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?

Periods every 3 weeks
Insomnia
Night sweats
Painful vaginal dryness
Dry eyes, skin and hair
Up 4 times a night to pee
Constipation
Migraine
Brain fog - forgetting simple words
Collagen rapidly dissolving from face
Low mood - dreading everything due to tiredness
Zero libido
Etc etc..
BUT, after 4 weeks since doc prescribed combined pill (due to being peri rather than full meno) I can happily report that nearly all of the above have reduced or vanished. I feel normal again!! There is hope

The tiredness, the rage, brain fog, crying over nothing.

I have also noticed that when I need a wee, I really really need a wee, there is no holding it for long.

On HRT patches but I'm not sure they are working.

It's actually about every four weeks but I'm finding it wildly inconvenient. Even ovulating so frequently is annoying as I'm wildly horny for a week but with no interest in sex with DH.

This is me to a tee! It's even made me think i shouldn't be with him anymore.

I'm 47 and trying to deal with peri, a 5 yr old DS and an 80 yr old DF. It's horrendous. My symptoms aren't all of the meno ones (yet)..

Occasional hot flushes
Aching all over
Itchy tight feeling all over face
Feeling shaky all over
Awful nausea
Heartburn
Bloating
Insomnia every night
Whoever said period cramps and yet period isn't due is spot on! Mine is especially bad mid cycle
Horrific moods, wanting to murder DH for the slightest thing
Suicidal thoughts (not tendencies thank you MN!)
Finding work more & more difficult but thankfully work PT
Heavy legs
No motivation to exercise
Permanent fatigue

Anything else? Bound to be isn't there?!
All of this and i'm still getting regular periods...Although they are mother-fuckers of periods these days!

Omg how have i forgotten palpitations?!! Can i add them to the list? Went to the gp and they wanted to prescribe beta-blockers and even said wasn't peri related. Had an ecg and i have ectopic which i have had for years and throughout whole pregnancy with DS. The palps are a permanent feature now

Oh god

When does all this start

😱

RJnomore1

Mine started at 40

Skin tags.
Periods every two weeks
Feeling low
Wavy hair gets curlier
Hot - feel like I’m pregnant (not flushes)
Insomnia
My already rubbish digestion now out of control.
My tash hair that I bleach is now getting bristly.

Joyous.

I’m 43 and so far nothing...

Bad: Hot flushes (still happening) and night sweats.

Worse: Itchy Vulva. Look it up. Horrible. Don’t let them fob you off with Canesten. Settle for nothing less than Fucibet.

Worst: Crippling, extended clinical depression and anxiety that had me terrified of my own email Inbox. A real surprise. This went on for a few years, a complete depressive meltdown. 100% due to menopause.

Good news: I got through it.

Unsolicited Advice: Ask for help as soon as possible. Talk to everyone. Take care of yourself.

Yes, menopause is natural. But Nature is brutal. Anyone who has seen a David Attenborough documentary knows that.

In peri I had extreme anxiety, depression, horrendous periods.

In meno - extreme anxiety, depression, hot flushes (better since wool duvet and reducing caffeine), itching skin only on lower back/hip area!!?, weird gummy feeling in my eyes/tear ducts. Vaginal atrophy (estriol cream works for me), insomnia regularly wake between 3 and 4,
I didn’t think skin tags were related to hormone changes, but found I definitely have more of them.
Mood swings

Etc

RJnomore1 - 56 and counting - no menopause yet...

varies so much between women, they say you should ask the next generation when they went through it... but all of mine had hysterectomies (don't know if that is something that could have a genetic content or if they just used to do more of them...) so could not tell me when

BooseysMom have you had a check up - still having regular periods with some of those symptoms could be an indication of high blood pressure.

Everyone should be wary of just attributing things to the menopause. (Doctors can be guilty of that too!) So many heart problems are missed in middle aged women because of it.

Tinnitus. As well as much
of the above

@BeyondMyWits.. yes i had bloods and everything done not long ago when i went to the gp about things getting worse and apparently all was normal. She just said prob peri but as periods still regular she was reluctant to prescribe hrt and i wasn't sure i wanted pills. Thanks for the msg

All the above.....
I’m at the GP TODAY ANY TIPS? X

Well apart from the raging hot flushes and feeling generally crap/miserable, I have a new, shiny symptom which will amuse folk (trust me, I would guffaw like a good 'un if I heard it)

I have an on off vibrating sensation inside my labia. Like a mobile phone vibrating when it rings. Now, this could relate to my prolapse but it's a new symptom and I've had the prolapse for longer.

It's distracting beyond belief, affecting my sleep.

So that's nice.

My main symptom was anxiety which is never ever suffered with before. It was coming in the week before my (irregular) period so it took me a while to link the two together.
Not in the UK but my GP recommended Black Cohosh as a starter before she gave me any proper medication. It took a couple of months to really notice but it’s been amazing. I’m hoping to carry on taking it for as long as possible.

I’ve also got absolutely no libido but I’ve also got no man in my life so I don’t need to worry about that

I'm tired of feeling like this, have so many of above-mentioned symptoms 😢.
When do I get to sleep like a log again?
When will the anxiety and health anxiety stop?
When please tell me when will I feel normal again?

Seriously i know it is highly individual, but how long does this &$@&£€¥ take?

@ComeOnGordon
Immediately Googled Black Cohosh to buy it, when I read your post.
It is under suspicion of causing liver damage. Damn I so hoped to have found a solution.

Just want to suggest St John's Wort to everyone with anxiety and rage. I was so irritable, anxious and rage-prone I could have powered a small generator. All gone completely with the wort.

I can't take HRT as family history so the wort is a life saver. Literally.

All the anxiety and insomnia mentioned, plus hair thinning.

I've been on hrt patches for 4 years but now the night sweats are breaking through again.

One thing I do want to mention though - the thinning of my skin has meant my clitoris is more sensitive and I've found I'm more able to orgasm (with my partner) than before. It took me a while to work out why this was!

Please @Hullygully can you tell me more, how much do you take, is it pills or liquid? How long did you take them before you noticed any effect?

I have a family history too, so would love to hear more .

Hello madambee, I take tablets, one or two per day depending on the brand as strengths vary. You need to take a good brand. I took it for a month or so before I really noticed the effects and when I switched brands (and didn't notice I needed two tablets), the rage and anxiety crept back, as pointed out by DH who queried if I'd stopped taking it.

I feel much calmer and less stressed overall with it, it really has made an astonishing difference. Believe it or not, I don't have shares in any wort producing company...

Thanks @Hullygully will give it a go .

I'm very interested in the st John's wort does anyone know which brands are good?