What was your first perimenopausal symptom?

[Artisanna]

Hello.
At what age did you find out you were perimenopausal, and what were your first symptoms? I found out at 52, My first symptom, which I didn’t know at the time, was heavier than normal menstrual bleeding. Thank you.

In hindsight 38 😱, my periods cycle started getting shorter (every 3 weeks), lighter and with brown blood. I mentioned it to an older work colleague and she said it was the start of perimenopause.

Cycles got shorter for a while, before getting longer and missing cycles.

Currently I m 46, and I Havnt had a period since 16th May (one spot of red blood when wiping on 6th June, while I had possibly covid or another virus, but that was all). I m achey and getting mild hot flushes, which are reducing in severity from a few weeks ago.

It hasn't been awful, if this is it, I ld say it's been a completely bearable transition.

brain fog and anxiety - around the age of 44 but it was during lockdown so I thought i was just bored of isolation and working from home all the time.
Also had heavy bleeding prior to that but that was down to fibroids and sorted out once they were treated.

2 years ago, at 50. My periods became catastrophically heavy. Still every 28 days but like a haemorrhage every month.

Still the only symptom I have had, apart from reduced libido (which testosterone sorted out immediately).

In retrospect, rumination. Not the normal kind. This was Olympic Level rumination.

Shortly followed by my heart making odd thumps and the odd skipped beat. I think it probably started around the age of 45 (no hot flushes, periods same as always).

Then came the “air hunger” at 47.

Lots of tests happened. Cardiology visits, chest x-rays of my lungs, poked, prodded and declared “perfectly normal”.

Long standing depression and SI decided to up their game to new levels, just to keep the oddly beating heart, rumination and air hunger company.

GP packed me off to local psychiatrist.

Got diagnosed with ADHD (in retrospect, that was bloody obvious just from my school reports)

Periods still normal. But I was not. Not by ANY stretch of the imagination. However I thought this meant I just had to try harder to fight the ADHD.

I couldn’t sleep. I’d wake up at odd times and stay awake. I needed to pee all the time. I’d reimagined my husband as some kind of awful monster and everything was his fault. Including the lack of eggs in the supermarket. Which he did not work for. And nor has he ever been a farmer of any kind. Let alone one hoarding the entire nation’s supply of chickens. But logic and brain were not on speaking terms at this point.

By early 50s, periods still normal, narry a hot flush in sight. I was a non-sleeping basket case. Got hit by suicide compulsion (didn’t know such things existed). Panic ensued. Went to new GP. Who said I was clearly peri menopausal but could only offer HRT if I had a pelvic exam.

I refused pelvic exam (Lady Garden deffo shut down for any kind of business due to Extended Winter of Discontent) and bought HRT under the counter (I do not live in the U.K., do not try this in your homeland)

Within six weeks felt human again. Then all my joints and hurty parts felt non-hurty. I honestly hadn’t even noticed how much everything had become so painful. Anti depressants started working again. Was once again allowed to walk the dog alone in the woods. Headspace recovered.

Within a matter on months it was like the last 10ish years had never happened. Shame it didn’t magic away the ADHD as well. But I can cope with just that (and my now faulty thyroid joining the party of broken bits) now my headspace is back to normal.

Now 58. Periods disappeared about 8 months ago. Still no hot flushes.

I really wish I’d known about the not so obvious signs because I could have saved myself several years of misery. Not to mention how close a call things were that day in the woods alone with the dog when my brain got taken over with an almost irresistible compulsion that I still don’t honestly understand, or ever want to experience again. < shudder >

My sister’s first sign was tinnitus. I’m not saying she had it easier (she didn’t). But bloody hell. Talk about massive range and diversity of early signs.

Brain fog and huge anxiety at work, plus not sleeping well. Noticeable about 52yrs old.

