Is It Over Yet? The Perimenopause Thread

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Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Progesterone pills were a total flop to help with my blood flow, however it did help with cramps and bloating.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    I’m not sure if this is what’s going on with me. I’m due for my annual doc appointment soon so will ask about it.

    I’m soon to be 43 years old, and my cycle started to change about a year ago. My periods started boiling down to a really light day, followed by one VERY heavy day, and then one more light day. They were still very regular schedule-wise and I could predict the start down to the hour. But, in the last 6 months or so, they have started to get closer together. My cycle shortens by a few days each month now, which is annoying.

    I have also noticed my hair thinning.

    The biggest issue though, for me, has been mood swings. I feel like I’ve been much more irritable and easily angered over the last year. Maybe. To be honest I can’t tell if I’m more irritable or if I’m just SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS ALL THE TIME. See what I mean. I’m snapping at strangers in the grocery store. I mean, who DOES that???

    I’m going to talk to my doc about it, but the prospect of 10 years of this is not going to be fun.

    Have your iron levels checked - anemia can cause hair loss and irritability. Are you experiencing fatigue as well?
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,092 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I went to my doctor yesterday and she basically told me that my issues are hormonal too.

    Issues

    - extremely dizzy before/during my period (this has been getting worse. It used to be the last days of my period. Now it started 4 days before. I'm anemic too. NOT helping.
    - crazy hunger and cravings for bread
    - headaches
    - Waking up at night drenched in sweat
    - plus I have very heavy bleeding (probably the cause of anemia) and I've been put on progesterone pills, which make me even dizzier
    - periods are getting longer. 9 days now. I still get them reliably every 4th Tuesday.
    - that week when I wasn't hungry after my period? GONE.

    Does anyone else have the same symptoms? I've gained so much weight back because of all this (I can't exercise when I'm dizzy, let alone walk the dog or go to the grocery store, and I'm starving for 10 days straight). I'm completely depressed over this.

    I started with that dizzy symptom right about 40, and had it for a decade. I'm 51 now and still get it occasionally. Sometimes it was so bad, I could hardly walk to work or sit and look at a computer.

    Night sweats ... hot flashes ... warm in general
    Long, long periods
    Frequent periods (every 2-3 weeks)

    Fortunately I haven't been overly hungry with it all.

    I can't use hormone replacement therapy ever so that's out for me.

    Have you been to a gynaecologist yet? Turns out some of my symptoms are normal perimenopause, but some weren't.


    Happily, and I don't want to speak to soon, but I'm almost at 5 months with no periods!! (quiet tiny little woohoo)

    So much for woohoo.

    The count starts all over again.

    I feel for you! After two years of nothing after having Mirena removed, my count starts over as well. I've been looking forward to menopause for as long as I can remember (have endometriosis) and thought I'd escaped most of the side effects. Little did I know I'm not quite there yet!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,631 Member
    Stress triggering the hot flashes again ... prickly skin, nausea, feeling like I'm in an oven, turning red and pouring sweat. Lasts 5-10 minutes, then eases off and I turn cold.

    Thank goodness for my desk fan at work!
  • Anna022119
    Anna022119 Posts: 547 Member
    I've officially gone without for a year now!
    Made a Drs appointment for a 'well women's check up' coming week just to confirm some things.

    Night sweats and hot flashes are there at times but I'm usually cold so I don't really mind. 😉

    It's so much nicer after years of heavy and long periods.

  • anthocyanina
    anthocyanina Posts: 86 Member
    Anna28518 wrote: »
    Night sweats and hot flashes are there at times but I'm usually cold so I don't really mind. 😉

    It's so much nicer after years of heavy and long periods.

    I'm another who's always cold so hot flashes at the right time can be a relief. Although other times a bit more intense than I'd like. I've started taking ground flaxseed and that brought the intensity down to a slight warmth, so all good there.

    My cramps were worse than natural childbirth so I'm super glad to say goodbye, although it's inconvenient not know when my period's coming.

    Peri started a couple years ago for me with chronic migraines. Got a script for amitriptyline and that took care of my migraines plus helps me to sleep at night. I call that a win-win!
  • dramaqueen45
    dramaqueen45 Posts: 1,009 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Stress triggering the hot flashes again ... prickly skin, nausea, feeling like I'm in an oven, turning red and pouring sweat. Lasts 5-10 minutes, then eases off and I turn cold.

    Thank goodness for my desk fan at work!

