In an absolute rage

[Jackiebrambles]

I’m 48. Periods still very regular but my pmt is off the fucking scale - I’m so angry today and literally everything is driving me mad.

Earlier today, before the rage, I just felt so flat and like there was nothing to look forward to. I’ve felt like that a few times.

But the burning rage, is this normal in Peri menopause for pmt symptoms to go through the roof?

I keep planning to see my doc but then by the time I get around to the appointment I feel better as it’s so up and down. I’ve had other symptoms like middle of the night anxiety/heart palpitations. I’ve started taking magnesium and the health and her peri vitamins.

Lots of my friends are on hrt now. Is it too early?

For about a year before I started hrt I felt like I could just pack my bags and fly away from my family every time I had pmt. It’s back to my normal pmt symptoms of just being extra irritable and emotional now. Probably the only thing hrt has helped with so far. I started perimenopause symptoms at around 43. Hrt at 45.

Thank you @Somewhereinthefog yes that’s exactly how I feel. It was awful over the Christmas holidays, I honestly felt like running away on Christmas morning, and I love Christmas and being with all the family. I just felt so flat. It passed by Boxing Day but it freaked me out, how low I felt. Got my period a couple of days later so it tracks that it’s pmt!

I'm 49, and for about the last year, I seem to go between complete rage, complete indifference & feeling like my family would be a whole lot better off without me. Make the time to see the Dr you owe it to yourself to get some help. I initially saw my Dr because another wonderful surprise gift of peri I've developed psoriasis!. I ended up crying to her about all my symptoms, and I started taking the combined pill about 3 months ago. I'm starting to see and feel the difference and it just rounds out that pmt rage, and I'm starting to feel a little bit more human. Make an appointment. You'll be so glad you did.

Thanks for sharing @Ohhhthedrama That’s interesting so you’re taking the pill rather than hrt? I stopped taking the pill after I had my children about 10 years ago,as the one they gave me whilst I was breastfeeding gave me the utter rage! you are right I am going to make an appointment.

Yes. I definitely got The Rage. It’s been much better since I started HRT.

I had the rage, and the lows/flats/lack of motivation, ages 46 to 47. The rage was so bad I hit myself with a metal ornament and cut my head and threw plates at the floor, drove off and sat on a hill for 3 hours in the middle of winter. It was baaaad.

I thought it was stress induced depression so went on sertraline then HRT 6 months later.

Still on them both 3 years later at 50, and felt great ever since.

Go see your GP. You don't have to suffer.

Yes, she prescribed the pill to help with symptoms initially while I wait for my blood work. I have another appointment in 3 months' time to look at a higher dose of hrt.

Honestly, just talking to the Dr and being reassured that I'm not going mad and they can help me was a help and made a huge difference.

It's normal,write down how you feel in real time and bring to GP.sometimes feelings differ when we visit GP.so I find it good to review little notes I have made..a good GP will listen and advise...Rage and anxiety were worst symptoms of menopause for me.

Not too early at all. I started at 44, should have been 42 when I look back. HRT has changed my life for the better.

I use patches and mirena. I sleep like a baby, no rage, all the hormonal crying has stopped and I'm gagging for sex again now I use testosterone.

I was like that on the pill years ago. I was a bit nervous of starting hrt because of that. I feel better and calmer since starting HRT in October. I take utrogestan and have evorel patches. I was as you described with rage, plus not sleeping well, and hot flushes. But it was my irritability that finally got me contacting my GP.

Will be 46 next month, and I believe I'm in end stage perimenopause. Havnt had a period in 3 months, went 5 months last year before they reappeared.

I didn't rage to that extent, but have had bouts of extreme anxiety, followed by energy dip. Last Friday I had to give a 15 minute personal story in support of international women's day. I was almost disassociating by the end of it. Found it hugely triggering. Anyway, you are not too young, prioritise your self care.

I also have the rage. It's things that normally make me angry but amplified 100x :(. I started to cook a recipe then had to stop part way through as an ingredient I thought I had, DH finished it a few days ago and he didn't put it on the shopping list. This has happened several times in the past months and this instance I flew off the handle because it has happened repeatedly. Things which would have made me slightly angry in the past now make me absolutely furious for 1-2 days.

How do I know when I need HRT??

What age are you, if over 45 and have other symptoms, you need it.

The Rage - I honestly nearly killed my husband with a frying pan, only walking away stopped me. I was in my early 40s - I went on Qlaira first and that helped and then HRT of various kinds till came off it about a year ago at 55.

That feeling of overwhelming rage was really helped by the Qlaira then HRT. I found the progesterone part of HRT got too difficult for me to take - made me very depressed - so eventually had a Mirena - and that's been fine. (well the insertion wasn't but it's been fine).

i don't think you have anything to lose...it's a very common peri symptom.

I am 46, no other symptoms. I have a mirena coil and my rage seems to be directed at my husband not other people - he will do something annoying and I just explode. Not sure if it's menopause or just years of resentment built up :(

I'm glad to read this because I feel like I'm going mad and I'm scared.

I feel so strange. Not like me at all.

I've been on HRT patches a couple of years because period stopped and hot flushes at night. Brain fog, clumsy.

HRT I felt normal again. Although slowly went off sex, just in principle, like I don't think about desire any more.

Last few days I'm feeling so unwell. My heart is racing. I keep snapping like a mad woman. O -60 in fury, I'm taking everything personally, irrationally, and want to cry. I feel wretched to the point I stated to think of I have to live like this I'd rather not. It's so awful.

Has HRT stopped working and this is full on menopause?

😢

Ps also rage only at my husband ...it's so weird as I like him a lot and he's very nice to me.

Thank you all so much for posting and sharing, you’ve given me the confidence to make an appointment! I’m always worried about wasting their time but I know my mood isn’t right - I’m keeping a diary.

And so sorry for others experiencing the flatness and the consuming rage!!

Maybe it’s like with toddlers, they tantrum where they are safe - ie at home with mum! You are safe with your dh so you rage!

Sounds like a trip to the gp is in order for you too @MyHorseShadow, maybe a medication adjustment is needed?

Yes it's normal. I turned into Shrek and went on hrt as soon as possible. Peace soon returned.

This may be helpful or not, depending on how regular your periods are:
In the years leading up to having a hysterectomy,
I wasn’t using contraception so needed to use a period tracker (life was busy so I didn’t necessarily know when the next period would be!) It really helped me when I was feeling a bit angsty to look and check and usually find I was due on soon, as I could then recognise that it was my hormones and not me IYSWIM.

Currently seeing a doctor, he says I am in peri menopause/ menopause and should really be on HRT, however, my family medical history makes it complicated

He's now suggesting a hysterectomy and then going on estrogen. It just seems a bit drastic.

My symptoms are hot flushes, rage, apathy, sleeplessness, joint ache, not being able to speak in terms of can't think of the word which is frustrating.

I'm a bit different. 42 but had a partial hysterectomy at 40, retained ovaries. Mood had been all over the place in the last 18months, I've recently started back on fluoxetine and feeling much better. I have a very long history with depression so I know I'm not typical, but I needed antidepressants rather than HRT at this point.

Def don’t go on the combined pill! The risks of transdermal oestrogen are far less than the risks of the pill, no one should be starting on the pill at nearly 50.