Does this sound like perimenopause?

[Dimsummummy]

Hi, first time poster and long time lurker 😊 I wonder if anyone can advise me if this sounds like perimenopause.

I’m about to turn 40 and the last couple of years I have had an increase (luckily I never previously had any) in pre menstrual moods (anger and weepiness), addition of ovulation pain and nausea/sore boobs before period.

I use a period app and my cycles are still regular, although I used to be bang on 28 days and now they’re usually 26/27 days with the occasional outlier of 34 days.

The last few months I’ve also had a slowly diminishing sex drive, with decrease in natural lubrication and strength of orgasm.

Leading up to this (26 day cycle), which started today, I felt intensely nauseas all day for around a week, exhausted-to the point of napping after work and then having early nights, more marked anger/weepiness (although I managed to contain it) and a week of extreme nipple pain. Basically every month seems to bring pmt that is on a par with pregnancy symptoms- including increased saliva etc. Whereas, I have always been really lucky with not suffering period symptoms.

The last few months my periods have also lightened, to a normal flow- after going through a spell of about a year where they were incredibly heavy and full of clots.

In addition (potentially not related) I have a constant pain in my hip.

I’m not sure whether this points to perimenopause, and if so how best to manage the symptoms?

Can any of you lovely ladies relate/advise?

It sounds like peri, I had similar symptoms 2 years ago at 41. My periods were almost regular but lighter, dryness, body aches, insomnia etc. Hope it helps!

I also relate, I was 42. A year later periods stopped dead.

Thank you both. Sorry to hear you’ve had similar experiences. I wonder what’s the next step? Do I try and soothe the symptoms or go to the GP for confirmation first?

Following with interest. I’m also 42 with periods slightly more irregular than they used to be. Getting awful night sweats and dry mouth in the week before my period and ovulation pain that can floor me some months. Moodiness more round ovulation than pre-menstrual. First day of my period today and I’ve slept all afternoon. Really rotten. My GP is shite so not sure that it’s worth going yet as will definitely get fobbed off.

Yes, it certainly sounds like it. I hate to tell you this but 10 years on and I'm still not out of it.

My advice is to print off NICE guidelines and go straight to Docs and get on HRT to protect your bones straight away. I so wish I had done this earlier, what a waste of time! It got so much worse for me, particularly when I was 2 years in and actually menopausal with a 5 year old.

Do NOT be fobbed off with antidepressants or that 'you are too young' or that it causes cancer (if you have no history, obvs)

Ask for medical help, I was at a such dark place 2 years ago and I had no idea that it was menopause. The loss of estrogen can cause a lot of psychical and psychological changes. Take care!:)

Can I recommend the Haynes guide to the menopause? I got it off amazon. I'd previously been prescribed ADs, then tried lots of herbal remedies before reading this. It has the Greene Climacteric Scale where you can score your symptoms. Max is 60, I scored high 40s. Armed with all this and new knowledge about NICE guidelines I went back to GP to ask for HRT. Three months in and I feel like me again. Score down to around 12.

Thank you so much for all of your advice. I will print off the NICE guidelines and take a look at the book woodymiller recommended and get an appointment with my GP. It’s good to hear that the symptoms (and more importantly the bone density issues) can be kept at bay with the right management. Thanks all you’ve been immensely helpful.

OP I could have written your post, even down to the hip pain. Following

Hi similar to OP here (34)

Also how are your periods? Mine are doing this odd thing of arriving for a one day tiny bit on due date, then vanishing, appearing a couple of days later for two days. Is that a sign I wonder?

You need to see your gp anyway to rule out other common conditions eg thyroid, vitamin deficiency. At that age my problems were thyroid related with peri around age 45 but that's not to say your issues are not peri.

I’ve been having a quick read through posts, and so much of it rings true for me.

I’m 47, have had terrible hip and back pain when ovulating for probably the last 5 years. My mood was awful, full of anger. I was prescribed fluoxetine about a year and a half ago, and I’m like a new person, no mood swings, much calmer in general.
Which brings me to now. I haven’t had a period since the beginning of November. Should I go to my gp? What would I gain from doing so? Are there tests they would do?

Me too! Only 42, periods after being regular are now all over the place and currently 9 day's late. My moods are in no way helped by a hormonal 11 yo dd. So I am a wreck, constantly over thinking things, worrying & crying. gp has offered ad's I said no, blood tests all fine so essentially been told to just get on with it and that it can take 10 years.
I just want to be me again !!

Flier - yes they can test for hormone levels - but drs are reluctant to and I believe depending on your cycle you'll get different results. I'd had no period for nearly 6 months, after being regular then erratic, I had the bloods taken and came on the next day & the bloods came back fine. I do wonder if I'd had the test a few months before that what the reading would have been,