I think its menopause - and where do I start?

[BeckyBoo841]

Hi all - a bit of a cry for help. I'm feeling anxious.

Am I in permenopause? My period lengths have shortened from a reliable 27/28 days to 24 days, with the odd 30 days thrown in in the last six months.

I am doing really silly things like leaving the car door wide open (!) and forgetting what I'm doing 3 seconds after I decide to do it. I've always been a bit scatterbrained but this feels different. It's not affecting my life or anything, just occasionally annoying.

I've started to get itchy skin on my forearms and this morning I have nausea like the kind you get when you're in your first trimester (I had spotting today randomly - I'm midcycle and this has never happened before). Also some very mild prolapses from my birth 10 years ago seem to be a bit worse.

I'm also generally sleeping longer, but then often waking at 1:00-300am and struggling to go back to sleep.

I feel a bit stupid as I've read nothing and I know nothing about perimenopause. Any idea where to start?

Thanking you!

xx

Hi it sounds like it could be the beginning. If it starts to affect your life then I would go to the GP. A good app is the balance app, you can log your symptoms and it gives you loads of info too.

@BeckyBoo841 also second the balance app. Read up, watch Dr Louise Newsome’s insta posts, and watch the Davina McCall documentary on All4. Decide what you think is best for you then go to the Dr and ask for what you would like. Everybody is different and what suits me might not be right for you. I had all of the symptoms you describe. Taking Progesterone and oestrogen stopped most of the issues but everything sort of returned to normal for me after I added in testosterone which may or may not be right for you.

it's like you're describing my day to a t! I thought I was going crazy, not sleeping for days and then so exhausted I can't move....am actually doing more exercise now cause I'm running about after myself to find the things I ve lost, or more than once, have threw in the bin! The real problem for me though, is my hubby. When I can't sleep, I go downstairs and get a cuppa. Maybe watch some t.v. He gets really upset by this! He says he can't sleep unless I'm beside him and I think he feels a little lonely. ..

Sounds very much like perimenopause, welcome to the club! Menopausing by DavinacCall is good as is the Menopause reset by Mindy Pfelz (for more about helpful lifestyle changes such as not having coffee until.2 hours after you wake up due to how it affects cortisol and anxiety which has been massively helpful to me). Good luck, there is a lot of help out there.