    Someone told me about black cohosh (find it in the vitamin section). It really helped with my hot flashes. I take one pill every night and I very rarely get them anymore.
  • Pipsqueak1965
    Pipsqueak1965 Posts: 397 Member
    Anyone had similar to me - periods had got very irregular (10 months, 4 months part) when I started some HRT. I tried two sorts (Elleste duet and Evorel sequi patches - both of which are 2 weeks of oestrogen followed by 2 weeks of progesterone). I found I was getting awful awful heavy 9-10 day periods, so uncomfortable that I was awake 3-4 nights each month. I have stopped taking it a couple of weeks back (just couldn't face it any more). I'm just going to have to deal with the irritability I guess. Fortunately didn't get any weight gain.
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,890 Member
    I had tried everything, black cohosh, estroven, nothing helped and menopause was truly crushing my spirit. As a last resort I went to an acupuncturist, she treated me and also gave me some Chinese herbs, I don't know what's in them but they are magical, my hot flashes have decreased significantly and I am able to sleep through the night. It sucks that there isn't one thing that can truly work for everyone.
  • AgileK9
    AgileK9 Posts: 255 Member
    garber6th wrote: »
    I had tried everything, black cohosh, estroven, nothing helped and menopause was truly crushing my spirit. As a last resort I went to an acupuncturist, she treated me and also gave me some Chinese herbs, I don't know what's in them but they are magical, my hot flashes have decreased significantly and I am able to sleep through the night. It sucks that there isn't one thing that can truly work for everyone.

    I have an acupuncturist appointment for other reasons, my first time going, but thanks for mentioning this, I'm going to bring this up while I'm there....I'm dying and nothing is working either!
  • OnMyWeigh464
    OnMyWeigh464 Posts: 447 Member
    Not sure if I’m premenopausal yet but I’ve been having hot flashes and night sweats for 2ish years now. I’m 43. I also have pcos so could be related. But those night sweats...goodness they’re horrible.
  • gradchica27
    gradchica27 Posts: 777 Member
    I’m not feeling optimistic after reading y’all’s posts ...I’m 37 and I’m not sure if I’m actually in perimenopause yet, but I have low estrogen and am starting to have some very annoying symptoms around ovulation/before my period, when estrogen normally dips (and so for me bottoms out). I’m already on supplementa estrogen post-ovulation. If the next decade or so is moving toward this being more normal than not, yikes.

    I can tell I’m hitting the final week and a half before my period now bc I am so freaking hungry all the time. Doesn’t matter what or how much I eat—maintenance or surplus, lots of carbs or lots of protein or a good balance...I’m ravenous an hour later. Not snacky or “I kinda want something”, but “my abdomen hurts from the gut wrenching pit of hunger within. Any words of wisdom on how to manage/alleviate this (other than stuffing my face 24/7)?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited March 2019
    gradchica27 wrote: »

    I can tell I’m hitting the final week and a half before my period now bc I am so freaking hungry all the time. Doesn’t matter what or how much I eat—maintenance or surplus, lots of carbs or lots of protein or a good balance...I’m ravenous an hour later. Not snacky or “I kinda want something”, but “my abdomen hurts from the gut wrenching pit of hunger within. Any words of wisdom on how to manage/alleviate this (other than stuffing my face 24/7)?

    For me it started when I got below normal BMI. I gained back 25 lbs (partly because of that, honestly), and now it's much better again. It's totally depressing, honestly.. I guess it's either be overweight or being miserable 2 weeks a month. I'm still not sure if I'm in peri-menopause or not, just found out that I have fibroids, my periods are getting much longer, and horribly heavy again. But at least I'm not a bottomless pit for 2 weeks before my period anymore, I guess (progesterone pills seem to have helped some with that too, actually, but I'm probably going to stop them because they're not helping whatsoever with my periods so I'll get back to you on whether the hanger comes back or not).
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    SuzySunshine99 wrote: »
    I’m not sure if this is what’s going on with me. I’m due for my annual doc appointment soon so will ask about it.

    I’m soon to be 43 years old, and my cycle started to change about a year ago. My periods started boiling down to a really light day, followed by one VERY heavy day, and then one more light day. They were still very regular schedule-wise and I could predict the start down to the hour. But, in the last 6 months or so, they have started to get closer together. My cycle shortens by a few days each month now, which is annoying.

    I have also noticed my hair thinning.

    The biggest issue though, for me, has been mood swings. I feel like I’ve been much more irritable and easily angered over the last year. Maybe. To be honest I can’t tell if I’m more irritable or if I’m just SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS ALL THE TIME. See what I mean. I’m snapping at strangers in the grocery store. I mean, who DOES that???

    I’m going to talk to my doc about it, but the prospect of 10 years of this is not going to be fun.

    Have your iron levels checked - anemia can cause hair loss and irritability. Are you experiencing fatigue as well?

    Sorry for a 2-months-later response to your question...I had my iron levels checked in August and they were good.
    I am constantly fatigued, but that may have more to do with working 70 hours a week...
  • texasredreb
    texasredreb Posts: 541 Member
    I'm on the other side of menopause (no period for about 20 months). I STILL have night sweats and some other symptoms.
  • stutba
    stutba Posts: 152 Member
    51 and regular as ever with changes in length of period. I have recently experienced itching in feet and hands (mostly feet) followed by numbness and tingling. Happening multiple times at night waking me. I think it may be brought on by heat as it seems to disappear when I uncover my feet. Just wondering if anyone else experiences this. Many other symptoms night sweats, palpitations, vaginal dryness, and itchiness. I have doc appointment in May. Just curious about the neuropathy symptoms.
  • Anna022119
    Anna022119 Posts: 547 Member
    I've had neuropathy symptoms too.
    But mine were initially not linked to perimenopause as they happened soon after childbirth and I ended up having nerve damage during my 2nd delivery.

