So don't be shy list your meno symptoms.....

[VivLevi]

Not just the well documented meno symptoms but the little things happening to you that you can only attribute to the peri/menopause years
So starting with the obvious....
Chronic early morning wakening up
The hot flushes
Bleeding gums
Hair thinning
What feel like period pains but no period ever appears
Aching back
Aching shoulders
Headaches that would rival any hangover
Constipation then loose stools the back to constipation
Dry mouth
Weird burning crawling sensations on skin
Really dry skin plus the odd crop of spots
Anxiety around stuff that would never normally bother you
Weight gain despite eating healthier than previously
Low tolerance to alcohol
Chin hair
Forgetting names and words mid sentence or using the wrong word
Despite being blonde sprouting some really thick black hair around my hairline.
Anything else?

it' feels that with the reduction in oestrogen levels a layer of protection has been removed from me and I feel everything so much more acutely 🤦‍♀️

@Dangerfloof, they don’t smell
Got one about a year ago. Totally marvellous.

At the moment, it's the joint pain and brain fog. I've had 2 periods in the last 12 months, so assume the end of all this is near though.

In the last few years, the real killer was the sudden onset of severe health anxiety - it's ruined what would otherwise have been some pretty good years. And the random itching at night! Wtf was that? Never got hot flushes though, so perhaps that was my version of those.

Its ordered. I really really hope it works. Am so fucked off with quilt on, melt, quilt off, goosebumps, leg out, freeze, quilt on, melt all sodding night. And this with a 4.5 tog quilt.
Cheers bike, I do have high hopes, or I'm gonna move to the spare room.
For pp about working and meno, yes without HRT I would have to give up work (and live on what I dont know)
I put the link up earlier but it's a wool quilt, its seconds so some small thing wrong with it. Mine was £86. It's a lot of money, but I will report back in due course.

Anxiety
Night time waking occasionally with palpitations
Horrifically sweaty groin that makes me think I've wet myself - I think this is my awful version of hot flushes. I get it when I'm stressed at work. - just awful I have had to buy myself bamboo period pants to wear on normal days. 😳
Sudden black hairs on my chin
Occasional weird white one on my cheek bone.
Terribly painful knees.
Got patches 2 weeks ago but they only had half a batch due to go out of date soon... so goodness knows what I will get next time.
Deep irritation, particularly with dp
No libido... probably connected to the above point!
It's not great...

Teeth becoming loose and teeth breaking. Once curly and thick eyelashes now fine and straight.

Weight gain and not being able to shift it.
Dry fannny.
Feelings of panic.
Overwhelming tiredness coupled with can't be arsed - Ness.
Flushes.
Thinning hair.
Sleeplessness.

Sex drive dropped off a cliff
I work from home and it's pretty much part-time, if I had a proper full-time job.... no way could I cope!

Retinal migraines. Got them checked out by optician and GP but can be linked to menopause apparently, and I can recall experiencing similar during puberty too.
Hot flushes for two years which tailed off but are now back with a vengeance. And recently have started suffering from what I can only describe as hot flushes on the soles if my feet too ! Anyone else know what I mean ?
Have completely lost my waistline, have gained weight and it seems to have redistributed across my body.
Pubic hair, once quite abundant, is now sparse.
Forgetfulness. Have to write EVERYTHING down, can't retain any info even for a couple of minutes!
Sleeplessness, aching joints, whiskers, a complete loss of libido.

Are any of you posting doing anything about these symptoms such as HRT or vaginal estrogen for dryness? Or trying to alter diets so you reduce symptoms?

I've not taken anything but generally I am very health conscious

Oh, the losing vocabulary is so annoying. And the coming downstairs only to realise that you didn't do the thing you actually went up for.

I don't think I'm getting anything else yet (I'm assuming getting white hairs and needing EVEN MORE hideously expensive glasses doesn't count?) though I did end up soaking the bed with sweat in what was presumably a single hot flush. I have the Mirena so that may be helping (got it for fibroids).

Two questions:

when I google heart palpitations it tells me it's being aware of your heart beating. Surely this can't be right? I've been able to feel my heartbeat if I stop and concentrate for most of my life. I'd always assumed palpitations were a change in the actual rhythm. My heart rhythm is weird anyway.

a few months ago I got a sudden massive stabbing pain in my arse (no, not metaphorically ). It went away in (IIRC) about an hour. Haven't had it again but wondered if anyone else has experienced anything similar?

