozac can really help, if taken on the days of bad PMT.

I'm fairly sure that pms is caused by our modern lifestyle - stress, lack of sleep, modern diets, chemicals in food/homes, hormones in food chain etc. I've never read of pms being an issue before the 1960's when all that sort of stuff was introduced. I've tried to go back to as natural as possible and pms has disappeared.