    Now being post menopausal I realise that a lot of issues were to do with the menopausal state I was in and not with the nerve damage my neurologist thought it was.

    Nerve damage is now just that without weird side effects...

    Hang in there!
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
    How did you know you were in perimenopause? Did a doctor do a blood test? Did you just assume that you are based on your age? I'm 47 so I'm wondering if I am.
  • Anna022119
    Anna022119 Posts: 547 Member
    I didn't know at the time.
    Just noticed lots of changes followed by nothing.
    Then all those changes started to make sense.
    They can do a blood test but here in the UK they prefer to wait a bit.
  • leonadixon
    leonadixon Posts: 479 Member
    Has anyone here ever had cold flashes? I have been getting these frequently at night. Seems to be the exact opposite of hot flashes.
  • stutba
    stutba Posts: 152 Member
    My gynecologist told me I was in peri menopause when I was 45. I am 50 now not 51 as I posted earlier. Another symptom “head case” forgetful...
    I’m not sure if I would classify this as cold sweats but in evening about 3 hours or so before bed I get very cold.
    Waiting for this misery to end!
  • gingerluken
    gingerluken Posts: 1 Member
    Hi everyone. I just came across this thread while tracking my food and thought I'd chime in since I can relate to so many of your comments. I will be 49 this year. My periods have been like clockwork up until about 3 years ago. Since then, they have been sporadic, heavy, and just plain horrible. My gyno said I have about 1-2 more years until I reach Menopause.
    I experience all of the symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, etc) and can totally deal with most of them. What I can't deal with is the weight gain, which is why I started tracking on my fitness pal again. I lost 19 lbs with weight watchers almost 2 years ago but have gained about half back in the last 6 months. I'm desperate to find the right 'diet' to help get my hormone levels back so I can start losing again. I've tried counting macros and am now thinking about trying the keto diet and/or intermittent fasting.
    First, is anyone experiencing weight gain while being in periomenopause and were you successful with a certain eating plan? if so, what has worked for you?
  • Liamsm0m
    Liamsm0m Posts: 102 Member
    I’m 41 and slowly pulling into the station... I still have regular cycles but I see to be showing other signs. However, I do keto and supposedly that’s supposed to limit some of the symptoms 🤷🏻‍♀️

    Right now I’m struggling with insanely dry hands ....
  • AgileK9
    AgileK9 Posts: 255 Member
    So I went to the doctor and actually saw her Nurse Practitioner, whom I love, and she gave me lots of options. I haven't read through this whole thread so I'm not sure if this has been suggested before, but we decided on trying a product called Relizen which is a Swedish Bee Pollen.

    https://hellobonafide.com/products/relizen?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-oz4_--T4QIVQbXACh1caAr9EAAYASAAEgIS0_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

    Anyone used it? She told me it's been used in Europe for a good 2 decades with great success. Unfortunately it takes awhile to work up to helping, like a month or two, but I'm much happier to give another non hormone treatment a try rather than hormones or antidepressants.
  • garber6th
    garber6th Posts: 1,890 Member
    AgileK9 wrote: »
    So I went to the doctor and actually saw her Nurse Practitioner, whom I love, and she gave me lots of options. I haven't read through this whole thread so I'm not sure if this has been suggested before, but we decided on trying a product called Relizen which is a Swedish Bee Pollen.

    https://hellobonafide.com/products/relizen?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-oz4_--T4QIVQbXACh1caAr9EAAYASAAEgIS0_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

    Anyone used it? She told me it's been used in Europe for a good 2 decades with great success. Unfortunately it takes awhile to work up to helping, like a month or two, but I'm much happier to give another non hormone treatment a try rather than hormones or antidepressants.

    My gyno recommended this. I haven't tried it but if you do, let us all know how it works!
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    leonadixon wrote: »
    Has anyone here ever had cold flashes? I have been getting these frequently at night. Seems to be the exact opposite of hot flashes.

    Apologies for the slow & out of sequence reply. Yes! It is the weirdest thing, and it does feel like thermal disregulation, like I just can't get my core temperature up. Now, a year after first experiencing that, I think I may have had a couple hot flashes, too, although they're not too pronounced. That may not even be what it is. E.g. yesterday I was sitting in the same room with DH and asked if he thought it was cold in the room. No, he didn't. I was freezing and about to grab another layer to put on when I instantly became warm. Like in a flash. That lasted a couple minutes then cold again. Really strange.

    I came back to this thread, though, because I remember some of you saying you had perpetual PMS without the period? I went 100 days without in 2018 but then back to normal cycles so far this year. I thought I was having a normal cycle with ovulation-like cramps but that was 3 weeks ago and no period. I'm starting to feel a little freaked out about having the sensation of period about to start any minute for more than a week solid. I would feel reassured if anyone has experienced similar. :flowerforyou:
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,631 Member
    Yes, I go through the "usual stuff" as though my period is going to start ... but most of the time now, it doesn't. :) I'm hoping that eventually all the "usual stuff" will ease off.

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