What are your peri menopausal symptoms?

[Wavyheaded]

I'm 47 and it feels like this year it has really kicked in. Had five and a half periods already since Jan and really bad pmt each time. Spotting, migraines (tho I've always had those), shakes, diahorrea, tight feeling in my neck, it's awful. Anyone else good through similar?

I get that tight feeling in my neck too, was really worried about it for a while. Good to know that somebody else has it too- not glad you have it but glad I am not alone IYSWIM!

My main symptom has been anxiety, mainly health anxiety. Every ache or twinge I get I worry and worry that it is terminal, and then it vanishes and a new one appears.

I also get internal shaking, especially when I wake up and extreme tiredness. My periods were irregular for a while but now every 28 days but heavier and shorter.

What a joy 😁

Seems like I'm getting more symptoms by the month.. Hair thinning particularly at the sides, pain in my hips, back & today behind my knees, tiredness (feeling the need to nap if I get the chance) but the most upsetting is my skin, what looks like acne on my face & neck. Have tried Kate McIver secret serum & use Liz Earle cleanse & polish nothing helping. I've generally lost my mojo.. my mood & confidence so low.. I'm 45 & just feel like I've aged 10 years in the last few months. My periods are irregular but lighter than before.

Has anyone found the caffeine hair shampoo helpful to stop loss or anyone suffering with outbreaks on their face found a product that helps please?

I’m 48 and still have regular periods, but seem to be getting PMT symptoms throughout the month e.g.rage flares up (for minor reasons), accompanied by feeling hot and is hard to shift. I’m taking a herbal remedy which has made me feel better although may just be a placebo!

Please go to your GP and see if you can get on HRT. I had all these symptoms, severe anxiety and massive moods swings, along with really dry skin and generally feeling like I didn't want to go in anymore, what was the point. Been on HRt for 18months and I feel fantastic, life is calm and stable and my anxiety is at bay ....I still get moody but that keeps hubby on his toes 😁

Insomnia for two years, weight gain despite limiting calories to 1200 and taking up running, random hot flushes (not always at night)

Hrt really helped. All these classic symptoms of falling oestrogen. Anxiety, headaches, flushes, night sweats, the rage etc...

My periods have shortened to 21 day cycles, pms much more severe (e.g. Very sore breasts)
Anxiety
Disrupted sleep

I'm only mid 30s but it's normal in my family

I'm 43 and I'm getting the following:

Ridiculously heavy periods for the last few years.
Irregular periods - 2 this month 😫
Emotional
Anxiety, total loss of confidence
Waking in the night for hours

Apparently my mum had her last period at 45 so I think I'm heading that way.

Floradix and Starflower oil capsules are helping a bit as I was getting so depressed and emotional.

I had a hard time 2 years ago at 41. Tiredness, aches, depression, brain fog...unable to work. Hrt solved everything, I feel normal again.

I think the tightness in the neck might be thyroid related, it's so weird it's like wearing a polo neck when I'm not. Vertigo and dry skin is another thing I'm getting, I've upped my Evening primrose oil capsules, which I think is helping a bit but not as much as it used to. Extreme tiredness and sleepiness too.

I'm getting blood tests and a scan next week as my GP thinks I may have fibroids - another peri symptom, yay. I keep thinking when will this end! But then again, do I want it to?! I just wish I was young again .

Perhaps we should keep a list of all our symptoms here so that we can recognise all the various weird things happening to us.

dilly123 I have no idea if this is just a weird coincidence but my hair has stopped falling out since I started using Childs Farm baby shampoo (the strawberry and mint one) Had only bought it because DD had a dry, itchy scalp and I knew Child's Farm was good for sensitive skin but then I ran out of my shampoo and pinched some of hers. I've gone from losing handfuls to hardly anything at all, not keen on the smell but I figure it's a small price to pay and the unfragranced one doesn't seem to work as well. Would be really interested to know whether it works for anyone else or if it's just a weird fluke!

I had palpitations for a while. Quite scary.
Insomnia/broken sleep.
Pains in hips.
Anxiety.
Existential crisis daily.
I have a coil so don’t have periods. Thank god.

Libido soars regularly. but I do find sex is a good cure for anxiety.

I've had hot flushes, hair shedding, insomnia, chin hair and acne round my jawline, thickening around the waist, periods still monthly with the odd blip being either very late or as in this month very early.

I have found exercise and eating well has helped my sleep and skin. I go to the gym regularly and run 5k once a week. I'm also now using a sleep mask as I think my curtains are too light and feel my sleep has improved considerably. I heard about spearmint tea and one tall glass a day does make a difference to those pesky facial hairs appearing! It works! I get mine from a local health food shop but you can also buy online.

