What symptom of meno really surprised you?

[menopausalfart]

I've had most symptoms associated with perimenopause, including some really nasty ones.
The symptom that surprised me the most was the memory loss. If I don't do something the moment it enters my brain, it's gone.
I've been taking HRT, vitamins, collagen, and I exercise regularly. This symptom, along with anxiety, has stubbornly persisted.

Same! And it's gone from dark blonde to dark grey. I hate it.

I posted earlier today but genital itching has been horrendous.
On top of that I went from an easy going quite chilled person to raging with anger.
I had never anxiety in my life and all of a sudden I would feel sick with panic for absolutely no reason. I would get reflux.
The anxiety and anger are under control but the it hing is a huge problem.
Another thing is not sleeping all through the night.

Lichen sclerosis. My fanny is agony without steroid cream. The skin is so thin and tears just from simple movements. PIV sex tears it and it bleeds for days. Smears are very difficult. The perineum splits from top to bottom when they insert the speculum.

Has your vaginally itching been investigated. I thought mine was thrush. It wasn't it was lichen sclerosis

So relieved to see others have itchy armpits and ears!

I’m having a lot of problems with one ear in particular being almost permanently blocked- no idea whether it’s just another delightful hormone-related thing, or something else.

The thing that has upset me the most has been my teeth going to shit. To be fair, I’ve never had great teeth and had plenty of fillings and a couple of root fillings between ages 20-40, but in the past two years, since I turned 45, things have got really bad: 2 root fillings and three extractions, one of which resulted in dry socket. I’m genuinely scared I’ll have no teeth left by the time I’m 55.

I have one stinky armpit, I wasn’t expecting that! I’ve never had BO before even as a teen but my right arm pit gets weirdly sweaty and smelly.

And yy to most of the other symptoms as well.

Omg, is this a peri thing?! I thought I’d got some sort of eye problem/a resident ghost!

Intense itchy vulva and vaginal dryness.😭

I hate to be smug, but lack of symptoms, really. Apart from no longer getting headaches every month. Loving the menopause here.

@Girliefriendlikespuppies Yes! My left armpit smells of weed. I have found roll-on antiperspirant works best.

God yes, the wind. I think I’m single handedly responsible for global warming. I could probably jetpack myself to France. I sound like a tractor if I eat onions.

The rage
The itchy skin
The anxiety
The weak bladder

it really is the gift that keeps on giving.

Like many others, I have had the crippling anxiety too- waking up with a start with my heart racing and a sense of doom- such an awful way to start the day. That one at least wasn’t as much of a surprise as some of the other symptoms, as I have had episodes of anxiety many times in life, so it made sense it would happen in perimenopause. HRT has really helped me with that.

Shit really 😵. Are the symptoms easing up at all?

Oh and forgetting what I’m about to do or say (which I ironically forgot to add to my previous post)

The itchy ears was one no one mentioned. Fortunately HRT has mostly got rid of it (flares up now and then) but there were times before when it kept me up almost all night.

I've always had horrible BO (yay, lucky me!) and I have found the most effective antiperspirant which works is Mitchum roll-on. It's pretty much the only one that stops the horrible sweating and the awful BO.

I heard there's a really effective antiperspirant used by the West End musical production companies that is meant to be brilliant, but i can't remember what it's called...I can only remember it's about £28 per bottle! 😆😳😳😳

Feeling of doom
psoriasis flare up in new places
joint pain
stiffness in hand joints
no mojo for stuff generally
raging sex drive?!?!?
morning runs (no, not the healthy kind)
headaches
feeling MAD when i have pmt
word finding difficulties

i was expecting hot flushes… that was all. So niaive!

I can't believe no one else has mentioned cold flushes. I find these worse than the hot flushes.

@Magpiecomplex dear god I thought I was bad!!! Sending hugs x

Tooth pain, like someone sticking needles into the root. Comes and goes but it really hurts!

Swollen boobs that are so sore it feels like you are waiting for the baby to wake up to feed.

My vagina trying to make an exit from my body with the rest of my internal organs not far behind.

The extent of the weight gain. I am two stone heavier and my body is trying to make itself perfectly spherical. Tree trunk legs.

And, yes to the brain fog, forgetting words and the end of sentences. HRT has helped with that. Ditto THE RAGE! HRT has also helped with that.

Happy times...

Oh also new allergies!! Outraged.

Has your vaginally itching been investigated. I thought mine was thrush. It wasn't it was lichen sclerosis

I hadn't heard of that until I posted on mn this afternoon and someone suggested it. I'm going to get into investigate this further as it's 3 years now. Sometimes I bleed and I'm just so sore.

And thinning hair.
relentless to be honest. It’s utter shit so far.

Itchy ears! Was definitely not expecting that.

Also the inability to have any motivation to do anything, especially outside of work - I struggled to move off the sofa. I also struggle with ever getting through my to do list during work and that is extremely unlike me.