Peri-Menopause Support Thread

[OldEnglishSheepDog]

Hello – would anyone else be interested in an ongoing peri-menopause support thread? I would love to chat with other people going through this utterly miserable experience.

Here’s my story. I’m 38, I have one child. We had hoped for another but after two rounds of IVF we decided to be grateful for what we had. Last month, after a few symptoms started making themselves evident, I went to the doctor for a blood test which confirmed that I am now officially peri-menopausal.
I’m starting this thread because I have never felt quite so lonely and scared as I do right now. The physical symptoms of hot flushes and occasional but intense headaches are bad but there is a whole new world of anxiety, depression and existential angst which has opened up since around November. I suffer palpitations which send me into a panic. I fret about my relationship while simultaneously withdrawing from it. Yesterday, I cried at a Radio 4 programme about The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I have quit alcohol completely. I am eating more healthily than I ever have before and exercising regularly and yet my middle has thickened and refuses to budge no matter what I do.

I find the menopause support web pages patronising. They seem to want to paint the whole experience as a new and exciting chapter as opposed to the slow death that it seems like at the moment. So I wanted to start a support thread that acknowledges the darkest aspects of this experience and allows us to wallow a bit before providing some practical suggestions.

If I end up just screaming into the abyss on my own, that’s fine. But if anyone else wants to join in, please do.

Hi everyone! How are you all doing? I believe I have been peri for at least a year when I started to experience never ending crazy heavy periods. Had a scan which showed a thickened uterus lining so needed to have a biopsy. Thankfully all was fine and my gyno put it down to my age and recommended a mirena coil which I now have and periods are very light. For the past 4 months I have been experiencing terrible anxiety which leads to panic attacks, awful palpitations and vertigo. I literally feel like I am going to loose my balance. Had 3 ECGs including a 24 hour one.... my GP says the results seem fine. I'm guessing these are symptoms of peri. Hands up if you have these too?! I can't go on like this and think I want to try HRT. As I have the mirena am I right in thinking I will just need estrogen in HRT form? Thinking of asking to try the estrogen gel. Anyone use that? Feel less alone after finding this thread. Hugs to you all.... xxx

Hi rocknroll29 the palpitations and panic attacks are most likely caused by fluctuating hormones giving you surges of adrenaline which are usually accompanied by hot flushes but sometime can occur on their own but can be quite frightening. I could have written your post as thee years ago was experiencing the same things. I also got the mirena which has been a godsend for floody periods and haven't had a period for 2 and a half years.

Over the past 12 months has my symptoms ramped up dramatically insomnia, hot flushes, night sweats and anxiety, fortunately I have a fab GP who's really pro HRT and she prescribed evorel oestrogen patches which have been life changing!! Over 3 months all of my symptoms have disappeared completely, l feel better than I've felt in years so couldn't recommend it enough.

I have to add more have also been super careful with my diet and do weights and Pilates 3 times a week as well as being generally more active, if you don't get on with the patches you can try gel which a lot of women swear by as you can alter dosage.

Hi, just page marking while I catch up from the start - sorry to those having a bad time.

I'm 47 & have been suffering a while, mostly with awful anxiety & forgetfulness both of which I have never suffered before. Last week I bit the bullet & went to the doctor who has put me on a very very low dose of estradiol tablets as I already have a mirena which gives the progesterone.
It has only been 1 week but the crippling anxiety appears to be gone & OH commented that he notices a difference as he doesn't appear to be in trouble at the moment

I know it's very early days & may be all in my mind but I do feel so much better

Hello! I'm on a couple of other threads but thought this one seems like a good idea.

I'm 42, never had any period problems at all until it went AWOL around Dec 2017. Came back in Feb 2018 and was a bit irregular - cycles varied from 14 days to 45 but bleeding was about the same. Then my cycles started to lengthen even more and apart from spotting I only have 2 periods between Oct 2018 and Feb of this year. Then another in April and in June I had the longest period ever - it lasted over a month!

Finally I went to the doctor and she's ordered blood tests to check
Hormone levels and an ultrasound. Had the one blood test, need another at the end of the month. Freaking out a little about the ultrasound as it's an internal one and I worry they might find something nasty but we shall see. Hopefully the long bleed was just due to 3 months worth of lining building up and not anything else. The bleeding did stop eventually so I guess that's a good sign!

