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.

I came off the pill at 49, having had symptoms from 46 and thinking that was it. My grandmothers were 50 and 51 when they had their last periods. I had loads of periods every 3 weeks or more but mostly less. I read the straw thing linked above and despaired ! I have been on hrt since I was 50+8mths. I am taking a break (54) to see what happens. I am ok but have a head ache and pain in the neck.

I do yoga and pilates and used to do more but have felt rubbish for ages and it has wound down a bit. I get the ectopics in the evening when I am trying to relax. I sort of like them

Just calculated it's been 61 days since my last period. They were pretty regular before that. Maybe I'll just stop?

Just at the gym now. It's fantastic seeing all the nubile young lasses walking around.

I'm sitting waiting for dh and ds. Not messaging whilst on a machine!

My periods are still pretty much like clockwork. More painful but shorter. Which is odd.

I have had issues with vaginal dryness though and have been prescribed vagifem. It seems to be working fine. No side effects that I have noticed.

I have been exercising even more vigorously this last year and improved my diet a lot. Low carb medium fats high protein. Still having niggly stomach issues - is that another symptom?

My memory is awful. Noticeably so.

The joys!

Paris, thanks for the heads up about black cohosh. Will have a google!

Hi. I am 52 and am definitely in Peri but still having reasonably regular periods - 2016 had 12 periods ranging 21 to 39 days between and last year 9 periods ranging between 20 days to 55 days with one largish gap of 70 days. This year, so far, seems to be more frequent again!!
Last year I noticed I had more irratibility and was easily upset - taking everything personally. I've also noticed it's harder to loose weight, even though I'm very active e.g. Running, yoga etc.
I've had more hormone surges this year that are noticeable and a massive increase in libido too - I feel like I'm turning into a sex pest not that DH is complaining but is this normal? Most websites suggest your sex drive will decrease during Peri/Menopause and it's made me feel rather self conscious that I'm not normal!

I'm finding the black cohosh is helping this time round so I'll stick with it. I could even manage to go to tai chi this morning after a Night shift. Not that it was easy to follow but it was my first go.

salsamad I don't think there is a normal. I still have a regular sex drive. It's only having a teenager in the house that can hinder it. Plus uni son is home for a month soon. We find time though

salsamad do you dance? Dh and I do and it's fantastic for health and well being.

We did for a couple of years CuriousMama but then I started having a problem with inner ear and balance (I've had labrynthitis twice) and all the spinning and turning sadly made me worse. I do love running and yoga though ..... yoga is excellent for core strength and for de-stressing.

Can I join, your please? Marking place cos I’m off to bed as I’m knackered and if I don’t place-mark, I’ll forget 😂😂 oh, the irony.

salsamad I do modern jive and am getting interested in blues. Argentine tango doesn't do much spinning. Bloody hard though.

Avon welcome to the thread.

Can I join too please ? Just turned 46 and not sure if I’m peri or suffering depression I seem to have been in a funk for ages
For those who’ve been to the GP what did you say? I rarely go to the doctors so sort of feel like I’d be wasting their time

Are your periods still regular? If not you can say that you think that your low mood or depression has to do with that and ask for hrt. If are regular and you have no symptoms, maybe your depression has to do with more complex causes.

They’re quite irregular probably every 3 weeks or so. Been having night sweats for about two years now

So it very possible your depression has to do with hormones and you definitely can ask for hrt if there are no contradictions. You don’t waste your doc’s time, it is about your health and it is a priority! :)

My periods have been irregular for about a year now - 2/3 month gaps in between then 2 very heavy days then on/off for a few days then a last random very heavy day. So tiresome. My skin is soooo dry and itchy and I get really tired and tearful if I don’t have enough sleep. Bizarrely about 6 months ago I was having hot flushes, sometimes waking me up - now they’ve stopped and I’ve not had any more . I’m 45 and just feel... old

Just joining too. I'm nearly 48.
Didn't have a period for 84 days at the end of last year then awful flooding for 7 weeks until I got some tablets from GP.
(Just waiting for scan to check nothing else going on.)

Memory terrible. I have to write down every single thing at work which is very unlike me. Word and name recall hopeless.

Skin very dry and itchy.

Hello, I’m 48 and perimenopausal. All sorts of symptoms from minor stuff like dandruff and a croaky voice to bigger problems with anxiety and low mood. I’ve started CBT. Thanks for the thread, and tips and info.

Marking place.

I am assuming I am perimenopausal, not been to the doctors but I feel like shit. I'm 48...skipped a couple of periods in the last year after being very regular before, then the last few months had aches and pains/insomnia/permanent PMT/body temp has gone mad. I don't seem to get hot flushes as my friends have described, I just seem to go from cold to boiling hot in the blink of an eye. I'm thoroughly fed up. I do exercise regularly and make sure I get fresh air every day, I eat well, I'm not sure what else I can do to help myself really. Are there any supplements that really help?

Oh yes and my memory is shocking! Didn't realise this could be attributed to the meno as well and just thought I was losing my marbles 😬

Marking place.

I've just put up a post in general health because at my scan today my womb lining thickness came up as 15mm which is apparently 'thick' - concerned because a few google searches suggest this isn't a good thing when coupled with my very
long bleed :-(

Placemarking with interest

Placemarking.

Reckon I've been peri for at least 3 years as this is when periods became massively irregular but no other symptoms I can think of apart from dry skin. Mental health always up and down due to menstrual cycle anyway so no change there. Just worried I should be doing something to help with my physical health.