Hi all,
I’m 41 and over the last year I feel like I’ve become a completely different person. I’m exhausted all the time, my sleep is awful (waking around 3am most nights), my anxiety has gone through the roof and I’m finding it hard to cope with even normal day-to-day stress. I’m also getting brain fog, random crying spells, low mood, irritability and just generally not feeling like myself at all.
My periods are still fairly regular but definitely heavier and more unpredictable than they used to be. I also get awful PMS now which I never really had before. Some days I genuinely feel like I’m losing the plot.
I’ve been reading about perimenopause and so much of it fits, but part of me feels “too young” for HRT and I’m worried I’ll be dismissed because I’m only 41. At the same time, I can’t carry on feeling like this because it’s affecting my work, relationship and confidence massively.
For those who started HRT in their early 40s — did it help? How long did it take to notice a difference? And did anyone else struggle with anxiety/mood symptoms more than hot flushes?
I’d really appreciate hearing honest experiences, good or bad. Feeling quite overwhelmed and alone with it all at the moment.