Variety of non-traditional Menopause issues

[Cake4Lunch]

Aug 2020, I was diagnosed as being peri-menopausal. Since that time, I have had the usual mood swings and both hot and cold flashes, but other issues too. I stood up from the couch and immediately fell to the floor with a leg cramp. I couldn't get the muscle to stop spasming until my husband found me and rubbed my leg with magnesium oil. This went on for a few weeks, then the cramps just stopped happening. No change in diet or exercise. I have mild arthritis in both hips and knees. Two different times, I had a flare so bad in my hip, I couldn't walk and had to go to Urgent Care. These also magically subsided. I kept getting ear infections and after several visits to various doctors, it was discovered that I had a deviated septum, nasal spur, enlarged turbinate, and clogged ethmoid sinuses. Nasal surgery corrected these issues. Last month, I had a major emotional crisis where I was thinking of leaving my husband because I felt he would be better off without me; almost a whole day of crying and feeling like there was no point to life at all. It took about two days until I started to feel better. Now, I find it hard to believe that I ever felt that way. I had gallbladder pain so severe, I went to the emergency room 2 different times. After, ultra sounds, CT scans, and just today, I had a HIDA scan - all came back normal. I am not imaging these issues. The pain is real, but by the time I can get an appointment to see the doctor or have a test done, the moment has passed and everything comes back "normal". I am so very fortunate to have a loving and supportive husband who believes me, yet never takes anything I say or do personally. I suggested that all these issues might be menopause related, but my doctor didn't think so and dismissed the idea. Is anyone else having severe issues that come go like this? Is this all part of menopause too?

My periods stopped completely when I was 42 and I have a whole host of new issues now, the most annoying being my digestive system!

Prior to that even back to when I was 37 or 38 I had random issues like you, that suddenly after being such a big deal I'd question one day where did that pain/issue go. It makes you feel mad, like you are making it up. At the time I never even thought of peri, I didn't really know about it but neither did any doctor/health care suggest it because I was considered too young likely.

I want to divorce my husband, but I'm actually scared that I'm not making a reasonable decision! I've no answer for you, but you're not mad and it is real!

The major emotional crisis could definitely have been because of hormones. It's unlikely that the other issues are anything to do with the menopause though.

Since medical science has only recently started taking an interest in the menopause, I think it's pretty likely that evidence of these weirdnesses will eventually build up enough to prompt proper research. Of course doctors say it's unrelated: there's no authoritative information on it.

Hormones are neurotransmitters and integral to a plethora of other chemical signalling chains throughout the body. It isn't unreasonable to suggest that sudden spikes & slumps in hormonal activity would have knock-on effects, or that long-term changes in hormone balance may cause a wide range of lasting symptoms.

At menopause, I developed two really fucking annoying food intolerances. They're quite serious so I've had to make sweeping lifestyle changes. This is quite common but, so far, it's only acknowledged in women's discussions. There are lots of other things, too. I started having migraines at menopause, so did my sister. Some women who have migraines find they stop when their periods do.

@GarlicMaybeNot would you mind if I asked about your food intolerance and how you've worked around them? I'm finding these issues but I'm struggling to work out exactly what and why.

@YogaIsMyCalm I developed a dairy intolerance - not lactose, but any dairy or milk derivatives - and an actual allergy to sulphites.

That meant no wine or cheese 😭 as well as a lot of label-reading, and developing a familiarity with soya dairy substitutes. I'm also allergic to oats - that started in early perimenopause - and intolerant of beans/pulses, so many vegan alternatives are also off the cards.

I recently discovered a spray that neutralises the sulphites in wine 🥳 Sadly, I haven't found a way to use it with sausages! A surprising number of foods use sulphur dioxide as a preservative/stabiliser, which pisses me off as there are other things they could use instead.

What have you had to give up?

That's interesting, I need to keep a longer diary and go through the cutting out consistently process.

I've stopped milk, I only really had it in coffee, or in things rather than drinking it but that has helped a lot although to contradict that I seem to be ok with some cheese, yoghurt and random things containing lactose but I don't do well with things containing skimmed milk powder.

Bread is an issue but again it's not a consistent issue as I can seem to tolerate some wheat/gluten foods, just not actual bread.

Pulses and beans are quite hit and miss, so potentially they aren't an issue and it's just bad timing with eating it together with something that is.

Overall I don't really have a good clear idea of what I'm intolerant of yet. I'm still trying to find that out. I just feel better without bread and milk, but I'm still not right digestive wise.

I'm definitely more sensitive to alcohol, although I'm not a big drinker anyway. I'll read up on sulphites, I wouldn't haven't given that a thought.

I'm presumably perimenopausal at 52 (periods only just beginning to be a bit irregular, having got very heavy over the past few years). Over the same period of time, I've also had digestive issues which have been hard to pin down. I can't seem to tolerate dairy except in very small quantities, especially cream, cream cheese etc. It hadn't really occurred to me that it could all be down to hormonal changes.