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Early Menopause - body changes

Posted , 7 users are following.

Beetle1965
Beetle1965

I am 44 and have been recently been told I am menopausal (not officially for a year of no periods) and I am feeling quite overwhelmed by everything that is shifting about.

For the past year I was having what I now know were premenopausal symptoms - not feeling rested after sleep, anxiety levels through the rood for no particular reason, skin changes (dry, wrinkles, reactive, greasy then not etc) Feeling hot and heat and redness in my face, not typical hot flushes with sweat.  Intermittant dry eye and feeling hot then cold.

All of these things have calmed down for the moment and I have missed my first period and it feels very strange.  I have never missed a period and never been pregnant. 

I have felt weak in my muscles at times and overwhelming tiredness, then it will go away, I do feel a bit flat/depressed as well, I was not ready for this change and haven't had children, so I think it's taking me a while to accept.  I haven't much of an appetite because of the stress of this news.

The thing I am most upset about right now is that my breasts have changed, I have read that this happens, the fibrous tissue turns to fat (along with everything else as far as I know sad ).  They are completely soft and feel smaller because of it - I have tried to just go with the flow of all this, but really, this seems so unfair and a change I wasn't really expecting.  Gradual yes, but maybe I didn't notice before - my breasts were feeling bigger no so long ago, with my cycles - do they just stop feeling 'alive' when the cycles stop?!

I feel like an adolescent asking all this - but really I had no idea about all the areas of the body that change.  I only heard it was hot flashes and changing periods - neither of which I have had.

Feeling really upset and quite annoyed - but I can't change it.

1 like, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • sharcerv52408
    sharcerv52408 Beetle1965

    Posted

    I understand completely how you feel. At age 26 I had my right ovary removed that began the onset of some perimenopausal symptoms. At age 35 I had my son and began having even more perimenopausal symptoms. I did not know that they were perimenopausal symptoms at the time, I thought it was just heightened PMS symptoms. Then at age 39 I had my daughter and went straight into full-fledge perimenopause symptoms seemingly overnight. I have lost weight due to appetite changes, my hair has thinned out, my face has wrinkles and lines. I get heat flashes and anxiety attacks. I have blood pressure issues and digestive changes. All of this seemingly happened overnight. I feel like I had aged in the space of a year and a half.

    But you are in good company with this forum. I have found so much support here and you will too! Chin up my dear, better days are ahead!

    Xx

    • Beetle1965
      Beetle1965 sharcerv52408

      Posted

      Oh gosh you have had a run of hormone imbalance that sounds like it's ending with a huge storm!  Yes it's like it happens at once, that's what has unnerved me and I still can't shake the feeling 'something is terribly wrong' and things are going downhill forever.................

      Thanks for your message x

  • sharcerv52408
    sharcerv52408 Beetle1965

    Posted

    Yes, I sometimes battle with the thought that something is wrong too. I have even made trips to the ER and the doctor and everything is always good and normal. So I comfort myself with the fact that this is just the rollercoaster ride that our hormones are on and we have to hold on until it comes to the end of the ride. I have been told by numerous women on this forum that things get better once our hormones settle down. Hope this helps.

    xx

    • Beetle1965
      Beetle1965 sharcerv52408

      Posted

      It does help, thank you.  I have developed complete medical phobia/health anxiety in the last year - not knowing what was going on and now the Dr's say I am in menopause I can't seem to believe them.  My brain is wondering why they are doing a full blood count and electrolytes when I go to get the second hormone test to confirm there diagnosis.

      Crazy because they are probably routine tests which I have had before and never thought about it and certainly wasn't as 100% sure they would show something terrible as I am now!  I can almost laugh at myself but it doesn't stop the worrying. 

      Where has my sensible self gone?!  Thank you for the reminder that things settle - shame we can't order our save the date cards and look forward to reaching it x

    • annieschaefer
      annieschaefer Beetle1965

      Posted

      Oh Beetle,

      A lot of us wonder where our sensible selves have gone. I see glimpses of my former self, so I know this while maddening, is temporary.

      I know it"s of little comfort to read those words when we are deep in the throes of in my case, as well as many others, irrational fears. It will pass.

      I'm all for one of those save the date cards, as I'm sure my husband I'd as well.

      Annie xx

    • susan21149
      susan21149 Beetle1965

      Posted

      Hi Beetle 

      Things will get better yes we will have our ups and downs at times. Yes we will have anxieties everbody does. This will all pass over it will.

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