For the hair shedding I started using the plantur caffeine shampoo which again does work. I now no longer see any clumps in the shower when washing my hair. I used to lose so much I'd have to clear the plug hole. It does leave my hair quite frizzy and brittle feeling but I've found I don't need to use it for every wash so I now alternate between the plantur and my regular shampoo.

I think a lot of it is just feeling that I'm actively doing something to look after myself and that a has knock on effect on my general outlook which keeps me positive and motivated to keep up with a self care routine.

It's late for me to be posting hope the above makes sense!

@Wavyheaded No need to suffer with any of this crap.
Ask for HRT.

You are young. HRT before 51 and / or up to 5 years' use has almost zero risk but can give you your life back.

Perhaps we should keep a list of all our symptoms here so that we can recognise all the various weird things happening to us.

galwaynow.com/34-symptoms-of-menopause-that-you-need-to-know-about/

and as before- you need to consider HRT. No one thee days needs to accept all this horrible stuff.

@Wavyheaded.. I'm 47 too and I was about to post on here for help when I found your post. I get all the symptoms described here and the worse is the anxiety and mood swings. I've always had severe pmt and I've been on the verge of killing DH (!) and when I heard that menopause is like a super period I thought omg yes! I've recently broken down at work with uncontrollable crying. Embarrassing. I need to see a doc but keep putting it off and didn't want hrt as the risks are worse for me as DM passed away from breast cancer so they prob won't give it me. I need to find alternatives. We have DS (5) who is really testing us atm and we have no help. I could cry now. We were ttc DC2 but time running out and i'm exhausted all the time so another DC would finish me off!
I'm sorry for taking over OP. I needed to get that out!

I've only recently been told (by the GP) I'm perimenopausal but I think it's been going on about a year.

I've had the brain fog, tiredness, aching joints (particularly in my thumbs and knees) stupidly heavy periods, and migraines for a year or so but now have night sweats that lead to me needing to get up and change nightclothes, ovulation pains that go on for two days and really sodding hurt, and I've just started having the occasional hot flush as well.

I started taking Evening Primrose Oil for the night sweats which has helped a bit but am going to try Sage next. If no joy then the nurse practitioner has given me loads of stuff to read about HRT.

I just want it over and done with now, I'm dreaming of no more periods.

The random pains behind the knee have plagued me a bit too - though (whispers) they seem to be on their way now. I’ve also had rage, grief and sadness about things I thought I’d done with. I have this theory that this stage of life will hit you with any ‘old’ physical or emotional injury and we have to re-process it.

I get aching joints in thumbs and hands generally. I'm 45 and on the Mirena. Is painful joints peri-related?

Also can anyone recommend a good book to read about all this stuff?

**No need to suffer with any of this crap.
Ask for HRT.

You are young. HRT before 51 and / or up to 5 years' use has almost zero risk but can give you your life back.*

But is this true for everyone? I've been reading on another thread about the awful side effects from various patches, etc. Debilitating headaches, shocking mood swings. These reasons are why I gave up taking the pill even after I tried all types, mini and combined. Also the coil which made me go insane! So I never could trust anything. I think these things can't be given to everyone and if this is you, you have to try alternative remedies.

@dilly123 Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish might be causing your acne and not a sign of peri menopause at all. I found it made my face break out into acne like boils. I used it for years and never realised, I just thought I had bad skin (in my 30s), stopped using and within two months my skin is back to normal.

Sorry, I go on about this a lot on Mumsnet, I just get so mad when I think of how many years I kept buying the stuff and it was the problem all along. A lot of people have had a similar issue.

@Polpette

Thank you... I will have a break from it & see if that helps.

Can I ask what face wash cleanser you switched to?

Following this post has been a revelation I always thought HRT was for full blown menopause ie: after periods stopped etc but definitely going to speak to GP.. I'm single & my confidence is so low I can't even contemplate dating keep thinking who would find an old lady attractive?!!

Oh yes & ffs to the hairy chin bit.. my poor tweezers must be knackered 🤣

BooseysMom I reacted badly to the pill - but the hormones in HRT are at a much lower level. I had to try 3 before I found one that suited, but I wouldn't stop taking it. I also started peri relatively early so I was glad of the extra protection against osteoperosis. The peri symptoms I had were completely debilitating so it was worth it for me.

@Wavyheaded your symptoms don't sound like menopause. Could be thyroid or Hashimoto. Also ask for your vitamin D levels.

@BooseysMom if your Mum was over menopause age breast cancer isn't considered a higher risk for you.
My Mum also had breast cancer and I asked about HRT and I can have it.
See your doctor for a professional opinion.