Flooding periods every three weeks from mid 40's, crippling anxiety about everything, especially work, coupled with deep depression. Sorted out with time and hrt, thank goodness

After my youngest daughter was born in 2020, I was aged 39. Tinnitus, gingivitis, really sore and bleeding gums, lots of horrible anxiety, depression, lots of weird excessive saliva. My neurological involuntary movement disorder symptoms became much worse too, as oestrogen affects dopamine, and my involuntary movements were absolutely horrendous, I looked like a Parkinson's disease and Tourette's patient combined together....😳😖

Now, I get quite a few of these symptoms still but the worst one at the moment seems to be itchy armpits and skin. I've got awful itchy armpits this week after shaving them a few days ago, but it's coincidentally happening at the same time as some athlete's foot so I am unsure what it is - a fungal infection in my armpits, or shaving rash, or something like hormones triggering a skin condition. God knows, whatever it is - it is driving me insane 😳😖🤣🤣🤣

Oh, I just remembered another horrendous symptom after my youngest daughter was born, and it was having the worst sore genital pain - i couldn't figure out if it was thrush or not, but i think it was definitely a drop in oestrogen that made me much more sensitive there.

I REALLY love being a woman...! Lol 😄

Forgetfulness at 42. I got a new job in a department of circa 80 people and could not remember a single person’s name.

Awful anxiety at age 40
Night sweats from 42
still having regular periods at nearly 50. It’s hell. I now have aching bones, itching and ridiculous brain fog. The brain fog only started this year.

I started around 45 with night sweats, dizziness and severe anger issues. Was given anti depressants at first which helped a bit. I'm literally playing peri-meno bingo with symptoms now. The only symptom i havent had is flooding. I had mirena fitted at 49 so no more periods and started Estrogel which helps no end. Can't remember the last time I had an unbroken night's sleep though, and I have to take magnesium for achey joints and severe leg cramps.

My hair went wavy. So weird. Then shorter cycles with unpredictable symptoms. Also an itchy boob for a year which then went away.

Longer time between periods after having 28 day cycles for years. Then hair loss, anxiety and insomnia. Tinnitus, hot flushes and brain fog have now settled in. I cannot remember names to save my life. Have to write everything down at work or it won’t get done.

Skipping periods for 1st time ever in my mid 30s. Digestive issues and daily headaches from late 30s. I felt far too young for this to be going on... Now approaching 50 years old and still never feel 'right' 😪

Thank you all.
Perimenopause is more visible nowadays, with more publicity. There is increased awareness, information and conversations happening around this topic.
I wish I had prior knowledge and had sought advice from a doctor or support from a menopause community.
I do have other symptoms too. Periods and my gut are my main concerns.
Be strong, love and support from here. xx

Mid 40s. I couldn't find joy in anything to the point where I stopped going out.

Can you please write a book about your perimenopause experiences? Will definitely buy it. Laughed, despaired and shuddered all the way with you in your post. Great writing

Gosh your story sounds almost identical to mine! Apart from the actually getting the ADHD diagnosis. I wimped out at the last minute!

I'm so glad HRT has worked so well for you. I'm just about to start. May I ask what form you found worked best for you? I know we're all different. I'm going down the pessary progesterone/oestrogel route to start with. Thank you 🙂

Mid forties my sleep was awful. Suspect my progesterone left the building before oestrogen.

41 and my PMS went to a new stratosphere. And every third period was incredibly heavy.

Mid 40s my periods started coming closer together. I went on the mini pill which sorted it, but by late 40s was struggling with night sweats, my armpits absolutely stank like onions, and my mood was really low. I went to see the GP for HRT and now have a Mirena and oestrogen gel. The physical side of things is better but my mental health isn’t great still. I’m 52 now.

I can’t remember the exact first symptom, but I was having other symptoms a few years before my periods changed (mental health symptoms and aching). I was about 40.

First symptoms at 41. My periods suddenly stopped.
Post menopausal by 43

Started waking up soaking wet and had to get changed into new nightwear.
I think I might have been 42 when that first happened. It's only in the last 2/3 years I realised that must have been the start of 'the change'.

Then at 46 started getting massive hormonal mood swings out of nowhere akin to PMDD and crawling itching skin all over - I thought I had headlice for a whole year and constantly combed my hear with nit combs. Nothing there.
Started HRT at 47.

Not being able to sleep longer than six hours a night and getting a hairy chin. The brain fog has just started. No sweats yet.

Looking back, I think my first symptom was the beginnings of vaginal atrophy when I was in my early 40’s and felt really awkward having to use lube (rather than wanting to use it) to have sex.

The first symptoms that I definitely put my finger on were hot flushes (no sweating) and insomnia when I was 51. HRT followed within weeks to sort that out but the vaginal atrophy wasn’t really diagnosed and treated till I was 56, and even then, it only came about because I was having issues with urge incontinence.