Does the menopause feel like a mental illness?

[Princesstandy]

I haven't managed to get to the pathology department yet for my blood test but I would put DH's right **ock on me being in the menopause.
Symptoms so far are confusing as I'm unsure as to what is the change and what is me just going around the bend. Night sweats, painful wrists, peaks of temper so sudden I'm apologizing before the tantrum has ended, periods closer together.
The ones I'm unsure of are - memory loss, dyslexia, clumbsiness, can't find my words, can't get going to get things done around the house, a fog of apathy and needing to have a quick nap all the time. Are these things symptoms of the change or have I finally lost it .
What shall I do?
What can I take?
And will I ever have the energy to go for the blood test and follow anyones advice. My house is a tip, there is chaos all around me which makes me feel worse but I can't seem to organise even the simplest of tasks.
Am I going mad or is this the menopause?

oh thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have felt ALL the above since about xmas, feel like total shit, no drive, no libido, no fun zone all round actually

i slept for 13 hours last night ffs, still feel shit, wrists killing me, feel like life is passing me by while i lay about feeling sorry for myself!

i'm 45, feel 95 i REFUSE to give in though, have started taking evening primrose oil, skin and hair tablets (yes, my very fine hair is becoming even more fucking fine!!!)

god, this getting old business is sodding depressing!

(oh, and today, had hot flush in the pub at lunch time when out with ALL the young kids from the office , did i feel an old bag or what!

Have a google. There's lots of info out there. I was also helped a lot by a thread on here which mentioned the peri-menopause, which is the run-up to it. The night sweats are just a part of it, but it can be managed.

Get yourself a good doctor - female - who is sympathetic. Most males just seem to think it's 'natural' & therefore can't be helped. My doc tackled each of my problems in turn & now I feel 'normal' again. Eg, periods getting closer together & lasting ages - she gave me an aspirin-type medicine which, paradoxically brings the period on, & gets it over & done with quickly rather than it hanging around for ages.

So speak to a good, female GP. Another thing which is supposed to help is linseeds - grind up a few each day in your teeth, rather than swallowing them whole. Whole grains, veg, all the usual suspects are supposed to help. One thing I've noticed is that food I've loved for ages, eg strong coffee, hot curries, grapefruit juice, now I can't tolerate. Ho hum.

Oh I forgot that one - my hair is coming out in handfuls. I haven't had any day time flushes but I do sympathizers, it's bad enough in the privacy of your own bed .
The another curious thing is my co-ordination seems to have gone - mid month especially - I seem unable to complete tasks, I feel like I'm half doing everything.
This is a nightmare - I feel like I've only just got over childbirth (ds 7.5) and before that years of IVF, as females we really did get the *tty end of the stick didn't we.
I have been up to the hovel we call our bedroom and just moved things around a bit then straight back to distract myself on Mumsnet. I haven't even got anything in for supper - ffs I just can't get it together - how long does this go on for? Help needed

I am feeling very much like you Princesstandy. It is the memory loss and word finding problems which are driving me mad-I have always had an excellent memory so it feels so strange to be forgetting things! I have the apathy too-my GP discovered I am anaemic when she did blood tests so am now on iron and folic acis which definitely seems to be helping. Might be worth you getting this checked too?
Like you, I just do not feel "myself"-and the tempers are horrendous! Far worse than PMT and they come on so quickly! I also get in a panic about stupid things which would never normally have bothered me-and am tearful at times which is also unlike me.

I don't have the hot flushes, but have had crippling migraines, which my I last got in my twenties and which my doc said are hormonal and will go once I reach the menopause!! I also have PMT about 20 days out of 30 each month - massive rages which come on me all of a sudden where I am clenching my teeth and swearing! And I have kids of 7 and 5, so I am mainly EXHAUSTED ALL THE TIME. Some nights, when I have crawled upstairs to bed and then DH looks at me with a sex glint in his eye, I swear I could punch his lights out rather than have sex with him (though I have stopped myself so far....). What I have done though is say to him (with swear words taken out) "what makes you think that I might want to jiggle my body up and down for 15 mins, when you have just seen me literally crawl upstairs on my hands and knees and debate long and hard whether I have the energy to brush my teeth...!). Anyone else feel like this?

I certainly feel exhausted a lot of the time-I can quite easily go to sleep sitting upright on a dining chair at times!
My GP has told me I will not be able to take HRT because of my medical history-I am not having hot flushes as yet, but am dreading them as I won't be able to take anything to help them!

could you by aneamic as well, because that really does make you so tired.

