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.

You need to assess your diet and exercise and lifestyle. Follow a sensible healthy eating diet, regular exercise and dump baggage that is pulling you down.
It is worth supplementing Vit D as you cannot get enough in your diet and menopausal women seem to often have low levels. You can get tested by the go sometimes, but this is the time of year when you will be lowest.
Omega 3 supplements can help as we tend to have too much omega 6 these days and the balance needs to be tipped the other way.

‘Go’ should have been GP

Hi OP, we're nearly the same age, I'm finding hard to get taken seriously despite my first visit to the GP with symptoms being 5 years ago. I have to admit I'm suddenly active on the boards as the anxiety, depression and feeling of general gloom and pointlessness has gotten too much, not to mention the brain fog and being an awful person to live with. Sadly I keep 'passing' the hormone test so they won't help me despite agreeing completely with what it is due to my age. I hope you get the help needed. Will go back and read the full thread.

Marking place to Have a good read later. I'm currently 15 days 'late' having a strange mix of PMT and period pains, but no bleeding. Ive always been 28 day on the dot. I missed a period once last year, went to the GP but felt a bit dismissed with 'it's just your age'. Wasn't sure whether to go back.

(Also skim read Champagne as a recommendation )

Did some Peri menopause jean shopping this week, never a fun activity, but oh dear me. Can you get HRT in Peri menopause or do you need to wait until 12 months since last period?

Yes, baby:
www.menopausematters.co.uk/perimeno.php

And here are the NICE guidelines:
www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng23/resources/menopause-pdf-718895758021

I eat the way @pollyperky recommends and my symptoms have disappeared.

I'm 51

More general info here, baby:
www.menopausematters.co.uk/symptoms.php

I am 46 and perimenopausal. I have been on hrt for a few months now and it has made a HUGE difference to me. I am now sleeping again and not feeling anxious all the time.

I have never once considered the GP when I missed periods! It's normal!

We didn't all go to the GP when our periods started did we??

Obviously if you feel very ill that's different but GPS don't 'dismiss' you by saying it's your age - it is your age!!

Sorry, that was really unclear, I meant, yes, baby, you can take HRT in perimenopause.

Thank you @AuntyElle

I eat what I like & don't have any problem symptoms (age 50).
Then again, what I like may be pretty healthy choices, anyway.
Hope you lot feel better soon.

I guess I'm joining. I went to see the doctor about inability to concentrate and making lots of mistakes at work. Since my Mirena coil has stopped my periods I had a blood test to check, and yep, it's Peri. Having an Alzheimer's memory test made that feel like a slightly more positive outcome (she let me off on getting the date wrong since I got the other 29 questions right).

So far, I've dodged any physical symptoms and just had the brain fog and low mood. And possibly the tiredness, but quite honestly, having a turbo charged 5 year old who has more questions in his head than time to ask them, I'd never know.

I'm 49. I'm hoping it doesn't get any worse than this, since I can't afford more mistakes at work, but since the blood test showed a fair amount of oestrogen still sloshing around, it probably will.

Hello.

Can I join?
I’m 43 and think I’m peri. My periods have become extremely painful over the last few cycles. This month I was up all night crying just wanting it it end. I’m thinking about going to the doctor but I’m not sure if it’s worth while.

No dc but one pregnancy and much ivf.
When I had my ivf about 4 years ago my fsh levels were really high.

I’m 44 and pretty sure I’m perimenopausal. My periods are about every 3 weeks and shockingly heavy. I have had to go on the pill to try and regulate them. I also have adenomyosis and fibroids.

To anyone who is having heavy bleeding and feeling tired, depressed and miserable, get your iron levels checked. My ferritin was extremely low and I felt wretched. I have been on a high dose of iron now for a few weeks and feels tons better.

meganchips I'm just being checked at the moment for very long and incredibly heavy bleeding plus thickened womb lining. I'm anaemic too and taking spatone as I find it easier on my stomach than iron tablets - what are you taking ?

dahliaaa I’m taking ferrous fumerate tablets, 610mg per day which I think is over 100 sachets of spatone! I had been trying to self medicate before that with Floradix as I suspected I might be anaemic but it was nowhere near enough. I feel loads better now.

The first couple of weeks were a bit rough on my stomach but I feel completely normal now, black poo aside.

Thanks Megan really useful to know

@dahliaaa have you been offered tranaxamic acid? I was on two, three times a day, taken with ibuprofen. Worked for me. I have a coil now though.

Feeling really nauseous tonight. Head feels all heavy and woozy. Hate this. Happens every month now after my period. Think my hormones are going crazy trying to ovulate. Feels weird though. Feel like I don't know what to do with myself... between this and the mood swings and exhaustion and bad memory that start over a week before my period, I'm really having fun here...

Fiance GP not keen to give it to me until I've seen gynaecologist but will ask them about it thanks.
Have you had any side effects from mirena?

Sorry you are feeling rough :-(

@dahliaaa no I haven't really, I mean I was having lots of peri symptoms and they're still there just the same really. I've only had it three and a half weeks. It's already stopped the heavy bleeding BUT this light period has so far lasted ten days and I had spotting most days since I've had it in but that's par for the course. I have not had the headache some people get. I was already having bad pmt and low sex drive that some report as a side effect. I was only feeling sexy for about 2 day's a month anyway so that's just all continued on the same!

Thanks Fiance