Overwhelmed with Perimenopausal Symptoms

Posted , 7 users are following.

I am 49, and I have been going through intense symptoms for the past eight months: deep depression, scary thoughts, crying jags, screaming, moments of rage. These symptoms are very uncharacteristic for me. They are interspersed with periods of feeling totally normal: peaceful, optimistic, happy. It is exhausting living this way, and I pray that I will soon enter menopause. I am a very strong person, but these hormones are really pushing me to the edge. I have tried every med known to man, but nothing works. I know that time will change everything, but it is so hard to soldier on! I stay active, work, and socialize, but sometimes I can feel like it is all just too much. Can anyone relate to my experience?

2 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    Absolutely Bev.  While I am in meno, I certainly remember those times.  What I might suggest is that you chart your days.  Keep track of when you feel good and when you don't.  It might point you to some idea of what's happening.  

    • Posted

      Hi Bev, well I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but what i experienced was that the closer I got to menopause, the more other things started happening.  (And no they weren't good)  For me it was constant chronic muscle and ligament pain.  Four years into meno,I got vaginal atrophy and dryness.  

      Your body keeps changing.  And unfortunately I don't like the changes.  

      Right now you are feeling the swings of hormones, which is causing your internal unrest.  I do remember that feeling that things were internally calm, once my periods stopped. (however my muscles sure didn't like it.)  But as you can see from reading these boards, women often have plenty of complaints being in menopause. 

  • Edited

    With me peri or full menopause it's all the same I wasn't that poorly in peri menopause and now I'm menopausal and it's bad full blown anxiety sadness fearful thoughts the list goes on

    • Posted

      I have just reached menopause and the emotional part is now the worst it has been.

      I literally just keep myself in one mode the entire day because otherwise I will just sit here and cry.

      I worry about everything and will not allow myself to be happy because then something bad may happen.

      Really a terrible time.

  • Posted

    Hi Bev, I can relate for sure and I think it’s unopposed estrogen that causes it. I was a crazy madwoman in the beginning, I’d scream at my husband, one day I grabbed my suitcases and started throwing them out my closet, I was leaving and didn’t know why. I also had bouts of depression and feeling like life wasn’t worth living, then I had awful anxiety over small insignificant things then anxiety over every physical symptom. Then..my life totally crashed with every symptom in the book and more. I’m 53, periods are all over the place. I don’t rage anymore. Only get depressed when I’m feeling very poorly. And never google symptoms which helps the anxiety.  I just chalk everything up to peri now. So for me the mental part is getting better.

    Maybe try some estrogen and progesterone gel and see if that makes a difference?

    • Posted

      Hi Suzanne,

      Thanks so much for your detailed feedback. From what I have read the symptoms intensify the closer you get to menopause. I am sure that physical symptoms are horrible, too, but I would take them any day over psychological ones. My psychiatrist says that taking hormones is "playing with fire". My aim is to just ride out the emotional symptoms, as nothing lasts forever. I tried bio identical progesterone a while back and fell into an ever deeper depression, so hormones are out for me. Luckily, I have so much emotional support and really a great life. I keep telling myself that one day I will get there.

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