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I can't take it anymore!! Perimenopause horrible..HELP!

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jennifer85396
jennifer85396

I am 48 years old, stay at home mom with two children.  They are in school, I try to keep myself very busy.  I have had OCD and anxiety, I have been fighting it for years. But, now the Perimenopause is really terrible..depressed, mood swings, tension headaches, dry and itchy skin.

I have spoken to my sisters who are all past Menopause, they tell me their stories but I just cannot believe that hormones can cause all this havock.  I do not feel myself at all, my PMS is worse and the week of my period I actually feel like I have a disease and I am dying.  Feel like I am going crazy!! Please tell me if this is normal to feel this way at this time, because I am obsessing and cannot get my mind off of it.  Need Help!!!!

32 likes, 739 replies

739 Replies

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  • lennie45832
    lennie45832 jennifer85396

    Edited

    Has anyone wondered why some of us get these miserable symptoms and other women dont, is it due to the hormonal dip happens in us faster, or is it just our reaction, because I see and hear some women who barely have anything and then there is us who suffer constantly. I just dont get it. 
    • Topo14
      Topo14 lennie45832

      Edited

      I read on some website that some women are just more sensitive to hormone fluctuations than others. I guess it's just like some people are allergic to something and other are not.

      Unfortunately, I seem to be VERY sensitive to hormonal imbalances. It has been a rough ride for the last few months.

      Also, if you had severe PMS as a teen (puberty time) and suffered from post-natal depression, you seem to be more prone to have a tougher time during peri.

    • lennie45832
      lennie45832 Topo14

      Posted

      Thank you Topo, because this is really frustrating, I am so tired of one thing after another. The latest thing is now the stomach bloating and feeling weird with it, I found vinegar and baking soda helps somewhat. Its just a daily relentless issue. I did have bad PMS really bad I did not have bad postnatal depression but my periods were hellish. 
    • gentleballads
      gentleballads lennie45832

      Posted

      As Topo says, thats what I heard too, but i didnt have big problems with pms or pnd, during pregnancy too i didnt have much to deal with but menopause has taken a big toll on me...ive heard many women say-- its like getting hit by a freight train !!!
    • lennie45832
      lennie45832 gentleballads

      Posted

      Great analogy, the good news tonight is the chest bloated feeling has finally subsided and NOW the nausea is happening, this is what I mean, it just goes from one thing to the other.  So frustrating
    • gentleballads
      gentleballads lennie45832

      Posted

       true enough lennie, one after the other,  itchy shins were below digestive and back pain, but last night my mouth constantly dried up and i couldnt swallow...no saliva  there !! my hands become cold and numb at night and im constantly trying to make them come alive by rubbing them !
    • lennie45832
      lennie45832 gentleballads

      Posted

      I have had the cold hands too, its very tough, this morning the area below the collarbone tightness is back, I am going to use the castor oil heated up, that helps a great deal from what I have heard. I have itchy skin too.  I like the analogy about getting hit by a freight train is so appropriate, I rarely got sick before this, I rarely had any significant issues, and to go to daily aches, pains, physical issues makes me want to cry, I pray and pray and yet I do have some good moments, but there is no consistent good days. I really sometimes hate my life. 
    • GlamMa
      GlamMa gentleballads

      Posted

      Hi I am just beginning to experience the joys of Perimenopause and although it's been my first month from hell I'm just about done... lol...I experience tingling in my hands and the rash has covered my entire body itchy like crazy i've started tanning at the salon in hopes that it will help clear it up.... i also have eczema but it's never been this bad in my entire life sad and the chills is so horrible... waiting to hear from my doctor to go back on the pill i'm done feeling this lol i'll keep you posted. hope you feel better

       

    • debbie75601
      debbie75601 Topo14

      Posted

      Yes, I agree. Also feel like if you are sick with your pregnancies, you will have a much harder time in peri and menopause. I was very sick all three times I was pregnant! 
  • Guest
    Guest jennifer85396

    Posted

    Hi Jennifer, I know this post has been out there for over a year but I just stumbled upon it. Now that some time has passed, have your symptoms gotten any better? I am currently going thru many of the symptoms you listed, especially anxiety and depression. I have a history of both from a traumatic event that took place in my life back in 2012, but now that my life is great, I have NO reason to feel this way. My Primary care physician told me it isn't perimenopause. I google that word and I have most of the symptoms. I literally feel like I'm going CRAZY! I'm only 38 but my mother went thru it around the same age I am now. I'm thinking of going to see an OB/GYN to get a second opinion. I currently have the Mirena IUD form of birth control which is known to stop your periods altogether. This is true for me. I spot occasionally but can't remember the last time I had a full blown period, at least a year. Any thoughts or feedback is appreciated from you or anyone who reads my post. Thanks

    ~Rachel

  • Guest
    Guest jennifer85396

    Posted

    Hi Jennifer, I know this post has been out there for over a year but I just stumbled upon it. Now that some time has passed, have your symptoms gotten any better? I am currently going thru many of the symptoms you listed, especially anxiety and depression. I have a history of both from a traumatic event that took place in my life back in 2012, but now that my life is great, I have NO reason to feel this way. My Primary care physician told me it isn't perimenopause. I google that word and I have most of the symptoms. I literally feel like I'm going CRAZY! I'm only 38 but my mother went thru it around the same age I am now. I'm thinking of going to see an OB/GYN to get a second opinion. I currently have the Mirena IUD form of birth control which is known to stop your periods altogether. This is true for me. I spot occasionally but can't remember the last time I had a full blown period, at least a year. Any thoughts or feedback is appreciated from you or anyone who reads my post. Thanks

