Perimenopause or going mad?

[Ioana_17]

Hello,

I am new here and I will need some advice if possible, please.

I am 39 now but I am experiencing a very long list of symptoms since I was 35:

Irregular periods ( last long and very heavy ); Skipped periods; Sleep change ( waking up early morning); Hot flushes ( face and ears became red and ends with a clammy feeling ); Night sweats; Mood swings - angry, nervous, tearful, on edge; Palpitations ( when go to bed and when wake up); Panic attacks ( very often, from poor sleep or hot flushes or palpitations); Brain fog ( not able to concentrate or remember); Forgetful; Stress; Low sex drive; Headache; Vaginal dryness; Muscle and joint aches; Breast tenderness; Hair loss; Dry skin; Digestive problems ( bloating, gas, heartburn ); Dizziness; Lack of focus; Fatigue - feeling extremely tired; Weight gain

So sorry for the long list!

Been on and on to GP, private doctors and all I get is antidepressants!

I am keep telling everyone that is not depression but with no result.

Is this me going mad or is peri menopause? The doctors keep telling me that I am too young but I don’t know if it’s about age!

This are my last blood test results, can someone tell me that I am not going mad please?

[Iwilldothisthisyear]

Hi , that sounds like peri-menopause to me as a lay-person . I started symptoms like missed periods in my early 40’s & my GP said I was peri-menopausal & this could last up to 10 .

I have been getting the other symptoms for about the last 4 or 5 years . I started a new job in March (it was a promotion) & someone mentioned that there was a group set up about peri-menopausal/ menopausal people.

I joined & my eyes were opened , all my problems brain fog , pain, dreadful sleep & hot flushes seemed to be peri-menopause related .

I started HRT at the end of October & it was amazing.

Have you asked to be referred to a menopausal clinic ?

[Ioana_17 in reply to Iwilldothisthisyear]

Hi henderslh,

Yes I have asked but GP said that I am too young for peri menopause so I went private and done the blood test and the doctor that I’ve seen private said the same, that I am too young for HRT. I have another blood test end of January and when I will see the doctor again I will push for HRT!

I know that I am not mad but honestly the doctors put you through a lot of pressure when they don’t want to listen to you and are going after blood tests results.

[Iwilldothisthisyear in reply to Ioana_17]

That’s dreadful 😢

[Belle76]

hi you’re not going mad, I was like you but didn’t start skipping periods until in my early 40s. Problem is unless you’re nearly 50 they don’t even think it can be your hormones. Blood tests are ok but need more than one lot doing as our hormones fluctuate quite a lot which is why our symptoms seem all over the place. Are you on Facebook there are a few good groups on there and give you lots of information too.

You could look up Jane pangbourne think that’s correct or dr Louise Newson 👍

[Ioana_17 in reply to Belle76]

Hi Belle76,

Thank you for the information, yes I am on Facebook, I will have a look for the groups that you’ve mentioned.

If I am now 39 and the dr says that I am too young for peri menopause and struggling with a lot of symptoms, what I will do until I will reach 50, going mad for real? No way, I will battle and not giving up!

I want my life back, to be the old me again, not a shadow.

[Belle76]

I know it’s so hard to get doctors to understand, but these groups are full of helpful information the HRT truth collective is a good one and some others try and stick to the uk ones as the American ones can cause more confusion due to the difference in what they call stuff.

There is an app called Balance it was free but I don’t know if it still is or parts of it are there is a section you can log symptoms. Just get as much info as you can and go back to the doctors.

There are some supplements can can be of use but I have not tried them due to other medication I’m on and allergies I have.

[Nathalie70 in reply to Belle76]

Hello Belle,

Did you have a thyroid function test done - it’s a simple blood test. A lot of your symptoms could be related to an overactive thyroid or underactive. Don’t worry because both are easily treatable: I have Graves’ disease which gives an overactive thyroid and I have far more issues with my menopause than I ever had with Graves’ disease. It took 3 years to diagnose my overactive thyroid, I was 39 when the first symptoms started and I was told it was the perimenopause starting. Doctors were wrong because my first perimenopause symptoms started at 45. Take care ❤️.

[Belle76 in reply to Nathalie70]

I can’t remember as I have regular monitoring blood tests done my symptoms started after I was 40. I think I did have a blood test that looked at a whole host of things. It was during covid and lockdown that it really started, or started missing periods, but my periods were heavy and came when they wanted so couldn’t really track them the only thing that was constant was they were always 10 days long.

[Rainbow2468]

Your not too young I've been in perimenopause since I was 38 and have pretty much everything your describing here. Sending you a big hug x

[Ioana_17 in reply to Rainbow2468]

Hi,

Thank you! The worst nightmare for me now are panic attacks I have them when I am driving and even in my sleep, hot flushes when all my face is going red and it feels like my brain is burning along with my face, and palpitations when my heart is beating so fast that I am thinking that I will have an heart attack and drop dead.

Why we need to give a battle for this? Why the doctors doesn’t want or understand you?

A big hug for you too! ☺️

[Rainbow2468]

It's just awful isn't it x

[MontsJ]

From all of my reading and my own personal experience your symptoms do sound perimenopausal to me. At your age it’s referred to as Premature Ovarian Insufficiency or POI. Have they checked your thryroid levels also? The problem with bloodwork is that your levels can fluctuate month to month. You need a GP who is trained in understanding premature menopause, I highly recommend the book ‘The Complete Guide to POI and Early Menopause’, I got this on Amazon. Ask to see another GP in your practice and maybe look at the balance-menopause website for their checklist of symptoms they suggest taking to your doctor. It’s actually really important women with POI start HRT if medically appropriate weighing up and family health risks as women with POI have an increased risk of osteoporosis, stroke and dementia without oestrogen until the average age on menopause. If your HP practice is unhelpful, insist on referral, but be aware this can take a long time so it may be worth paying the £250-300 to see a specialist privately, they will diagnose you and write to your GP who then will prescribe your medication. There are a few really great Menopause and POI support groups on Facebook.

[Ioana_17 in reply to MontsJ]

Hi! I have done a lots of tests including thyroid and all came back normal, but I will push it until I will get the answers, I am battling this symptoms since I was 35, I will not give up.

[SDMM]

Hi, I'm sorry to hear you're going through all that. Even more shocked that you've just been told you need anti depressants, awful... I've seen all the very useful advice given, but wanted to ask if the GP has checked your thyroid? The thing is underactive thyroid symptoms mirror perimenopause, so good to ask for that too. Also, as someone who's had an underactive thyroid for 13 yrs, I've learned to be very pushy with my doctor & educated myself on my condition.

Good luck, Hope you get sorted soon. xx

[Ioana_17]

Hi, yes I did check it more than once, I have had one result with a slightly elevated TSH, but the second one come back normal. I will go forward and do whatever it takes to regain my health again.

[duchess1226]

Sounds like peri to me but I am no doctor. I started this at 38 and I am now 46. I really thought I was dying. I saw allll the specialist, rules out everything (cardiac, thyroid, etc) and I have found that journaling your symptoms on a calendar to be LIFE SAVING. This was I can look back and see and know its part of this madness. I wish you well

[amberbrown]

Sounds similar to me, I am 65 and had total hysterectomy six months ago. Its a nightmare. I am on patches but still persists with symptoms keep changing. They tend to think antidepressants are the answer to it all apparently.

[duchess1226]

Sounds JUST like me and I started at 38!! Literally went to every specialist (cardio, allergy, endocrine, ENT) and finally my gyno told me that I was super young but thats what it was. based on my latest numbers, I should be in full meno by 52.