Peri menopause - period flu?

[popsickle555]

Not sure if anyone else gets this but keen to hear if this could be peri menopause or just general reproductive stuff.

I am 40. Periods are becoming slightly less regular for the last year but still within 27-35 days always and never missed one. Used to be clockwork 30 day cycle until probably 12 months ago. But I’m not sure if irregularities have been caused by covid infections which have thrown my cycle off big time each time.

Anyway for the past year or two some months I have got intense nausea and pain just before my period plus feel generally a bit ill. Tired etc for a day. But the nausea makes me bed bound. Last month I had horrendous diarrhoea all night. The worst of my life. I was not Ill but my period began right after it so I know it’s caused by that.

is this a ‘thing’? It’s intermittent but seems to be getting more frequent and more severe.

I have adenomyosis which already makes periods very heavy and very painful plus odd bleeding on and off throughout the month.

I’m just wondering if this could be peri menopause and if there’s anything anyone has found to help? I take Naproxen for pain (which helps a bit) and I take cyclizine for nausea (not prescribed) but desperately needed something for the nausea. It also does help a bit. I also get aching joints, some fatigue etc pre period but not sure if that’s ‘just’ long covid which I’ve got the remnants off or linked to adenomyosis.

GP unhelpful!

Yes I had this when I was 43. I was also a bit hypothyroid at the time so you could get that checked out. I started hrt when late 44 and tbh it was too late.

You could look at zinc (there's some research around dysmenorrhea and zinc) - I didn't know about that then and I'm not sure if it was normal peri or hypothyroidism but I quickly deteriorated (after thyroxine raised) to the point where I was really not coping all month.

If you're having phases of insomnia and over heating at night as well that's definitely peri. Also difficulty concentrating, handling simple tasks such as tidying a massive pile and forgetting random things. Day time hot flushes came v late and actually more so since I've started hrt (but needed much more.)

As you're young you may need to rigorously track symptoms to prove you're in peri, but definitely get thyroid checked.

I'd queried peri several times before I finally presented them with the list of symptoms. I was nearly 45 though; you can be given it without any tests then. I also had a lot of issues with tingling hands and feet. This is also a hypothyroid symptom but it's hrt that has helped.

Tests can be inconclusive as hormones can vary a lot when in peri.