    ~Rachel

  • nicola22779
    nicola22779 jennifer85396

    Posted

    Hi. I've read this whole discussion and can see it is very useful so I would just like to ask:

    If ten months ago at age 44, I, within about a day, began to feel depressed for no apparent reason and continued to feel so and then about two months later had a period which was so long it ran into the next (unheard of for me as my periods were always well-behaved and regular) and since then have been tired, unrefreshed by sleep, lethargic and had very irregular periods... is this likely to be perimenopause? All blood tests normal (except for very slightly low white blood cell count) and a couple of small fibroids found with ultrasound scan. My next question, assuming a "yes" would be: How long will this last (no family history to draw on - yes, no doubt an unanswerable question), then: What shall I do about it?

  • GlamMa
    GlamMa jennifer85396

    Posted

    Hi Jennifer I can totally relate with you... I just turned 49 today (Yay!)  I've been on the pill (ortho 7/7/7) up until this January and decided to go off... and it has been Hell for me... I've not had a cycle (which I'm good with) but I've been experiencing Hot flashes (just on my neck area) and the rest of my body is Ice cold...I'm shivering non stop and very emotional.... I get heart palpatations throughout the night (with sleepless worry nights) and my entire body has broken out into a horrible rash and itchy as hell... this is the first month and I'm terrified thinking that this is how it's going to continue... I'm just waiting for my doctor to return my call so I can find out if I can go back on the birth control pill as I've never experienced this before....I've been tanning at the salon to help with the skin condition and soaking my body in coconut oil to hopefully smooth it out... I feel like I have alligator skin sad

     

  • kazzawin1
    kazzawin1 jennifer85396

    Posted

    I have been reading this discussion with tears rolling down my face! My whole life seems to be in meltdown.....not like me at all! I'm 56 and only been in perimenopause for 18 months now. Every little thing has become a major stress out, I think my husband thinks I'm going mad!! My last period was October last year and my symptoms have become 

    increasingly worse since then. Hot flushes at least a dozen times a day and at night they are accompanied by aching and itching all over my body. I keep thinking I have some awful disease because as well as acid reflux I've got a deep pain on my left hand side under my rib cage that radiates around the back.....this is constant. I've had tests done and scans and they can find nothing. A couple of weeks ago I had an excruciating pain sear through my left breast which felt just like mastitis from breastfeeding, after a very painful weekend I saw my GP who told me it's probably hormones and come back in 2 weeks. Still there and struggling to get an appointment now. I seesaw between feelings of hopelessness and panic at the moment with everything too much to deal with. My sister and I are not close, my brother died just before Christmas age 57 and my poor Mum is grief stricken because of this. She also had her menopause at age 39 and can't remember it now in her 80s so I feel completely washed out and alone. My husband tries his best but he has a very cold mother and he has no understanding of what I'm going through. Thank you for  all of your posts, I feel a lot better because of them.

    • lennie45832
      lennie45832 kazzawin1

      Posted

      Hi Kazz, I am with you, I am 55 and I know what you mean, I deal with the same things, the pain issues have gotten better, I would tell you some brands I use to help but the moderator would delete it, but there are some very, very good menopause/herbal/homeopathic websites. I had to do my own research to find these because I refused to go on to HRTS. But, I can tell you some of the things I use. I have an absolutely fantastic multi vitamin for women over 50, I also drink flax seed oil twice a day, I use Omega 3,6,9 oil 3 times a day it has Evening Primrose oil, I also go with black cohosh too. There is a lot more but I cannot say here. Now, I am in the same boat, I have NOBODY with whom I can talk to about this, nobody understands, I talked to my mother and she said I never had all of that, That was my only conversation, my grandmother is very old now and I don't even know if she remembers or would discuss it, my husband is like a wall, his comment to everything I say is well have you discussed it with your doctor or some people are hypochondriacs. I have a friend that I stopped talking to for awhile because she said I was a hypochondriac too. Literally, even though the ladies here are virtual strangers I am more comfortable talking here to women dealing with this awful syndrome. I have like you felt that there must be something else wrong with me because I cannot believe menopause causes these problems. But like you said I have been to the dr and other than my type two diabetes which is unrelated its all chalked up as menopause symptoms. I finally have started a therapist. We are early in the process but I think it will help. 

       

    • lennie45832
      lennie45832 kazzawin1

      Posted

      By the way, I had the breast pain too and its HORRIBLE, its scary and Despite everything I do, it comes back a lot and I get breast itchiness a great deal too.
    • kazzawin1
      kazzawin1 lennie45832

      Posted

      Hi Lennie,

      thank you for your advice. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like I do though sorry for you......because I really DO know what it's like. My husband is lovely but I'm sure he sees me as a hypochondriac, although he doesn't say it I see it on his face.i don't tell my children about things to do with my health at the moment because it seems I've always got something going on! Im trying to find a job at the moment .....hard when you feel like a rain forest 10 times a day! I will be taking a trip to the health shop this weekend to seek out some natural remedies, thanks again.

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