Peri and menopause - how are we all doing? Chat thread.

[Slavica]

I keep reading the threads in the menopause topic and think we might profit from a general chat thread. A lot of the questions get asked, in different ways, in separate threads - maybe it would be useful to have a general chat thread?

I am 48, in perimenopause, started taking 200mg utrogestan this cycle. My symptoms are mood swings, low mood, hot flashes and night sweats - but the latter two don't really bother me, it's the mood and lack of motivation that really concern me. Currently on cd35 (my cycles have been 21-24 days during the last three years), I guess maybe I'm missing my first ever period.

Anyone else getting a lot of skin tags? My mother's family all have them, I had some since pregnancy, but now I am developing a lot of them (including the really tiny annoying ones). I might be turning into a hag, for some reason the skin tags really, really bug me even though I've never been much into looks.

How are you doing? Stable? Still looking for a solution? Please share.

I saw an improvement in my mood within weeks, definitely by week 4. It has dipped again when I stopped all oral progesterone & had the mirena. But I think a holiday with too much alcohol & not enough sleep also contributed. I had awful intrusive thoughts & rumination. I’ve not had any alcohol for 3 weeks & have magnesium glycinate for sleep. So am feeling much better.

As an aside my friend who is 5 years older than me (50) her mood never improved with patches or gel. Turned out she wasn’t absorbing either so has tablets now & is much better.

@RomComPhooey are you taking 200 mg of progesterone/Ultrogestan for 2 weeks? My doctor prescribe me 100 mg for 25 days out of 28 days. This way I sleep well and don't experience any highs and lows when I'm off the progesterone. Could be worth enquiring about in your review.

I’ll have a look when I go up to bed (tablets upstairs). My hunch is that my sleep would improve if the Utrogestan wasn’t so stop/start. I haven’t had a period since June and that was after a lengthening gaps so I’m not sure if that’s me done.

And thank you for making this suggestion.

Please keep this thread going. It’s a great idea.

I used to have a bad habit of eating cakes or biscuits or chocolates every day. I’ve managed to stop recently and it’s made me less prone to brain fog.

Thank you @Used2beMw. Hopefully the meds will kick in soon for us newbies soon.

I’m coming to end of my 2 weeks progesterone patches (final one today, change Sunday) and oh my days, I had forgotten how utterly exhausted and brain foggy they make me! So tired today, just feel like my brain is cotton wool!
However, on a positive note- I did a long drive today to a new place on busy A roads at rush hour, and I was not anxious at all, considering 8 weeks ago I was having panic attacks about driving even to my mums. The difference is so huge, it makes a bit of brain fog seem a small trade off really.

Perimenopause. Initially suffered with awful bloating, trouble sleeping and feeling hot at night. The complete absence of any motivation to exercise, feeling achy, depressed and moody were a horrible awakening for me as never felt Aby of these things before.
Tried acupuncture (which helped) and forcing myself to exercise in the day between meetings. Also back to Bikram yoga which helps fight the bloat and aids sleep.
Am trying to adjust to and accept this new normal.
Thanks for this thread.

I posted 4 days ago saying I felt better. But then had a crap day yesterday, I was completely overwhelmed by a series of unexpected but really trivial issues. I still made the effort & went to the gym & ate healthy. But lying in bed I could hear my heartbeat in my ears & felt anxious, then I woke at 2.30, so I’m tired today, Really hoping this will settle & isn’t my life now.

I’m utterly fed up tbh. Age 50 been on HRT (gel and utrogestan vaginally) for about 6 months. Anxiety is very bad, got digestive issues and my sleep is really poor.
consultant I waited months to speak to advised me yesterday to increase gel from 2 pumps to 3 per day and that should help. He will consider testerone if no improvement in 4 months. I feel like I’ve lost myself and been replaced by a fat, tired old hag.

I had my last period 5 years ago.

I've not had HRT. I managed OK but my sleep is fucked, my mouth constantly dry and I forget words all the time.

Over the last 6 months my body has totally dropped and I have crepey skin on my upper arms.

I think every hormone has finally left my body along with all moisture 😪😂

I don't know if I start HRT I could bring it back or if I've missed the boat on that one 🤷🏼‍♀️

I saw GP today as anxiety is still overwhelming. She has done a blood test to see what my hormone levels are like and check my thyroid etc. I find it so frustrating - feeling like a different person.

I’m on Oestrogel & daily Utrogestan, since May, plus Cerelle for the last few months.
So I shouldn’t be bleeding - yet I’ve been bleeding for the past 24 days, and it shows no sign of stopping.
All my other peri symptoms (flushes, rage, insomnia) have stopped. But this is really annoying. I’m going to call my GP tomorrow.

39 and tolerable symptoms...

Hot flashes and night sweats occasionally, dizzy spells, weight gain, disturbed sleep, periods are now unpredictable, anxiety, seem to have lost my 'filter' and ridiculous sex drive 😅

They're only tolerable as they're quite sporadic except the weight gain, periods and sex drive.

@EveryOtherNameTaken "I think every hormone has finally left my body along with all moisture 😪😂" so apt! A few years ago I started using moisturizing eye drops consistently in the morning and evening, it helps. I've also always used a lot of hand cream (have to wash hands very often at work), now apply body lotion after every shower. I also added a hyaluronic acid serum to my face routine, all to deal with dryness.

