What do you do/are you doing to get yourself through peri?

[Snowspeckledeyelashes]

I’m 45 and naively thought that as Ive always been very slim, exercise loads, eat well, don’t drink, smoke etc, etc that I’d sail through peri and menopause. Haha!! How stupid and big headed was I? For the last year or so, I’ve felt like shit.
I have major anxiety (everyday, it’s getting worse), aches and pains (back, hips, jaw), migraines, visual disturbances, sleeplessness and wake up like I’ve slept on a cobbled street, very heavy periods (have been under gynae for last 2 years, have thickened uterine lining and my options are mirena, ablation or hysterectomy, I’m so scared I keep putting the options off).
Dh doesn’t understand and we end up having arguments over it because I’m such a grump these days.
Does anyone understand? Are you just putting up with it all or taking anything (prescription or natural?).
I suffer from terrible health anxiety and every time I think I’m going to try something I read the side effects and it puts me off, stupid I know!!

Snap!

I am going through those symptoms at the moment, have been for nearly a year now. Some days are better than others but currently have very aching, almost tingly arms and legs, tiredness, anxiety, brain fog, to name a few...

I have bad health anxiety now so every time I get a symptom I think it’s not peri menopausal so end up googling constantly to find out what else it could be....

I am taking various vitamin tablets and iron supplement and I go to Pilates but that’s about it so far.

I am CrossFit athlete and have a very healthy life style and hard daily training.
My peri was an absolute nightmare for me! I was convinced that I had a very serious disease!
I am single and the only person who understands and takes care for me is my mum. I felt relieved when I finally diagnosed with early menopause a year ago at 41. I am on hrt since then and no problems. It gave my life back and I am not intend ever stop taking it!

Hi I am 45 and in the perimenopause stage and had lots of symptoms such as the hot sweats , anxiety ,irritable , not sleeping . I felt terrible but decided to go on HRT patches 8 months ago and it has helped me so much . I can't live without them . I weighed up the risks and they were minimal compared to my quality of life now .
I too struggle with my weight since going into the peri stage but I have to be really careful . I watch what I eat and reduce my intake so I am able to stay at the same weight . I have a disability so can't exercise like I want to but I manage it the best I can

I am also 45 and feeling the same OP. I've been like this on and off for a few years and been able to manage quite well by eating healthily, exercising and taking evening primrose oil thus far. I had a surprise pregnancy aged 42 and all of the weird symptoms completely disappeared until my periods returned when my baby was around one. Over the last few months my symptoms have become even more wide ranging and annoying though. I have IBS and digestive issues, breast pain, brain fog, night sweats and palpitations. The worst thing though is the anxiety which manifests itself as health anxiety. All of these symptoms only occur at certain times of the month prior to my period and mid month. The rest of the time I feel abosolutely fine. I probably end up feeling shite for about half of the month then the rest of the month wondering if I was going mad imagining all those symptoms! As for my periods they are still regular but my cycle has shortened and my periods are much lighter, which is actually quite nice! I have a GP appointment booked for next week as I have reached the stage when I've had enough of this.

Im 48 and feel ok, no anxiety, but periods scary heavy. Scared of getting caught out. I wonder if im half way through it, near the end or what?
Can a blood test tell you if you are half way through it?

Yes that's what I am wondering too. It would be good to have some idea of how much longer we have to put up with this!

Anxiety - I had a lot of luck with starting a bullet journal. The problems I had were with feeling out of control and as if anything could happen because I couldn’t remember what was meant to be going on. I’ve pretty much fixed this with a notebook system.

I can promise you this will pass and you'll feel much better afterwards.
Sounds as though you keep yourself quite well generally.

Think about it, if you opted for hysterectomy at least your periods will have gone. Women often say they feel like 'a new woman' after recovery from hysterectomy. You'll still be peri but one less thing to think about.

I'm in the midst of this to.. I can't sleep and wake wringing wet!! I have a seriously short fuse and anxiety creeps in often. I'm currently trying so over the counter alternative meds but I'm also thinking I might need to see a doctor as I don't feel this is something I can cope with long term. We are currently in France the nights temperature is 28 and I'm basically melting.!!

I'm 46 and had children late in life so trying to be upbeat fun mum whilst my body is falling apart is no fun quite frankly.

Totally get what you are saying, I feel a little resentful if I'm honest. Periods month after month, body kicked out of shape due to childbirth and now going coockoo and melting. Yay what fun.

I dont feel any symptoms i can pinpoint apart from heavy periods. So im worried that this process is years from the first hot flush.

I am not sure if ive had a hot flush. If i have it wasnt that bad. It is so hot, maybe i wont know til winter.

I am convinced any issues I had with the monopause were made worse by my diet and lifestyle, so I manage any symptoms through my diet and just doing gentle exercise like walking every day. I am a vegan and try to eat mainly a raw diet (not always easy!) and I sold my car and walk almost everywhere. I seem to have sailed through it really, I do start itching if I have had a lot of processed food but I don’t seem to have any life limiting symptoms that are around day after day. I have been period free for 7 months so hopefully that is the end of them for me. I refused any HRT treatment as I am vegan and I don’t like how it is produced, do I went it alone and I think I have been ok to be honest. Menopause is a natural part of our lives and I was determined to keep it like that, but as with anything in nature, I could be eating my words in a few years time😂

What age are you crazydog?
Im healthy and hardly drink and walk a lot so i wonder if ive got to 48 with hardly a symptom, or, if it's all still ahead and just hasnt started.

It could be either!

yali. I am 51 on Monday

I'm 49 and hardly any symptoms so far. Occasional hot flushes, night sweats and shocking memory but otherwise doing Ok ---so far.

I had a Mirena fitted last year which has been a godsend - periods now exceptionally light and every four weeks (although they had settle down to that in the past couple of years anyway rather than going anywhere between 5 and 12 weeks at a time).

I go to the gym every morning and work very hard for 60-90 minutes, also cycle at the weekends for 25-60 miles depending on the weather and who I'm with. I have put on weight around my middle recently but am working on damage limitation and hoping to stop it getting worse

I’m having ridiculous memory loss, horrendous periods and insane pmt. I’m too scared to have the Mirena. Particularly after reading the MN Bastard Mirena thread!
But I have found that Star flower oil tablets and Floradix liquid has helped my mood. I suppose I keep hoping that my period will just disappear...! That would be wonderful.... I have the sort of job where access to the toilet when you need it isn’t easy...
I’d definitely recommend the starflower oil and Floradix though.

Don't think still having primary aged children and being peri is ideal. Vegan/special diet not compatible for me and family cooking plus working 5 days a week. Loved to do exercise but time is a massive issue but also have a medical condition which is getting a lot worse due to Peri and limits my ability to do exercise. Hoping for HRT soon.

HRT. Falling oestrogen causes the symptoms. Replace it.

I also try and exercise, cut caffeine, take Agnus castus for the Rage, and eat well.

But if there’s no issues with you having hrt, use it.

It turned me back into me. I’m v happy for women who sail through or who manage. But hrt saved my marriage and, without being over dramatic, my life.

Oh and Mireya works well for a lot of women.

Not Mireya mirena

It’s the hot flushes. Horrendous ( and not to be confused with effects of this heatwave. )

So weird! I think I had a hot flush last night. It wasn't that bad. I felt a hot / burning feeling on the skin on my neck and back. But it wasn't THAT bad, so I'm not 100% sure I hadn't just overheated.

Can anyone make any recommendations for something to replace the oestrogen that isn’t HRT as I’m unable to take that due to being high risk thrombosis?
I am 44 and struggling with general aches and pains, fatigue, irritability and memory loss. I’ve been taking sertraline for a couple of years now for the anxiety and that seems to keep it under control. I run a couple of times a week to help with mental health and weight gain but I’m not really enjoying it at the minute and it’s a struggle to motivate myself to go out. Usually feel better when I do though.
Getting older sucks!

I’ve had quite a few of the physical symptoms, but only very mildly and only 1 at a time for a week or so. But I have been very anxious and depressed. I saw a lovely Dr who suggested anti-depressants, so I started on 20 mg Citalopram about 3 months ago. The difference has been amazing. I had side effects for a couple of days, but nothing awful, just felt a bit sick, dry mouth and it has made me feel so much better.

The NICE guidelines don't generally recommend anti depressants as a first go instead of HRT. But it depends on your particular circumstances.

Yeah she said it was worth trying as I wasn’t really struggling physically. She really had a long chat with me about what the main problems were for me and didn’t pressure me into it. In fact she said I didn’t have to get the prescription filled and insisted I came back to see her in a month.