Horrendous PMT symptoms, perimenopause, what do I do?

[NostalgiaWarning]

The anxiety is crippling! Couple with a recent house move, wow.
What can I do? What can I take? I suggested the combined pill to the GP, have had bloods done but apparently they are ‘normal’. But I am not right. The anxiety before ovulation and my period is awful, my cycle is slightly shorter but not massively, probably about every 28 days still and regular! Have very heavy bleeds. I’m obviously very sensitive to hormonal fluctuations.

I have low iron so am supplementing for that. Also take B vitamins with magnesium. Try and exercise as much as possible. Was prescribed escitalopram but have not taken them as worried about side effects!

I’ve made an appointment with the GP for next week to discuss further.

I’ve just found my lab results, I would say that’s a pretty low oestrogen count, do you agree? GP has put ‘no action’. I was on my period when the test was taken, so probably the ‘luteal phase’.

Hi OP, that's what I was like. I would be in a stinker of a mood once I'd ovulated for two weeks, suicidal thoughts, horrible to live with.

I've had a coil fitted which stopped the flooding and got my iron back up to good levels.

Plus high oestrogen. I'm still waiting for the progesterone in the coil to settle, but once it does I'm hoping I'll be fully normal.

I was offered anti DS to help me cope with the downsides of the progesterone but I declined.

Attached

I also suggest proper magnesium - aim for 300mg of elemental magnesium a day. I use New Leaf.

I also take high strength Vit D and when I take my iron I take it every 48hrs with a 1000mg vitamin C tablet on an empty stomach, it absorbs much better.

How old are you OP?

Yes the coil has also been mentioned. I’m worried about progesterone but the GP said I shouldn’t be as sensitive to it as taking it orally.

It’s awful isn’t it? I’m only 41, can’t put up with this for the next 10 odd years 😞

41… also take Vitamin D.

I used to take Floradix but I’ve bought proper ferrous sulphate tablets as the GP wasn’t for prescribing me iron.
Ill have a look into those Magnesium supplements thank you @Droolylabradors

OP i wish I'd started at 41 when I needed it instead of leaving it to 44.

Yes the coil is MUCH better, but not totally without impact. I had one last year which had to come out and be changed recently. I do still have the odd suicidal thought but it's much better and in general a lot better than pre HRT.

DO NOT bother with utrogestan if you are sensitive to progesterone. I wiped out 4 months of my life crying and depressed last year pre coil.

I don't cry any more.

Oh the other downside is you sleep really heavily on the coil, which you might like, though doesn't work for me.

Thank you for the heads up re utrogestan. I know I am sensitive to progesterone as I was a mess taking the progesterone only pill.

It pisses me off that we have to go through this, it really isn’t fair 😩😩

No it does suck.
And yes I was the same on the pill.

Good luck. The coil is amazing if you can grit your teeth through the fitting, ride out the bleeding for a few weeks and find an equilibrium.

I added T to my prescription too which def made a difference.

BTW. You do have transexamic acid for the bleeding in the meantime? It's miraculous. GP will prescribe that I'm sure.

I'm sensitive to progesterone but had a coil put in 18 months ago, and I'm not getting the same spikes as I was before, much more even. I was on oestrogel as well but have had to stop that for breast scanning reasons.

HRT was a game changer for me. Also iron for loss of blood.

You kind of have to be persistent.

Read the NICE guidelines on menopausal treatments. Blood tests largely unhelpful cos it depends where you are in cycle. BUT they are supposed to prescribe on symptoms, once they've used the blood tests to rule out other problems.

Good luck OP, it's truly wretched the shit we endure.

Thank you 🙏

Did you get the gel prescribed by the GP? @BarrelOfOtters

I think I will go private if I don’t get anywhere with the GP!

Good shout I will read through them.
Apart from the horrific anxiety and 1 hot flush I haven’t really got any other symptoms. Maybe hair loss but I’m guessing that’ll also be the low iron and generally aging!

Hi I went into see the GP having read the NICE guidelines and outlined my symptoms and basically said I wanted HRT. I started on pills but I wish I'd had the gel to start with but that would have meant a mirena. But as I eventually got the mirena anyway I should probably have gone that way first.

I also got Testosterone too, but should probably have had a hormone test first, anyway that was great but I can't take that anymore either...which is a shame.