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?

Hi Louie- I'd suggest you change your dr and/or ask to see a gynae. There is a lot that can be done.

One blood test is not accurate. I am post meno and my 1st blood test showed I was post meno at 51- I went on to have another lot of periods until I was 53. My gynae said this was common/stop-start pattern, though having said that, I didn't miss any periods until up to my last- but I did have shorter cycles of around 17 days at times and 8-10 days bleeding.

The blood test only measures your levels on that day- they can be different from day to day.
You sound peri meno to me. You might be having a premature menopause (under 45) or just a bad time with the peri meno.

Herbal remedies can help, or you might want to try HRT if your dr thinks you should. I really think you should go back, or ask for a referral to a gyne or a specialist menopause clinic.

Jaggeyblankets - when I read your posts I thought thank god there's someone else out there with the same symptoms as me, at the same sort of age! I'm 44 & have been having night sweats probably for a couple of years now. I wake up dripping from my neck to the waist & then have to try & find a dry patch of sheet to sleep on - ugh. I have the occasional palpitation, and no interest in sex at all, but my moods seem OK (at the moment!).

I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid 12 years ago when we were having fertility treatement, and my dose has just been checked, so I know it's not that. My Mum didn't have her menopause until her mid 50s - does this mean I have another 10 years of this ahead of me??

Going to try the primrose oil for a new months, to see if that helps the sweats.

This is very helpful, I think I might be perimenopausal.

I had to have a mammogram last month due to consistent severe pain in one breast. Dr said that everything was fine but that my breast tissue in that area looked a bit peri menopausal.

It was only a week later when my period came early again that I realised the pain was hormonal it was just constant because I was down to a 21 day cycle.

I have started to struggle more then normal with my weight in the last 12 months and have started growing facial hair whereas I never had any at all previously (I am natural blonde)

I am just turned 38, 2 children 11 and 8.
is 38 young to be going into the perimenopause? does this mean I will have an early menopause?

I may start some of these natural remedies you suggest, have any had clinical trials done to prove thier safety? I always worry about taking "natural" stuff that have never had their side effects properly evaluated.

BTW I struggled to conceive DC#1 at age 27 and have to have hormonal help to kick start the overies. DC#2 came along naturally on my first period after stopping breast feeding #1. So my hormones have always been a bit dodgy.

Hi KateSM - so sorry to hear about your symptoms. You're not too young to be perimenopausal, although it is rare. I was also 38 when I discovered my fertility had disappeared (my first child was 2) and I was no longer able to conceive. My periods had become very erratic and my FHS levels were through the roof. I'm now 42 and over the last 4 years have experienced all the symptoms that everyone else describes; my most recent period a week ago was my first one for 4 months! I have found that cutting back on coffee, wine and chocolate all help with stopping the hot flushes (but it's no fun so I continue anyway!) And I took St Johns Wort for a while and noticed a distinct improvement in my mood. I am trying to manage it all with diet, so far so good. Being perimenopausal just means you are on the "verge" of the menopause, things are starting to wind down. You are not fully menopausal until you have had a whole year without a period. Hope this helps - it is crap, it really does get you down, I feel less feminine and I'm depressed about not being able to have another baby. But as long as I acknowledge those feelings and understand where they come from then that helps.

This has been an insightful read! I've had nightsweats on and off for the past few years, periods are still regular but have noticed (or rather I've been told!) that I'm getting icreasingly bad tempered - a real grumpy-old-woman candidate. Am 49, so those factors plus the bloating and slooow weight gain (despite dieting) tells me somethings not quite right. Think I might buy that Leslie Kenton book and invest in some St Johns' wort...I'm going to need a lot!

Bumping this as I think I also may be perimenopausal - or else I am pregnant! (Eeek!)

No period for a few months is the main symptom though a bit of internet surfing has indicated that weight gain around the middle (which I have never had before except when pregnant), itchy skin, tiredness, constant PMT, etc, etc are also symptoms of perimenopause.

I suppose I am surprised that it has happened suddenly, iyswim , thought it would be a more gradual process.

(And I have done a pregnancy test btw in case anyone wonders - though I am trying hard to avoid the current thread about people having a negative test and still being pregnant). {Sticks fingers in ears and goes la, la, la, la, la!]

DecorHate

I have missed two periods now, but don't feel pregnant. My periods have been much more irregular over the last 2 years anyway. I was wondering if I should do a test, just in case....

Scary, isn't it?!

I have found that eating a low carbohydrate diet has stopped the hot flushes.

Don't know what to do about the periods though! Have just had my first one since November. I was hoping that they'd stopped permanently, as my skin/acne had also cleared up, but no. And I'm now sporting a ginormous zit on my chin.

BIWI did you worry that you might be pregnant when you didn't have a period for 4 months?

Well not really - seeing as DH had the snip about 5 years ago!!!

I wish - DH has always flatly refused.

So I did a test today and I'm not, so it looks like I'm definitely in the peri-menopause!

Have just bought loads of menopace - not sure what it's meant to do, but it was on special at Tesco

Today I bought evening primrose oil and vitamin B6.
Have been taking St John's Wort too.
Irregular periods and feeling very low.

