Is the Perimenopause like an orgasm?!

[ILikeTrains]

i.e - if you're not sure you're having it then you're definitely not having it?

I'm of peri age and have put on weight, am a bit achy and grumpy/miserable, have developed fun chin hairs but am still having regular periods.

How do you know when you're perimenopausal? Do you ever know for sure?

I’m similar to you, @ILikeTrains. Same age, still have regular periods, put on abit of weight-not a huge amount, more “rounded” though. 🤣. Definitely get more tired and grumpy/achy. I was very active yesterday and feel achy today.

I’ve escaped the chin hairs so far, but I periodically squint in the mirror while shining a torch on my chin just in case there’s one sprouting!!

I think we’re in perimenopause but potentially have a few years to go before full menopause. At least my periods are a couple of days shorter now.

John

Yes, that’s actually a very good comparison.

I found out 2 days ago that my long standing suspicions were grounded in reality. In absolutely no fucking doubt whatsoever now.

I may have to rethink my menopause action plan. Which I have had in place and been doing for over a year (on ADs which work wonderfully, sleep system perfected and in place, diet unprocessed moderate and mostly single ingredient based, exercise daily tramping around the countryside, mindful, meditation, the whole kaboodle, which has had AMAZING results), cos it is just not going to get me through what I’ve gone through in the last 48 hours.

In my mind I was ready for anything the menopause intended to chuck at me, but it turns out that what I thought people meant by “mood swings” was a complete underestimation. If we had English speaking The Samaritans over here, I’d have called them.

I was 45 when I started just skipping the odd period. At 50 I sometimes skipped two. Got some hot flushes for a few months aged 50/51 and just completed 12 months without a period and nearly 52. No other symptoms.

Oh and regular chin hairs for a few years!🙄

My periods were regular as clockwork though got heavier, then (at 52) they stopped. I had one 6 months later, then nothing ever again. I gained a little weight (though think that was lifestyle). No night sweats at all. Chin hairs and anxiety/depression started late 40s.

For those on the other side who had anxiety/depression during perimenopause - does it go away after? Please say yes!

I don’t know the answer to that question. But I do know (outside of the last 48 hours) my mental health has been the best it’s been since I was teenage. Mostly due to my “this is probably perimenopause” Action Plan.

I’ve been lucky in that AntiDepressants hoiked me up to a base mood level so all the “go for a walk ! Do yoga ! Meditate !” stuff actually works. The anxiety was ridiculously physical (dyspnea) and getting free of that felt like a minor miracle.

I totally get your desperation to hear that the D&A won’t be forever. I think it’s hard for those who haven’t had it to understand quite how dramatically it trashed your quality of life. Massive Huge Hug.

I was post menopausal by the time I realised that one of the reasons the previous decade had been so bloody hard was that I’d been peri for most of it. I was over a lot of the issues that had caused me so many problems by the time I knew.

I can’t really reassure you about the A&D getting better. But had D previously and lot of stressful things to deal with, so hard to unpick from menopause. But once I realised that at least some of it was due to peri/menopause, and is to be expected/normal, it made me feel better. And it’s certainly manageable mid 50s via lifestyle adjustments/self-care. Swimming helps me. And sex is more fun once you don’t have to worry about pregnancy/periods.

Nothing like any orgasm I've experienced. Quite the opposite!

Ditto to this