It's not just me then?

The one thing that has changed for me is that my libido has increased - on a scale of 1 to 10 my libido is usually below 1 and now it has risen to about 2 - every cloud says dh
I've always been easily distracted when it come to domestic chores but my activity at the moment is at a stand still. I hate being this way I feel lazy and useless.
The other thing is I seem to sweat under my arms a lot more and it seems like a massive effort to get a bath - everything in fact feels like a massive effort. I am starting to look like Winette Slob and I wasn't doing too good appearance wise before this kicked in.

I have to confess that I have my concerns whether this is indeed the menopause or am I just loosing my grip?

I hae been back upstairs and moved another few things around - now the landing is a mess too

yes agree about the sweating more and feeling like a bath is a massive pain. I might try taking iron. Also wonder about this Q10 vitamin stuff being advertised in Boots which they say will give you more energy?

Has you GP requeasted a FBC to check for anaemia Princess? As I said, I am starting to feel a bit better now the iron supplement is kicking in-anaemia makes you very disorganised and apathetic (believe me, I know!)

I will go on Monday for my blood test and request a test for anemia.
I would take anything at the moment to try and get a grip

Hi girls!

I'm past mine now, but let me just say, when I was 51, I marched out of work one day and demanded to see my doctor, sat down and said "Well, either I'm losing my mind or I'm on the Change". This was so out of character for me. He said "what do you think?" and I had to say I thought it was a bit of each!

I felt like I was pre-menstrual most of the time, fit to kill. Also ready to cry at the drop of a hat. Periods by then had gone to one every 3 months or going on for 2 weeks at a time. I'd had peri-menopausal symptoms like frequent/heavy periods since mid-40's. I went on anti-depressants for 3 months, then at a review, I went on HRT. That was great. My hot flushes stopped, and I felt so much better. cured!! Then, at 57, I was told I couldn't take any more because research had changed practice.

Great! I had a mini-menopause for the next few months. However, I wouldn't put anyone off HRT if offered. It was great for me at the time, and what I suffered coming off it was minor. Now, I rarely have a headache,much less the migraines I had. My libido isn't great, but my 33 year old husband seems to cope with it!!

good to see there is hope the other side of menopause! go Nannypep for having a 33 year old husband!!

I had the same sort of thing in my early 40's and had my last period at age 44. I really thought I was going mad because I thought I was to young for menopause. Turned out I just had an early menopause.

It does get better honestly.

ancientmiddleagedmum, thank you - you made me and I might quote you to dh one of these days.

Mine are 4 and 18mos, so....!

Sounds normal to me. The rollercoaster ride will get better and when you come out the otherside you'll be free of all that angst, body watching and guilt trip. I'm 57 and have had menopause symtoms for a good ten years , but now feel energised and in control of my life. It's a great feeling when you survive the menopause

Snap i feel awful in everyway :( im so fed up

Forgetfulness and unable to finish a task. Not a single, sodding task...

Maca powder from health food shops is meant to help regulate hormones. Add to smoothies or sprinkle on cereal, yoghurt etc. Use about half a teaspoon a day.

I'm 44 and have been having most of what you describe since I turned 40
I'm on hrt now and its helping
It's so so grim 😔
My 73 year old mil has got more energy than me
I have 20 people coming tomorrow for a party
I could cry 😔

And yes to still having young kids...
My youngest is 8 and my mum is getting very frail
I feel like I missed the "good" bits iyswim?

HRT. Replaces your oestrogen, sorts out almost all of thus.

Can I join in ? I too am suffering , I get half way through a sentence and completely forget what I'm talking about , I'm exhausted all the time , short tempered BUT, it's the night sweats that are crippling me. I haven't had a full nights sleep for months . I have windows open and a fan but still wake up soaked and I mean absolutely drenched . I am changing bedding in a daily basis.

The only good thing is my migraines seem to be further apart - used to get them on a monthly basis .

How long does this misery last ?

I paid £200 to see a private menopause consultant. Best £200 spent ever. Every symptom I had, sweats, extreme tiredness (3pm I could fall asleep anywhere), dryness, sore wrists snd hands in the morning) have been helped with HRT. She listened to me. She understood unlike my GP.

Got HRT which was fantastic. GP wants me to stop it now coz I'm 57. Like hell. I'll buy it on the internet if I have to. That stuff is manna from heaven!

Glad you mentioned the painful wrists OP. That's what I suffer too. And painful left knee, both hips and jaw (cannot open my mouth very wide now for some reason... probably a good thing!)