Is it St John's wort that sometimes gives headaches?

For anyone whose periods have gone awol - how long until you don't feel like you're about to come on? Does the period-like feeling wear off after a few days? (fingers crossed!)

I'm 43, almost 44, had my coil out last month and had a horrendously heavy period - I'm now 4 days late ( DH had the snip 8 months ago and is clear) I've done a p. test and it's negative, I feel like I'm on but I'm not bleeding even slightly! Period pains and sore boobs, plus muzzy head, feel quite vile.
I've had that tender, dragging feeling in my uterus for a few days and really do feel like I should be bleeding - I don't think that I ovulated last month but I'm not 100%.
Sex normally does the trick and starts me off but it hasn't this time.

Can only speak from experience- these are called phantom periods. My PMT symptoms would only last a couple of days.

I think i am perimenopausal at 43 and have been for about a year.
Periods now every 3 weeks and very very heavy - flooding at times. used to be a 32 day cycle at least - always late.

awful moods - very snappy. sore boobs and now very very itchy skin on my chest. It feels like spots about to erupt but then dont - very itchy and red and seem to come and go down a bit but never disappear. At night when i get hot almost unbearable and i am now taking a cold flannel to bed to ease the itching.

Anyone got any ideas please?

I'd suggest you pop along to yoor GP for some hormone/blood test- you are pretty young for peri meno. Menopause before 45 is classed as an early meno.

My periods didn't go wonky til about 18 months before menopause and I was over 50 then.

anyone actually recommend "Agnus Castus" as having worked small miracles for them? Read the Daily Mail article about Tamara Beckwith recommending it, but you know celebs could be for the promo-pound. Appreciate any and all advice as the family and friends are about to divorce me. ;)

Coco, I tried Agnus Castus a long time ago to help with pre-menstrual breast tension and all it did was mess with my cycle!

However, everyone is different!!!! Worth a go for 3 months or so.

I'm peri-menopausal at 43. I've been taking the following to help with hot flushes, severe mood swings, vaginal dryness etc etc:

1. An Australian Bush Flower remedy called 'Woman Essence' - this has brought my periods back to a regular level and this in turns helps to keep my moods more even.

1. A Bach remedy called 'Mood Essence' which does what it says on the tin.

1. Sea buckthorn oil capsules (containing omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9) - these have sorted out my vaginal dryness and is supposed to help keep skin 'youthful' (!!!)

As well as these, I'm endeavouring to eat more phytoestrogens and reduce caffeine and alcohol levels. I can honestly say that I've felt better over the last few months than I have done in the past two years.

HappyWoman, I've had that awful itching too!!! It's really horrible! You keep scratching even though it's hurting and making your skin redder!

The itching always came on at night. When it did, I took some of DS's antihistamine liquid (which is also suitable for adults) and smothered the itchy areas with calamine lotion. Not sure which worked but glad something did so that I was able to get back to sleep!!!

I too am wondering if i am peri menopausal. My periods have become very erratic. Sometimes they come once a month. Other times its every 40 or so days. I am now over 8 weeks without a period. I am definately more irritable than usual but otherwise no other symptons. I keep doing pregnancy tests but they are negative. I am 42.

happyhols
if this keeps happening and they stop all together before 45 youmust see GP/gynae for HRT- premature meno can lead toall kinds of problems such as osteoprosis. Havign saud tha, peri meno canlast for 10 years , so you might be okay!
I had a relatively late meno with my periods stopping at 53 and no real problems at all until 51 when missed 1, then a few months off/on, but mainly on until the last one.

Hi

I too started taking Agnus castus for my anxiety and moods. Two weeks after starting the Agnus Castus I now get hot flushes which I didn't get before. I has improved my mood though.

kateSM I'm 38 too, and also think I'm starting perimenopause...

Very heavy periods all of a sudden (although still regular), achy boobs on and off all month, bad mood swings, lots of little things that added up once I started asking my older friends about the heavy periods. I did check my thyroid (I take meds for hypoth.) but my levels are fine.

I am 45 and much of what has been described has been going on with me for 3 or 4 years.

It does seem to be getting a bit easier or maybe I'm getting used to it.

Doctor was not much help tbh. She seemed woolly about what it all meant and pretty much dismissed any homeopathic remedy. I'm not too great at taking pills long term anyway so haven't tried much. Come to think of it she wasn't very helpful or sympathetic at all.

I did have thermal ablation for extremely heavy periods about 3 years ago which was helpful. It hasn't stopped the problem altogether but it has helped. PMT has been off the clock at times. Never experienced it even mildly until now.

It's quite a relief to read about those of you finding deodourants not so effective now. I have never, ever noticed or been aware I was more um..sweaty until the last two years or so and I def hate that

In many ways I'm feeling more at odds with myself than when I went through puberty which didn't bring up so many symptoms compared to this.

I am 51 and have just discovered migraines with pain. Had my frirst mtgtraine with aura at 40, then last year or so noticed they were monthly. This is the second month in a row I have had this pain. it starts a few days before bleed and has now lasted the 4 days of the bleed tink its due to hormones!! can anyone encourage me that it will finish soon?!!