Perimenopause advice needed

[CHOCOLATEPEANUT]

I have been feeling like I am loosing my mind but after a bit of reading up realise I am in perimenopause cycle

i am 42 and had my last child 22 months ago.I have always had periods every 28 days that last 4 days bit last month and this they lasted 2 days

my mood has been awful,very stressed,anxious depressed (severe this month) and this month i have felt palpitations and dizzyness.I am over heating too

i am a bit worried as I have felt quite ill and i hate the mood swings as do my family

anyone in same position that can offer any advice?

[TentUpFirstBunkUpLater]

I've cut out plastic bread - eat crackers instead. I do eat meat and full fat everything except milk - I hate it so skimmed all the way for me. Not really sure if low carbing, but I am eating less and try to think about what/why I am eating. I have lost a stone over the last 18 months and the band of fat I had around my middle has gone. It started under my bust and went down to my waist
I have to accept that I need to eat less and fortunately for me by doing this the weight is staying off.
But I dream of bread and butter and cheese

[Badders123]

I've put on a stone in the past year....:(

[TentUpFirstBunkUpLater]

Its rubbish isn't it? I didn't put on weight, it kind of redistributed itself into a tyre. Then I had some personal and work stress and I think it was a combination of that and realising I could not hoover up piles of bread and pasta anymore.
for you Badders

[colouringinagain]

Thanks ladies

Smear test last month, all clear.

Not unusual symptom of peri I believe, but always worth checking.

Anyone have any tips for dealing with the RAGE?!

[Badders123]

Sorry, nope 😁
I'm currently in what I call "hell well" which is the 5 days prior to my period
DC on summer hols and we are taking them to an archeology day tomorrow 🙄
#Pray for me
😂

[Badders123]

Glad you have had a recent check!
I always think mid cycle bleeding is one if those annoying medical physical things that can be totally normal but can also be really bad

[Badders123]

...and the brain fog is horrific 😖
Some days I can't finish sentences 😞

[everyonesgotanopinion]

@alypaly - I really agree with the evening primrose oil tip; it’s helping me. I also use MACA in smoothie and passiflower tincture. All these are for symptoms of heightened anxiety and brain fog.

[KIM20]

Have anybody lost weight during perimenpause ad I am

[Shelly5]

Hi, I’m 47 and have thought that I’m in peri menopause. I’ve started to notice different things. My hair on my arms as completely disappeared, my hair on my head looks thinner, some days I look at my partner and think what the f* and then a few days later I want to rip his clothes off. Is this normal? My moods are also vile. What is everyone doing to manage these things.

[FrameyMcFrame]

Sounds familiar!

I think low carb helps. I did 3 weeks and already my symptoms are better. Started back on carbs as I had flu flu and thought I was dying. Now I'm better I plan to restart just as soon as this monstrous period ends.

By the way I also had mid cycle bleeding and my gp sent me for a scan, all clear and sent away with the words 'it's your age'
I'm 44

[Shelly5]

Thank you. I’ll give it a go. This week I really like my partner 😂.

[Mamamoana]

Hi, I’ve just signed up to this site so I can reply to you. Although this thread is so old I’m interested how your symptoms went as I’m at the stage you were then. Periods, blood pressure and lump in throat. Went docs yesterday and she’s arranging blood test - I’m such a worrier and this just makes me worse. I don’t get hot flushes and waiting to see if it is premenopause with test I think. Any reply appreciated x

[FrameyMcFrame]

Hi Manamoana,


Make sure you get the blood tests at the right time of the month, if you're still having periods then your hormones fluctuate throughout the month. I think it's 1-3 days after start of period but do google it and check.

I had to have mine repeated because they were done at the wrong time.

What age are you and what are your symptoms?

[Mamamoana]

Hi, thanks for the reply!
I’m 47 and I thought my only symptoms was heavier periods over the last year and a couple of days earlier used to be 28 went to 26ish then 45 and few months later a 65 then 16 days after that 16 which is where I am now. Thought it was mid cycle spotting but actually turned into a full period? After reading this forum I think I’ve had other issues that I probably fobbed off as getting older.. like forgetfulness and word jumbles and aching joints etc. Was getting painful boobs off and on in the summer but not for a few months now? I am a really worrier and suffer with health anxiety so this bleeding after 16 days sent me doctors as thinking the worse. I can’t remember what she said about the blood test to have 2 so many days apart? 6 days or 6 weeks? And she rang back in the evening to say she’s arranging a scan as I have fibroids on last one a few years ago. I had a smear 2 years ago and another a year before that both ok but previous one wasn’t but cin 1 but cleared up itself in the year so I’m back to 3 years.
Sorry for the lengthy reply. I’m up now 2.30am worrying-
ps no hot sweats at all and mood is as normal but do eat low carb and lots of fruit and veg which I’ve read on here can help?

[FrameyMcFrame]

Your cycle lengths suggest strongly that you're in peri
Sounds familiar. My cycles did get shorter but I've only had one long one. Then they went back to 30 days again. I'm 44 so relatively young for this.
Do you or did you smoke? I found out this causes early ovarian failure.

[Mamamoana]

Hi, Thanks for the reply. I actually went through some old diaries the other day as getting worried and there was a couple of times about 2 years ago I had mid cycle spotting. Just a little spotting in the morning. It hasn’t happened since just periods got heavier and then a 16 day cycle? I’ve never smoked. I’m having a blood test for hormones on Wednesday but how accurate it’ll be I don’t know as not sure if it’s supposed to be on a certain day of my cycle and Wednesday will be day 12?

[FrameyMcFrame]

Yes it's supposed to be day 3 or 2-4 of cycle.

That's because hormones fluctuate so massively during the month.

They will test FSH hormone which will be much higher than normal because you will be mid cycle.

This is exactly what happened to me and I had to get the tests repeated as when I saw the consultant she said I'd been tested at the wrong time of the month and the results were meaningless..

Unfortunately most GPs are woefully uninformed on the intricacies of menopause so more than likely they'll go ahead and test you anyway despite it being the wrong time of the month.

[Patchett]

Hi,
I’m 44 and I think I’m Perimenopausal. I’ve got bad anxiety, my periods have suddenly gone to every 3 weeks when they were every 26 days previously. I have terrible mood swings and awful insomnia. I wake at 1 or 2am and cannot get back off again. I’m worried that my relationship will suffer and my job as I find it hard to concentrate feeling so tired and snappy.
Is there anything out there to help redress the balance of hormones apart from pills from the Dr? I’m very sensitive to any hormone replacement so I’m not keen on that. I always suffered with pms so I feared that I would be hit hard by the menopause. I’ve got a little boy and I don’t want him to grow up with a moody mum. Is there anything that I can take? I’ve changed my diet and I now exercise regularly but this hasn’t helped.
Thank you

[JinglingHellsBells]

I’m very sensitive to any hormone replacement so I’m not keen on that


The Pill and other oral contraceptives are not hormone replacement.

hormone replacement replaces your own hormones with the same hormones (molecular identical.)

I'm not saying you should try HRT but I am saying don't confuse HRt and the Pill. The pill is synthetic hormones and it's a far bigger dose than HRT for starters.

[Patchett]

Oh right, I didn’t realise that. Thank you. Do Drs give you hrt in peri menopause? My mum reacted terribly to HRT, it turned her in to a monster and I fear the same for me x

[FrameyMcFrame]

The pill has enough hormones to override your cycle. Hrt doesn't do that.

The problem with the pill for many women is if you get migraines or are at any elevated risk for blood clots or if you smoke and you're over 40 then the pill is a big no no.

I get migraine and I'm over 40 so I can't use it.

I hope to get oestrogel with micronised progesterone. Apparently this is the best combination as it's bio identical.... I am very sensitive to synthetic progesterone, it makes me sick. My consultant said that many women who experience bat PMS and peri symptoms also react badly to the synthetic progesterone that is in most HRT and birth control pills.

[swingofthings]

The worse part of the peri is that your hormones go all or nothing. It's now that things are settling a bit, 6 years after I experienced my first symptoms of the peri, that I realise that the woese for me wasn't the times of low oestrogen but the sudden massive high.

I'm now officially in the menopause, still suffering from some symptoms but they are much more manageable than what it used to be. HRT made thugs worse for me and I think in retrospective it was indeed because in between the oestrogen from it plus my hikes, I had too much of it.

I still struggle with some aspects of it, mainly the insomnia, mind fogness, low energy part of it, so now that I think my natural surges oestrogen has finally settled, I might give it a try again.

[daffodilbrain]

Swing would you mo d expanding on the highs /surges of oestrogen? How does a surge make you feel and how does a low make you feel? I'm asking because sometimes I feel amazing can conquer the world , other times I am very efficient get on with things no worries and other times !!! Last week I could not find the right words to speak half the time, this week I can't sleep and feel ratty and mistrustful but then again I haven't felt this anxious for months! Any sage advice welcome

[swingofthings]

Firstly I'm guessing there are surges and I'm basing it on the fact that for some times, I still have the mucus, a lot, that is what I remember to be what I was looking for before ovulation time when I was ttc and which I believe to be high levels of oestrogen. I still get it despite no period and I'm pretty certain no ovulation.

The way I feel what I get it is like aim buzzing mentally and physically. I triggers pins and needles, tinnitus, feeling light headed and dizzy, and overall like my brain is on a high, thoughts bashing about in my head without being able to shut them down. I worry about everything, constantly anticipating things going over every scenario possible. When I get a low and I suspect still get some natural progesterone, I get the low mood, feelings that everything is doomed and I just want to crawl in a hole and be left there until Ive rested!

The foggy mind, not finding words, poor memory, I seem to get all the time but I put this down to poor quality sleep. Overall though I am so much better now than I was 12xmomths ago, mainly with the help of cbt and mindfulness. It's really only sleep that I still struggle with, because I can't do mindfulness during my sleep!