Terrible pre menstrual symptoms- is HRT the answer?

[Comfyslippers74]

I'm 46 and fairly sure I am peri menopausal. My main symptoms are just before my period (short cycle so slightly more frequently than once a month).

Whereas when I was younger PMT was the classic grumpiness/ weepiness for a day, now I feel not so much emotional as physically wiped out. I am really tired (as bad as new baby type tiredness- my kids are definitely not babies and sleep more than I do!) and get terrible migraines. I have triptans which are fairly effective for the headache element of the migraines but do nothing for the accompanying nausea. My brain sort of slows down for those few days too and I find myself grasping for the right word. Honestly I thought I had early onset dementia for a while, before I noticed the cyclical pattern of it.

In short, I feel like I have a terrible hangover for a few days every 3 weeks.

Is HRT the answer?

I'm a bit older than you, nearly 50, but HRT has definitely helped my PMS. My periods have got closer together 4 or less weeks rather than 5 over the last few year though still pretty regular. I have always been pretty fortunate on the PMS front but the sadness, anxiety and fury for 2 weeks a month along with some quite spectacular brain fog and word finding difficulties sent me to the GP. 4 months in and HRT has made it so much better (and the aching joints which I had no idea it would help with!). It's worth trying ask your GP- you can always stop if it doesn't work... :)

Thank you! Good to hear from someone who's found it effective. Honestly I've been dithering over this for months now - I'm too scared of negative side effects, I know it's ridiculous. But you're totally right in saying I can just stop if it's not right! Why didn't I think of that??!
Thanks for the push, I'm going to get in touch with my GP.

I could have written your post! I'm 45, my cycle is now between 21-24 days, I have low mood, irritability and the crazy rage. I wouldn't say I have hot flushes but the week before my period I feel like I just can't get my breath and have this sort of inner hotness.
My memory is the worst though, then when I do remember forgotten dates/appointments I literally cannot pick the phone up to sort things out. I feel frozen in indecision. Today I finally made a GP appointment. It was one of those online forms I had to fill out to describe my symptoms - it took me 13 goes to write something. Now I'm dreading the appointment and being coherent enough so I don't get fobbed off. 😖

Good luck, @FruitBatBluey I'm going to do the same tomorrow and see how I get on.

@user1471471539 what do you take? I have achey joints which are getting me down a lot

I'm on estradot 50 and utrogestan. It seems this is a pretty standard first try prescription from my GP from talking to friends but it seems to be working ok for me. I'm amazed tbh after a lifetime of trouble with any kind of hormonal contraception!
Good luck with talking to your GPs guys and I hope it helps.

Hi there, I’m 44. PMT has recently been lasting 10 days. 3-4 days before my period it’s like it wants to start but can’t ‘get going’. The lethargy, bloating, pain, rage, tearfulness, sore breasts just keeps going!
I had an appointment with my Gp yesterday. She said it sounds like low oestrogen. She’s doing a blood test to rule out thyroid issues, then we will discuss HRT.
She was so lovely and understanding, I could have cried (ironically!!).
Good luck x

I had my doctors appointment today and am so disappointed. I told her all my symptoms and she suggested I should refer myself to have some CBT and that's it. She then said if I felt worse to go to A&E! What is that all about. I told her about my brain fog, anxious feelings, low mood, non existent libido but that I only feel these symptoms for the week before and after my period.
Not really sure what to do next as it seems pointless going to the GP.

Go to A&E? Seriously? What the..?!

I'm sorry you were fobbed off. Can you try another doctor in the practice in a few weeks?

I'm 50 and have just been prescribed HRT. During the appointment he asked me to describe my symptoms and I said "brain fog and er..." and I couldn't remember anything else. That seemed to do the trick!

I'm a life long sufferer of pmdd.

After finally seeing a private consultant, I was surprised to be prescribed what is the equivalent of hrt.

I take the progesterone vaginally as I'm intolerant.

It works!

I recommend. I'm 44.

Please don’t give up. Try a different doctor. My GP said women are often wrongly diagnosed with depression and prescribed antidepressants which don’t help with this type of symptom.
CBT will not help severe PMT.

It's worked for me. It took me a while to realise that my worsening PMT and heavier periods were linked to peri. I always had bad PMT and heavy periods but it was just a few days of PMT and a week of bleeding. Gradually it increased to 2 weeks of PMT and a week of bleeding and all my symptoms were getting worse.
I got a Mirena coil and estrogen patches and it's been brilliant. The coil has stopped my periods completely and the estrogen has sorted out the emotional roller-coaster.

I think I'll have to try a different doctor. It took me so long to pluck up the nerve to make an appointment too. I told her my cycle had decreased from 28 days to 24 and now 21 days but she was so concerned I was going to get pregnant and asked me to start using condoms. I told her my sex life is non existent (much to DH dismay) so I didn't feel the need to worry about contraception. I have a history of low egg reserve and had my children using IVF. She wasn't really hearing me. I'm 45 so I'm guessing she just didn't connect the dots. So frustrating and it has made my mood nose dive.

It worked for me. Started on femeston and recently went to Mirena and oestrogel with a bit of testosterone.

I’m 38 and I feel just like you! They’ve recently done blood test but because everything is normal they go domes know what to do.

I'm afraid you have to literally do all of your own research online, and go back in and specifically say "I want HRT"

You use the GP as the gate keeper to drugs and consultants and not much else.

They are bloody useless and I'm sorry you got fobbed off. There are so many websites you can read up, watch documentary's like davinas and go back and say this is what I'd like, and don't leave until you get a prescription.

A blood test won't diagnose peri, it's a snapshot of the day it was taken.

The guidelines say that it can be diagnosed via symptoms alone. I can't really work out why they are so reluctant to help? HRT aid cheaper than antidepressants, but the budget comes out of their surgery, so they keep pushing back.

Sadly I agree with @nonstoprenovation . My GP offered me antidepressants first. I had to really push for HRT and did lots of research on here, Menopause Matters, and Balance so I was able to make the case for exactly what I wanted and why.
I'm afraid GPs are often reluctant to prescribe HRT for emotional/mood symptoms. They often seem to be dismissive of peri symptoms if you don't present with some of the classic symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats.