Want the good news or the bad?
Cutting out alcohol and caffeine helped me a lot.
BUT - I started menopause about 7/8 years ago.
Still get hot flushes and mood swings, but you cope better as you go along. (much better at apologising than I used to be!!!)
Everyone is different.
Don't be hard on yourself, you'll settle eventually.
Take care.

Girl, it's not just you! :frown: I was happily going through life for about a year popping the progesterone & cycling somewhat normally until mid July. Since then it's been PMS & some times a little bleeding (leaving me to try to figure out if it's fibroid or "actual" period). :sad: August brought my first bout of some hot flashes (no sweating) & not sleeping more than 3 hours a night. This month no more hot flashes/sleepness nights but now am noticing more hair loss; no bald patches but just more hair in the drain than usual. The hormone doc I had seen for a 2nd opinion had prescribed a small-dose estradiol combined with my progesterone that he wanted me to start but then I started a streak of what feels like my high estrogen symptoms with the anxiety, weight gain, breast & fibroid swelling, etc so haven't taken that yet.

Got my blood work done Thursday & have a scheduled annual Pap with PCP this coming Thurs. I get this is why they call it "the change", I really do but geez....:grumble:

Have you tried supplementing with BCAAs? Part of the problem during perimenopause is that the hormone fluctuations makes it difficult for the body to process amino acids. This contributes to symptoms such as bloating and fatigue. If nothing else, it may help put a little more pep in your step if you are able to get enough nutrition in. I have also added in bromelain after a high protein meal. This enzyme breaks down the protein into more digestible form so that your body can get the nutrients it needs.

Wine can give me terrible night sweats so be careful with that!