Feeling depressed during period

[Peach201]

I think I may be in the very very early stages of peri menopause (irregular periods, blood clots etc nothing too severe). However I’ve noticed the week before my period I’m getting really anxious and the week my period is due I’m feeling quite depressed. No motivation, very irritable, struggling to engage with the kids.

Just generally feeling crap. The usual suggested cures such as talk to a friend, go for a walk etc etc not doing anything.

Any advice please?

Should say after the period week I start slowly feeling better. More motivation etc and generally much happier.

No advice but I can offer solidarity. It's bloody awful. You could have blood tests done, I got checked because I was convinced I was peri menopausal. I wasn't, but I was very low on vitamin D, so was given quite a high dose. This can cause low mood.
I would definitely speak to your GP, they may be able to do some test and offer some help.
It's utterly draining so I do really sympathise.

Thank you. Sorry to hear you’ve had similar issues. Wow, vitamin d I had no idea that could have an impact. Will definitely look into that

It could well be PMDD - can get worse closer to menopause

I’m finding it hard to know much if this is me and how much of this is just how I feel in that one week if that makes any sense. Agree it’s totally draining, just when I start feeling better if starts all over again. :(

Thanks. Any suggestions for treatment/coping?

HRT has helped me enormously

It sounds like PMDD go see an endocrinologist. A female one.

Thanks all

Blood tests are useless at detecting peri menopause and often come back as normal, and it’s quite often that we get vitamin d deficiencies during perimenopause so I’d list the symptoms you thought were peri and get back to the doctor, I mean we women know our bodies and it’s strange to think that you thought it was peri but you were told no because of those useless blood tests! My bloods came back ‘normal’ twice but I insisted to the doctor that I knew my own body and I had about 30 odd symptoms of peri and I was finally started on HRT…please speak to the menopause specialist at your doctors because I think you may still be in peri.

If you’re 45 plus then they are meant to give HRT based on symptoms, under 45 is bloods but the doctor should have told you hormones fluctuate frequently and that bloods can show as normal.

Thank you, I will go back to the Dr. I'm under 45. I had read that blood tests couldn't decrease perimenopause so I assumed the GP sent me to rule out other possible issues. But, after taking the course of high dose vitamin D supplements, nothing has really changed.

I have PMDD and the only thing that helped me was having the coil fitted. I'm so much calmer and happier now. I also take the pill 😅