@Used2beMw , I hope your bad day is just a blip! I've had a good month all in all, though my sleep has not been great for the last ten days. I do wonder, though, if it's due to the progesterone (which I'll start again today) and upping my walking, or just to normal fluctuations. I've had good and bad months before in the last year, and when they're bad, they're horrendous (no sleep, anxiety, no will to do anything, brain fog. Also hot flashes, but I don't care so much about those, it's the total mental disarray that makes it impossible to enjoy any aspect of life).

I'm on cd42 and about to start my 12 days of utrogestan. Looking forward to it for the sleep! I hope it will be as neutral for my mood as it was last month.

@SnakeyS im on the pill. And I bleed most of the time. It’s on and off and on and off. Sometimes can last for weeks. Mostly I only know it is there on the loo roll when I wipe. And sometimes I have to actually wear something. But mostly just always there.

without being on the pill my periods are awful. So weighing up them both I have decided to stay on the pill. Been like this for a few years now. But the alternative is worse

Let's see, how has this week been?

Monday - woke up with what feels like the onslaught of a heavy cold. Again. Yet another trick peri-menopause likes to play.

Tuesday - after an impressive 2 hour sleep, at most, I 'woke' to find the cold has gone. Replaced with the all over intense itching. Plus period cramps for a non-existent period.

Weds - same symptoms as previous day. But I also cried proper snot tears in Costa after seeing a stranger simply being nice to their elderly mum. I then bought all the things I needed to make a bolognaise for dinner... except the meat.

And this is all with me on HRT, I was much worse before 😂😂🙈🙈

Sleep for me, the hot flushes wake me and then I toss and turn.

Also bone achingly tired.

For the 1st time since I had my youngest (15 years ago) my period is late... I'm bloody 47 next week I don't need this lol

Perimenopause here for sure, early 40’s. Poor sleep (wake up between 3 and 5 every morning and cannot get back to sleep, until of course the alarm goes off and then I could sleep on a washing line! 🙄) hot sweats but mostly through the day, low mood and anxiety, increase in migraines (which is leaving me wiped out, more so than I already am), aching joints and muscles, brain fog and poor concentration is horrendous, moody, irritable and don't get me started on the skin tags!
Went to doctors at start of the week as I can’t stand this any longer. Having bloods shortly to rule out anything else and then they will start HRT, which I’ve heard is better the earlier you take it but also read lots of mixed reviews about the effectiveness. Just need to feel normal again! 😩 Hugs to everyone going through this!

Sorry for the essay!

50 here. I’m on prostap injections to stop my three week long out of four flooding periods that were killing my ferritin levels and making me feel like death (fibroids here as well). I’ve had scans, blood tests and a biopsy so hopefully anything more sinister has been ruled out.

Prostap basically stops all sex hormone production, it’s like puberty blockers or chemical castration. I’ve got progesterone sensitivity, when I took it, I found myself sobbing in a car park thinking no one loved me (not like me at all). I’m on Tibolone, which is synthetic hrt replacement. Not an ideal combination, but it keeps me functioning and usually symptom free (phew).

Last month I had a break through period- it was (only) two weeks long, and not as heavy as usual, but it left me worried about how long I’m going to remain stable on the meds I’m on.

I also have a weird tremor in one hand that goes absolutely mental (sorry for the description, but it looks like I’m jerking someone off) that only shows up when my periods are really heavy. At its worst, it lasted about twelve hours continuous. I got referred to a neurologist six months ago but haven’t had an appointment yet. I’m under a gynaecologist, who has been really good, and I’ve got an appointment this afternoon.

I’ve left one job because they were completely unsupportive, moved down from a management to normal teacher role at my new job. New job is really supportive, so I got very lucky there.

I really feel like I’ve been through the mill. When I discuss menopause with my husband, his attitude is “yeah, but everyone goes through it.”

I think I’m at the point where a hysterectomy is sounding like the best choice, but I’ve been avoiding having an operation with its own potential complications for something that should hopefully sort itself out in a year or so (and the waiting list could take me close to that). If this combination stops working, I think I will need to get over my fear of operations.

I'm 46 and suspect I'm edging into peri-m. I've developed dry patches on my elbows and one knee that I can't seem to get rid of no matter how much I moisturise. Doctor said it looks like psoriasis. I also have really itchy breasts and nipples, and of course the other usual suspect: hot flushes. There have been about 4 times these past few months where eg I'll be in a restaurant and I'll suddenly feel very hot: neck, arms and body. Not drenched in sweat but, oddly it feels like a cold sweat. I'll be boiling and will want to stand outside. The worst symptom is a sun moustache / melasma which is not so easy to get rid of.
Besides the above, my temper's the same, no brain fog and periods are still monthly. I'm not sure when to start HRT.

I'm at the beginning of this journey. My main symptoms are sudden and extremely weight gain round the middle, general lack of any joy, night sweats every so often, brittle hair and dry itchy skin. And heavy heavy periods. Also acid reflux has got ten million times worse which may or may not be a symptom?
I know I need to get the ball rolling with the dr, but my motivation is so low that I can't face the absolute battle to even get a bloody appointment

Also I get recurring UTI's nowadays which I believe is another charming symptom. Fuck this quite honestly. I'm 43 and I feel about 100.

I'm 48, not on HRT. I have symptoms but can live with them for now. What I find weird is how they come and go. The intermittent symptoms I have are anxiety (feelings of panic welling up sometimes), lots of aches and pains, particularly muscular pains, I have had period flooding but the last three were light (long may that continue), short cycles sometimes. Feelings of dizziness, vertigo, migraines. Slight brain fog. Often very tired! I'm not depressed but I do often feel flat, like the passion has gone. Libido disappears sometimes. What fun! But other times I feel perfectly normal like the old me.