There are 34 symptoms of menopause

I thought I had dementia because my memory has gone. I can't remember names, words, names of things. It's frightening.

We had a menopause event at work this week. What was reassuring was to hear that because your body stops producing oxytocin you lose any nurturing feelings you have towards your family. They suggested you didn't do anything drastic until it had passed. I've been really wanting to LTB, he annoys me so much .

I am a content producer and I thought my lack of concentration and loss of words was due to exhaustion. But.... just realized reading this that maybe it is actually part of perimenopause for me. It is terrible. I read things I wrote even 2 years ago and think ‘that’s so good, why can’t I write that way anymore? I can’t find even the basic words I want let alone those more complex. It is really a worry.

I bought a eye mask with little wireless speakers each side and play a soundtrack of rain falling in a forest with birds chirping. That has helped with the anxiety insomnia a lot. Not the most comfortable but you quickly get used to the speakers if you position them right.

@merryhouse that sounds like Javelin Arse.

Think I might be starting the peri, I turn 45 in January. Symptoms are as follows:

Chin hairs (have had for a few years, but now they grow back more frequently, luckily they are blonde).
More tired than normal, sometimes have the overwhelming need for a nap, do if I can.
Wake up at least once a night, always need to get up in the night for a wee (not diabetic had glucose check at routine health check in June).
Thickened round the waist, waist measurement of 30 inches, not very good at healthy eating but trying to improve. Weight has previously always gone round my hips.
Forgot when last period was (think I may have put it incorrectly on the calendar), if it was at the date I put down, only ha two and a bit weeks as oppose to three and a bit weeks between periods. Cannot remember whether it was that weekend or the weekend before, o the joys.
Aching knees and back
Trying to decide whether its worth going to the GP

O have had bleeding between periods a couple of times over the last six months.

Intense anxiety
Feeling like my insides are trembling
Hair loss and thinning
Chin hairs
Sore breasts
Aching bones in my feet
Hot flushes/ feeling warm and sweaty a lot of the time
Tiredness that hits like a ton of bricks from no where
Unexplained constipation/ heartburn
Getting completely confused flustered over simple things
Unexpected rage over very minor things to completely not giving a damm about anyone or anything
Heavy long periods

Thats a pretty big list! It only dawned on me a few months ago what was going on as Im 41 & thought I was too young.

Pubic hair, once quite abundant, is now sparse
Umm I ain't seen mine for some years now 🤔

It is however going grey.
I reckon there's more than 30 odd symptoms, its just that no one cares enough to actually measure/ask/report cos we are "only women"

Meant to add breaking into a sweat sometimes when I have a cup of tea. Had an extreme version of this after eating some soup a year ago, sweating where my hair was sticking to my neck, yuk. Haven't eaten soup since. Whole thing is yuk

I find this very good for hot flushes/night sweats:

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01M08DV3R/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A18L6CU4UIN9R5&psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

@Winesalot I get tinnitus too - notice it more at bedtime when there is nothing else to distract me and not much noise. But pretty much have it all day long in the background

Depression
Memory fog
Hot flushes
Aches & pains
Weight gain
Hair loss
Dry skin
Itching
Tiredness
Short temper
Mood swings

@jobobpip08

Tinnitus sucks. I have always had the background type. But this pulse one is new. Dr said it could be from also getting fitter (jogging to cope with other perimen symptoms) improving blood flow in a vein in my ear. Can’t win! Have both now lucky me. But yes. Mostly when I lay down then it is really loud.

That’s when I bought the sleep mask with little speakers. The ENT specialist suggested it. I had already started to play the rain forest sounds on my iPhone occasionally but DC in next bedroom complained so I only did it ocasionally. Now no complaints with the sleep mask.

Thanks for this thread.
I'm 43 and my periods are now all over the place. For two months they lasted 10 days (light spotting towards the end) then a normal month, now this month very early.
Reading all theses symptoms I guess I'm peri menopausal.
It's the insomnia and anxiety I'm struggling with.
My DP suggested I see a doc due to my failing memory!
I've always had loss of words so I'm used to dealing with that (picture what you want to say) but the brain fog at work isn't great (not helped by insomnia and anxiety I guess?).
My mum can't remember when or what happened with her menopause and it isn't talked about enough so good to hear what other women are going through.