Pineapple Fwitters, I was the same as you....never had a single period problem until around this time last year when I had a longer cycle and then a 12 day bleed. Didn't think too much of it until I had an even longer cycle the following month and a never ending bleed. I literally bled the entire summer holidays last year.... I absolutely poured! Anyway, went to my GP eventually who terrified me by saying it could be ovarian cancer and ordered an internal ultrasound. Like you, I freaked out. I couldn't wait for the NHS appointment so used all my savings on going private. The scan results showed a thickened lining to my uterus which needed a biopsy. Freaked out even more then. Thankfully the biopsy was fine and it was all put down to the perimenopause and I had a mirena coil fitted to stop the bleeding. I just have very light periods now.... hardly anything to be honest. So now a year on and I've started getting other symptoms, the worse being terrible palpitations and crippling anxiety which often leads to panic attacks plus awful vertigo. It's horrendous. I've had 3 ECGs but even though the results seem to be okay, I'm convinced I'm having a heart attack when the panic attacks start. I really can't go on and am going to ask my GP for estrogen gel or something. I feel like I don't know myself anymore. I just want me back. I'm sure your ultrasound will be fine and the bleeding will be down to being peri. I really recommend the mirena for heavy periods though. Good luck and keep us posted.

rosie39forever and Vesperia, so pleased to hear your HRT is working. That's really given me hope. I'm definitely going to ask my GP for some. Just hope it works for me too.... it would be such a relief to see a light at the end of the tunnel!

Thanks @Rocknroll29, that's reassuring to hear. I guess the reason I'm worried is because I've got no other menopause signs except what felt like a few hot flushes some months ago.

It doesn't sound like my bleeding was as bad as yours - it was just like day 2-3 of my period for about 2 weeks and then it lightened up but took forever to finish. I heard horror stories about women who'd leak through tampon AND pad within a couple of hours, and I certainly wasn't like that.

Hi all. Thought I would join this thread as my periods are becoming progressively heavier and more painful. I have always suffered from period pains and have experienced them most months - normally cramps in my abdomen and in my thighs.
I am 44 and am beginning to have heavier periods and the pains are becoming unbearable. I woke up with terrible lower back pain today and pains in my uterus that are making me feel nauseous. It is making me feel very tearful and I cannot bear the thought of another 6+ years of this. I am having some hot flushes in bed at night and am generally feeling disgusting. Have just ordered Starflower oil - which will probably be a drop in the ocean but I need SOMETHING. I feel like ripping my reproductive organs out and throwing them in the sea.

I have returned from holiday to find my appointment letter for my scan - it's a week from Friday. I wish it was sooner but hey ho!

Thank goodness I've found you.

I'm 46. Fairly regular periods until a couple of years ago and now cycle length is all slightly out of sync.

I'm now on day 18 of a period - is that normal? Tailed off a bit then came back with a vengeance.

Thank goodness I've found you.

I'm 46. Fairly regular periods until a couple of years ago and now cycle length is all slightly out of sync.

I'm now on day 18 of a period - is that normal? Tailed off a bit then came back with a vengeance.

Thank goodness I've found you.

I'm 46. Fairly regular periods until a couple of years ago and now cycle length is all slightly out of sync.

I'm now on day 18 of a period - is that normal? Tailed off a bit then came back with a vengeance.

Thank goodness I've found you.

I'm 46. Fairly regular periods until a couple of years ago and now cycle length is all slightly out of sync.

I'm now on day 18 of a period - is that normal? Tailed off a bit then came back with a vengeance.

Bloody app kept asking me to retry

That's what my most recent one was like @Noeuf - went 3 months without a period and then bled for 4 weeks.

I got the results of my first blood test back. I only spoke to the receptionist who said there was a note on my file saying likely pre-menopausal and that I needed another in 6 week. I asked her what my FSH level was and she said the report said 59.3. I googled and apparently that level is common in post-menopausal women???

Thank you (no idea what FSH is).

It's really difficult trying to find any information on what's normal. Literally can't plan anything without factoring in possible breeding

It’s the follicle stimulating hormone. I think the receptionist I spoke to may have read the wrong figure as 59 seems abnormally high.

Oh thanks. Does that give an idea of where you are menopause wise?

Oh thanks to whoever set up this post originally!!! I'm 45, still on the combined pilll, but fatigue like I've been drugged, brown/red discharge, bloating, waking up three times a night and hot flushes - does this sound like peri-menopause? I've not yet been to doctors as not entirely sure what they can do if it is?

Searched for a forum like this as feel so desperately low. I’m 54 and think I’ve been in peri for a year or so. No proper period for 9 months but a couple of spot days. When will it be over???? Hot flushes, irritability, insomnia, mood swings, and the worst bit is the over whelming feeling of hopelessness. So nice to feel like I’m not alone.

Hello all, so glad to have found you . I am suffering with horrendous flooding . It’s so bad I have to get up every 2 hours at night and I can barely make the journey to work with out incident. I am exhausted and my weight is ballooning. I have to excuse myself from meetings to go to the loo. And the anxiety and forgetfulness is also affecting my job. I went to the Dr and got a temp locum who has put me on the. Anyone else been given that? He seemed clueless and I think I need to find another GP..

Put me on the mini pill..

Hi pamplemouse, that sounds awful, poor you. I know that horrible feeling of dreading having an accident. I defo think you should see another doctor. I’d try and see a woman. Good luck